Guides · Executor · patch 1.03.5 (balance 1.03.2) · updated 2026-11-01
Executor: Dregs Seppuku
1. Summary
Three pieces make one engine. Seppuku (a skill swap on his katana) costs HP and bleeds him. Poison Buildup When Below Max HP (a curse) then keeps a poison bar on screen. The Night of Dregs (“Status Ailment Gauges Slowly Increase Attack Power”) ramps while any bar shows. Each self-bleed or self-poison he recovers from also fires Tenacity (+20% for 20 s, stacking). Players call it one of the “undisputed best ways to play Executor”, and a glass cannon.
No relics: 172 DPS. With the core lines: 197 DPS (+14.3%). Standing with players: 2 (1 = the current meta). Model: rank pack 10350000-429b9ee52d80.
For: solo and trio, experienced players. Needs: The Night of Dregs relic and the Seppuku swap relic.
2. How it plays
- Use Seppuku early (and again after every grace, which heals you). It cuts 15% of max HP + 100 and procs a self-bleed (Elden Ring’s values). You are now below 85% HP.
- The curse builds 2 poison every 0.22 s while you are below 85% (decoded SpEffect 6851300), so a status bar is always up.
- The Night of Dregs gains a stack every 20 s while a bar shows, up to 10. Decoded SpEffects 7039900–7039909: ×1.035 at one stack up to ×1.45 at ten (players measured the same in sparring).
- Fight with the Cursed Sword out as usual. Beast form (the Ultimate) also gets the Dregs and Tenacity multipliers.
Decoded rotation Dregs Seppuku: Cursed Sword + Seppuku + The Night of Dregs (style rotation), no relics: 172 DPS on the 8 Nightlords’ mean (level 15, weapon tier 3, 60% of the fight attacking).
| Use | Uses / min | Share of DPS | Where the numbers come from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cursed Sword R1 2-4 | 5.0 | 28% | decoded AtkParam_Pc 960210, 960220, 960230 on the Cursed Sword’s AR 283; relic scope from sub-categories (melee, character_skill); rate: Nightreign TAE: c0000.anibnd a278 (Executor cursed-sword stance) 2h light chain, loop 3.57s; × share 0.55 × uptime 0.6 |
| 1H Light 2-4 | 3.2 | 17% | AR 283 × decoded motion values of the hero moveset’s hits (1/1/1 hits per step); rate: Nightreign TAE: c0000.anibnd a277 (executor-s-blade), 1h R1 1-5 loop 3.57s; × share 0.35 × uptime 0.6 |
| Ultimate Art | 0.4 | 15% | decoded AtkParam_Pc rows 700000350 (row choice: pickRows, 1 hit each (estimate)) on weapon AR where they use motion values; scaled to 3615 on the sparring dummy at level 15 (Aspects of the Crucible: Beast full sequence 3,615, no relics (muni1337 sparring, 2026-06-20; taken as level 15), other levels by the decoded Beast Attack Boost table); rate: knob ultimateUsesPerMinute = 0.5 (estimate) |
| Cursed Sword R1 5 (chain finisher) | 5.0 | 10% | decoded AtkParam_Pc 960240 on the Cursed Sword’s AR 283; relic scope from sub-categories (melee, chain_finisher, character_skill); rate: Nightreign TAE: c0000.anibnd a278 (Executor cursed-sword stance) 2h light chain, loop 3.57s; × share 0.55 × uptime 0.6 |
| Cursed Sword unlocked skill | 1.3 | 9% | decoded AtkParam_Pc 600000350 on the Cursed Sword’s AR 283; relic scope from sub-categories (melee, character_skill); rate: piece unlockedPerMinute 1.5 (estimate: deflects per minute ÷ ~3.3 to fill the 50-point accumulator) |
| Cursed Sword R1 1 | 5.0 | 9% | decoded AtkParam_Pc 960200 on the Cursed Sword’s AR 283; relic scope from sub-categories (melee, initial_attack, character_skill); rate: Nightreign TAE: c0000.anibnd a278 (Executor cursed-sword stance) 2h light chain, loop 3.57s; × share 0.55 × uptime 0.6 |
| 1H Light 5 (chain finisher) | 3.2 | 6% | AR 283 × decoded motion values of the hero moveset’s hits (1 hits per step); rate: Nightreign TAE: c0000.anibnd a277 (executor-s-blade), 1h R1 1-5 loop 3.57s; × share 0.35 × uptime 0.6 |
| 1H Light 1 | 3.2 | 6% | AR 283 × decoded motion values of the hero moveset’s hits (1 hits per step); rate: Nightreign TAE: c0000.anibnd a277 (executor-s-blade), 1h R1 1-5 loop 3.57s; × share 0.35 × uptime 0.6 |
