Whether it’s in Dark Souls , Demon’s Souls , or their new PS4-exclusive IP Bloodborne , developer From Software loves to challenge their players.
loves to challenge their players. However, not all challenges in a From Software game are made equal, as evidenced by the various boss battles in Bloodborne .
So far, we’ve featured a wide variety of Bloodborne boss battles, from the intense Father Gascoigne fight to the more subdued (some would even say easy) Hemwick Witchesthrowdown. But looking just beyond that is a boss fight that poses a new challenge.
Rom the Vacuous Spider may not seem like a difficult Bloodborne boss, but even just a quick browsing of Twitter will tell readers otherwise. This, like Vicar Ameliaand the Blood-Starved Beast, is a boss that has been giving many Bloodborne players trouble even though, at face value, it seems so easy.
As with many Bloodborne and Souls bosses, Rom the Vacuous Spider has three main stages. The first is fairly easy, the second gets a little more difficult, and the final stage can be a real test for players; that is, if they aren’t careful. Luckily we are here to help.
The main obstacle in the Rom boss fight in Bloodborne is the giant spider’s minions. With close to a dozen circling it at any given time, Rom creates a barrier between itself and the player. Most players’ initial inclination will be to race in and do damage to Rom before the minions can attack, but that is ill advised. Rather, it’s better to take out all the minions first, so as to eliminate any random hits from behind, and then work on Rom.
As a result, the Bloodborne boss fight becomes a test in patience. Where as bosses like the Blood-Starved Beastare about getting in, doing damage, and then getting out, Rom the Vacuous Spider is all about preparing for that attack. Luckily, Rom’s spider minions actually teach players how best to approach the boss.
Striking any of the minions from the front will tell players that the head is actually the strongest part of these spider creatures. It’s the back end – basically anything that doesn’t look like the head – that is the weakest. So, the best tactic is to bait the spiders around until they can be struck from behind, and in most cases even just one or two hits (or a molotov cocktail if available) will do the trick.
Players will want to be careful, however, as the spider minions do pack quite a punch. Some hits from the enemies are capable of doing close to half health damage, or if the player is a little under leveled they can kill them outright.
In total, the players should have to eliminate the group of spider minions three times before going in to attack Rom. The first time around that’s pretty easy, but eventually things get more difficult as the Vacuous Spider starts throwing out attacks.
But for the first phase, once the minions are done players can go in and do as much damage to Rom’s backside as they can. Use heavy attacks, charge attacks, throw molotovs and oil urns – whatever works. Eventually, though, the boss will trigger a teleport by spinning around in a circle.
Once Rom returns the battlefield, he will have a new set of minions and now he will start throwing out attacks. He can call down a “hail” of ice shards, send those ice shards up from the ground, pound players with a “wiggle” attack, and do an AOE type web blast. So, while players are once again trying to weed out the minions, they will now have much more to deal with.
The easiest way to manage both the minions and Rom’s attacks is to keep as close to him as possible. His “hail” attacks are much more difficult to dodge than the ones that come up from the floor, so keeping him focused on that option is key. Also, don’t forget to mind the other spider minions while working on eliminating them individually. Then, once the minions are gone again, move in to attack the Bloodborne boss, but be sure to back away any time he rears back to trigger the AOE blast. After a time, Rom should teleport again.
For this final phase, all of Rom’s attacks get more devastating and they include more projectiles. So, where the hail may have been easier to dodge before, now it’s more likely players will get hit once, or even twice by the projectiles. Still, keep focused on staying close and kill the minions one at a time, and try to stay as close to Rom without taking damage from him as possible.
Eventually, it will be just the player and Rom the Vacuous Spider, and here it is all about patience. Dodging the wiggle attacks and keeping an eye out for that AOE blast are key, while also doing damage to the boss’s backside. Be patient and Rom will fall, but don’t hesitate to heal up to full health, because any of Rom’s attacks are capable of killing the player in one shot.
Ultimately, the boss fight poses a challenge because of the patience required, and each attack packs a wallop. It will be players’ first inclination to ignore the spider minions altogether, but doing so is a huge mistake. It takes time, but make sure to clear out all those adds first and then work on Rom; it will make a huge difference. Not a particularly challenging boss when you get down to it, but one that has still been giving players trouble.
BUT, if that strategy hasn’t been working – say, you’re trying to beat Bloodborne without leveling– here’s an even easier strategy. It’s a little cheap, but sometimes you have to fight fire with literal fire.
Do you have any helpful strategies for beating Rom the Vacuous Spider? If any of Bloodborne ‘s earlier bosses are giving you trouble, make sure to check out our other guides:
Bloodborne is available now for PS4