The vast, perilous lands of Elden Ring Nightreign are fraught with challenges, and the Equilibrious Beast expedition often tops the list as one of the most daunting. This goat-headed Nightlord, Libra, can seem like an insurmountable wall if you charge in blind. But what if I told you that with a little insight, this fearsome foe transforms into one of the more manageable bosses on your Nightreign hitlist? Prepare to tip the scales in your favor.
Your journey through any Nightreign expedition, including Libra’s, begins with the essentials: hitting the best rune farming routes and scouring for those coveted legendary weapons. However, Libra offers a unique twist – a series of pre-fight “deals” that could either be your boon or your bane. Let’s dive into how to prepare for and ultimately conquer the Creature of Night.
Gearing Up for Libra: Your Equilibrious Beast Expedition Checklist
Before you even think about confronting Libra, proper preparation is paramount.
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Embrace the Madness (Weaponry):
Despite dealing potent madness damage, Libra is surprisingly weak to it. Inflicting enough madness can send the beast into a temporary frenzy, forcing it to use its staff for melee rather than its terrifying AoE spells. As a bonus, Libra creates madness-repelling crystals, aiding you in managing buildup from its attacks or your own spells. The catch? Madness gear is a rare find in Limveld. Keep an eye on your map overlay for locations rewarding madness affinity gear, or check with merchants who often stock at least one item with this crucial weakness. -
Holy & Fire: Reliable Backup Dousers:
Given the rarity of madness weapons, having holy and fire damage options is a smart move. Libra is partially susceptible to both. While you won’t trigger the unique frenzy interaction, the bonus damage is still significant. These damage types are far more common during expeditions. Look for relics to apply these elements to your starter weapon (don’t forget to upgrade it at smithing stone locations!). The best Wylder build excels at fire damage thanks to unique relics, while the best Recluse build can masterfully weave various magics and incantations. -
Negate the Insanity: Madness Resistance is Key:
Libra relentlessly bombards you with madness-inducing spells. Even the most agile Tarnished will likely take a hit. Alongside collecting the madness-reducing crystals Libra spawns, prioritize equipping any madness-resistance gear you find. -
Level Up & Fortify Your Flasks:
Standard boss-fighting wisdom applies: aim to be at least level ten before facing Libra. Given its oppressive nature, pushing for level 12 or higher will make the encounter smoother. Maximize your rune acquisition, defeat other expedition bosses for passive upgrades, and visit every church you find to bolster your flask charges.
Libra’s Double-Edged Deals: To Barter or Not to Barter?
Upon entering Libra’s arena, you’ll find a surprisingly peaceful initial encounter. The beast will offer you a series of random trades, each with a significant catch. These might range from a “survive death once” boon at the cost of reduced max health, to bonus levels that deplete with each flask use.
My advice? Most of the time, it’s best to refuse these deals. While some offers might seem tempting, the drawbacks are often too severe for the average player. Only highly skilled Tarnished who are confident in their ability to avoid damage should consider these risky propositions.
Assembling Your A-Team: Best Characters for the Libra Fight
Team composition is vital against Libra, primarily due to its defense-buffing meditation. Here are my top picks, aligning with some of the best characters in our Elden Ring Nightreign tier list:
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Ironeye: His ultimate can instantly interrupt Libra’s meditation, bypassing the need to break sigils. His ranged capabilities are also perfect for destroying airborne sigils. Plus, his ability to mark enemies for increased team-wide damage is invaluable.
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Wylder: A solid choice for consistent damage and stagger. His ultimate also serves as a meditation interrupt. Wylder’s unique relics can imbue his skills with fire damage, reducing reliance on RNG weapon drops.
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Duchess: Her Restage skill is a game-changer, repeating recent damage (including affinity bonuses like fire against Libra) and reapplying status ailments.
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Recluse: A master of the arcane, Recluse can unleash devastating madness incantations and fire spells. Her Magic Cocktail amplifies her damage, and her ultimate provides crucial healing and FP restoration for the team.
How to Beat Libra, Creature of Night: Deciphering the Moveset
Forget brute force; Libra demands a strategic approach. You need to understand and counter its attacks. Thankfully, it’s a one-phase fight, but don’t let that fool you – Libra has a diverse and rapidly cycling arsenal.
Watch Out for These Attacks:
Libra is a menace at all ranges. Remember to pick up the madness-reducing crystals it periodically spawns to keep your sanity in check – going mad deals damage and enrages the boss.
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Shotgun Glyph: Libra’s primary attack involves a golden glyph that fires projectiles in a shotgun-like spread as it rotates. Dodge through it, moving in the opposite direction of its rotation to avoid being clipped as it spins. There’s a slight wind-up, giving you time to react.
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Madness Rain: Keep an eye on the sky. When Libra summons this downpour of madness, create distance to avoid the impacts.
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Geyser Eruption: Large golden glyphs will appear on the ground, erupting moments later. Move out of the marked areas. Libra often casts several in succession, so keep moving until the coast is clear.
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Meditation (CRITICAL): Libra’s signature move. It shields itself and begins to meditate. If completed, Libra gains a powerful, long-lasting defense buff. This must be interrupted.
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How to Interrupt: Use Wylder’s or Ironeye’s ultimate ability. Alternatively, destroy the sigils that spawn around Libra by walking into them or attacking them. Some sigils appear airborne, making ranged weapons (like a bow with Ironeye) essential.
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Frenzy: Successfully interrupting Meditation, dealing enough madness damage, or even succumbing to madness yourself will cause Libra to enter a frenzy. In this state, it gains a temporary damage buff and switches to aggressive melee attacks with its staff.
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Madness Fog: Libra may pound the ground, creating a thick fog that rapidly builds your madness. However, this attack also spawns numerous madness-reducing crystals. Gather enough crystals to survive and wait it out, or interrupt the boss with charged attacks from heavy weapons.
The Golden Rule: Interrupt Libra’s Meditation at All Costs!
I’m stressing this point because it’s the linchpin of the fight. If Libra completes its meditation, the ensuing defensive buff makes the battle a grueling war of attrition. Whether you use an ultimate or break the sigils, stopping this attack is your top priority.
Ideal Positioning: Stay Close, Stay Safe(r)
Despite Libra’s arsenal of large AoE attacks, the safest place is often at close to medium range. This positioning makes it easier to kite around the boss and dodge its projectiles. A mix of melee (Wylder, Raider) and ranged (Ironeye, Recluse) Nightfarers can effectively manage this distance.
Conquering Libra, the Equilibrious Beast, is less about raw power and more about understanding its intricate dance. By preparing diligently, choosing your team wisely, recognizing its attacks, and critically, interrupting its Meditation, you’ll find this “impossible” boss is well within your grasp. Good luck, Tarnished, and may the scales of victory tip in your favor!
