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Just as with the Bloodborne main game, the Old Hunters DLC offers us a few final bosses that you will have to defeat to prove that you are really at the height of the Hunter title. Of course, it’s a few enemies compared to all the ones you’ve defeated, but that doesn’t make you feel any more relaxed.
The bosses in this DLC are extremely dangerous. However, none of them is precisely a walkover, and although you’re already used to them being able to kill you with a single blow, we’re going to give you a hand again to overcome all the confrontations with a little more ease. Just remember: dying is normal.
If you’ve had a hard time with the bosses in the main game, buckle up. This time things get dire with some monsters and enemies straight out of the past.
Ludwig is one of the first Hunters. He is one of Gehrman’s companions and part of the team that stormed the town when a Great One was stranded on the shore. Trapped in the Nightmare, he has been so deformed by the blood infection that he is not even aware that he is carrying his weapon stuck in his back.
This guide will tell you exactly who he is, where to find him, how you can defeat him more efficiently, and what items you will get once you have done so.
Ludwig at a Glance
Description
Ludwig, known as “The Holy Blade,” is a boss in the world of Bloodborne. He was the first hunter of the Healing Church and the founder of the Workshop. He mirrors the values of a courageous, heroic, and chivalrous man, characteristic of the Middle Ages.
The Plague and the Cleric
The “Scourge of the Beast” was now a reality in Yharnam; the plague was spreading steadily. Gehrman trained his apprentices in swift combat techniques full of skill and vigor. They underwent intense training to become hunters fit to fight the plague.
Unfortunately, no matter how much they honed their hunting skills, it only took one beast, with a stroke of luck, to end the lives of these hunters. This was a real threat to humanity, so the Healing Church founded its own “Workshop” to allow hunters to forge more powerful weapons capable of countering the more giant beasts. This institution was entrusted to Ludwig, one of the strongest clerics with a tremendous sense of duty in the Healing Church.
They took Gehrman’s designs as a model. A clear example is the “Ludwig’s Rifle”; the base structure is similar to the blunderbuss created by Gehrman but exhibits a detour from the workshop design because the Healing Church expected the much larger beasts, who were, in fact, members of the clergy who ended up becoming beasts by impregnating themselves in the blood.
The church needed more hunting participants and weapons capable of dealing massive and heavy damage. So they created weapons like the Kirkhammer and Ludwig’s Holy Blade. No skill was needed to use these weapons. This made it easier for more people to join the hunt, as they could do so without the training Gehrman gave his students. Ludwig began recruiting simple Yharnamites to serve as hunters. The “Yharnam Hunter’s Attire” came from this, which provided excellent defenses for the new recruits. But not enough for an ordinary man to stand a chance against the beasts. After all, these were just ordinary, inexperienced citizens.
Captain Ludwig
Each night, with the symbol of the Healing Church waving proudly on their backs, these hunters would follow their captains through the streets of Yharnam and participate in the hunt. The more experienced hunters were divided into two factions: hunters dressed in black and hunters dressed in white. The former was to prevent the scourge, to get rid of victims and potential victims before signs of the disease manifested. On the other hand, hunters dressed in white participated in the hunt to investigate the effects of blood.
The captain carried a cloth emblem. The main gate leading to the round plaza of the Great Cathedral is closed on hunting nights, and the only way through is to open the gate from the other side with the emblem. The return of the captain with the emblem determined the end of the hunt. Ludwig was the first captain of this hunting raid.
The Misguiding Sword
From the moment the Healing Church discovered the great secrets hidden in the Pthumerian Labyrinth, they began to send out their most skilled hunters to collect anything that looked interesting. Ludwig was one of the many unfortunate ones to visit those ruins. Amid his exploration, Ludwig found a unique sword. This sword was the “Moonlight Sword,” a weapon capable of channeling the abyssal cosmos.
This weapon guided Ludwig, but this guidance was unique to him. He had a very close relationship with that sword, so much so that few were worthy of looking at the glow produced by that weapon. Next to the sword, Ludwig found a rune of Caryll, which contained the inhuman statements of the Great Ones. This rune allowed Ludwig to empty all his fears amid the hunt. When Ludwig closed his eyes, he saw dense darkness, which gradually disappeared thanks to the arrival of tiny beings of light. He used the Moonlight Sword and the rune’s effects for his cause but never delved into the mysteries they concealed.
His Inevitable Doom
After encountering that weapon, his hunting style took a radical change. During the hunts, he behaved fearlessly, hunting in a savage and untamed manner, with no mercy for all concerned. As a result, everyone around him began to mistake him for a beast, fearing their own lives. Yet, no matter how much they criticized him, Ludwig remained steadfast in his crusade: ridding the world of the beasts. However, no matter how strong his ideas were, he would eventually become one of the beasts he hunted so keenly.
Defeating Ludwig
When you enter the combat zone, Ludwig is transformed into a beast who will attack you without mercy, acting without thinking, relying on his feral instincts to kill.
The Strategy, Explained
Strategy: Use the arena to hinder his attacks.
Weakness: Bolt, Fire, and Arcane.
Strength: None.
NPC ally: Henriett.