3. Core relics
| Line | Players | Model value | Decoded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Status Ailment Gauges Slowly Increase Attack Power | 6 agree | +8.2% | SpEffect 7037700, 7037702 (engine-coded: no number in the params) |
| Changes compatible armament’s skill to Seppuku at start of expedition (the rotation casts it) | 4 agree | required | SpEffect 7123800 (engine-coded: no number in the params) |
| Poison Buildup When Below Max HP | 5 agree | +14.3% | SpEffect 6851300: every 0.22 s; 6851301: 40 s, every 1.3 s, HP −10, HP −0.1% max; 505: 900 s, while state 2 |
- Status Ailment Gauges Slowly Increase Attack Power (The Night of Dregs). Worth nothing alone, ×1.45 at full stacks with a bar up. The model ramps it over the fight from 0 (stacks reset at a grace or a full heal) and counts the time a bar is up.
- Changes compatible armament’s skill to Seppuku. The rotation casts it (about 10% of attack time). Its HP cost is priced as attack time.
- Poison Buildup When Below Max HP (a curse used as the engine). Required: the preset gives a core curse a big bonus so the finder keeps it (a curse can’t be “required”).
4. Strong and flex lines
| Line | Players | Model value | Decoded |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Executor] Character Skill Boosts Attack but Attacking Drains HP | 3 agree, 2 disagree | +15.8% | SpEffect 7034401: every 0.1 s, while state 2269; 7034402: attack ×1.35, only attack sub-categories 122, 6 s, while state 609; 7034403: damage taken ×1.4, 5 s |
| Rot Buildup When Below Max HP | 2 agree | +5.4% | SpEffect 6851400: every 0.24 s; 6851401: 40 s, every 1.3 s, HP −15, HP −0.15% max; 1120: 900 s, while state 5 |
| Attack power up after defeating a Night Invader | 3 agree | +14.0% | SpEffect 7060201 (engine-coded: no number in the params) |
| Physical Attack Up +4 | 2 agree | +12.0% | SpEffect 7001404: phys ×1.12 |
| Occasionally Nullify Attacks When Damage Negation is Lowered | 3 agree | +0.0% | SpEffect 7037800 (engine-coded: no number in the params) |
| Improved Skill Attack Power | 1 agree | +1.4% | SpEffect 7006700: attack ×1.15, only attack sub-categories 112/111 |
| Defeating enemies fills more of the Art gauge | 1 agree | +0.0% | SpEffect 7090000 (engine-coded: no number in the params) |
The model’s own strongest lines that players don’t list for this style:
| Line | Players | Model value | Decoded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taking Damage Causes Blood Loss Buildup | – | +8.9% | SpEffect 6820301: 0.1 s, every 1 s; 6820302: 1 s, every 2 s, HP −100, HP −12.5% max |
| Taking Damage Causes Madness Buildup | – | +8.6% | SpEffect 6820401: 0.1 s, every 1 s; 6820402: 1 s, every 2 s, HP −100, HP −15% max, FP −30 |
| Taking Damage Causes Sleep Buildup | – | +8.6% | SpEffect 6820501: 0.1 s, every 1 s; 6820502: 0.5 s, every 1 s, FP −30 |
| Taking Damage Causes Poison Buildup | – | +5.6% | SpEffect 6820001: 0.1 s, every 1 s; 6820002: 40 s, every 1.3 s, HP −10, HP −0.1% max; 505: 900 s, while state 2 |
| Taking Damage Causes Frost Buildup | – | +8.0% | SpEffect 6820201: 0.1 s, every 1 s; 6820202: damage taken ×1.15, 30 s, every 99 s, HP −50, HP −10% max; 502: 900 s, while state 260 |
| Taking Damage Causes Rot Buildup | – | +7.8% | SpEffect 6820101: 0.1 s, every 1 s; 6820102: 40 s, every 1.3 s, HP −15, HP −0.15% max; 1120: 900 s, while state 5 |
| Physical Attack Up +3 | – | +10.5% | SpEffect 7001403: phys ×1.105 |
| Taking Damage Causes Death Buildup | – | +4.8% | SpEffect 6820601: 0.1 s, every 1 s; 70: 1 s, HP −100% max |
| Physical Attack Up +2 | – | +6.0% | SpEffect 7001402: phys ×1.06 |
| Improved Melee Attack Power | – | +5.1% | SpEffect 7006600: attack ×1.06, only attack sub-categories 130 |
- [Executor] Character Skill Boosts Attack is strong here, not core: players moved it down for the one-shot risk. With no full-HP negation, +40% damage taken hurts more.
