Bloodborne’s first expansion, The Old Hunters, wastes absolutely no time throwing a challenging boss fight at players returning from a much deserved vacation. About an hour into the affair (this is assuming you can get past all of the hunters, golems, and beasts blocking your path with ease) you’ll be treated to your first major encounter.
Making your way through what was once the Cathedral Ward then through a stream of blood (we kid you not), and past some debris, you’ll find a pile of bodies cast about as if they were trash. Guarding over these rotting bodies, some still barely clinging to life mind you, is Ludwig, the Holy Blade. Ludwig is a huge beast similar to those you’ve dealt with in the main Bloodborne story, only somehow even deadlier.
You’ll have to beat this guy if you want to continue, so let’s get down to business. For preparation you’ll want plenty of Blood Vials, Bolt Paper (not 100% necessary but definitely helpful), and, if you have it, the Hunter’s Bone. These will help out a lot due to Ludwig’s speed and power. Molotovs didn’t seem to make a dent at all, so don’t waste your time, or your inventory.
Ludwig has two phases, so we’ll cover those separately since they employ different attacks and strategies. You can also recruit an NPC, which also mixes up how the fight plays out, so we’ll cover that for you as well.
Phase One: Big, Scary Puppy
Ludwig has two phases that play out completely differently from one another. The first phase will have you dealing with his speed and physical range. He fights pretty much like every other beast you’ve come across (Cleric Beast, Vicar Amelia, Blood Starved Beast, etc.) so be prepared for wide swipes, quick lunges, and a pounce attack. He is much faster than any enemy you’ve faced, so always be ready to dodge. When you can get an attack in, don’t try to go for anything more than two swings before rolling out of harm’s way. His wide sweeps and straight claw attacks will catch you off guard even if you’re expecting them.
There will be moments when his body bursts into a pile of bones. This does not mean that you’ve won; it means he’s going to appear from the sky right over your head, so keep running. When you’re not running, go for his hind legs. That’s the safest part of him, if you can consider the back of a demented Hunter turned beast safe. If you can get to his side, target his arms, which can potentially lead to a stagger and allow you to perform a Visceral Attack, dealing a significant amount of damage. Continue this strategy until he’s at half health, and then the fight really gets interesting.
Phase Two: Who Gave This Guy a Sword?
Ludwig seems to regain some of his sense, which in a perfect world would mean he sees the error of his ways and leaves you alone. Unfortunately, the setting of The Old Hunters, the Hunter’s Nightmare, is far from a perfect world. Ludwig now decides to stand upright as he wields the Moonlight Sword. Where did he get it? Who knows.
You’ll no longer have to deal with the insane speed (although he’s still plenty fast), but Ludwig can now deal out much more damage at an even greater distance.
He’ll stand in the center of the large room now, swinging his blade if you come to close. If you try to stay far, though, he’ll shoot out a sort of shockwave of Arcane energy from the blade that cuts a large swath through the air. You can dodge it if you time it properly – wait until the flash appears, not when he goes to swing. There is a frenetic attack of multiple quick swings you need to be wary of as well, since they seem to have no rhyme or reason to their nature and he can hit in all directions.
The last attack you need to be aware of in this phase is when Ludwig holds the blade above his hand and you see light moving towards it. What follows are quick blasts of light, little laser beams that don’t deal massive damage but can weaken you just enough for him to finish you off with a single swipe of his sword. As long as you keep an eye out for these attacks, you’ll be fine. Just get in close when you can (this is here the Hunter’s Bone comes in handy), get your shots in, then back out of reach. Just rinse and repeat until Ludwig is dead.
Don’t be afraid to use a Blood Vial on any injuries; it’s best to play it safe and always have full health. Take your time and you’ll emerge victorious. If you’re having trouble on your own, there’s another strategy available, provided you’ve joined the League.
Recruit Valtr and Tackle The Old Hunters’ First Boss Together
While facing the building where you face The Old Hunters’ first boss, you can turn right to enter a sort of nook in the landscape. If you’ve joined the League prior to coming here, you’ll see as small red pool with tiny messengers in it. Interact with it and you’ll be able to summon none other than Valtr, Master of the League to help you with your encounter.
This changes how you’ll approach the fight slightly. Valtr will aggro Ludwig for the entire fight if you let him, even if it means dying because of it. For that reason, you’ll want to keep an eye on his health throughout the boss battle. Let him do as he pleases (he’s very good at stunning the beast), but when his health hits around halfway, take Ludwig’s attention immediately. This will give Valtr time to heal before jumping back into the fray.
Other than that, stay behind the boss as Ludwig holds his attention from the front. Never stand on the same side as Valter as that can lead to the embarrassment of dying together. Play your cards right and you’ll see this beautiful image grace your screen:
You’ve just defeated the first boss of The Old Hunters expansion. Walk proudly as you collect your rewards and move on to face even bigger threats.
More Bloodborne: The Old Hunters
- How to Get The Boom Hammer
- How to Get the Firing Hammer Badge
- How to Get the Gatling Gun
- How to Get the Church Cannon
- How to Beat Laurence, the First Vicar
- How to Get the Amygdalan Arm
- How to Get the Whirligig Saw
- How to Get the Beast’s Embrace Rune and Go Beast Mode
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