How To Defeat Walter Lanford in Crimson Desert by Completing Challenges

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Walter Lanford is one of the boss enemies you’ll encounter on your journey in Crimson Desert. This boss appears near the end of the House Serkis Faction Quests. If you’ve been following your Faction Quests, you may notice that your House Serkis group has been stuck at 10 out of 13 quests completed for some time.

This probably means you haven’t yet met the requirements to unlock the Walter Lanford quest line. Here’s how to find him and defeat him.

How to Start The Nemesis’ Demise Quest

To begin the Nemesis’ Demise quest chain and unlock the final fight against Walter Lanford, you need to meet certain requirements:

Complete Chapter 7 of the main story.
Finish the side quest called The Legendary Wolf.
Complete 10 out of 13 quests in House Serkis.
Talk to Count Serkis’s servant during the Leader of the Bleed Bandits quest to learn about Walter Lanford.
Speak to Count Serkis himself to get the quest called Name Written In Blood.

After talking to the servant and getting your briefing, head to Forth Warspike, located northwest of The Witchwoods and just south of the “N” in “Hernand” on your map. Proceed through the fort until you reach the designated area, where Walter Lanford will be waiting.

How to Defeat Walter Lanford

Walter Lanford mainly fights from a distance, using his shotgun to shoot at you while trying to keep you from closing in with melee attacks. This makes the fight challenging, especially if you rush in unprepared.

He will open fire immediately after the fight starts with a powerful shot. The key is to stay defensive, react to his moves, and counterattack when safe. Here are some tips:

Use abilities like Nature’s Snare and Nature’s Retribution to absorb and redirect Lanford’s arrows, especially when he leaps onto the hill.
Stay patient and wait for him to attack or move, then close in once he’s vulnerable.
Try to corner him after he drops from the sky, allowing you to attack without him dodging away.

A good strategy is to use a ranged weapon to chip away at his health while dodging his shots. Make sure you are well-prepared with these skills:

Plenty of food.
Focus (Spirit).
Nature’s Snare (upgrade to Nature’s Retribution to reflect his shots).
Force Palm and Focused Shot (Spirit).
Evasive Shot (Stamina).
Stamina and Spirit levels boosted to 7 and 4 or higher.
A strong bow build using Infinite Arrows Abyss Gear and Explosive Arrows.

When you reach him, he will fire a shot immediately with his shotgun, so react quickly. Defensive plays and counters are essential, along with patience for the right moment to strike.

Tips for Melee and Ranged Combat

Melee:

Wait until Lanford finishes his attack and repositions before closing the distance.
Use Nature’s Snare to hold him in place if he dodges away.
Aim to get him into a corner after he drops from the sky for maximum damage.
Patience is crucial—let him control the pace.

Ranged:

Use jumps to gain height with Force Palm, then aim Focused Shot to land shots on him.
Continuously pepper him with Explosive Arrows, especially if you have a build with Infinite Arrows.
Dodge his shots and fire quick arrows or unleash a flurry of Evasive Shots.

Rewards for Defeating Walter Lanford

Once you succeed, return to Alan Serkis and claim your prizes:

A Golden Piggy Bank treasure item, a one-time-use item that rewards you more the longer you’re offline.
Dane Shotgun, with Abyss Gears like Hexebane 1, Destruction 1, and Insight 1.
Rhonda Leather Boots — attack +11, defense +1, health +1/sec, and automatic dodge after being hit.
One Abyss Artifact.

Defeating Walter Lanford not only clears a major challenge but also grants you valuable gear and items to help in your journey.