Bloodborne Guide – Cathedral Ward, Old Yharnam, Blood-starved Beast Boss Fight

Following Father Gascoigne’s timely demise, you should activate the Tomb of Oedon lamp, walk to the far right of this area and take the stairs. You’re free to open the gate ahead using the Oedon Tomb Key that you lifted off Father Gascoigne, but instead, travel to the far left corner to discover a fence with a small opening to fit through. Go in this direction and you’ll fall onto a rooftop. Rummage through the corpse’s pockets to score a Red Jeweled Brooch for upgrading weapons. Remember where you received the Tiny Music Box in the previous section of the walkthrough? Well, you can hand it over through that same window, but you won’t get anything for your trouble.

Fall into a graveyard and go back up the staircase, passing through the gate. Now go up another set of stairs and walk through the narrow opening. To the far right is a ladder, and you’ll want to climb it. When at the top, you’ll see a note sitting on a table; read it if you want. From there, inspect the chest to the left and you’ll receive a Blood Gem Workshop Tool. This is cool because it lets you fortify weapons at the workshop in Hunter’s Dream. Next to the chest is a set of stairs. Walk up these steps and view the cut scene that plays after opening the door.

Cathedral Ward

Walk up and activate the Cathedral Ward lamp. Now talk to a woman behind your hunter; do this two times to hear everything. From here, return to Hunter’s Dream and walk over to the familiar Central Yharnam lamp. Be on guard since previously killed monsters have returned.

Pass through the gate on the left, then travel down two staircases.  Keep walking down these steps, left of where you previously encountered a duo of Brick Brutes. Walk to the far right and hang a left towards more steps. You’ll need to slaughter some Hounds, and when they’re no longer alive, walk down steps on the left. You’ll see a bridge, so cross it and head towards a red lantern. Knock on the door and the woman inside will graciously hand over a gesture called Triumph.

Walk past the lap and take the stairs down into another room. Turn left and pass through the doorway where you saved the elderly lady. Time to test your Bloodborne skills agsinst some Gravekeepers, located in (conveniently) the cemetary. These guys are not only immune to your basic stun attacks, but they also possess more health than several of the monsters you already encountered. They pull back to swing, so prepare to dodge out of harm’s way when necessary.

Put those Gravekeepers (figuratively) in the grave and go right to discover a body behind a tree. Search the deceased to pick up Hunter Gloves, Hunter Garb and a Top Hat, which you can use to customize your character. In all fairness the gear sold at Hunter’s Dream is superior, but if you want, change into these new threads. Also, beware the portal that opens all of a sudden. It’s bad news.

Away from the cemetary on the left is another body. Interact with it to pick up six Blood Vials. Now take the path on the left. There’s a chance you only defeated one Gravekeeper, and if that’s the case, the second one should now have its back to you. Sneak up behind the monster and nail it with a Charge Attack, transitioning into a pulverizing critical strike.

From here, go left and down some stairs where one Hound and multiple Henchmen await your arrival. Kill these pests, then walk over to the far right side to stumble upon two more dead people. By now you know what to do. Pilfer their pockets to receive four Molotov Cocktails and two Coldblood Dews.

 

Go to the far left side of the area but be on guard. There’s an armed Henchman and two Hounds itching for a fight. Destroy these fools and open the door on the right. Go through this door and then right to see a lever. Interact with this lever and you’ll transfer an object to the area beneath you.

With that out of the way, inspect the body left of this lever and you’ll receive Madman’s Knowledge. Now return to the previous room and travel into the door on the right. You’ll see stairs on the right, so travel down and walk towards the altar to chat with Alfred. Do what he says and he’ll offer three Fire Papers, which let you add fire ability to your weapons. In addition, Alfred will also offer a gesture called Pray.

With these gifts in hand, go back up the stairs and walk into the room, then go straight into the next doorway. Go left and down the stairs, then walk through the door at the top of the steps to access another area. You should now be inside of a room directly beneath the lever. Remember the object you moved? Now there’s a staircase, but don’t take it yet. First, look for the Henchman and slaughter him, then grab the Madman’s Knowledge from a corpse close by.

