It's not uncommon for the first obstacle in a Soulslike game to be presented in a challenging boss. In the case of Bloodborne, that boss is known as the Hunter, Father Gascoigne. Once a Hunter of renown, Gascoigne has now become blood drunk, an ailment that can plague hunters with an endless desire to kill all they come across, including you.

Like most bosses Gascoigne will have three phases, the first of which has him using his Hunter Axe in one hand and Blunderbuss in the other, using various combos and dodges. After taking down a third of his health, the second phase will have Gascoigne transform his axe to be wielded with both hands, increasing his range and move set. He’ll still be able to use his Blunderbuss against players in the second phase. The third and final phase will have Gascoigne transform into a terrifying beast himself. His new form makes him stronger, faster, and much more aggressive. He also gets a new jump attack, which can catch players off guard if they aren't careful. However, his resistance to Fire damage drops in this stage, and he’s still vulnerable to staggers with firearms.

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still from Bloodborne

Seen as a tutorial boss, fighting Gascoigne will teach players to fight aggressively against most future enemies encountered in the game. Retreating backwards or behind cover will often keep you constantly on the defensive and never able to score any hits. Stay calm, and try to match his aggression by dodging towards his left or right sides and attacking after his combos are finished. Use the dodge attack whenever you can get away with it, but don't get greedy. Gascoigne will occasionally roll towards the player before attacking with his gun. Firing during his roll will often interrupt his following attack and cause a stagger.

The arena this fight takes place in hosts a large number of tombstones that can be used to gain some breathing room during the fight. However, Gascoigne can destroy these tombstones in his beast form, so don’t depend on them to save you. Retreating up a set of nearby stairs in the arena before dropping back down can sometimes provide good opportunities to heal up and switch equipment if needed. And since his beast form makes him weak against fire, using fire paper on your weapons can be an effective way to score extra damage. A combination of Molotov Cocktails and Oil Urns can also work, but successfully hitting him can be difficult due to his agility.

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Before fighting Gascoigne, it would be a good idea to find his daughter. She can be found next to the shortcut gate to the sewers from the plaza in Central Yharnam and if you agree to help her, she’ll give you the Tiny Music Box. When equipped and used during the fight against Gascoigne, the Music Box will stun him for a short time, allowing you to get some critical hits in. However, players should choose carefully when to use the Box, as it’ll only be effective three times during the fight. It’s best to use it once for each phase.

Once he’s finally defeated, players will be rewarded with 1,800 Blood Echoes, two Insight and the Oedon Tomb Key, unlocking the way to the Cathedral Ward and hub area of the game. Players can also purchase Gascoigne’s Set from the Bath Messengers in the Hunters Dream for Insight, which provides high resistance to slow poison and is perfect against the Blood-Starved Beast. Later on, if players choose to follow the side quest of Eileen the Crow, they’ll find Gascoigne’s old hunting partner, Henryk, in the same arena and can be fought with the help of Eileen.

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