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Walter Lanford
April 1, 2026 at 05:12 AM
Accuracy update: corrected stats (Attack 340, Defense 100, Knockout 750), equipment names (Crimson Star + Plate set), removed unconfirmed passive skill
Walter Lanford is an elite boss in Crimson Desert and the leader of the Bleed Bandits. He is encountered at Fort Warspike in the Hernand region as part of the House Serkis faction questline. Unlike most bosses in the game, Walter relies on a shotgun as his primary weapon, making him one of the few ranged-focused boss encounters. His gunslinger aesthetic, complete with a wide-brim hat and longcoat, sets him apart visually from the melee-heavy boss roster.
Walter has only a single health bar and fights in a single phase, which might suggest an easy encounter. However, his exceptional mobility, rapid-fire shotgun attacks, and smoke grenade evasion ability make him a tricky opponent. Players who attempt to trade blows at close range will quickly find themselves overwhelmed by his scattershot and barrel volleys. The key to this fight is patience, defensive movement, and knowing when to punish his repositioning windows.
Walter Lanford was originally an orphan who was taken in and raised by Marquis Stefan Lanford of Calphade. Despite Stefan's genuine care, Walter struggled with deep insecurity about his low birth. He could never fully accept the kindness offered to him, and the weight of feeling like an outsider within the noble house eventually became too much. Walter fled House Lanford and struck out on his own, forming the Bleed Bandits, a faction of outlaws that terrorize the Hernand region.
By the time players encounter him, Walter has established himself as a dangerous presence in the area. His bandits operate out of Fort Warspike, and their raids have drawn the attention of House Serkis, the ruling faction of Hernand. The quest to confront Walter represents the culmination of the House Serkis faction storyline, and defeating him brings peace to the region.
Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
Name | Walter Lanford |
Type | Elite Boss |
Location | |
Region | |
Quest | The Nemesis' Demise (House Serkis faction questline) |
Weapon | |
Health Bars | 1 |
Phases | 1 (no phase transitions) |
Faction | Bleed Bandits |
Walter Lanford's combat stats reflect a boss built around ranged damage output rather than durability. His attack power of 340 is exceptionally high, ranking among the hardest-hitting elite bosses in the game. His health pool is moderate and his defensive stats are relatively low compared to other elite bosses, meaning he is designed to deal big damage rather than absorb it. His knockout resistance is substantial at 750, meaning players need sustained pressure rather than a quick stagger to create openings. His attack stat of 340 is one of the highest among elite bosses, so every hit he lands hurts significantly.
Stat | Value |
|---|---|
HP | 2,396 |
Attack | 340 |
Defense | 100 |
Stamina | 100 |
Knockout | 750 |
Fatal | 5 |
Walter comes equipped with a full set of unique gear that matches his gunslinger persona. Each piece of his equipment carries the Lanford name, reinforcing his identity as the disowned heir of House Lanford. His loadout emphasizes the Western outlaw archetype, from his wide-brim hat to his longcoat and leather boots.
Equipment | Slot | Type |
|---|---|---|
Crimson Star | Weapon | |
Walter Lanford's Plate Helm | Helm | |
Walter Lanford's Plate Armor | Upperbody | |
Walter Lanford's Plate Cloak | Cloak | |
Walter Lanford's Plate Gloves | Hand | |
Walter Lanford's Plate Boots | Foot |
Walter Lanford relies almost exclusively on ranged attacks, which makes him unusual among Crimson Desert bosses. His shotgun gives him strong area denial at close to medium range, and his smoke grenade escape ensures he can disengage whenever the player closes the distance. Learning to read his attack telegraphs is critical, because his shotgun pellets cannot be parried. Players must rely on dodging, blocking, or ability-based counters instead.
Attack | Description | How to Counter |
|---|---|---|
Double Barrel Shot | Walter's primary attack. He fires two quick shots at close to medium range, dealing moderate damage per hit. This is his most frequently used attack and comes out fast with minimal wind-up. | Backslide to create distance, or use a shield to block both shots. The attack has a narrow cone, so sidestepping can also work if timed correctly. |
Double Barrel Barrage | A special attack where Walter unleashes a rapid volley of slugs in quick succession. This deals significantly more damage than his standard shots and can shred through a player's health if every slug connects. | Shield block is effective here, though it will drain stamina quickly. Alternatively, maintain distance to give yourself time to dodge the individual slugs. Do not try to tank this without a shield. |
Scattershot | Walter charges his weapon for roughly half a second, then fires a wide arc of crimson-hued pellets. The spread covers a large area in front of him, and getting hit can knock the player down, leaving them vulnerable to follow-up attacks. | Watch for the charge animation and backslide immediately. The knockdown effect makes this his most dangerous standard attack. If you see him plant his feet and raise the barrel, move away rather than attempting to block. |
Shrapnel Shower | Walter fires a special shotgun shell into the sky, which explodes and rains crimson shrapnel down on the area around the player. The shrapnel falls randomly over about two seconds and can knock the player down on hit. | Keep moving. The shrapnel falls in a scattered pattern, so standing still is the worst response. Sprint in one direction and the odds of being hit drop significantly. Avoid rolling, as the recovery frames can leave you stationary during a shrapnel hit. |
Poof (Smoke Escape) | Walter throws a pouch of blinding smoke onto the ground and quickly somersaults out of combat. He uses this ability to disengage from melee range and reposition himself at a distance where his shotgun is most effective. This is his primary traversal skill. | Dash forward in the direction of his somersault immediately after the smoke appears. If you can close the gap quickly, you can catch him during his landing recovery and land a heavy attack or combo. This is the best window to deal significant damage. |
Walter possesses one confirmed passive skill that governs his behavior during the encounter. This is not a telegraphed attack but rather a background modifier that affects how he fights throughout the entire battle.
