I was into my guides on the Chalice Dungeons, heading toward the DLC bosses, when I checked my notes and realised… I have missed some bosses in the middle! It happened when I took a break from writing; I came back and was writing drafts but not publishing, so it looks like I’ve somehow jumped from Vicar Amelia to Amygdala. So let’s fill in the gap.
I remember the DLC fight in Dark Souls that made me roll my eyes because it was “just three random dudes”. Yet when Bloodborne introduced me to a trio of evil NPCs I was on board. Perhaps it’s because their walk through the fog was a more impressive entrance, or because they were more in-keeping with the theme of the game area. It’s probably because this fight was less annoying.
Preparation
There’s surely a better paper to bring, but any paper for extra damage is good.
On my second playthrough, I was trying out summons to see their benefit. There’s an argument that 2v3 is better than 1v3, but it’s ‘easy enough’ to split their group up that this isn’t massively influential, and less health means taking out the first of three is easier.
Knowing that you aren’t going to win most fights on the first try, spend at least one turn having a good run around the enclosure. Get used to the ring around the big tombstone, and the position of the graves to the left of where you enter. This is also helpful to practice dodging fire bolts when you are out in the open.
Going forwards, I shall refer to our three friends as:
- Sword Only
- Sword and Candle
- Ladle and Candle (I know it’s some sort of mace but it looked like a big spoon at first)
Tactics
I never targeted one character in particular, but Sword Only is going to come for you first most of the time. Ladle and Candle will drift around in the middle and Sword and Candle is going switch between melee and magic often. So Sword Only is going to be your first target.
You are going to go in an get behind the big gravestone. When one of them, probably Sword Only, is about to round the stone, swing. Regardless of the hit, step back, and we begin our baiting.
Back up a bit, stop, and then do one of the following options:
One on their own: swing with your two handed weapon just before they are in range. They will walk into your attack. If they are still the only one in front of you, you can risk a second strike. Maybe a third.
One with one coming in: same as above but don’t risk extra swings, just back up.
Two together: back up by dodge and/or running away. Don’t bother trying to tangle with two at once.
Once you’ve backed away from the stone enough that all three are visible, run over to the area where all the stone are, and repeat the above. You’re more in the open now so multiple swings are dangerous, but the main thing is that you are baiting all three back to this side of the map, so you can run back behind the big grave.
This is just the best spot to be as you negate a lot of range attacks, and you can mess use the stones corners to separate them.
Keep the same pattern going when one of the sword wielders has fallen, and only then go after Ladle and Candle. Ladle likes to use flames even at close range, so be prepared to dodge sideways or back. However, now that he’s on his own and he staggers when you hit him, you can let loose with some combos. Swing for the fences.
Watch Out For
Whether you take out one or try to whittle them all down, they will activate phase two – Chest-burster Snakes – when you’ve done so much collective damage. In my opinion, targeting one so that they are close to being eliminated is better than having three on half health with a new moveset.
Key issues with this phase is range. They can whip at you now. Other stuff happens but this is the thing that matters. If you are out in the open, they might whip rather than running in. So, you can either be ready to dodge this, preferably backwards, or you can run to the smaller gravestones purely to bring them back into the middle and then go back behind the big stone, only attacking from behind there. Longer fight, but safer.
The real problem is when two of them are down. The third will start summoning massive snakes. I’ve seen a lot of strategies say that it makes sense to bring the remaining two down to low health and then finish off both fast. You can do that, but for me I had more success just continuing to bait the melee users until death. My way means you will definitely see snakes summoned, but you aren’t taking risks out in the open as much before this point, and as long as you dodge-and-dodge-and-dodge away the first time the big snakes are summoned, you can apply pressure and stagger Ladle until his demise.
If after a few goes you can’t get them down to one Shadow left standing, definitely summon the NPC to come help you.
In Other Words
- Bait the melee users around the stones.
- Only swing if you’re 1v1.
- Bring the last 2 to low health or continue the above.
- Dodge the first wave of big snakes then go all in
Keep on Hunting!
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Gamer Peak 