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Ludvig
April 1, 2026 at 03:55 AM
Enhanced with boss stats table (crimsondesert.gg data), all three variant stats, preparation section, expanded attack table with counters, One-Armed Ludvig strategy, and rewards
Ludvig is the leader of the Lonely Jackals, a faction operating in Pailune. Once known as an opportunist, Ludvig's true nature surfaced after the fall of Jian, the great leader of Pailune. He shares a similar vision with Myurdin, seeking to trample cities and rule survivors through extreme oppression. His ambition drives him to cling to the strong while secretly harboring plans to betray those around him and seize power for himself.
Ludvig serves as a mandatory boss encounter in Chapter 7 of the main story. Players confront him at Pailune Castle during the quest Lonely Jackals, and later face him again as One-Armed Ludvig in the quest Time to Face Justice. He appears across three distinct boss entries: the base form, Awakened Ludvig (his transformed state mid-fight), and One-Armed Ludvig (the rematch fought as Oongka).
Ludvig already had a bad reputation as an opportunist before Jian's death, but nobody expected him to change so drastically once Jian fell. With Pailune plunged into chaos following the loss of its great leader, Ludvig seized the opportunity to consolidate power. He formed the Lonely Jackals and aligned himself with forces opposing the Greymanes, dreaming of one day trampling over those he stabbed in the back and standing at the top.
His actions contribute to the bloody conflict between the Greymanes, who fight to uphold Jian's will, and the Black Bear forces that seek to burn everything down. The quest Ludvig's Whereabouts tasks the player with tracking him down, ultimately leading to the confrontation at Pailune Castle.
Ludvig is encountered at Pailune Castle during Chapter 7 of the main story. The quest chain begins with tracking the Lonely Jackals' movements and culminates in a direct confrontation inside the castle.
Ludvig appears as three separate boss entries with distinct stat profiles. Awakened Ludvig is his transformed state reached after depleting the first health bar in the initial encounter. One-Armed Ludvig is the rematch version fought during Time to Face Justice.
Variant | Health | Attack | Defense | Stamina | Knockout | Weapon | Passive Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ludvig | 1,664 | 160 | 100 | 100 | 750 | None listed | Boss Giant Creature |
Awakened Ludvig | 1,332 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | None listed | Boss Giant Creature |
One-Armed Ludvig | 1,109 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | One-Hand Sword | N/A |
The Ludvig fight is one of the harder boss encounters in Chapter 7. Coming in well-prepared with the right food, gear, and skills makes a significant difference, particularly in the Awakened Ludvig phase.
Tier 4 armor set (e.g., Canta Plate) or equivalent for your preferred playstyle. Higher tier armor reduces the damage Ludvig's lightning attacks deal per hit.
Lightning Resistance gear is strongly recommended. Reaching Lightning Resistance Lv. 5 makes you fully immune to Ludvig's lightning stun buildup, which removes the roughly 4-second stun vulnerability his electric attacks cause. This is not required to win, but it removes a major source of frustration.
One-handed weapons (dual) provide faster attack speeds and build stun bars more efficiently than two-handed weapons. Dual one-handed swords work particularly well against Ludvig's defensive evasion patterns.
Chewy Rice Cakes or equivalent high-healing food (at least 10-15 units). Grilled Meat and Steamed Eggs can serve as backup options.
Palmar Pills for revival. Bring several for the Awakened Ludvig phase if you expect to go down.
Blinding Flash Finisher (L1+R1, then R2) is the highest-priority skill for this fight. It is unblockable and can stun Ludvig, removing large portions of his health bar. Make this your primary damage dealer throughout both phases.
Force Palm chains well after Blinding Flash. The combo "Blinding Flash, attack, attack, Force Palm, attack, attack" deals strong burst damage during the brief windows between Ludvig's teleports.
Focus (L3+R3) slows time and regenerates Spirit. It is especially valuable in the Awakened Ludvig phase, where openings are rare. Use Focus to extend windows after a successful evasion.
Forward Slash Lv. 3 provides a strong lunge strike for closing distance after Ludvig teleports.
The first encounter with Ludvig takes place during the Lonely Jackals quest. Ludvig fights with twin blades infused with lightning and is one of the most challenging bosses in the game. The fight consists of two phases, each with a separate health bar.
In the first phase, Ludvig moves rapidly around the arena, teleporting frequently and launching lethal electricity attacks. He uses electric missiles that must be dodged, performs charged dash attacks, and executes a large area-of-effect pull attack indicated by a blue glowing circle that deals heavy electrical damage. His speed and evasion make him difficult to pin down.
Ludvig plays defensively and waits for you to overcommit before punishing with a fast counterattack. The core loop is patience: hold back, let him attack, find the opening after a teleport sequence or a missed combo, then unload a burst combo before he resets. Do not chase him aggressively.
After depleting his first health bar (HP 1,664), Ludvig transforms into Awakened Ludvig (HP 1,332). According to his lore, he consumes an imprisoned human and gains immense unholy power. In this phase, he retains all previous abilities and adds devastating new attacks, including a massive sword of electricity that he slams into the ground and a web of lightning that snares and continuously electrocutes the player.
Awakened Ludvig teleports even more frequently than in Phase 1, making it extremely difficult to land sustained attacks. However, he actually moves more slowly between teleports than in Phase 1, which creates longer windows during each opening. Focus on Blinding Flash and Force Palm combos whenever an opening appears, and use the Focus ability to slow time and maximize damage during those moments. Do not attempt to parry in this phase; pure evasion and counterattacking is the correct approach.
