My Easy Letho Strat, First Playthrough

[c69]

My Easy Letho Strat, First Playthrough

Letho is a tough fight, no doubt. I am playing through on normal difficulty, got to Letho last night, died alot, and tried him a few times today. it probably took me 25-30 tries to kill him. I think I have 2-3 hours in this fight.

When I first got to him, I had two unspent talent points, no potions or blade oils. I tried various things, not getting him below 2/3rds. I wondered if I should try swordplay, and put the points in parry and riposte?

The best luck I had against him was repeated Quen, and then dodging around to his side/back and hitting with quick strikes. The problem is that when he has quen up, you are basically running out the clock and waiting for it to go down. When you rely on heavy Quen, so does he.

I also tried mixing in Aard and hit with a few strong blows, but without quen constantly up, he usually counters with equal damage. Ard/Swordx2-3 shows promise but I wasnt able to get it.

I went back to a previous save and spent both points in BOMBS, which increases damage by 70%.

The trick with bombs is that you have to mix it up. If you just chuck bombs repeatedly, he will put up Quen constantly. So you do a little swordplay with a bunch of doding, and when you back out he will often throw something at you. At this point just chuck 4-5 grapeshots at him. This does serious damage!

So basically circle and dodge when/if he has quen up. When you find yourself at range and he doesnt have quen, use crazy grapeshot.

This is kinda abusing the talent system, but it works for anyone who is stuck. Good luck.

 

[username_2203442]

Just a shame that you dont get some kind of a Letho trophy after the fight (with some crazy amount of block bonus) because he's much tougher than the Krayan. I bet he could slay the krayan and the dragon at the same time.

 

[sahara]

He was tough for me too couple of times when i first played but now i just usually kill him

Spoiler

with a sword i back him in to a corner and i just keep on hitting him (he might get couple of blows)and that works and half way through the cut scene pops up...

 

[pqravik]

Well, you guys kick my ass. I can't beat him and I'm tired of trying. I've got at least 7 or 8 hours into this fight, been dueling with him since Tuesday and nothing I've tried works.

Done with Lethos, done with Witcher 2, at least for now.

 

[scobber]

Difficult should not mean shitful and frustrating, which is what the first fight with Letho is. Dreadful lag times when using signs, even on low spec graphics, adds to the awfulness of this segment. I'm currently trying to beat him wearing the Blasphemer's outfit. Don't know why I bothered getting it together. Die as quickly and easily as in Normal mode. When I first played in Normal mode I also found multiple grapeshot an effective means of getting to the cut scene.

 

[eminem2]

He was tough for me too couple of times when i first played but now i just usually kill him

Spoiler

with a sword i back him in to a corner and i just keep on hitting him (he might get couple of blows)and that works and half way through the cut scene pops up...

Nope, your spoiler doesn't work for me either. My hitting him with sword blows causes almost no damage, while he cuts me down with just a few hits. And whatever damage I do cause, heals very, very quickly...

Once again, a ridiculously tough fight this early in the game. As if the Kayran wasn't bad enough!

 

[sahara]

Nope, your spoiler doesn't work for me either. My hitting him with sword blows causes almost no damage, while he cuts me down with just a few hits. And whatever damage I do cause, heals very, very quickly...

Once again, a ridiculously tough fight this early in the game. As if the Kayran wasn't bad enough!

Do you have the difficulty at the easy level or the normal?

If you have it normal try the easy just for fun might work

 

[eminem2]

Do you have the difficulty at the easy level or the normal?

If you have it normal try the easy just for fun might work

Yes, I have it on Normal. And frankly, if I can't get through this fight in Normal mode then I'm not sure the rest of the game is worth playing. Especially after the equally disappointing Kayran fight, while I've seen little else so far in the game to recommend it.

I wonder, does the story ever offer any explanation why Geralt is so bizarrely weak in this game, whereas he was so strong in the previous game? It can't be the dying/resurrecting thing, because that happened at the start of TW1 and not at the end of it...

