From Software's Bloodborne

There's a whole bunch of skill-based weaponry. One of which is the Bowblade, a longsword that turns into a greatbow. Goes well with the Loch Shield (an actually useful shield that blocks arcane attacks).

edited 27th Nov '15 10:06:54 AM by TAPETRVE

Ludwig still has no chill. How are you supposed to beat him? Is there something I'm missing?

Chikage Hunter wasn't so tough for me once I leveled up. Quite a lot. My first attempt was around lv60, I got wrecked, came back around lv80, considerably more manageable.

There's also the Church Pick, which is a long polearm weapon with a great moveset and impressive scaling. Also the Rakuyo, which is... Well, to be honest, it's the Blades of Mercy but better in every respect but a slightly worse dash attack. Oh, and the Beasthunter Saif, which is a decent if generic saw weapon.

edited 27th Nov '15 10:11:42 AM by Hydrall

By using the one true tried method: try again until you succeed.

I, myself, beat him with only two tries. in my first try, I merely observed and memorized what kind of moveset the boss has, and as is usual, in my second try I equipped Burial Blade (best weapon, IMO) and went to town on his ass.

edited 27th Nov '15 10:24:58 AM by Zynn

I guess I just need to git gud.

Fighting him a bunch has really made me appreciate the music in Bloodborne though, it's easily the best in the series by a long way.

When he stands upright and the sword comes up, then the music gets louder and the vocals kick in and you're dodging sword swipes, AOE, and arcane attacks. It's just perfect.

Having the score written by a composer (well, several) who actually know shit about orchestral music, and having it recorded with an actual live orchestra both helped immensely. After the dreadful embarrassment that was Sakuraba's Dark Souls score, this is a whole different level.

Are you playing on New Game +?

Oh, PSA: DON'T PLAY THE DLC ON NG+ FIRST TIME THROUGH.

I learned and suffered the hard way.

Still did it, though.

Even without co op.

I'm a stubborn fool, don't play games like me.

It's not tooo bad. I got him down to about a third health last time.

Actually, the trick to playing Souls game is by being stubborn. However, to minimize the time spent doing it, you also have to play smart (observe and memorize) and by being patient (don't just charge ahead blindly). Also, use a weapon that you're most comfortable with, rather than the one that looks cool or has high damage.

Fortunately for me, Burial Blade fits me the most, and by God, it is nice to look at and strong to boot.

I didn't try the Burial Blade until the opening bits of NG+ where it really sucked because it was unupgraded.

I've since gotten plenty more shards and stuff but I'm so used to Ludwig's sword. I don't know if I could use anything else.

I was stubborn because I didn't want to make a new character. That was a mistake.

Oh hey, I just had another thought. Maria was guarding the way to Fish Hamlet, not unlike Micolash who was guarding the way to Mergo's Loft. Could she maybe, you know, actually the Host of Hunter's Nightmare?

Finally got around to playing some more of this last night. Got to Ludwig. Died fairly quickly. I think I made the same mistakes I made against Ebrietas, thinking that just sticking close to his sides would be enough to avoid most attacks. It is not. Especially not that particularly powerful sweep he does.

On the other hand, the Boom Hammer and Whirligig Saw seem like really fun weapons, I might have to try them out in early areas to see if they're worth upgrading.

So I found this amusing image on Reddit. It's spoilery for The Old Hunters, so, you know, on your head be it.

https://www.reddit.com/r/bloodborne/comments/3u8vpn/lady_maria_would_like_a_word_with_you/

I'd post the actual image, but I can't seem to do so. Oh, well.

Was Maria protecting the Church? Or was she protecting the Hamlet, its denizens and the Orphan and, by extension, the Nightmare?

edited 28th Nov '15 3:20:11 AM by PolarPhantom

From what I can tell, She might have been there (in Hunter's Nightmare) partly because she participated in the experiments done in Research Hall, albeit unaware of its true consequences, and she began to despise blood after finding out what it does to people. Also, judging by the dialogue of NPC who gives us Accursed Brew and the fact that we found Rakuyo in the well of Fishing Hamlet, it suggests that she might have participated in the slaughter (and horrible experiments) by Byrgenwerth that happened there.

edited 28th Nov '15 7:33:50 PM by Zynn

Do you have the full dialogue of that NPC? I missed it, but don't worry if you can't find it.

I wonder who struck first? I kinda like the idea that the two groups mistrusted each other, leading to tensions spilling into blood and eye shed. And I looked up the Accursed Brew. That shit is dark, man.

edited 28th Nov '15 8:24:17 PM by PolarPhantom

Byrgenwerth... Byrgenwerth... Blasphemous murderers... Blood-crazed fiends... Atonement for the wretches... By the wrath of Mother Kos... Mercy for the poor, wizened child... Mercy, oh please... Curse here, curse there. A curse for he, and she, why care. A bottomless curse, a bottomless sea, a source of all greatness, all things that be. Listen to baneful chants. Weep with them, as one in trance. And weep with us, oh, weep with us...

Taken directly from the game.

edited 29th Nov '15 1:08:30 AM by Zynn

Thanks.

Okay, so, trying to get on with the DLC, and I'm in Innsmouth the Fishing Hamlet, and after the first section with the buildings and the well, you go up a hill and there's a big guy with an anchor or something and I just cannot get past him. I can't. Parrying doesn't seem to work, dodging only works half the time because his attacks have such preposterous range (I go back down the hill a bit where there's a little more space, but for such a big guy with that reach, it's not much space at all). What the fuck am I supposed to do?

Also I swear if there's not a lantern or a shortcut almost immediately afterwards, I'll freak out.

EDIT- I just accidentally bypassed it. At the point the skull-thrower overlooks, I went to the left, just to see if there was anything there (there was an item), and when I went back, after a bit of dancing about trying to avoid skulls and kill the thrower expecting the big thing to attack at any moment, I noticed it had actually walked out of its hiding place and down the hill without seeing me. And powers be praised, there's a lantern right after.

You could bottle my relief right now.

edited 7th Dec '15 1:04:21 PM by artfulscruff

I.

Hate.

Those.

Fuckers.

And don't get me started on the double fight in the well to get Maria's weapon.

Tentatively read that spoiler. I went down, got killed by the anchor-wielder, and never went back in since my bloodstain was outside. I got summoned in the area though, and we all went down, it was only then I learned there was a second one (without an anchor though, I believe).

But yeah, I find one of them impossible, they'd have to make a new word for what fighting two of them is like. Well, the anchorless ones aren't as bad.

Try infighting, in short try shiny item.

Shaman Bone Blades are your best friend.

I always forget about those, to my peril and misery.

I'm sorry