Once players exit Cathedral Ward and cross through Blood River to Church, they will encounter Ludwig the Accursed; he serves as the initial boss in Bloodborne’s Old Hunters Expansion. He is a beast-like monster resembling a malformed horse with a broken head who uses various attacks, with leaps and stomps among his most harmful ones.
Defeating Ludwig
Ludwig loses some of his sense yet gains an effective weapon: an upright standing position and wielding an evil-seeming Moonlight Sword that seems to connect him with an underground universe. This makes him much more dangerous while remaining extremely fast. Ludwig can be easily stunned, mainly if you stay under him, and his attacks often miss if you strafe around him. Additionally, ordinary gunshots enhanced with Bone Marrow Ash can stun him while his head is particularly susceptible to hits. Assuming you meet eligibility requirements, Valtr or one of Madaras’ younger twins (Madaras’ younger sibling is ideal) could join this battle and assist. Valtr’s attacks may be difficult to dodge; therefore, fire must be directed toward Ludwig’s legs and the middle of the body to keep his sword from swinging at you and causing serious harm.
Phase 1
Ludwig immediately sets the pace with speed and physical range attacks that will surprise his foe. His broad swipes, quick lunges, and sudden pounce will catch you off guard and render him an unexpected opponent in battle. He can use his sword to deal considerable damage, from small AoE attacks to far-reaching swings, inflicting physical and arcane damage with water spray attacks and up-down slam attacks that hit multiple times simultaneously if caught off guard. To avoid them effectively, dodge at the first sign of aggression or reposition yourself after each one! Equipment with fire and arc damage bonuses can be beneficial against him during Phase 2, specifically the Whirligig Saw augment, to damage him more effectively. Once enough damage has been dealt, he will stagger, giving you an opening to unleash visceral attacks from his front torso area. Co-op fights are ideal here because you can divide up the workload evenly while taking advantage of his weakness to fire attacks.
Phase 2
As soon as Ludwig’s health reaches 50%, a cutscene will play, and the second battle phase commences. Here, he receives his Holy Moonlight Sword, which makes him significantly more dangerous, often leaping high into the air before slamming down on players, which they must avoid by rolling over him or dodging its magical ooze spouts, which must also be escaped using this tactic. During this phase, you must stay close as the Hunter may unleash unexpectedly powerful melee attacks when his defenses are weak on his sides. He will also use quick ranged attacks, which are difficult to avoid; his sword slashes send out energy waves that must be dodged; Bolt Paper and Fire Paper are especially damaging; Serrated weapons should also be kept handy in case of any unexpected encounters. It is recommended to carry weapons with high damage output to avoid getting caught unaware!
Final Words
Ludwig is a demanding boss in Bloodborne: The Old Hunters DLC. Often considered one of the most challenging in-game bosses, Ludwig presents players with significant difficulty as a major roadblock and makes for a very frustrating fight. Dealing out massive damage and aggressive attacks, Ludwig can prove quite the challenge to overcome! He is a legendary figure from the Healing Church, the first hunter under Gehrman, and his appearance signaled a shift in how they would address the Scourge of the Beast. These first hunters trained by Gehrman were taught quick combat techniques similar to those seen during Middle Ages knightly codes, reflecting those values. Ludwig wielded a magical greatsword capable of channeling the depths of space-time for guidance. A mysterious rune known as the Guidance rune is inscribed upon this sword as an iconic sign that suggests it is alive with meaning; indeed, it even implies it could communicate back. Wearing Church garments allows Ludwig to initiate dialogue after each battle that you can answer yes/no prompts for confirmation or denial.
