•According to a report for PC Gamer, defeating the opening boss of soulslike title Valor Mortis—General Lothaire—can be done repeatedly through an exploit that lets players retry after dying.
The article’s author explains that Lothaire is “the first boss in Valor Mortis and is one of those classic starting soulslike fights you’re really not supposed to win,” with the odds stacked against the player, particularly because only a single attempt is normally available.
If you hit ALT + F4 the moment you die, I found you can load in just before the boss arena to try again.
PC Gamer author
Dying to General Lothaire triggers a cutscene in which Lucjan appears to save the player and delivers exposition about the game’s world, after which the boss disappears. The writer discovered that closing the game at the moment of death typically reloads the player just outside the arena, allowing the fight to be attempted again.
Beating General Lothaire rewards players with 10k catalysts—the in-game equivalent of souls—plus the General’s Catalyst Clot, which grants a further 10k. The victory also unlocks the Torn-Banner achievement.
The author notes this is “a pretty big bonus in terms of initial levelling,” and that Valor Mortis has no boss weapons, so spending the catalyst clot does not cause players to miss out on any gear.
Whether repeatedly using the exploit is worthwhile remains uncertain. The writer states they cannot confirm whether Lothaire appears later in the game, meaning this may be “the only way you can get” the Torn-Banner achievement. Still, the author argues that Valor Mortis is not especially difficult by soulslike standards, so an early levelling advantage matters little.
For those determined to win, the report recommends three tactics: using fire to ignite General Lothaire for damage over time whenever his Nephtoglobin meter is full; parrying during his first phase to land critical attacks; and dodging his more predictable combos in the second phase to deal damage when possible.
The report includes a linked guide on how to equip ambers, alongside links covering other Valor Mortis content: finding the scouts for “An Unheard Farewell,” passing the poison in “The Emissary,” and recovering items in “The Scarecrow.”
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