OK, now it’s cool to take those stairs. At the bottom, go left and collect the one Tempering Blood Gemstone. Walk through the door and down some more stairs on the right. There’s a Nether Beast here. Kill it and go down the next staircase to find a ladder. Use it to climb down, and when you reach the bottom, go up some stairs to discover four Antidotes; these items will cure your hunter when poisoned.

Turn around and travel back down those steps. Immediately take the next set of steps and you’ll enter a room. You need to activate the Old Yharnam Lamp, then walk into the room on the right. Smash some pots and pick up three Pungent Blood Cocktails. Return to the lamp room and go in the opposite direction, eventually coming to a big door.

There’s a note on this door that basically says you don’t belong here. Ignore it and go through the door to enter Old Yharnam.

Old Yharnam

As you walk down some stairs, a voice warns you to get out. Similar to the note, don’t pay it any mind and go left. A Walking Beast will cross the bridge and there’s some fire to avoid. Continue moving left to find a corpse with six Blood Vials in a corner.

Enemies in this location are easy to beat, but they will run towards your hunter and then jump backwards when you attempt to attack. Providing you have lots of stamina, go on the offensive. Otherwise, replenish Stamina and play this encounter cautiously.

Go across the bridge and kill three Walking Beasts; there might only be two if you let one cross the bridge a couple moments ago.  Go to the far left and dispose of the Hooded Beast (slow but mostly the same creature), then pick up the two Coldblood Dew from the corpse in the corner of the area.

Upon pocketing these items, walk to the opposite side of this location but avoid the stairs for now. Look left and you’ll spy another Walking Beast. Kill this creature and go left of those stairs, acound a corner and you’ll see a corpse. Loot the body for two Blood Stone Shards. You will need to avoid some Walking Beasts if you go this way.

Return to the stairs and walk down to the below area. Once again the mysterious voice delivers a warning. Instead, rush into this location and destroy the Hooded and Walking Beasts; avoid taking on multiple enemies at one time. Separate them as much as possible. With them dead, push onward until you see a statue. The ominous voice will compliment you on being a strong hunter, but it’s a trap! Quickly use the statue as cover to avoid being riddled with gunfire.

When the hail of bullets end, take the stairs on the right down so you’re on a balcony. You’ll see an entrance into a building on the left. You must kill a Hooded Beast, and be mindful of the gunfire, which continues. Go into this building and use the balcony as cover.

When you are inside this place, go left and pick up three Antidotes off the body. Go into the doorway on the left that spills onto the outside balcony. Whoever is shooting can still hit you from here and there are two Walking Beasts wandering about. Oh yes, the pots on the ground are full of oil that blows up if mystery shooter blasts them.

By now you probably have some Pebbles in your hunter’s inventory, so use one to draw the attention of the nearest Walking Beast; trick it so the creature leaves its buddy behind and walks into the room you’re in.  When this happens, toss a Molotov Cocktail at some pots and then repeat the process for the second monster.

With the two Walking Beasts gone for good, run to the corner of the balcony and lift three Antidotes off a corpse. Now pass through the entrance to the left and walk across a wooden bridge. You’ll walk onto an alcove on the left and meet three Crazed Crows in need of a beating. When they are dead, search the corpse and pick up two Blood Stone Shards.

With the loot pocketed, turn around and travel across the path into a building. There’s no gunfire for the time being, but you’ll still fight a Hooded Demon and Two Walking Beasts. Kill the creatures and search for a corpse holding an Antidote. Go right into another room and you’ll see a body with one Bloodtinge Gemstone, used for upgrading weapons.

Go into the previous room and walk through the door near the other corpse. The gunfire is a problem here, so walk straight and use trees as cover points while destroying the Hooded Beast and three Walking Beasts.

Kill the monsters and walk straight to battle one Hooded Beast and one Walking Beast. Do your business and look right to spy another statue. You can use it as cover, but first you must kill the two Walking Beasts and one Hooded Beast. While at the statue, look for a body and take the three Coldblood Dew from it. Stand behind the statue looking towards the source of the gunfire, then run straight and down the steps on the right. Time to battle a Hunter.

