How to Beat General Lothaire, the Eagle-Bearer

Lothaire is the graduation exam for the parry system. His sword strings are long but anchored — each chain contains one clearly telegraphed beat whose parry window is generous by design. Around half of all players have beaten him as of the October 15, 2026 snapshot, which for a first major boss makes him exactly as hard as the game intended.

True to his name, Lothaire fights around his banner. Community consensus from the demo window: the area around the standard is where his most dangerous repositioning moves happen, and the safest place to stand is at the edge of its radius — close enough to punish, far enough that his sweep-whip attacks can't catch your recovery frames.

Parry the anchor beat of each string, dash the grab-type attacks you can't read, and spend every stagger on the critical finisher. Do not chase health damage between his combos — the punish window after his longest chain is worth more than three opportunistic pokes. When he raises the standard for an area attack, the dodge-dash through it is safer than running out of its arc.

Full Ferro Flask, unspent Catalysts invested before the door, and a melee weapon upgraded as far as your materials allow. Bring one fire tool: his second phase introduces an opening where burn damage punishes better than raw swings, and the flamethrower's quick burst fits the window without committing you to a full string.