Boss Large Human (Passive): This passive grants Walter enhanced stats and behavior patterns consistent with the large humanoid boss archetype. It governs his stagger resistance, attack chains, and overall aggression level during the fight.
The most effective way to fight Walter Lanford is with a run-and-hit strategy. This means keeping mobile at all times, engaging him only during his vulnerability windows, and never committing to extended combos. Walter cannot block any of your attacks, which is a significant weakness that compensates for his strong ranged game. Whenever you find an opening, hit him hard and then back off before he can retaliate with his shotgun.
Walter's biggest advantage is the space between you and him. He will constantly try to maintain medium range where his shotgun deals maximum damage. To close the distance effectively, use Blinding Flash Finishers (L1 + R1 + R2 on controller) to lunge toward him. This gap-closing technique is particularly useful after his Poof escape, when he has just landed from his somersault and has a brief recovery window.
The Nature's Snare Retribution ability is one of the best tools against Walter. When he fires his shotgun, activating Nature's Snare Retribution allows you to catch the incoming pellets and redirect them back at him. This is especially effective during his Scattershot and Shrapnel Shower attacks, where the volume of projectiles means you can reflect a large amount of damage. Watch for his smoke grenade throws as signals for incoming major attacks, and prepare your Retribution timing accordingly.
Walter's normal shotgun attacks come out fast and can be difficult to read. For his standard Double Barrel Shot, guarding with a shield is usually safer than attempting to dodge, because the timing window for a clean dodge is tight. Save your dodge rolls for his Scattershot, where the knockdown effect makes blocking riskier. If you are struggling with the fight, bring plenty of healing items to outlast his damage output. His single health bar means a war of attrition favors the player as long as you can keep your health topped up.
Walter's Poof ability is both his greatest escape tool and his biggest vulnerability. When he throws the smoke pouch and somersaults away, there is a brief recovery period after he lands. If you can dash toward his landing spot quickly enough, you can catch him with a heavy attack that knocks him down. A downed Walter is completely defenseless, so this creates the best opportunity in the entire fight to deal uninterrupted damage. Prioritize chasing his Poof landings over trying to force damage during his active attack patterns.
Walter Lanford is located at Fort Warspike, which sits to the west of Hernand and north of the Witch Woods. However, he will not appear there by default. Players must first progress through the House Serkis faction questline in Hernand. After completing approximately ten House Serkis quests, the quest The Nemesis' Demise becomes available. This quest directs you to Fort Warspike to confront Walter and end the Bleed Bandits' threat to the region.
The quest can also be unlocked by completing other Hernand faction activities and liberating bandit camps throughout the region. Once you have built enough reputation with House Serkis through these activities, the final confrontation with Walter becomes available.
After defeating Walter, players are tasked with returning to Marquis Serkis to report the victory. Completing the quest grants ennoblement from Hernand as recognition of this achievement.
Defeating Walter Lanford rewards the player with three items. The most notable drop is the Golden Piggy Bank, a unique key item that generates passive income while the player is offline.
Item | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
Golden Piggy Bank | Key Item | Generates Light Copper Pouches passively while the player is offline. Access it through the Key Items section of your inventory. Activating it returns you to the title screen, and upon your next login, you receive hundreds of Light Copper Pouches based on how long you were away. |
Dane Shotgun | Weapon | A shotgun weapon dropped by Walter Lanford upon defeat. |
Rhonda Leather Boots | Footwear | A pair of leather boots dropped by Walter Lanford upon defeat. |
Walter cannot block or parry any of your attacks. Take advantage of this by being aggressive during his recovery windows, especially after his Poof escape.
You cannot parry his shotgun pellets. Do not attempt to time parries against his ranged attacks; use guard, dodge, or Nature's Snare Retribution instead.
Bring plenty of healing items. Walter's consistent ranged pressure means you will take chip damage throughout the fight, and having a deep supply of restoratives lets you outlast him.
His Scattershot has a visible charge animation. When you see him plant his feet and raise his barrel, that is your cue to backslide immediately to avoid the knockdown.
During Shrapnel Shower, keep sprinting in one direction rather than dodge rolling. The shrapnel falls randomly, and the recovery frames from a dodge roll can leave you vulnerable.
Chase his Poof landings aggressively. The recovery window after his somersault is the single best opportunity to deal burst damage in this fight.
If you have Nature's Snare Retribution unlocked, use it against his major attacks to reflect his own projectiles back at him for significant damage.
The fight rewards patience. Walter's single health bar means steady, safe damage will whittle him down. Avoid greedy combos that leave you exposed to his shotgun blasts.
