Mortal Shell 2 is finally here, and you’ll no doubt be hacking and slashing your way through the many enemies on offer, but as with any Soulslike, we all know that the bosses are another level entirely, and this is certainly true here. Unlike the other bosses in this early area, Lucian, The Thirsting Knight is a ‘true boss’. By that, I mean he’s a little different in his approach to those before him, he has multiple phases, and his combos have every opportunity to one shot you if you’re not ready for them. Don’t worry though, by the end of this guide you’ll not only know exactly how to beat Lucian, The Thirsting Knight, but also how to do it easily, and what rewards you get for your trouble.
Lucian, The Thirsting Knight Location
To get to Lucian you’re going to have to trek quite a distance, if we’re honest. The open world nature of Mortal Shell 2 is great in the sense of never knowing what you’re going to find, but terrible with how spread out some of the beacons are, and that’s the case here. To find Lucian, you’ll need to head north towards the Corrupted Gate you can see at the top of the map. You can do this by either going across the stone bridge past the first big skirmish in Widow’s Overlook, or going left and around the back way until you find the traversal gate that allows you to hop across the chasm below.
Once you’re here though, you’ll notice you can either jump up via a launcher, or go up a hill into a dark and dank cave. Choose the latter, as that’s where Lucian is hiding. At the top of this cave after a short walk, you’ll find your next beacon, the Stonebled Gate. As you’re no doubt used to by now, you’ll want to cleanse the beacon, and it’s in here where Lucian, The Thirsting Knight resides. As soon as you enter the beacon, you’ll be presented with a simple puzzle where you’ll need to press a button on the wall to open a gate, then cross a bridge where enemies are battling. Do this, and then head to the end, and that’s where you’ll find out next-to-be-beaten boss.
How to Beat Lucian, The Thirsting Knight in Mortal Shell 2
To understand exactly how to beat Lucian, The Thirsting Knight in Mortal Shell 2, you’ll want to know my build. As it’s early on in my playthrough, I’m pretty sparse on high-powered items, but I used the following:
- Proxima Shell – Location here.
- Veteran’s Battle Axe – Location here.
- Naylshotte.
- Vatra Seal.
- Marksman’s Stone – Increases crit chance of ranged weapons.
- Retribution Stone – Increases Riposte damage.
With Proxima’s Grafted Armour ability potentially mitigating damage and preventing stagger, it can be a real lifesaver when you need it most, trust me. Plus, their special attack with the Biosampler will be invaluable in the second phase, but more on that later.
When you first start the boss fight, you’ll see Lucian drop from the ceiling and immediately go on the offensive. If, like me, you’re running with a heavy, two-handed weapon like the Veteran’s Battle Axe, your attacks will be a little slower, so make sure to choose your moments, especially against the rapid-firing boss here. When she attacks, she’ll be quick on the front foot, and employs several different attacks. The most damaging and off-seen would be their five or six hit combo, where she pounces forward and attacks multiple times in quick succession. Using the Vatra Seal here is both an advantage in the sense that it’s inpenetrable, but a disadvantage because it doesn’t fill back up quick enough to stop the follow-up attack, so be ready for your dodging.
Attacking Lucian is a matter of waiting for them to finish their own combos, or using Harden/parry at the right moment to build Riposte up. It sounds simple, but it actually isn’t. Chip away at their health, but DON’T use your Biosampler ability yet, as tempting as it may be. While she does damage you quickly, you’ll find she doesn’t have a great deal of health, and five or six hits with a heavy weapon is enough to get them to half health. When this happens, the fight ends, and you’re prompted to traverse up a level. Do that, and then squeeze through a hole in the wall on your left, and the next phase begins.
Thankfully, Lucian, The Thirsting Knight hasn’t healed their health, and starts this second phase with what you left them with. Unfortunately, she has an added ability now – she goes invisible. There is the smallest of glimmer in their movement, but with the environmental light being what it is, this is nearly useless. You can’t lock on, but thankfully your attacks will ‘home in’ on them , at least meaning you’re not completely useless. She will also periodically unveil, giving you a brief window of visibility, but not a lot.
This is where Proxima’s Biosampler ability comes in handy, as you’ll be able to use it, and, if you hit it, you’ll see lightning sparks around them. While this won’t be any help in timing and defending against his attacks and combos, it will give you somewhere to aim your ranged weapon, and also to run away from. It got me through the fight once I figured it out.
Again, with this second phase, Lucian, The Thirsting Knight doesn’t have a huge amount of defense or health, so if you can get your hits in, you’ll go some way to defeating them. With the invisibility of phase two, I won’t lie, some of it will be luck in how you defend, but if you’re persistent, you’ll manage to finally end the fight triumphant, and get some rewards for your trouble:
- Glimpse x 1
- Serpent Stone Tarstone
And that’s that; you’ve now beaten one of the harder bosses in Mortal Shell 2!
For your next read, check out our review of Mortal Shell 2, or our top tips and tricks you’ll want to know to make the game easier.
Luke Addison is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Thumb Wars. Having previously been a part of multiple outlets over the years, including building an entire gaming team from nothing to something, he thought it best to forge his own path and answer only to himself. As likely to be found playing the latest game as he is in the kitchen relaxing (by cooking), he always brings the same bold and brash attitude to everything he does, with a heavy leaning on sarcasm and dry wit!
