Bradie Gu
Bradie Gu is an Elite Boss in Crimson Desert found near the Bloodsteel Camp plateau in the Demeniss region. A heavily armored warrior wielding a Giant Axe, Bradie Gu guards a Sealed Abyss Artifact and presents one of the tougher open-world Elite Boss encounters with 4,525 HP.
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Overview
Bradie Gu is an Elite Boss in Crimson Desert found in the open world near the eastern edge of the Bloodsteel Camp plateau, overlooking Thornbriar Fortress. He is a heavily armored warrior who fights with a Giant Axe, making him one of the more dangerous humanoid bosses players can encounter while exploring the Demeniss region. Bradie Gu guards a Sealed Abyss Artifact, making the fight worthwhile for players looking to strengthen their character through the Path of Providence.
With 4,525 HP, Bradie Gu sits well above the health thresholds of most other Elite Bosses in the game. His attacks hit hard and his full set of heavy armor provides substantial defensive coverage. Players who rush into this fight without proper preparation or an understanding of his attack patterns will find themselves overwhelmed by his wide axe swings and aggressive charging strikes.
Boss Information
Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
Name | Bradie Gu |
Type | Elite Boss |
Location | Eastern plateau near Bloodsteel Camp, overlooking Thornbriar Fortress |
Region | |
Weapon | |
Difficulty | Hard (high HP for an Elite Boss) |
Combat Stats
Bradie Gu has exceptionally high HP for an Elite Boss, paired with strong offensive stats and moderate defensive capabilities. His Knockout value of 750 means he is very resistant to being staggered, requiring sustained pressure and well-timed finishing blows to fill his stagger gauge.
Stat | Value |
|---|---|
HP | 4,525 |
Attack | 265 |
100 | |
100 | |
Knockout | 750 |
Fatal | 5 |
The Knockout stat of 750 indicates how much stagger damage Bradie Gu can absorb before becoming vulnerable to a finishing blow. Players need to build up the stagger gauge through consistent attacks and well-timed parries. The Fatal stat of 5 reflects the base critical hit modifier for his attacks, which translates into occasional devastating strikes that can catch players off guard even when they have comfortable health pools.
Equipment Drops
Bradie Gu drops a full set of equipment themed around his own loadout. Defeating him can reward players with pieces from his Bradie Gu Plate equipment, which covers his weapon and a complete set of plate armor. These drops provide solid stat bonuses and are particularly useful for players who favor heavy, defense-oriented builds.
Item | Slot | Type |
|---|---|---|
Dark Emperor's Giant Axe | Weapon | |
Upper Body | ||
Bradie Gu Plate Cloak | Cloak | |
Bradie Gu Plate Gloves | Hand | |
Bradie Gu Plate Boots | Foot |
The full Bradie Gu Plate set is one of the more complete Elite Boss drops in the game, covering five equipment slots. For players who are still progressing through the Demeniss region, these pieces offer a meaningful upgrade over standard gear found at vendors and from regular enemies.
Skills
Bradie Gu possesses one passive ability that defines his combat behavior:
Skill | Type | Effect |
|---|---|---|
Boss Large Human | Passive | Grants Bradie Gu the enhanced properties of a large humanoid boss, including increased poise, resistance to certain crowd control effects, and the ability to power through lighter attacks without flinching. |
The Boss Large Human passive is shared across several large humanoid bosses in Crimson Desert and is responsible for the super-armor behavior that prevents them from being staggered by individual light attacks. This means players cannot simply stunlock Bradie Gu with fast hits; they need to land sustained combos or use skills that deal significant stagger damage to break through his poise.
How to Find Bradie Gu
Bradie Gu is located near the eastern edge of the Bloodsteel Camp plateau. The camp itself sits in the southern part of the Demeniss region. To reach Bradie Gu, head toward the eastern side of the plateau where it overlooks Thornbriar Fortress below. The boss patrols this area and is visible from a distance due to his large size and distinctive heavy armor.
