While all the Nightfarers in Elden Ring Nightreign are unique and have distinct skills that make them stand out, I would argue that the most interesting and fun feature is the Recluse’s Magic Cocktail ability. The Recluse is the resident spellcaster in the Roundtable Hold, and focuses on sorceries and magic casting to defeat enemies. Because she’s constantly casting spells and there is no built-in FP regen for most Nightfarers, she has a unique passive ability that allows her to collect affinity residues, which supply FP and can be used for unique effects.

Nightreign is full of unique gameplay elements that can be tricky to master at first. When you first play as Recluse, you’ll probably wonder exactly what is going on with the random spells that are being cast as you collect affinity residues during each fight. These are called Magic Cocktails, and they’re one of the most interesting character systems in the game. Magic Cocktails function around four different affinities: Magic, Fire, Lightning, and Holy. Depending on what type of damage is dealt to an enemy, Recluse can collect the corresponding residue.

How Recluse Magic Cocktails Work In Nightreign

Mix & Match Affinity Residues For Unique Spells & Buffs

Magic Cocktails can be mixed and matched by collecting different combinations of affinity residues, and each one has its own unique effect. While you play as Recluse, you’ll notice the circles appearing on enemies in different colors, which will correspond to one of the four different affinities mentioned above. The residue you collect will depend on what type of element the enemy was hit with last, so if you’re trying to be strategic and plan the specific Magic Cocktail you want to use, you’ll need to pay attention to the party’s elemental buffs.

Magic Cocktails can be mixed with all the same residues, which is called a Pure mixture, while you can also mix two of one affinity with one of another or three different affinities entirely. Each different combination will cast a specific spell automatically, without the need for any button input or action on the player’s part. The order in which you mix the residues does not matter, i.e., Lightning, Magic, and Fire has the same result as Magic, Fire, and Lightning. The Magic Cocktails that mix three different elements are typically the more powerful ones.

All Magic Cocktails & What They Do In Nightreign

There Are 14 Different Magic Cocktail Spells In Nightreign

 

There are 14 different Magic Cocktail spells that can result from the various combinations of affinity residues for Recluse. There are four Single Magic Cocktail spells, six Double spells, and four spells for mixing three different residues. As mentioned, the spells that include three different affinity residues are typically much more useful against powerful bosses, and you’ll benefit greatly from a synergized team that is constantly dealing varying status effects and/or causing different affinity residues to generate.

Residue Combo
Spell Effect

Pure Magic
Enwreathe an enemy in magic that deals damage for some time, encircling and attacking the target.

Pure Fire
Throw a whirlwind of flame. Flame spreads across a small area upon contact and burns for some time.

Pure Lightning
Enwreathe oneself in lightning, bolstering dodging actions.

Pure Holy
Enwreathe oneself in holy light, bolstering poise and increasing damage negation

Magic/Fire
Launch a wraith flame that pursues enemies.

Magic/Lightning
Execute broad forward slash with magical blade. Hold to move with sword drawn.

Magic/Holy
Cover nearby area with a magical veil, fully conserving FP for self and allies for a short time.

Fire/Lightning
Become a fireball and barrel forward, raining lightning on nearby foes.

Fire/Holy
Raise a torch for a limited time that raises max HP and reduces status ailment gauge buildup for nearby allies, and lowers max HP of nearby enemies.

Lightning/Holy
Weave a layer of lightning that parries enemy attacks for a short time.

Magic/Fire/Lightning
Conjure frontwards exploding gravity orb. Gravity orb pulls enemies inward, expands, and explodes, inflicting heavy damage.

Magic/Fire/Holy
Spew a mixed affinity breath that inflicts damage upon enemies, and restores HP and FP of allies with contact.

Fire/Lightning/Holy
Create lightning rod and thrust forward into terrain. White lightning strikes rod after a short delay.

Magic/Lightning/Holy
Create cold storm with area effect and retreat inside ice block, gaining invulnerability.

Overall, Magic Cocktails are one of the most unique combat systems for any of the Nightfarers, with a huge list of possible spells to create with various combinations of affinity residues. Planning for these specific spells will be a bit of a challenge due to the nature of gameplay in Elden Ring Nightreign, but it’s generally a good idea to try to mix three different affinities for the most powerful Magic Cocktail spells for Recluse.