This monster is somewhat intelligent, and will attmpt to draw you out of hiding into firing range. You want to remain between two sets of steps in the lower area to avoid taking bullet damage. Thankfully the Hunter won’t be able to help itself and will eventually get close enough for you to kill it. Inspect the corpse to get six Bone Marrow Ash, a cool item that lets you strengthen bullets.

Take the steps down and you’ll see a ladder on the left. Climb it and then a bunch of ladders to fight the rifle-wielding Hunter, but don’t take him on. He’s strong, uses Molotov cocktails and will heal himself when given the opportunity. Perfect scenario, you defeat the Blood-starved Beast in the coming boss battle, then travel through a back way so you wind up behind this Hunter, preferably during the nighttime. This way you can hit him with a Charge Attack and then a critical strike. Even better, you will have leveled up beforehand; beat him to receive a Powder Keg Hunter Badge.

If you choose to leave this adversary alone for now, take the small wooden stairs and hit the Hooded Beast above with a pebble. There’s a door on the right, but kill the Hooded Beast and Hooded Demon first.

With them down, pick up three Antidotes on the corpse to the right. Now walk down the stairs on the left. Look right and travel through the door, then kill the Hooded Beast on the balcony. Remain on this balcony staring at the door, since there’s a great chance Hooded Beasts and Walking Beasts are about to attack. There’s also the possibility this won’t happen and you’ll encounter these enemies after walking down the next set of steps.

Kill all of the bad guys and walk to the farthest side of the balcony to find a corpse with two Blood Stone Shards. Exit back out of the door and down the steps on the right. You will probably engage a few enemies here.

If you look towards the alcove you may see a Hooded Demon. There’s also a body located on this alcove with a Madman’s Knowledge. 

OK, now it’s time to take the door we previously told you to ignore. You’ll walk onto a wooden catwalk and go left, then fall to the catwalk and then the next catwalk. Now turn around and you’ll see yet another corpse, this one containing two Coldblood Dew.

Go to the far side of that catwalk and fall down to another floor. Go towards the altar on the left and collect Holy Chalice items and one Ritual Blood.  Walk behind the altar into the corridor, then go left down some stairs. Kill the Crazed Crows and collect two Blood Stone Shards.  Turn around and go back up the steps, then travel the other way. Explore the end of this walkway and pick up six Blood Vials from a dead body.

To the right of this dead person is a room, so go inside and ascend the ladder. At the top is a gate. Open it, and this allows you to return to the area where the gun-carrying Hunter is located. Take the ladder down and go left into a hallway.

Walk slowly to avoid getting surprise attacked by three Walking Beasts. In addition, be on the lookout for an Imp standing in the right corner of this room. While harmless, Imps make a quick escape. Kill it and get three Blood Stone Shards.

Go left and walk down the stairs to encounter two Nether Beasts. Obliterate these enemies and check the left corner as you walk down the steps to see a body with two Pungent Blood Cocktails. If you explore the path in the right corner, you’ll find another body, this one with two more Blood Stone Shards. There’s also a locked door. You must return to the area you fought the Nether Beasts and then take the path on the right.

After doing this, travel across the bridge and go left. There’s a Nether Beast here, so kill it and then walk around the corner to receive six Beast Blood Pellets on the next body; this lets you access beasthood. Now return to the bridge, look left and travel down the path. Be wary of the building on the right because a Nether Beast will exit through the door. Slaughter this creature and walk into the now busted entrance. You can also pick up an Antidote on a body nearby. 

When inside the building, you’ll mix it up with a Walking Beast waiting on some stairs. Kill it and go upstairs, then through the door on the left. Inside the room is another Walking Beast, so lay the smackdown and look for a body laying in the corner. Search it to acquire two Blood Stone Shards.

With the items collected, continue walking up the steps and ignore the door on the left, at least for the time being. Reach the top of these steps, approach the dead person and pick up two Fire Papers. Now go back down the steps and through the door we just told you to ignore. Go left and round the corner up some wooden steps. See the ladder? Climb it to discover another body, this one with two Coldblood Dew. Immediately drop down and you’ll return to the beginning of this area, complete with an Imp standing on the roof. Kill the imp, drop down and go to the far side. Look down and right to spy another body laying on the walkway. Drop down and pick up the Blood Stone Shard.