- Rot Buildup When Below Max HP: a second bar, so the Beast form’s status cleanse doesn’t drop the stacks.
5. Curses
Cost = what the model measures on this rotation (damage, stats, attack time) plus any hand penalty for what it can’t measure (stuns, death risk). Lower is cheaper.
| Curse | Cost (≈ % damage) | Model | Hand penalty | Players |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continuous HP Loss | -8.2 | +8.2% | – | cheap |
| Taking Damage Causes Frost Buildup | -6.5 | +8.0% | 1.5 | |
| Taking Damage Causes Blood Loss Buildup | -5.5 | +9.0% | 3.5 | |
| Taking Damage Causes Madness Buildup | -4.6 | +8.6% | 4 | |
| Taking Damage Causes Sleep Buildup | -4.6 | +8.6% | 4 | |
| Taking Damage Causes Rot Buildup | -3.8 | +7.8% | 4 | |
| Taking Damage Causes Poison Buildup | -2.6 | +5.6% | 3 | |
| Rot Buildup When Below Max HP | -2.4 | +5.4% | 3 | cheap |
| Reduced Strength and Intelligence | 0.2 | -0.2% | – | |
| Reduced Faith and Strength | 0.2 | -0.2% | – | |
| All Resistances Down | 0.2 | +1.8% | 2 | |
| Reduced Damage Negation for Flask Usages | 0.4 | -0.4% | – | |
| Reduced Dexterity and Faith | 0.5 | -0.5% | – | |
| Reduced Intelligence and Dexterity | 0.5 | -0.5% | – | |
| Ultimate Art Charging Impaired | 0.7 | -0.7% | – | |
| Poison Buildup When Below Max HP | 0.9 | +1.6% | 2.5 | cheap |
| Reduced Rune Acquisition | 1.0 | +0.0% | 1 | |
| Reduced Vigor and Arcane | 1.2 | -1.2% | – | |
| Near Death Reduces Max HP | 1.5 | +0.0% | 1.5 | |
| Repeated Evasions Lower Damage Negation | 1.6 | -1.6% | – | |
| Reduced Damage Negation After Evading | 2.0 | -2.0% | – | |
| Reduced Flask HP Restoration | 2.1 | -2.1% | – | |
| Taking Damage Causes Death Buildup | 3.2 | +4.8% | 8 | |
| Lower Attack When Below Max HP | 6.6 | -6.6% | – |
Here self-status curses are the engine, not a cost. Continuous HP Loss is cheap too: it keeps you below max HP.
6. Avoid
| Line | Players | Model value | Decoded |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Executor] Slowly Restore HP upon Ability Activation | 2 agree | +4.8% | SpEffect 7500701: 1.5 s, every 1 s, HP +3, HP +0.27% max, while state 2397; 7500702: 58.5 s, every 1 s, HP +3, HP +0.27% max, while state 2397 |
| Improved Damage Negation at Full HP | 2 agree | +1.1% | SpEffect 340900: damage taken ×0.7 |
- [Executor] Slowly Restore HP upon Ability Activation (forbidden). Each Seppuku recovery starts a 60 s regen (decoded 0.27% max HP + 3 a second), which pushes you back above 85% and switches the poison curse off. Players: “that passive is not good for Dregs”. The model doesn’t price this conflict yet (it counts the regen as healing), so the preset forbids it.