Players should be cautious when approaching this area, as the Bloodsteel Camp vicinity is populated with hostile enemies. If the camp has not been liberated yet, players will face resistance from regular soldiers on the way to the boss. It is advisable to clear or avoid these enemies before engaging Bradie Gu, since fighting additional mobs during the boss encounter adds unnecessary danger.
Bradie Gu guards a Sealed Abyss Artifact at this location. After defeating him, the challenge to unseal the artifact requires using Aerial Force Palm to reach a height of at least 10 meters. Make sure to have this skill available before traveling to the area if you want to collect both the boss rewards and the artifact in a single trip.
Attack Patterns
Bradie Gu fights with the slow but devastating style typical of Giant Axe wielders. His attacks have wide arcs and significant reach, making it difficult to stay at mid-range without getting clipped. Each swing deals heavy damage, and several of his attacks have follow-up strikes that punish players who dodge too early or attempt to counterattack prematurely.
Attack | Description | How to Counter |
|---|---|---|
Horizontal Sweep | Bradie Gu swings his axe in a wide horizontal arc from right to left, covering a large area in front of him. This is his most common attack and comes out with minimal wind-up once he is in range. | Dodge through the swing toward his back. Rolling backward will keep you in range of the arc. After the sweep finishes, he has a brief recovery window for one or two counterattacks. |
Overhead Slam | He raises the Giant Axe above his head and brings it crashing down directly in front of him. This attack deals the highest single-hit damage in his moveset and creates a small shockwave on impact. | The overhead wind-up is clearly telegraphed. Dodge to either side when the axe starts its downward arc. The shockwave has a small radius, so a lateral dodge at medium distance avoids both the axe and the ground impact. |
Bradie Gu lowers his shoulder and charges forward with his axe extended, closing distance rapidly. He follows the charge with a sweeping strike that catches players who dodged the charge itself but remained nearby. | Dodge to the side and keep rolling to create distance. Do not immediately counterattack after avoiding the charge, because the follow-up sweep comes out quickly. Wait for the sweep to finish before re-engaging. | |
Two-Hit Combo | A pair of consecutive swings where Bradie Gu chains a diagonal slash into a reverse backhand sweep. Both hits deal significant damage, and the second swing often catches players who dodged only the first. | Dodge twice in succession. After the second swing, there is a noticeable pause where Bradie Gu resets his stance. This is the safest window in his moveset for sustained counterattacks. |
Ground Pound | Bradie Gu plants the butt of his axe into the ground with both hands, creating a small area-of-effect shockwave around him. This attack comes out when players stay too close for too long and is a spacing tool. | Keep mid-range distance and you will avoid this entirely. If you are caught in melee range when the animation starts, dodge backward immediately. The shockwave radius is limited. |
Strategy
General Approach
The key to defeating Bradie Gu is patience and positioning. His Giant Axe attacks are powerful but slow, and nearly every swing has a recovery window that allows for one or two safe counterattacks. The fight becomes manageable once you learn to read his wind-up animations and dodge at the right moment rather than panic-rolling at the first sign of movement.
Maintain a mid-range distance and bait his attacks. After he commits to a swing, dodge through or around it and punish the recovery frames. Do not get greedy with extended combos, because his two-hit combo and ground pound are specifically designed to punish players who overstay their welcome in melee range.
Building Stagger
Bradie Gu has a Knockout value of 750, which means building up his stagger gauge requires sustained effort. Focus on landing charged heavy attacks and skills that deal high stagger damage. Force Palm is effective at contributing stagger damage when you can close the gap safely. Successfully parrying his attacks also adds to the stagger gauge, so players comfortable with the parry timing should weave in perfect parries between dodges.
Once his stagger gauge fills and he drops to one knee, immediately perform a finishing blow by pressing light and heavy attack simultaneously. This deals a large burst of damage and provides the single biggest damage window in the fight. Building toward and capitalizing on these stagger windows is the fastest way to bring down his 4,525 HP pool.