Drop to the roof and go left, then jump down a couple more times. If you go left from here you’ll find two Hooded Beasts, and on the far left is a corpse with a Hunter’s Torch; think of it as an upgrade to the one you currently possess.  From where you first dropped is a broken railing. Go to it and drop down again to reach the place from where you exited the stairwell. Go in there and take the stairs down so you leave the building.

Look right and head down this path. Look left to see smoke partially obscuring a narrow pathway. Before taking it, peak around the corner on the left and kill the Nether Beast. Now travel down the path, but be careful of the Hooded Demon waiting to pounce.  You’ll see a ramp, and if you look right there’s a corpse with 10 Quicksilver Bullets. Pick those up and take the ramp. Reach the top and then immediately look left to spy an Imp. Destroy the Imp, return to the top and examine the body on the opposite side of the steps to score two Bold Hunter’s Marks. Now go back down those steps.

Quickly travel to the right side of this place and stay close to the fence. There’s a corpse, but a Hooded Beast suddenly appears from behind the tall grass. Dispose of this enemy and search the corpse for three Coldblood Dew. If you want, kill the Hooded Beast behind the tree to the left.

Return to the stairs you just walked down and go the left side, passing the fire. There’s a giant boulder and body behind it with three Coldblood Dew.  There’s also a dead tree on the left with a Hooded Beast close by. Kill the monster and then walk up the stairs at the end of this place for the boss fight!

Boss Fight with the Blood-starved Beast

• Beat the Blood-starved Beast to receive the Pthumeru Chalice.

You must bring 10 Antidotes (the max) into this battle, along with as many Blood Vials as you can carry. In addition, extend your cutting weapon since the Blood-starved Beast is both fast and jumps around. The more range you have, the better.

At the start, approach the Beast and wait until its arms begin to move, signifying an attack. When this happens, dodge left or right, or best case scenario, behind the creature. Because it moves around so much there’s a good chance you’ll dodge out of attack range, but remain patient.

It’s important to know the monster’s attack patterns and the damage you’ll take. Never under any circumstances stand in front of this boss for too long because it will grab and then bite your hunter, poisoning him.

If you keep your distance, the Blood-starved beast will jump in your direction and unleash several quick slashing attacks. When that happens, dodge a couple of times. It may also attempt to deliver one or two swipe attacks, but these are easy to evade and then counter attack.

When the Blood-starved Beast attempts its jump attack, dodge at the right time to wind up behind your foe and score a critical strike; you must be directly behind the Beast for this attack to land. Even if you find it difficult executing the critical strike, your hunter’s three-hit combo will get the job done.

Remember, remain relatively close to the Beast, dodge and then counter with your extended weapon. If you get lucky, go for a Charge Attack that turns into a critical strike.

With just under 50 percent health remaining, the Beast stands on its hind legs. That’s your cue to run away as fast as possible because the Beast unleashes poison; you don’t want to be anywhere near that. 

Apologies, but this fight just became even tougher. With the Blood-starved Beast leaking poison all over the place, it’s pretty much impossible to avoid becoming poisoned. If (when) this happens, be mindful of the bar over your hunter. Should this bar fill up completely, you’ll lose health at a much faster pace.

This might be tough to do, but when the poisoned bar first appears do not use an Antidote. Only use one when the bar is more than half full; you only have 10 Antidotes, after all. Save these for when you really need them, and use Blood Vials to top off your health. Should you run out of Antidotes, here’s some good news, there are three more behind a statue in this room.

Whatever happens, remain locked-on to the Beast so it doesn’t escape your sight. Keep your distance (easier said than done) and either use an Antidote or Blood Vial if necessary. Dodge, dodge and dodge again!

No need to be overly aggressive because of the poison. Get close, deal a couple of attacks and then back away to perhaps use one of those aforementioned items. While you can still perform Charge Attacks, they are even tougher to do at this point. Stick with the basics.

With the Blood-starved Beast finally dead, walk to the end of this area and light the Church of the Good Chalice lamp. If you did not pick up those three Antidotes by the statue, now’s the time.

Return to Prima’s free Bloodborne walkthrough, or continue adventuring to Part 4, where you’ll battle Vicar Amelia.

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