- Improved Damage Negation at Full HP (forbidden): you are never at full HP.
- Seppuku and Blood Blade both swap the katana’s skill; only the earliest relic slot applies.
7. Vessels
| Vessel | Relic slots | Deep slots |
|---|---|---|
| Executor’s Chalice | blue, yellow, any | yellow, yellow, green |
| Executor’s Goblet | red, blue, green | red, blue, green |
| Executor’s Urn | red, yellow, yellow | red, yellow, yellow |
| Soot-Covered Executor’s Urn | red, red, blue | red, red, blue |
| Sealed Executor’s Urn | yellow, yellow, red | green, green, blue |
| Decrepit Executor’s Goblet | red, red, yellow | red, red, yellow |
| Forgotten Executor’s Goblet | green, blue, red | yellow, green, any |
| Giant’s Cradle Grail | blue, blue, blue | blue, blue, blue |
| Sacred Erdtree Grail | yellow, yellow, yellow | yellow, yellow, yellow |
| Spirit Shelter Grail | green, green, green | green, green, green |
| Scadutree Grail | red, red, red | red, red, red |
| Giant’s Cradle Grail | blue, blue, blue | blue, blue, blue |
| Sacred Erdtree Grail | yellow, yellow, yellow | yellow, yellow, yellow |
| Spirit Shelter Grail | green, green, green | green, green, green |
| Scadutree Grail | red, red, red | red, red, red |
The Night of Dregs is a fixed relic; build the vessel around its color and the Seppuku swap.
8. Synergies
- Dregs × a self-status bar (the curse): the ramp only runs while a bar shows.
- Seppuku × Tenacity: each self-bleed recovery adds a +20% stack for 20 s (decoded SpEffects 707070 / 707071). The model takes the mean of stacks arriving at random: E[1.2^N] = e^(0.2 λ).
Interaction = DPS(both) × DPS(none) ÷ (DPS(payoff) × DPS(enabler)) − 1: what the pair adds beyond the two lines alone.
| Payoff | Enabler | Interaction | Through |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poison & Rot Improves Attack Power | Poison Buildup When Below Max HP | +11.0% | poison_or_rot_nearby |
| Poison & Rot Improves Attack Power | Rot Buildup When Below Max HP | +10.5% | poison_or_rot_nearby |
| Poison & Rot in Vicinity Increases Attack Power | Poison Buildup When Below Max HP | +6.6% | poison_or_rot_nearby |
| Poison & Rot in Vicinity Increases Attack Power | Rot Buildup When Below Max HP | +6.3% | poison_or_rot_nearby |
9. The data
The biggest use, Cursed Sword R1 2-4 (3 hits a use), each hit on a Nightlord with the core lines worn:
Basis: decoded AtkParam_Pc 960210, 960220, 960230 on the Cursed Sword’s AR 283; relic scope from sub-categories (melee, character_skill).
| Hit | Element | Attack | Relics (core set) | Defense 100 | Nightlord absorption (mean of 8) | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Executor Skill - Cursed Sword] Light 2 960210 | Phys | 294 | ×1.082 | ×0.6 | ×1.02 | 195 |
| [Executor Skill - Cursed Sword] Light 3 960220 | Phys | 297 | ×1.082 | ×0.6 | ×1.02 | 196 |
| [Executor Skill - Cursed Sword] Light 4 960230 | Phys | 300 | ×1.082 | ×0.6 | ×1.02 | 198 |
Relic multiplier: the core lines’ attack rates multiply (different SpEffects), each limited to the attack sub-categories it names. Defense: Nightlords have defense 100 on every type, which keeps 0.6 of attack in the sparring tests (dps_model DEF100_FACTOR). Absorption: the decoded *DamageCutRate per element.
Decoded rows used: The Night of Dregs stacks SpEffects 7039900–7039909; the curse SpEffect 6851300 (below 85% HP, 2 poison every 0.22 s); Tenacity 707070 / 707071 (×1.2 for 1.5 + 18.5 s); Seppuku SwordArtsParam 606.
