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Action RPGPATCH 2026.10.27

Can You Beat General Lothaire in Valor Mortis? Parry, Dodge and Phase-Two Guide

By VGSources Team 5 min read

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Yes—General Lothaire can be defeated, but guides disagree about the first Battlefield meeting. PC Gamer reports that the opening fight is winnable and awards rewards, while AllThingsHow and PowerPyx describe that encounter as an intended loss before the Chapter II rematch. In either version, the reliable strategy is the same: parry readable melee swings to fill Posture, perform a Critical Attack when Lothaire kneels, shoot his glowing growths with the Pistol to restore Nephtoglobin, and spend a full resource bar on Fire Transmutation. Dodge red or otherwise unblockable attacks rather than trying to parry them.

Is General Lothaire actually beatable?

The answer depends on which encounter a guide means. PC Gamer’s Sean Martin calls Lothaire the first boss, describes one normal attempt before a death cutscene, and says a victory grants 10,000 Catalysts, the General’s Catalyst Clot and the Torn-Banner achievement. AllThingsHow and PowerPyx instead say the Battlefield meeting is scripted to end in defeat and identify the Abandoned Church battle in Chapter II as the reward-bearing rematch. Method also writes its strategy for the second encounter while noting that Lothaire can be defeated during the initial Battlefield portion.

Because these accounts conflict, do not assume that losing at the Battlefield proves you failed a required mechanic. If the fight ends in a cutscene, continue the story and prepare for the later battle; if your version allows the opening boss to die, the reported PC Gamer rewards are the relevant payoff.

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How should you prepare for the Lothaire fight?

Enter the rematch with enough survivability and endurance to survive mistakes and maintain dodge distance. Method recommends meaningful health and endurance investment, plus an Amber that supports defense or critical damage.

  • Keep healing available for the second phase rather than spending every charge during the opener.
  • Carry Ferrofluid Flasks and retain ammunition for the phase transition.
  • Use a control setup that makes rapid parry, dodge and attack inputs dependable; platform compatibility matters if you change controllers.

What should you parry and what should you dodge?

Parry Lothaire’s readable standard and spear swings. A successful parry builds Posture and is the safest route to a stagger. Dodge attacks signaled in red or identified as unblockable, including the jumping slam, grab, bash, projectile volleys, thrown corpse, shockwave and spike-line attacks.

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Read the opening move

Method reports two common openers: an unblockable jumping slam or a three-shot volley. Dodge either one. The jump can leave Lothaire open to a counterattack after you clear the impact.

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Stay close enough to read the wind-up

Back away from long sword strings instead of trading hits. Maintain a distance at which the arm or spear motion is visible, then parry the ordinary swing. Do not turn a successful defense into an extended attack string if he has recovered.

Convert Posture into damage

When the Posture bar fills, Lothaire kneels. Step in and use the Critical Attack immediately; this is the payoff for parrying and creates a safer damage window than ordinary combos.

How do the glowing growths and Fire Transmutation work?

Lothaire has three glowing body growths that function as weak points. Shoot them with the Pistol. AllThingsHow and PowerPyx say the drops restore Nephtoglobin, the resource used by Fire Transmutation.

When Nephtoglobin is full, activate Fire Transmutation to ignite Lothaire and apply damage over time. Sean Martin’s PC Gamer advice is to use fire whenever the resource is full, but avoid wasting shots on growths when you cannot safely collect or spend the resulting resource.

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What changes in phase two?

The second phase restores a health bar, introduces harder attack strings and summons soldiers. AllThingsHow, Method and PowerPyx all stress conservation because the additional enemies can create flank threats while Lothaire continues his unblockable attacks.

  1. Use the first phase to learn parry timing without exhausting healing or ammunition.
  2. Save enough Pistol ammunition to shoot growths after the phase transition.
  3. When soldiers appear, remove any that can reach your blind side; allowing a flank is more dangerous than giving Lothaire a few seconds of space.
  4. Return your attention to Lothaire after the immediate summon threat is gone, and keep dodging red attacks rather than forcing parries.
  5. Spend Fire Transmutation during a safe opening instead of activating it while an unblockable attack is already starting.

What are the reported numbers and rewards?

The following figures come from guide coverage, not an official developer frame-data table or patch note.

Item Reported detail Attribution and qualification
Opening-fight reward 10,000 Catalysts, General’s Catalyst Clot and Torn-Banner achievement PC Gamer, 2026; tied to its account that the first fight is winnable
Rematch health 1,800 HP per health bar AllThingsHow, 2026; guide-reported value
Rematch Posture 500 Posture AllThingsHow, 2026; guide-reported value
Phase structure Two phases, with a restored health bar and summoned soldiers AllThingsHow, Method and PowerPyx; encounter descriptions vary on the opening Battlefield sequence

Why is parry-and-punish safer than constant aggression?

Parries provide two benefits at once: they mitigate a normal melee strike and advance the Posture state needed for a Critical Attack. Pistol shots serve a different role by replenishing Nephtoglobin through the growths. Mixing these jobs prevents a common mistake—spending all stamina and ammunition on early damage, then reaching phase two without healing, fire or crowd-control options.

Dodge whenever an attack is red or otherwise unblockable. A missed parry against a leap, grab or shockwave can cost more health than the damage gained from an attempted counter. The fight rewards controlled turns: defend, create a stagger, take the Critical Attack, then reset your position.

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What should you do if the Battlefield fight ends in defeat?

Continue into Chapter II and look for the Abandoned Church encounter described by AllThingsHow and PowerPyx. Treat the death cutscene as progression if that is what your version presents, not as evidence that the parry timing was wrong. The conflicting guide reports mean the opening sequence should be identified by its location and outcome before you compare reward claims.

For the rematch, apply the full plan: invest in health and endurance, carry a defensive or critical Amber, dodge the opener, parry ordinary swings, punish the kneel, shoot the growths, and reserve resources for the summoned-enemy phase.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you parry Lothaire’s red attacks?

No. Red or otherwise unblockable attacks are the cues to dodge, not parry. This includes several of his mobility, grab, projectile and ground-based attacks.

How many weak points does General Lothaire have?

The encounter guides identify three glowing growths. Pistol shots against them can produce drops that restore Nephtoglobin, so they are both damage targets and resource sources.

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What is Nephtoglobin used for in this boss fight?

Nephtoglobin powers Fire Transmutation. Once the meter is full, the fire effect applies damage over time; the growth drops provide a way to refill it during the encounter.

Should I kill the summoned soldiers or ignore them?

Remove summons that can flank or trap you, especially when they approach from a blind side. Once the immediate threat is cleared, resume the parry-and-dodge pattern against Lothaire.

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Action RPGBoss GuideGeneral LothaireParryValor Mortis

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