The Executor stands alone among NightReign’s classes as a master of retaliation, timing, and transformation. Where others rush forward, the Executor waits. Where others fall to poison, bleed, and deathblight, the Executor adapts — using these threats as fuel. The Executor is designed for those who enjoyed Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and have been waiting for FromSoftware to bring back its iconic parry mechanic.
This guide will walk you through everything you need to learn to dominate as the Executor: abilities, best weapons, relics, and the perfect build.
Class Stats and Scaling
Executors are built to endure. His stats support long fights, high skill usage, and constant movement.
- Health: 220
- FP: 55
- Stamina: 54
- Scaling:
- Strength: C
- Dexterity: S
- Intelligence: D
- Faith: D
- Arcane: S
High Dexterity ensures your main weapons and abilities hit fast and hard, while Arcane boosts status buildup, which is central to your kit. The Strength isn’t great, but it still offers enough to wield a wide variety of weapons, while the low INT and FAI scaling confirms that this class leans into melee tools over magic.
Cursed Sword – Character Skill
The Cursed Sword is the Executor’s primary skill and his signature mechanic. It is what makes this class unique. Upon activation, you draw a massive, cursed blade and enter into a defensive stance. This sword has its own combo and deals extra Poise damage to enemies.
Its best mechanic, though, is its ability to parry almost any attack thrown at you.
By blocking at the right time, the Executor will parry any hit directed at him. Deflecting not only powers up the cursed sword to achieve its awakened state, but it can also stagger enemies, opening them up for Riposte.
Deflecting around three attacks within a short window awakens the sword. Indicated by a golden glow, the awakened sword gives the Executor a new move. Pressing the Ash of War button makes the Executor do a slashing dash that not only does a lot of damage but usually breaks an enemy’s posture as well.
The Cursed Sword is not a casual tool — it requires preparation and pattern recognition. However, once mastered, it rewards you with explosive turnaround potential.
Tenacity – Passive Ability
Tenacity gives you a damage and stamina regen buff whenever you recover from a major Status Effect (such as Poison, Bleed, Rot, or Frostbite). It lasts 15 seconds and rewards players who plan around Status instead of avoiding it.
This passive makes the Executor the perfect pick for bosses who constantly build Status Effects. Take Caligo, the Fissure in the Fog, for example. Her main moveset is all about causing Frostbite to players, and where other Nightfarers would have to run away, Executor can tank a hit and use the status ailment to his advantage.
Ultimate Art – Aspects of the Crucible: Beast
This Ultimate transforms the Executor into a monstrous wolf complete with a new moveset, boosted stats, and special attacks that consume the Ultimate gauge.
While transformed:
- Light attacks become claw slashes and lunges
- Heavy attacks become slam combos
- Blocking becomes a roar that acts as a projectile
- All attacks deal poise damage
- A magic dagger attack that deals a ton of damage but ends the Ultimate early
- Can be deactivated manually at any time
This transformation still leaves you vulnerable to enemy attacks, so if you are not careful, you will die. Therefore, make sure to time the Ultimate properly and have your teammates keep an enemy engaged as you go to town on them.
Ideal Armament and Weapon Synergy
The Executor’s starting armament is his Katana. Katanas, in general, are the best weapons for him because of their Dex build and inherent chances to bleed. The Executor also shines with weapons that offer quick strikes, status buildup, and fluid animation chains. Solid alternatives include Curved Greatswords, which can perform broad sweeps and status-compatible movesets for quick combos, and Daggers with Status buildup which are useful for quick hits and fast Status procs.
The best Katana you can find for the Executor is the Rivers of Blood Katana. The weapon does incredible damage and causes enemies to Bleed in seconds. The Ash of War that comes with the weapon, Corpse Piler, is also amazing for breaking posture, perfectly synergizing with the Executor’s Bleed and Riposte playstyle.
Dual-wielding Katanas is also a great strategy because the Executor does faster combos with less stamina usage. This allows him to do insane damage in a very small window and doubles the chance to proc a bleed.
Best Relics for The Executor
Before combat even begins, your run is shaped at the Relic Rites Table. The right relics can transform your starter katana into a boss-shredding weapon and set the tone for the entire expedition.
Here are the best relic effects to prioritize for a fully optimized Executor build.
1. Status-Inflicting Relics (Bleed, Poison, Frostbite, Rot)
Apply a status effect to your starting weapon early — this alone can carry you through the first half of your run. Executor’s katana scales well with Relic-applied ailments.
- Only one status can be applied via Relics
- Weapon Skill Relics like Chilling Mist temporarily add elemental damage
- Relics should always be adjusted based on boss weaknesses before entering an expedition
2. Guard-Based HP Recovery
Perfect Deflects count as Guards. With the right Relic, each Deflect restores health, making aggressive play much more sustainable.
- Keeps you alive between flasks
- Synergizes with the Executor’s high-tempo, close-range combat
- Strong against elite mobs and bosses alike
3. Attack Boosts When Status Effects Are Nearby
Gain a passive damage buff when enemies near you are afflicted with Bleed, Poison, Frostbite, or Rot.
- Scales well with Relic-applied statuses
- Triggers frequently with fast, multi-hit attacks
- Works during the Crucible Beast form
4. Partial HP Restoration Upon Post-Damage Attacks
This Relic makes sure you are always on the offensive with reduced risks
- Encourages dual-handed katana setups
- Excellent for staying in the fight long without using flasks
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a playstyle that rewards high mechanical skill and gives you satisfying parries, the Executor is your path. Time your stance, adapt your relics, and let your cursed blade carry you to victory.