 

[dragonbird]

Yes, I have it on Normal. And frankly, if I can't get through this fight in Normal mode then I'm not sure the rest of the game is worth playing. Especially after the equally disappointing Kayran fight, while I've seen little else so far in the game to recommend it.

I wonder, does the story ever offer any explanation why Geralt is so bizarrely weak in this game, whereas he was so strong in the previous game? It can't be the dying/resurrecting thing, because that happened at the start of TW1 and not at the end of it...

What is your build, weapons, armour, level? Maybe there's something off that's causing the problem. The main reason I'm wondering is "My hitting him with sword blows causes almost no damage, while he cuts me down with just a few hits. And whatever damage I do cause, heals very, very quickly.". This shouldn't be happening. (I've never been conscious of Letho healing himself).

 

[maskedreaper]

I found casting Aard on him as "soon-as-the-fight-starts" which disrupts him from casting Quen.
Then go in for the kill with either fast attacks or heavy attack (or mix it up between heavy and fast) and then Aard him again and then heavy attacks repeatedly then Aard him again and repeat with heavy attacks...but as soon as he blocks your sword attacks BACK-OFF and recover and gain some distance so you can repeat the attacks again and cast more Aard on him.

If you can stop him from casting Quen at anytime with an Aard attack your in for a BONUS since you got he's guard down.
Then try and Aard him into a corner or against a wall.
Attacking him when he's Quen up is almost suicide, since it seems he's Quen seems more powerful to your and it repell you.

I hope this helps you at bit, but bombs do help a bit but you must also dodge he's bomb throwing at you which can be a pain too.

I have to admit first time is a doozy but after awhile you get to know he's attack patterns.

 

[dragonbird]

I found casting Aard on him as "soon-as-the-fight-starts" which disrupts him from casting Quen.
Then go in for the kill with either fast attacks or heavy attack (or mix it up between heavy and fast) and then Aard him again and then heavy attacks repeatedly then Aard him again and repeat with heavy attacks...but as soon as he blocks your sword attacks BACK-OFF and recover and gain some distance so you can repeat the attacks again and cast more Aard on him.

This is close to the technique I finally adopted, after trying a few others. Except that, after that initial Aard, I stay "in his face" with sword attacks, blocking whenever he recovers balance enough to start to fight back. If you keep in close enough, and keep the initiative, he never gets the time to use his own Aard.

 

[wahleye]

Well, you guys kick my ass. I can't beat him and I'm tired of trying. I've got at least 7 or 8 hours into this fight, been dueling with him since Tuesday and nothing I've tried works.

Done with Lethos, done with Witcher 2, at least for now.

Sorry you're having so much frustration. I can tell you that IMO this and the Operator in Chapter 3 are the most difficult fights of the game. If you can hang in there, I promise you things will get easier.

Here are some tips I have used that help me:

Spoiler

Preparation:

First you'll need to make sure you place at least one talent in "feet work" in the swordsmanship tree. This will significantly improve your ability to roll and dodge. Second, put at least one talent into "Position" in the swordsmanship tree. This will reduce the damage Letho does if he strikes you in the back while you're running around. Third, get the Hunter's Armor http://witcher.wikia.com/wiki/Hunter%27s_armor or Kayran armor (best Chapter 1 armor on hard or below) and upgrade it with armor enhancements such as the "diamond armor reinforcement". Fourth, craft the "Jagged Blade" steel sword. This is the best steel sword in Chapter One. Upgrade with a couple ysgith runes. The final preparation, make sure you have a Whetstone in your inventory.

Tactics:

Before you reach the garden, use the Whetstone on your steel (Jagged Blade) sword. This upgrades your sword damage +20% for 20 minutes. Use Swallow and Tawny Owl potions. Next, remember: NEVER try to fight toe-to-toe with him. He WILL kill you. Keep rolling and wait for his Quen to subside. Use your Quen and try to hit him from behind. Watch for his pattern. He will throw bombs and use Aard or Igni in a predictable way. Forget using your bombs and traps. At least for me, they were not very successful. The one exception is Yrden sign. If you have sufficient vigor, you might try it, but be careful. Keep dodging, never strike while his Quen is active and be patient, the fight will take some time. If you try to push it, you'll die. Make a couple strikes, then roll away. I have used my Aard as MaskedReaper said. This can be very effective if used correctly. Keeping Letho off balance with Aard, two strong attacks, Aard, two strong attacks, etc can work. Know that given a small window of opportunity he will use his Aard to push you away. Once his health drops below half, stay away from him. Eventually you'll get a cut scene and the fight will be over.