Attack | Description | Counter |
|---|---|---|
Lightning Dash | A quick dash forward with knockback potential. Ludvig dashes across the arena in a straight line with lightning trailing behind him. | Roll to the side rather than backward. A forward dash has enough range to catch a backward roll. |
Twin Strike | A dual blade slash combo using both lightning-infused blades. Can chain into a third hit. | Block the first hit and parry the second. The recovery animation after the combo is a reliable damage window. |
Lightning Stab | A focused thrust attack targeting a single point. Has some tracking and a narrow hitbox. | Dodge to the side. The thrust has a long recovery animation that allows two to three quick hits. |
Lightning Slash | Primary melee attack with strong lightning infusion. Deals both physical and lightning damage on contact. | Shield block if using a one-hand and shield build. Dodge backward if not. |
Lightning Barrage | Ranged projectile attack that fires multiple electric bolts in quick succession. Deals heavy damage at range. | Sprint laterally while the barrage is active. The bolts travel in straight lines and are easy to outrun with constant movement. |
AoE Pull (Phase 1) | A glowing blue circle forms around Ludvig as he raises his arms. The circle slowly pulls the player in before a large burst of electrical damage is released. | Roll backward repeatedly as soon as you see the blue glow. Putting enough distance between you and the circle prevents the pull from reaching you. |
Electric Web (Phase 2) | Creates a wide web of electricity that snares the player and deals continuous lightning damage for as long as they remain inside it. | Roll out of the web immediately when snared. Stamina management before Phase 2 is important for having enough rolls available when this appears. |
Electric Greatsword (Phase 2) | Awakened Ludvig summons a massive sword of electricity and slams it into the ground, creating a large radial shockwave. | Roll away from the slam point as soon as the sword materializes. The shockwave has a fixed radius, so putting distance between yourself and the impact point avoids it entirely. |
Keep your distance initially and observe Ludvig's pattern. He will initiate with Lightning Dash or Lightning Barrage. Dodge the first attack, then respond with a quick two-hit combo before backing off. Avoid extended offensive chains, because Ludvig will teleport away and punish the recovery. The AoE pull is the most dangerous Phase 1 move: react to the blue circle the moment it appears and roll backward repeatedly to escape its range.
Switch your approach entirely in Phase 2. Stop trying to parry; evade everything and counterattack only through Blinding Flash windows. Use Focus as soon as you see an opening to slow time and squeeze in a full Blinding Flash, Force Palm combo. The Electric Web is the most punishing new attack in this phase. If snared, roll out immediately regardless of stamina cost, because the sustained damage of the web outweighs any stamina deficit.
Focus on evasion over blocking. Many of Ludvig's lightning attacks deal residual damage even when blocked. Dodging is safer than standing behind a shield for extended periods.
Wait for teleport recovery. Ludvig has a brief pause after each teleport where he repositions. This is one of the most reliable windows for landing Blinding Flash.
Heal aggressively between phases. You get a brief cinematic transition when Awakened Ludvig emerges. Use any Chewy Rice Cakes or Grilled Meat immediately after the transition before he starts attacking.
Do not chase teleports. Running after Ludvig when he teleports places you out of position for his next attack. Hold your position, track his landing spot, and wait for him to come to you.
Ludvig survives the first encounter and is later found in the Demeniss mountains during the quest Time to Face Justice. This rematch is fought as Oongka rather than Kliff. One-Armed Ludvig has a single health bar (HP 1,109) and wields a one-handed sword in his remaining arm. Despite having only one arm, he is faster than he was in the initial encounter and remains a dangerous opponent.
When fighting as Oongka, dual-wielding one-handed swords is more effective than using the default two-handed axe due to faster attack speed. Oongka's moveset is pre-invested, so skills have already been assigned. The most valuable tool in this fight is Oongka's Quick Grab skill, which can parry One-Armed Ludvig's attacks and deal burst stagger damage. Rack up stagger to knock him down and follow up with a full ground combo.
One-Armed Ludvig swings his blade in a two-swing pattern. When blue light surges across his blade, he is about to attack. That flash is the timing cue for a parry attempt. A successful parry with Oongka's Quick Grab knocks him down briefly and creates a damage window.
Use Oongka's Rage ability (Focus + Right Bumper) for massive damage bursts when One-Armed Ludvig is staggered or knocked down. This ability has a cooldown, so save it for confirmed knockdown windows rather than trying to use it reactively.
Search the surrounding Demeniss mountains area for healing items before engaging. Oongka's inventory may be limited when the quest begins, so gathering additional food from the environment helps ensure you have enough resources for the fight.
Defeating Ludvig in the Lonely Jackals quest advances the Chapter 7 storyline. The following equipment drops from the first Ludvig encounter:
Item | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Hungering Fang Leather Cloak | Armor (Chest) | Solid mid-game chest armor. Worth equipping or selling depending on current build. |
Hungering Fang Leather Boots | Armor (Feet) | Solid mid-game footwear. Pairs with the cloak from the same set. |
One-Armed Ludvig does not drop any items or equipment after being defeated. The reward for that fight is story progression rather than loot: the rematch during Time to Face Justice completes the Twisted Fate sub-chapter, allowing the story to continue. After One-Armed Ludvig falls, the Greymanes gather at a graveyard in Pailune to mourn their fallen leader Jian.
Ludvig is one of only a few bosses in the game who appears in multiple encounters across different quests.
The second fight against One-Armed Ludvig is the only mandatory boss fight played as Oongka.
His transformation into Awakened Ludvig represents one of the game's more dramatic mid-fight phase transitions, involving the consumption of an imprisoned human for power.
Although Ludvig wields twin blades infused with lightning, the boss entry on crimsondesert.gg lists no weapon for the base Ludvig form and classifies his passive skill as Boss Giant Creature.
