General Lothaire, the Eagle-Bearer, is the first real boss wall in Valor Mortis, and he hits far harder than anything you faced clearing the stone quarry. The short answer: parry his melee combos to break his posture, burn him with your Fire Transmutation whenever you can, and keep your pistol ready for his weak spots and phase two orbs. Two phases, a mutated claw arm, and a squad of summoned minions stand between you and 10,000 catalysts.
Where do you find General Lothaire?
You first run into Lothaire at the very start of the game on the Battlefield. That encounter is scripted — William dies, Lucjan steps in, and the game moves on. Don't stress about it.
The real fight happens at the end of Chapter 2, after you've cleared the Valley of Ashes. Lothaire is waiting outside a church at the end of the area. This time there's no cutscene rescue. You have to beat him to continue.
Lothaire's arena behind the quarry
How to prepare before the fight
You're likely around level 8 when you reach Lothaire, which gives you six to eight skill points and one amber slot to work with. Here's where to put them.
Skill point priorities
- Maximum Endurance first. A full nephtoglobin bar is just enough to ignite Lothaire without upgrades, so stamina matters more than raw HP here.
- Parrying Impact second. Breaking his posture is the fastest way to deal serious damage, and each successful posture break lets you land a Critical Attack that removes roughly 20% of his HP.
- Blocking is a solid alternative if your parry timing isn't confident yet. It reduces the endurance cost of blocking and keeps more HP recoverable after you take a hit.
Best amber choices
| Amber | Effect | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Transmuted Persistence | Restores recoverable HP when hitting enemies with transmutations | Most players — reliable healing tied to Fire Transmutation |
| Dominatus | Restores HP on Critical Attack | Players who can parry consistently |
| Potent Concoction | Ferrofluid flask also recovers nephtoglobin | Players struggling to maintain fire buildup |
| Iron Grip | Flask use is faster and uninterruptible | Players who get hit while healing |
Transmuted Persistence is the pick for most players. Every time you apply fire buildup with your transmutation, you get HP back, which ties your offense directly to your survival.
Items worth bringing
- Flaming Whetstones and Fire-Clad Rounds to stack fire buildup faster
- Nephtoglobin Vials to top off your bar when you run out mid-fight
- Refreshing Vials for faster endurance recovery
- Hand Grenades to dump in phase two once you've got the fight under control
Save the grenades and special items for phase two. Using them early is wasted potential.
How to beat General Lothaire: phase one
What does General Lothaire's moveset look like?
Lothaire opens every fight with one of two moves: a triple cannon shot (his arm raises straight toward the sky) or a lunge attack (he crouches and glows red before launching). Dodge both. The lunge leaves a generous window to counterattack from behind, so use it.
His core phase one attacks:
- Sweeping Blade combo: Two to three consecutive slashes. His arm stays bent as he approaches. Parry these. If you can't parry all three, block the first and dodge away — the posture bar won't reset.
- Cannon shots: Three shots in a row. Dodge sideways, not backward. When all three guns glow gold, that's the single powerful combined shot — dodge immediately.
- Unblockable forward slam: Don't attempt to parry this. Dodge to the side.
- Lunge: Dodge as he descends, then move behind him and apply your Fire Transmutation.
How does the Fire Transmutation work against Lothaire?
A full nephtoglobin bar is exactly enough to trigger the fire status on Lothaire and start damage over time ticking. The catch: if you only fill the fire buildup meter halfway and then stop, it drains away. You need to complete the meter in one go.
To refill nephtoglobin mid-fight, shoot Lothaire's three weak spots (shoulder, thigh, and knee). Each hit drops a nephtoglobin orb. Melee hits also recover a small amount.
The safest window to apply fire is immediately after his lunge attack. Dodge the lunge, move behind him, and burn him while he recovers.
How do you break his posture?
Parrying his sweeping blade combos is the fastest route to a posture break. When his posture meter fills, a small red icon appears — press the attack button to drive your sword through his head. Each successful posture break removes roughly 20% of his HP.
Blocking is safer than taking a full hit. One unblocked slash can remove more than half your HP, while blocking reduces that to around 20%. HP lost while blocking stays recoverable for a short time, so immediately hit Lothaire after blocking to get it back.
Three weak spots for nephtoglobin
How to survive General Lothaire's second phase
Phase two starts when Lothaire's first health bar depletes. His HP resets, his weak spots respawn (shoot them again for more nephtoglobin orbs), and he grows a mutated claw arm on his left side.
New attacks in phase two
- Unblockable claw swipe: Glows red before swiping horizontally or slamming downward. Dodge backward or sideways.
- Explosive throws: Lothaire hurls explosive projectiles. Shoot them out of the air or dodge with enough lead time.
- Energy orb slam: He charges a glowing orb and slams it into the ground, releasing an arena-wide shock wave. Shoot the orb while it's still in his hand to interrupt the attack and deal bonus damage. This is the most important new mechanic to learn.
- Underground Corruption: His hand glows red and spikes erupt from the ground in a line in front of him after a short delay. Dodge or sprint sideways.
- Summons: Lothaire summons musketeers and swordsmen. Musketeers dissolve after firing one shot — dodge sideways and ignore them. Swordsmen go down in a single melee hit. Clear them quickly so you're not managing three enemies at once, then refocus on Lothaire.
The mistake most players make in phase two is panicking and backing away. Stay close, keep parrying his regular slashes, and prioritize shooting orbs before they launch.
What do you get for beating General Lothaire?
Defeating Lothaire in the Chapter 2 fight rewards 10,000 catalysts (the game's equivalent of souls). If you also managed to beat the Chapter 1 version, you additionally receive the General's Catalyst Clot (another 10,000 catalysts) and the Torn-Banner achievement.
That's a significant early levelling boost. Spend it on stats rather than hoarding it.
Common mistakes players make
- Trying to parry the unblockable forward slam
- Using grenades and special items in phase one instead of saving them
- Letting fire buildup drain by not completing the meter in one application
- Ignoring weak spots and running out of nephtoglobin mid-fight
- Wasting bullets on summoned minions in phase two instead of dodging or using one melee hit
Pro tips
- The lunge attack is the safest window to apply Fire Transmutation. Dodge, get behind him, burn immediately.
- If you're low on nephtoglobin heading into phase two, his weak spots respawn. Shoot them before anything else.
- Blocking costs less than getting hit. If your parry timing is off, block and recover HP by attacking right after.
- The energy orb can be interrupted. Keep your pistol loaded for this specific moment in phase two.
For more on the bosses you'll face after Lothaire, check out the full Valor Mortis boss locations guide. If you want to know how to get around the map faster after this fight, the Valor Mortis fast travel guide covers exactly when and how that unlocks. For everything else William's journey throws at you, the full Valor Mortis strategy guide collection has you covered.
FAQ
Can you beat Lothaire in Chapter 1? Yes, but it requires surviving a fight that's designed to kill you. If you die, use Alt+F4 immediately to reload outside the arena. Beating him there earns the Torn-Banner achievement and the General's Catalyst Clot.
Does Lothaire appear again after Chapter 2? Based on available information, the Chapter 2 fight is the definitive encounter. Whether he reappears later in the story is not confirmed.
What level should you be for this fight? Around level 8 is typical. You'll have six to eight skill points. Prioritize Maximum Endurance first.
Is fire the only element that works on Lothaire? The sources confirm fire as the primary damage-over-time tool. The Fire Transmutation is the recommended approach throughout both phases.
What happens if I run out of nephtoglobin? Shoot Lothaire's weak spots. He has three in phase one (shoulder, thigh, knee), and they respawn in phase two. Each hit drops a nephtoglobin orb.
