General Lothaire is far more dangerous than the enemies in the stone quarry. In the first phase, build his posture meter by parrying melee combos, and use fire only when your Nephtoglobin bar is full. His second phase adds unblockable attacks, and beating him may take several tries.
Table of Contents
1. General Lothaire’s location
You’ll encounter Lothaire for the first time at the end of Chapter 1, but you’re unlikely to defeat him then. After he kills you, you wake up at the beginning of the next chapter. You’ll meet him again at the end of Chapter 2, where you must win to continue.
The arena is on the cliff behind the stone quarry. Clear the quarry to open the elevator that leads up to it.
2. Prepare your skills, amber, and items
You’ll likely be around level 8 when you reach Lothaire, with six to eight skill points to allocate and one amber slot to fill. Because a full Nephtoglobin bar can burn him without any upgrades, recovering HP is more important than increasing your maximum HP. Spend your first skill points on Maximum Endurance to raise your stamina. Then consider Parrying Impact, which helps fill Lothaire’s posture bar faster. If you’re not confident in your parries, choose Blocking instead: it reduces the endurance cost of blocking and gives you more recoverable health. You can change your build by respeccing at a lantern.
With only one amber slot, choose from these options in order of recommendation:
- Transmuted Persistence: Damage dealt with transmutations restores recoverable health. Using your fire transmutation on Lothaire will therefore return some recoverable HP.
- Dominatus: Critical attacks restore HP. You may fill Lothaire’s posture meter only two or three times, so this is less reliable than Transmuted Persistence.
- Potent Concoction: A ferrofluid flask restores both Nephtoglobin and health, making it easier to set Lothaire on fire.
- Iron Grip: Ferrofluid flasks take less time to use and can’t be interrupted. Pick this if you struggle to time your flask use. You can skip it if you’re able to create enough distance from Lothaire.
These special items are useful in the fight:
- Flaming Whetstone builds up fire on impact.
- Fire-Clad Rounds build up fire when your bullets hit.
- Nephtoglobin Vials restore Nephtoglobin for your fire transmutation.
- Refreshing Vials increase the speed of endurance regeneration.
- Hand grenades deal additional damage.
Nephtoglobin Vials, Flaming Whetstones, and Fire-Clad Rounds can save you if your Nephtoglobin is nearly gone just before Lothaire burns. Since these items are finite, don’t spend them early in the fight. Save the grenades for phase two, when you have a good chance of finishing him.
3. Read his opening moves and start the fire loop
Lothaire’s first move is either a triple shot from his shoulder cannon or a jump attack. Be ready to dodge whichever one he uses. The jump creates a short chance to counter: dodge, get behind him, and use your fire transmutation. Move fast enough to fill the fire buildup meter and set him burning, which deals damage over time. The opening doesn’t last long, and he’ll hit you if you’re too slow.
He’ll use both the cannon and jump attacks again during the fight. When he raises his arm, expect cannon fire; when he crouches, expect a jump. The battle has two phases.
Graphic: Marloes Valentina Stella/Polygon | Source images: One More Level/Lyrical Games
4. Phase one: parry the melee strings and build posture
You can set Lothaire on fire with a full Nephtoglobin bar, even without stat upgrades. Refill the bar by shooting his three weak spots: one on his shoulder, one on his thigh, and one on his knee. Each weak spot drops a Nephtoglobin orb. Melee attacks also restore some Nephtoglobin.
Graphic: Marloes Valentina Stella/Polygon | Source images: One More Level/Lyrical Games
Make sure the Nephtoglobin bar is full before you use fire transmutation. Lothaire takes damage over time only if you completely fill the fire buildup meter. If you fill it only partway, then wait to recover more Nephtoglobin, the buildup will gradually drain.
For your main damage opportunity, fill Lothaire’s posture meter by parrying his attacks. Once it’s full, rush toward him. When the small red icon appears, press the attack button to thrust your sword through his head. This critical attack takes roughly 20% of his HP.
Graphic: Marloes Valentina Stella/Polygon | Source images: One More Level/Lyrical Games
Depending on the attack, a single hit from Lothaire can cost you more than half your HP. Blocking costs about 20% HP, so it’s better to parry too early and block than to take the full hit. After you block, attack Lothaire to regain the lost HP. It remains “recoverable” for a short time, and hitting him restores it.
Lothaire’s forward slam can’t be blocked, so don’t try to parry it. Instead, look for the moment when he walks toward you and raises his arm to begin a combo of two to three slashes in a row. If parrying every slash is too difficult, block the first one and dodge away, then try again at the next opening. This won’t fill his posture bar, but it will keep you clear of the rest of the combo.
You can distinguish the melee combo from the cannon attack by watching his arm. It stays bent as he begins the slashes, but points straight up before he fires the cannon.
Graphic: Marloes Valentina Stella/Polygon | Source images: One More Level/Lyrical Games
5. Phase two: dodge the claw attacks and shoot projectiles early
In phase two, Lothaire grows a claw on his left arm. He adds unblockable claw strikes to his usual slash combos, and uses the arm to throw explosives or form an energy orb. He then smashes the orb into the ground, sending a shock wave across the arena. Shoot the explosives and orbs before he throws or slams them, while they’re still in his hand.
Graphic: Marloes Valentina Stella/Polygon | Source images: One More Level/Lyrical Games
He also summons two kinds of minions: musketeers and common soldiers. Don’t waste bullets on them. Dodge the musketeers’ shots, and they’ll dissolve immediately afterward. One melee hit is enough to kill each common soldier.
Image: One More Level/Lyrical Games
Once you reach phase two, use your special items, particularly hand grenades, to finish the fight. Defeating General Lothaire, the Eagle-Bearer, rewards you with 10,000 catalysts.
