Recommended Level: 20

This duel against Father Gascoigne serves as a reminder that not all hunters are on your team. The brightside is that this boss fight will condition you well for all future hunter encounters. It should be noted that he’ll start off with the short version of his melee weapon and then transform it to a longer blade to signify the second stage of the battle. Plan accordingly by studying his combos and charged moves that leave him open.

If you haven’t read the as well as the notes in Hunter’s Dream, now is the time to do so. By now, you should have already learned the visceral attack. If not, be sure to test it on the townsfolk before taking on Father Gascoigne. Simply fire your gun as an enemy initiates an attack. You’ll know you pulled it off when you hear a metallic chime and the enemy is on its knees. Walk up right up to him and press R1, which will trigger the execution. Given that he’s as agile as you with dodge moves, timing a shot against Father Gascoigne is as tough as it sounds. The good news is that you can also stun him for a visceral attack if you manage to hit him during his forward roll.

Although From Software added the regain system to encourage assertive actions in combat, there’s nothing wrong in applying caution in the first half of this fight. The challenge is having sufficient awareness of your surroundings, since the trees and gravestones can severely limit your range of movement. It’s not unusual to die just because you accidentally backed yourself into a corner.