Hope this helps.

 

[eminem2]

What is your build, weapons, armour, level? Maybe there's something off that's causing the problem. The main reason I'm wondering is "My hitting him with sword blows causes almost no damage, while he cuts me down with just a few hits. And whatever damage I do cause, heals very, very quickly.". This shouldn't be happening. (I've never been conscious of Letho healing himself).

Not sure what you mean by 'build', perhaps the version of the game? I'm using the 2.0 edition.
My weapon is the steel D'yaebl sword, 10-14. My armour Raven's Armour, as carried over from my TW1 final savegame.

I just replayed the Lethos fight after not touching this game for almost 2 months out of sheer disgust with the downright disrespect this game displays towards its players. And I did not notice Lethos healing himself again, so maybe I was wrong about that.

 

[eminem2]

@dragonbird
"What is your build, weapons, armour, level? Maybe there's something off that's causing the problem. The main reason I'm wondering is "My hitting him with sword blows causes almost no damage, while he cuts me down with just a few hits. And whatever damage I do cause, heals very, very quickly.". This shouldn't be happening. (I've never been conscious of Letho healing himself)."

It's a pretty late 2nd reply to your post, but I wanted to let you know that you were right in one very important respect. Assuming that by 'build' you refer to the version of the game, then you were spot on. As I wrote in another thread, it turned out the GOG-updater incorrectly claimed that my game had already been upgraded to version 2.0. When I uninstalled and then re-installed the game, the updater once again claimed that the game already was version 2.0, but the normal updater from the site did see reason to update and succeeded.

Immediately after, the 2.1 update kicked in. Suddenly, Geralt was much more responsive to my mouse and keyboard input and I defeated Letho on my 2nd or 3rd try in normal mode (well, if you can call not being killed by Letho defeating him...). Today I went back and tried again, and succeeded once again on my 4th or 5th try in normal mode. What a difference!

I'm still not very happy with this fight, but no longer consider it the atrociously difficult fight that I once did. It's more or less on par with the 'Ancient Rock Wraith' fight in DA2: long and somewhat annoying. Although I actually prefer facing Letho to facing the Wraith, I must say...

Once again thanks for your help!

 

[username_2215873]

Lots of trouble with this fight, Tried a bunch of times on normal and not even close to half way through the guy, so I came here looking for solutions.

Immediately after, the 2.1 update kicked in. Suddenly, Geralt was much more responsive to my mouse and keyboard input and I defeated Letho on my 2nd or 3rd try in normal mode (well, if you can call not being killed by Letho defeating him...). Today I went back and tried again, and succeeded once again on my 4th or 5th try in normal mode. What a difference!

Im having some issues casting signs (and using the Witchers amulet while searching areas) where I need to be standing still for a moment for it to work, and often need to push the key twice. Seems to be some input lag. At times I can just keep pushing the button when standing still (yes, I have vigor), sometimes works, often doesn't, and get hacked to bits trying. Spent quite a while dodging blows, setting traps, and getting distance to use signs/bombs, but when ever I want to actually do some damage, I get in a few blows, block once and am blown back by Letho's Aard. He seems to easily be able to parry and cast instantaneously. The more I dodge about and use defense, the crazier this guy gets. Man,.. this is hard. Might be time to hit the arena, or get some other practice in. (recently made some upgrades to get some decent frame rate, this is the only fight Ive tried since I have good frame rate/response)

I seem to have the latest update. Other commands seem to respond well.

 

[GuyNwah]

I don't think it's lag; I think it's gating. I believe they changed a gate on spells in EE, to where you cannot cast while an enemy is so close as to be able to strike you.