Phase 1
Skillset
| Attack | Description |
| Jump Attack | This is usually the first attack he makes. Then, he launches himself against the player by taking a big jump, landing with one of his arms. |
| Horizontal slash | Makes a horizontal slash from left to right. |
| Horizontal strike | After his horizontal slash, he usually throws a punch with his right towards the player. |
| Oblique slash in combo | He hits the ground in front of him and retracts his arm after a few moments, throwing sparks, then makes a combo of two blows forward. |
| Bite with lunge | Throws two powerful bites toward the player, finishing with a lunge. |
| Short charge | Walks toward the player and then lands two powerful punches before leaping slightly and landing on the player. |
| Stomp | If the player remains underneath him, he will deliver two stomps aimed at the player, then finish off with a horizontal strike with his arms and head. |
| Retreating attack | When the player is close, he will throw blows with his hands and then make a retreating jump. |
| Headbutt | Throws a weak headbutt towards the player when at close range. |
| Boosted jumping punch | Makes a mighty leap into the air and takes 3 seconds to land. |
| Mule kick | If the player stays too long behind Ludwig, he will launch a kick with his two hind legs. |
| Arcane Blast | Its second head will launch a kind of arcane vomit toward the player from time to time. |
| Arcane spray | Usually, after the burst, it will throw small intervals of vomit without any direction. |
| Lunge | Firm paws on the ground, screams, and then a powerful lunge towards the player; that is the pattern of one of its most devastating attacks. |
Strategy
The key to this fight is your companion, “Old Hunter Henriett,” which you can summon next to the second lamp, “Nightmare Church.” Usually, these ghosts only serve as a distraction and give you a slight advantage, but in this fight, it is essential.
Ludwig will only focus on the last person that hit him, so let’s use that as the primary strategy against him. First, let Henriett start attacking, wait for the right moment, move into the land as many hits in a row as possible, and move as far away from him as possible until your partner attacks him again and focuses on him. Then, heal if necessary and chargeback.
It is vital that, if possible, instead of hitting him with one or two attacks, you wait for the right moment to unleash as many combos as possible. Why? Because after several hits in a row, there is a chance that he will be stunned, and you can perform a Visceral Attack or at least give him a couple of “free hits.”
Phase 2
Skillset
| Attack | Description |
| Slashes at close range | He lowers the blade of his sword to his right side and then makes an upward slash diagonally to the left. |
| Thundering slashes | He takes the sword with both hands, raises it to his left side, pointing upwards, and then launches two retreating slashes, finishing with a powerful vertical slash to the ground and a horizontal slash. |
| Heavy slashing combo | One of his most dangerous combos. He throws a slash to the left, and after a few moments, he throws another slash to the opposite side, then finishes with two devastating vertical slashes. |
| Lunge | Performs a quick and precise lunge towards the player. |
| Lightwave slashes | Swings his sword to create two waves of light directed at the player. |
| Boosted light waves | Pauses for a moment to concentrate the moonlight on his blade, then swings at the player to unleash a giant wave. |
| Cosmic Blast | When at close range, he raises the handle of his sword upwards and then thrusts the blade dangerously into the ground, unleashing a powerful explosion of light. |
| Explosive zone | He slowly lifts his sword by placing it in front of his face, gripping it tightly, unleashing an aura of light. He then raises the sword above his head, shouts, and launches a powerful shockwave vertically towards the player. |
Strategy
In the second phase of the fight, Henriett will still be the main character, although here, it is more likely that he will die, and you will be left alone. If this happens, although not impossible, it will get more complicated (yes, even more so). This time Ludwig will use a giant sword. On the one hand, he will use an attack with an area of effect that will damage anyone near (he will make a gesture like he is going to stick the sword in the ground). He will launch several waves that are pretty complicated to dodge (he will raise his sword).
Unless he will use the attack with an area of effect, it is advisable to stay close to him and always surround him from behind. Henriett will still be your most valuable asset, and this time, when it’s your turn to move away/dodge, don’t relax too much while Ludwig attacks him and defend him as soon as you can.
Fun facts
Second Phase Ludwig
In his second phase, Ludwig can no longer be considered a beast, so serrated weapons will not deal any extra damage to him. This is obvious because he regains his sanity, replacing his animal sense. He attacks the hunter because he thinks he is another of the blood-impregnated hunters imprisoned in the Nightmare.
A Bitter or Sweet Demise
After the battle, you can find his severed head near the stairs. If you have Church garb, then Ludwig will address you as a “good Church hunter” and ask if your Church hunters became the “Spartans he always wanted them to be.” If you answer “yes,” then he will thank you. If not, then he will be a bit sad. After the dialogue, he will die silently, leaving the Moonlight Sword on his corpse.
If you do not have the Church garb, then Ludwig will ask you if you have seen a “thread of light,” referring to the tiny beings of light that he used to see. After the dialogue, he will start sobbing and then start screaming with the occasional sound of horses. Killing him is the only way to get the sword at this point.
Another way to get it is to leave his head intact and restart the area. Simon will kill him for you and hand you the sword when you return.
A Unique Beast
While most beasts look like wolves or similar, Ludwig has the appearance of a malformed horse, a unique-looking beast.
Even when turned into a beast, Ludwig can speak and differentiate between good and evil. In addition, his arcane magic is atypically green instead of the usual blue.
Rewards
By defeating your prey, you will acquire a Guidance Caryll rune.
Conclusion
In short, Ludwig strikes you with powerful physical attacks in his first phase, so you must move fast to dodge his multiple attacks. In the second phase, he will recover his humanity when he sees his Moonlight sword, which he will use to hit you with arcane attacks. At this point, it is best to stay close and surround him while dodging and attacking. Don’t be afraid to use Henriett as a decoy.
FAQ
Question: How can I get Ludwig’s Holy Sword?
Answer: To get Ludwig’s Holy Blade, you have to get the Radiant Sword Hunter Badge, which you get next to the locked door in the Healing Church Workshop that leads you to the Upper Cathedral Ward.
Question: What is Ludwig weak against Bloodborne?
Answer: Ludwig is weak to Bolt, Fire, and Arcane. His defenses will go up in the second phase, but his weakness remains.
Question: What level should you be at to fight Ludwig?
Answer: Before going up against Ludwig or any other Old Hunters DLC bosses, you should be at least level 65.
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