This slimy scholar is a man who died and entered his own twisted dream: the Nightmare of Mensis. It later became a plane that others can travel to, namely the Good Hunter. There are many trials and foes to face in this land of dreadful dreams, though none in Bloodborne is more tedious than chasing down the creator of this realm, Micolash, Host of the Nightmare.
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The encounter with this former academic of the Byrgenwerth College is less of a true boss fight and more of a railroaded hunt disguised as an epic chase with opportunities to get turned around in the maze-like layout of Micolash's lair. There's thankfully a method to the madness; step by step instructions that one can learn and memorize in order to cut back on the tedium. Or cheesy tactics that can allow one to get sweet revenge upon the sneaky adversary.
As the hunt begins, run down the central hallway and then turn right before climbing the set of stairs and taking another right to find Micolash. From there, chase him and he will lead you to a room where he will spawn a couple of minions and make a pseudo-stand against the Good Hunter. Take out the dummies before engaging the boss himself, as they are very weak and are more dangerous as distractions than in any other manner.
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The only attacks the Host of the Nightmare possesses are 2 powerful Arcane ones: Augur of Ebietas, a mid-range attack where Micolash will extend his hand obviously before unleashing a linear explosion of tentacles, and A Call Beyond, which consists of the scholar building energy over his head before he lets loose an explosion that acts as a shockwave of stars traveling outwards.
Augur of Ebrietas is easy to avoid if one constantly keeps circling Micolash and waits until he tries to use it before swooping in on either of his flanks for a few hits before he backs off or shoves the player away. A Call Beyond will only be used by the former student of Byrgenwerth if the Good Hunter stays far away from him, however, it can be dodged by rolling forward, through the attack, by utilizing good timing and invulnerability frames. When Micolash loses 50% of his health, he will shriek before dissipating, ending the first phase of the battle.
After leaving the room, head right and climb the stairs while dealing with enemies on the way, or simply rush by them. At the top of the stairs, turn left and the Good Hunter will find Micolash again. Chase him and he will soon leap down a hole in the floor, and if followed, will run up a nearby flight of stairs.
Don't follow him when he does, instead, one should hear over to the right, by some debris and pressure him in the direction of a hallway, where two more minions will appear and close a gate behind their master.
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From here, turn around and then turn right. Go up the stairs and then turn left before running down the hallway and making another left. Head up another flight of stairs and then turn left, before ascending even more stairs. When one finds a door guarded by a lone minion, take out the foe and then pass through the door before heading to the right.
If one follows the right wall, they will be led to a ledge with a Blood Stone Chunk. From here, head through a door and descend some stairs to be led to a hole in the floor. Stop here and consider one's next moves, for there are 2 options.
If a fair and honest duel is what one seeks, drop down into this hole after Micolash to engage him. Like before, he will try to use Augur of Ebrietas at mid-range and A Call Beyond at long-range, therefore dodge these accordingly before landing a few hits. This fight should not be a big challenge for most players, though one should not underestimate the fearful scholar, as his Arcane attacks can do huge damage despite being relatively easy to avoid.
Since the noodle-armed academic has very little damage reduction against everything except Arcane damage, feel free to smack him around in any way, shape, or form desired. Applying an item to one's weapon, like Bolt Paper or Fire Paper, can quicken this already short fight.
After felling the hunter-tool using fool, the player will acquire the Mensis Cage, which is a helmet of menial stats, though is very important to the lore. It is an ornament worn by those who wish to connect with the Great Ones. The metal cage acts like an antenna for cosmic information and allows one to perceive things that humans were not supposed to witness, which is inevitably what drove Micolash mad.
From the ledge leading down the 2nd phase's boss arena, one will have a clear view of the Host of the Nightmare and can actually hit him with no repercussions. Since Micolash's AI is programmed only to react when the player drops down, the Good Hunter can attack him and he will not move or react in any way.
Feel free to shoot him with all manners of firearms, though a particularly satisfying method of disposal for this boss is to lob consumables at him. Oil Urns followed by Molotov Cocktails are a great combination for sizable Fire damage, though, one can also use Poison Knives to inflict a status ailment to cause even more grievous harm. As long as one has enough items, Micolash should fall fairly quickly, allowing the Good Hunter to drop down and loot his body with ease; bringing an end to this nightmare of a boss fight.