10. Evidence
Sources players’ tiers for this style rest on (docs/research/relic-priority/Executor.json, researched 2026-11-01):
- comments: Slowly Restore HP upon Ability Activation is ‘not good for dregs’ (scores 7, 3) (reddit, 2026-10-26)
- comments: Dregs + Balancer + Invader/Seppuku relic; poison/rot buildup below max HP keeps stacks (scores 11, 4) (reddit, 2026-10-24)
- comment: Night of Dregs is recommended with the Rot/Poison Buildup When Below Max HP demerit (reddit, 2026-10-24)
- Executor relic roll thread (Cursed Sword relic 35% / -40%; Balancer 5% melee + skill; Dregs + Seppuku keep stacks through the ult) (reddit, 2026-10-22)
- This Tank Executor build has me on a deathless Depth 5 streak of 17 games (113 pts) (reddit, 2026-09-13)
- The Dregs Of Gnoster Full Build Guide for Executor (muni1337, 2026-06-20)
- TIL Executor’s Cursed Sword relic effect is much more dangerous than it may seem (debuff triggers on every Suncatcher hit, 5 s, +40% damage taken, persists after sheathing and through the ult) (score 390) (reddit, 2026-06-16)
- This Build Actually BREAKS Nightreign (NerfLordMykie, 2026-05-05)
- The BUSTED Dreg Relic Executor Build FULL GUIDE | Nightreign Solo DON (Rocz, 2026-05-04)
- With the Night of Dregs relic no need for RNG any more (Cursed Sword relic 35% + Dregs 45%; ‘All you need is Dreg relic, Seppuku relic and poison/rot when below max HP’) (reddit, 2026-05-02)
- Night of Dregs Revenant deleting some bosses (comment: Dregs needs <=85% HP, so no full-HP negation) (reddit, 2026-05-02)
- The Night of Dregs (+4% per 20 s, 10 stacks, reset after 30 s without buildup) (Eldenpedia, 2025-12-29)
Measurements: Dregs on a Raider charged attack 1,060 → 1,134 (2 stacks) → 1,324 (6) → 1,540 (10), matching the decode (sparring); first stack instant, then one per 20 s (Reddit); about 3.79% a stack, multiplicative (player test, before 1.03.2).
11. Gaps and confidence
The model agrees with players’ tier order on 76% of 37 line pairs.
Where it disagrees:
- core “Status Ailment Gauges Slowly Increase Attack Power” +8.2% below strong “[Executor] Character Skill Boosts Attack but Attacking Drains HP” +15.8%
- core “Status Ailment Gauges Slowly Increase Attack Power” +8.2% below strong “Attack power up after defeating a Night Invader” +14.0%
- core “Status Ailment Gauges Slowly Increase Attack Power” +8.2% below strong “Physical Attack Up +4” +12.0%
- core “Poison Buildup When Below Max HP” +14.3% below strong “[Executor] Character Skill Boosts Attack but Attacking Drains HP” +15.8%
- strong “Occasionally Nullify Attacks When Damage Negation is Lowered” +0.0% below avoid “[Executor] Slowly Restore HP upon Ability Activation” +4.8%
- strong “Occasionally Nullify Attacks When Damage Negation is Lowered” +0.0% below avoid “Improved Damage Negation at Full HP” +1.1%
- strong “Improved Skill Attack Power” +1.4% below avoid “[Executor] Slowly Restore HP upon Ability Activation” +4.8%
- situational “Defeating enemies fills more of the Art gauge” +0.0% below avoid “[Executor] Slowly Restore HP upon Ability Activation” +4.8%
- situational “Defeating enemies fills more of the Art gauge” +0.0% below avoid “Improved Damage Negation at Full HP” +1.1%
- Not priced: the regen relic switching the curse off (forbidden instead). Players also report the Beast form’s status cleanse dropping stacks; the model doesn’t model it.
- Estimates: stance 55% of attack time, Seppuku 10%; how long a bar stays up between procs.
12. On your save
The Builds page ranks this preset on your own relics (drop your save there). The Builder opens the same preset to tweak.