The Night’s Cavalry are black-armoured riders that only show up after dark, patrolling roads and bridges across the Lands Between. There are nine encounters in the base game, each one optional, and almost every one rewards a Lost Ash of War you cannot easily get anywhere else. The last pair, in the Consecrated Snowfield, gives the full Night’s Cavalry armour set and an Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone. This guide lists every Night’s Cavalry location in a sensible order, what each one drops, and how to beat them.
Quick facts
| Encounters | 9 (base game only, none in Shadow of the Erdtree) |
| When they appear | Night only |
| Required? | No, all are optional field bosses |
| HP (NG) | 1,665 (Limgrave) to 7,246 each (Consecrated Snowfield) |
| Runes (NG) | 2,400 to 84,000 |
| Main rewards | 8 Ashes of War, Nightrider Flail, Nightrider Glaive, Night’s Cavalry Set, Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone |
| Weak to | Pierce (10% negation) and Lightning (20%) |
| Resists | Magic, Fire and Holy (40%) |
| Immune to | Sleep and Madness |
| Spirit Ashes | Not allowed (co-op summons are allowed) |
| Torrent | Yes, you can fight them mounted |
How to make the Night’s Cavalry appear
- Rest at the Site of Grace nearest to the encounter (listed in the table below).
- Choose Pass time and pick Until nightfall.
- Ride to the patrol route. The rider walks a loop on the road or bridge, so if you do not see it at once, wait a moment or follow the road.
- If you die, the rider is back at its route the next night. If it is daytime when you return, pass time again.
All Night’s Cavalry locations and drops
The table runs roughly in the order you reach each region. HP and runes are for your first playthrough.
| # | Region and spot | Nearest grace | Weapon | HP | Runes | Drops |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Limgrave: bridge south-east of Agheel Lake | Agheel Lake North | Glaive | 1,665 | 2,400 | Ash of War: Repeating Thrust |
| 2 | Weeping Peninsula: road west of Castle Morne | Castle Morne Rampart | Flail | 1,823 | 3,400 | Ash of War: Barricade Shield, Nightrider Flail |
| 3 | South Liurnia: woods and road south-east of Gate Town Bridge | Gate Town Bridge | Glaive | 2,704 | 5,600 | Ash of War: Ice Spear |
| 4 | North-east Liurnia: Bellum Highway | East Raya Lucaria Gate or Bellum Church | Glaive | 2,704 | 5,600 | Ash of War: Giant Hunt, Nightrider Glaive |
| 5 | South Caelid: Caelid Highway near the Cathedral of Dragon Communion | Cathedral of Dragon Communion | Flail | 3,269 | 8,500 | Ash of War: Poison Moth Flight |
| 6 | Altus Plateau: road by Altus Highway Junction | Altus Highway Junction | Flail | 3,725 | 10,000 | Ash of War: Shared Order |
| 7 | Forbidden Lands: narrow road past the grace | Forbidden Lands | Glaive | 6,602 | 36,000 | Ash of War: Phantom Slash |
| 8 | Dragonbarrow: bridge north of Lenne’s Rise | Lenne’s Rise | Glaive | 7,089 | 42,000 | Ash of War: Bloodhound’s Step |
| 9 | Consecrated Snowfield: duo escorting a carriage south-west of the inner grace | Inner Consecrated Snowfield | Flail and Glaive | 7,246 each | 84,000 | Night’s Cavalry Set, Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone |
Best Night’s Cavalry to farm first
- Dragonbarrow for Bloodhound’s Step. This is the most wanted drop on the list: a fast evasive step that many builds use for the whole game. The bridge north of Lenne’s Rise is reachable early if you ride through Caelid, but the rider has over 7,000 HP, so bring a strong weapon.
- Limgrave for Repeating Thrust. The easiest fight, a good test before the others.
- Consecrated Snowfield for the armour set. It is the only Night’s Cavalry encounter that drops the Night’s Cavalry Set, and it adds an Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone for your somber weapons.
What is the Night’s Cavalry weak to?
Rider and horse share the same defences. Pierce damage is the clear winner among physical types, and Lightning is the best elemental choice. Magic, Fire and Holy are their best-defended types.
| Damage type | Negation |
|---|---|
| Pierce | 10% (weakest) |
| Lightning | 20% |
| Standard | 35% |
| Slash | 35% |
| Strike | 35% |
| Magic | 40% |
| Fire | 40% |
| Holy | 40% |
Status effects: Poison and Scarlet Rot work well, with the Limgrave rider’s first proc at 316 buildup. Every rider is immune to Sleep and Madness.
How to beat the Night’s Cavalry
- Kill the horse first. The horse has its own, smaller health bar. When it dies the rider falls and you can land a critical hit on it while it is down.
- Stay close when it remounts. The horse comes back after a short while. Keeping close to the rider makes that window shorter for it, so keep pressure on.
- Parry the glaive riders. Glaive riders in Limgrave, both Liurnia spots, the Forbidden Lands and Dragonbarrow can be parried, which knocks the rider off. Flail riders in the Weeping Peninsula, Caelid and Altus cannot.
- Use the cliff. In the Forbidden Lands and Dragonbarrow you can bait the rider into charging off the edge.
- Split the Snowfield duo. You must kill both riders. If you kill only one and then rest, it comes back, so finish the pair in one go.
On foot or on Torrent?
Both work. On Torrent you can keep up with the rider and chase it along the road, which suits weaker characters who want to hit and ride away. On foot you have your full moveset, can parry, and can punish the dismount properly. A good habit is to start mounted, take out the horse, then hop off and finish the rider.
Related: the Ashes of War from these riders are covered with every other one in our Lost Ashes of War guide; the Snowfield stone is listed in Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone locations; and the daytime golden rider of Limgrave is in our Tree Sentinel guide. For the Caelid and Dragonbarrow riders, see how to get to Caelid.
Frequently asked questions
How many Night’s Cavalry are there in Elden Ring?
Nine encounters in the base game: Limgrave, Weeping Peninsula, two in Liurnia, Caelid, Altus Plateau, Forbidden Lands, Dragonbarrow and a duo in the Consecrated Snowfield. There are none in Shadow of the Erdtree.
Which Night’s Cavalry drops Bloodhound’s Step?
The rider on the bridge north of Lenne’s Rise in Greyoll’s Dragonbarrow.
How do I get the Night’s Cavalry armour set?
Defeat both riders of the Consecrated Snowfield duo, south-west of the Inner Consecrated Snowfield grace. They drop the full set together with an Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone.
Can you use Spirit Ashes against the Night’s Cavalry?
No. Spirit Ashes cannot be summoned, but you can call other players for co-op.
Stuck on another boss? Browse all Elden Ring boss guides.
Further reading: Night’s Cavalry on the Fextralife Elden Ring wiki.