Even if it is intentional, it does make fights difficult against any opponent who can hit fast and hard. With Letho, you are best served if you keep him unable to fight back. Aard, whack, whack, get back. If he casts Quen, cast Yrden and make him chase you into it; when his Quen runs out, hit him in the back.

 

[dragonbird]

I don't have lag, but I do have slow reflexes. I've always found that this is the one fight in the game where defensive play, especially dodging, is NOT a good idea. The best way to take out Letho is to keep in close, and just fight.

I also don't know how I missed the replies to my earlier post, and apologise to the posters concerned for that, but this is a boss fight. Like any other game, you're expected to prepare for this. At this stage, you are capable of having a sword with at least 20 damage points without runes (Jagged Blade, Robust or Superb Cutlass), so if you're going in with a sword with 10-14 base damage points then yes, it's making life hard for yourself.

(And on the earlier posts, by "build" I meant the abilities being given to Geralt when levelling up.)

 

[username_2215873]

Thanks for the quick reply

Im using a superb Cutlass with upgrades, Kayran armour also upgraded. My character could probably be better advanced. Im a bit of everything right now. Dodge increased and position and then one on bombs and signs. 1st skill tree is rather evenly distributed other than lacking the ability to throw daggers. I have completed all the missions I have so far found and am 1000 points off level 12 (to memory. 10000XP). Tried killing Endriags for a while to gain XP but seems Ive maxxed what I can do. Killed about 20 and lots of Nekkers with no increase in XP.

I can't seem to fight in close, he just parry's my 3rd attack and immediately Aards, I cannot Aard so close to him, so I can only dodge to avoid losing half my health. So fighting in close seems impossible. That said, he seems to give me a much easier time when I focus more on attack. Bombs do no damage and usually hes fast enough to cast Quen (even after casting everything else he has got 3 times :/ ). Yrden seems a good way to drop his Quen though. The more I try the quicker he is to react. The AI seems to learn fast to my moves and always be one step ahead. Fighting with all options, devices signs etc, is not second nature to me yet, and I generally need to think out my moves while dodging about rather than react instinctively.

Playing around in the arena last night, and fighting the 2 Kingslayers and Mage, I at times could not cast quen for long periods, dodging to the other side of the arena to give myself time and still it would not cast. Like its saying; no, you cannot do this right now, try something else. Oh well, back to the arena I guess to practice more. I didn't get too far there either.. only level 9 on easy before I gave in (died in an earlier round trying to get the bonus time vs the Nekkers) Definitely something Im not getting in relation to group fighting. The Witcher one, I would fight mobs on the hardest setting with what seemed ease. I wanted a greater challenge from 2, Im definitely getting one.

Thanks again for the tips, will see how I go.

 

[dragonbird]

OK, well you're fine on levels and equipment. When you attack, you'll knock him back and can usually get 2-3 blows in before he starts to recover and prepare to retaliate. As soon as he shows ANY sign of recovery, block or hit Aard - whichever you're most comfortable with. Block is usually faster, but it has a cost to you.

I'd also look at whatever potions you're using, and your trophy. My personal preference on this fight is Swallow/Rook/Tawny Owl for potions, and the best Damage-inflicting trophy I have, to try to get the most out of attacks. Whetstone for the sword.

 

[GuyNwah]

OK, well you're fine on levels and equipment. When you attack, you'll knock him back and can usually get 2-3 blows in before he starts to recover and prepare to retaliate. As soon as he shows ANY sign of recovery, block or hit Aard - whichever you're most comfortable with. Block is usually faster, but it has a cost to you.

I'd also look at whatever potions you're using, and your trophy. My personal preference on this fight is Swallow/Rook/Tawny Owl for potions, and the best Damage-inflicting trophy I have, to try to get the most out of attacks. Whetstone for the sword.

I favor Virga as a potion in this fight, as well as the Kayran armor if you crafted it. If he catches you with a blow or a bomb, you're likely to get an effect on you and lose a lot of health in a hurry. Combined, these give you pretty strong resistance to that bad outcome.

I agree with you about the trophy. He wears good armor, and you need to make your blows as telling as possible. You should have a Wraith or an Arachas trophy by this time.