Parrying
Bradie Gu's attacks are telegraphed enough that experienced players can parry many of them consistently. A successful parry negates the incoming damage and restores a portion of your stamina, which is critical for maintaining offensive pressure. Parrying is especially valuable in this fight because dodging repeatedly will drain your stamina quickly, and Bradie Gu's high health pool means the fight is a long one.
His Horizontal Sweep and the first hit of his Two-Hit Combo are the easiest attacks to parry due to their clear wind-up animations. Avoid trying to parry the Overhead Slam, because the timing window is tighter and a failed parry results in massive damage. Stick to dodging the slam and parrying the sweeps.
Weapon Choice
Faster weapons tend to perform well against Bradie Gu because his recovery windows are short. A Two-Handed Sword or Dual Swords can land more hits per opening compared to slower weapon types. If you are using a Giant Axe yourself, you will need to be more selective about when to attack, since matching his speed means both of you will be trading single hits. Faster weapons also build the stagger gauge more efficiently through a higher number of individual strikes.
Recommended Preparation
Gear and Refinement
Ensure your weapon and armor are refined to at least level 5 or higher before attempting this fight. Bradie Gu's 265 Attack stat combined with the Giant Axe's naturally high base damage means his hits will chunk through low-defense characters. Equip Abyss Cores that provide Damage Reduction and flat Health bonuses to give yourself a comfortable margin for error.
Consumables
Bring a generous supply of healing food. At minimum, stock 20 or more Grilled Meat or equivalent healing items. The fight is long due to Bradie Gu's 4,525 HP, and you will inevitably take hits during the learning process. Having plenty of food ensures you can recover from mistakes without running out of sustain.
Stamina Management
Stamina management is critical. Dodging Bradie Gu's wide axe swings repeatedly drains stamina fast, and running out of stamina mid-fight leaves you unable to dodge his next attack. Invest in stamina-boosting gear or consumables, and consider weaving in parries to restore stamina between dodges. Avoid sprinting unnecessarily during the fight to conserve your stamina pool for defensive maneuvers.
Sealed Abyss Artifact
After defeating Bradie Gu, players can collect the Sealed Abyss Artifact he was guarding. However, the artifact requires completing a challenge before it can be unsealed. The challenge at this location asks the player to use Aerial Force Palm to reach a height of at least 10 meters.
To complete this challenge, find a nearby elevated surface or ledge and use Aerial Force Palm to launch yourself upward. The height requirement is measured from the ground, so starting from an elevated position helps reach the 10-meter threshold more easily. Once the challenge is complete, the artifact is unsealed and added to your collection. This adds to your overall power through the Path of Providence system.
Sealed Abyss Artifacts are scattered throughout Pywel and are essential for unlocking new skills and boosting character stats. There are 141 total artifacts across the continent, and the one guarded by Bradie Gu is one of many found in the Demeniss region.
Tips
Dodge through Bradie Gu's swings rather than away from them. His axe arcs are wide enough to catch backward rolls, but dodging toward or past him puts you behind his hitbox.
Wait for the Two-Hit Combo to finish before counterattacking. The second swing catches players who respond to the first hit too eagerly.
Parry the Horizontal Sweep for free stamina recovery. The wind-up is telegraphed and the timing is forgiving compared to his other attacks.
Clear the area around the boss before engaging. Nearby Bloodsteel Camp enemies can wander into the fight and complicate things.
Bring Aerial Force Palm before traveling to this location so you can collect the Sealed Abyss Artifact in the same trip.
Use fast weapons like Dual Swords or a Two-Handed Sword to maximize hits per recovery window and build the stagger gauge efficiently.
Do not try to parry the Overhead Slam unless you are confident in the timing. A failed parry against this attack deals devastating damage.
The full Bradie's War equipment set is a strong pickup if you favor heavy armor builds. Consider farming this boss if you need a defensive gear upgrade.