If you’ve found this monster, it is either your very first Bloodborne boss, or you’ve found after meeting and/or beating Father Gascoigne. If it’s the latter, hopefully this encounter will be less stressful for you.
Gascoigne is the real test of whether you want to play this game. The Cleric Beast is (a little bit) easier to train your skills on.
As with most things in Bloodborne, this will not be easy, but the Cleric Beast is very manageable, and with a little bit of preparation and planning he can be beaten.
If I can do it, so can you.
Preparation
You can just jump around and hit Cleric Beast. I did that on my first run. However, you can take the edge of this fight with Molotovs. CB is melee based, and a bit slow, so backing up and chucking fire makes for a nice change of pace. Throw and Oil Urn before your cocktails for extra damage.
Importantly, use all the ones you have. Hording items in this game is rarely the way to go, and Molotovs can be easily farmed and purchased. Chuck them liberally, if you die you will need to spend a short time harvesting more.
The reason for Molotov Cocktails isn’t just damage at range. The arc of the throw might catch CB in the face, which is he weak spot, which will give you a chance to cause him to collapse to the ground. If you can get to his face, you can hit him with a visceral attack.
This tactic isn’t needed, and if switching between items and buttons might throw you then you can stick to melee. Fire helps but it’s not essential.
On the other hand, you might want to wait to use the Cocktails when CB’s health is low, as a way of ensuring a win when he gets more aggressive. This ensures your less likely to lose near the end of the fight, and also means your not wasting items on a fight you will lose in a minutes time.
Apart from that, make sure your weapon is as ‘fortified’ as it can be back at the world hub, and you’ve got no spare Blood Echoes on you.
If you haven’t faced him on the bridge, the way will be open and you can stroll on through. Before that make sure you’ve gone through the house on the bridge and opened up the shortcut back to this spot.
A note about viscerals.
If you’re hacking and slashing like me, you’re not going to see the opportunity for a visceral attack very often. This critical hit opens up if you parry the right monsters at the right time, or if you get some enemies in the back with a charge attack.
Some bosses allow for a visceral attack. If it happens, there will be a sudden, gruesome animation, and they will drop or kneel.
When this happens, stop hitting them and move to their head. Standing in front of the fallen, press R1. If you smack them early, they will likely stir and not let the visceral happen.
If you can’t get to their head, forget about it. If your Skill is really low, it’s less worth it.
It will also knock them over and back, so try charging and taking a couple of swings as they stand.
Tactics
As with most bosses, it’s best not to be in front of Cleric Beast. The head is the weakspot, but if you’re unskilled like me, it’s not worth the headache to be at their front. Most of CB’s attack are wide reaching and front facing.
Being behind for too long is risky as well. A few monsters will punish you if you linger near their butt; CB will aggressively waft you away.
So, either let CB swing until he’s tired, or dodge forward between swings, until you are by his side, and take a few swipes before backing up. He may turn and swing, sometimes he jumps away like you’re a mouse under foot. Either way, it’s best to back up.
After that, just repeat. Backpedal from attacks or step in during swipes, hit CB, retreat.
Watch Out For
Cleric Beast will also telegraph moments when they’re going to take a break. If you’ve really hurt a part of his body, they will occasionally pause to heal. You’ll see them lean back as a blood cloud forms around the injured part. This isn’t healing as such, you’ve weakened a body part which they are setting right.
CB will also, occasionally, just roar. There’s no reason for it, no attack or buff that I am aware of. They’re just annoyed at you. Annoy CB more and hit them again.
If you see their arms spread wide as if they want a hug, get back, because that’s exactly what CB will do. Only this is more of a ‘Of Mice and Men’ kind of cuddle. The radius for this grab is surprising, so don’t risk sidestepping. Just step away.
The other attack I got caught out by was the ground pound. The telegraphing is huge (the big arm slowly rises up) and the hand can be easily avoided. However, the fist planted in the ground does damage coming back up as well. Don’t be like me and rush in after the hand slams down. Let him pick himself back up.
Move into the arena a little bit, at least past the carriages. You can get caught on scenery in plenty of places, but the carriages really do box you in. Go up the other end and give yourself some space.
Phases
CB doesn’t really ramp things up in Phase 2. I didn’t know he had a second phase on first time through. He will do a particularly big screech when his health is low, and his moves get a bit more aggressive and quicker. You don’t need to change tactics, just be more aware. Maybe do one attack at a time before backing up.
If you’ve held onto them, use your Molotov Cocktails now to give you a break. Even if they don’t get you that visceral, they will sometimes slightly stagger CB, which gives you a reprieve.
In Other Words
- Avoid the front, don’t stay at the back.
- Run in, bop, step out.
- Look for him to pause, then move in.
- If you’ve got some distance, Molotov.
I’d also be liberal with your healing. If your at half health after an attack, you can be brave and hit back to regain some hitpoints. Seen as this is your first boss, it makes just as much sense to back up and heal. Trying to heal under him may result in being hit with a combo that does more damage than you regain. Remember that healing can also be farmed, so don’t be stingy.
Keep on Hunting!
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Gamer Peak 