Code Vein, for the most part, is a very casual experience compared to games like Bloodborne, Dark Souls 3 or Sekiro. The game is extremely fast-paced, and gives you enough health (and a helpful NPC ally) to survive most encounters without breaking a sweat. Even the bosses can be taken down without too many attempts if you fully use your helper. If you’re not too aggressive, your little helper can wreck bosses all by themselves.
That all changes when you encounter the Cannoneer and the Blade Bearer — a pair of late-game bosses you’ll have to fight together. These guys are like the Ornstein and Smough of Code Vein — they’re immediately much more difficult than previous fights, and for many players, probably an instant roadblock.
But like any good boss, these creeps have a weakness. It’s possible to defeat them, and to defeat them easily, with the right skill combinations. You might need to grind to unlock the proper defenses, but these guys can go from impossible to manageable with the right character build.
More Code Vein guides:
- Code Vein: How To Get The True Ending | No Spoilers ‘Dwellers’ Guide
- Code Vein: All The Best Items To Give To Your Favorite NPCs | Gift-Giving Guide
How To Beat Cannoneer & Blade Bearer, The Hardest Boss Duo In The Game
Cannoneer and Blade Bearer bring down a deadly barrage of fire-and-ice elemental attacks on you and your ally. They appear pretty far into the game, and their simultaneous assault is going to wreck any unprepared vampire.
The Cannoneer naturally shoots fire from far away while the Blade Bearer gets up-close-and-personal with ice-based attacks. To make this battle MUCH easier, you’ll want to bring an ally and equip specific skills.
- Boss Battle Prep:
- Bring Yakumo. He’ll tank attacks and distract one of the bosses — usually the Cannoneer. Then you can focus on the Blade Bearer.
- Equip two specific skills — ICE ARMOR and FIRE PROTECTION.
- Ice Armor is an Artemis Class skill.
- Fire Protection is a Dark Knight Class skill.
Alternatively, you can unlock and use the Fire Weapon Cartridge Blood Art to deal more damage to the Blade Bearer and defeat her faster, but your ally will be more vulnerable and will probably go down.
Just use the Ice Armor & Fire Protection before the fight, and keep re-upping the buff during the fight. You’ll take a fraction of the damage from boss bosses, and Yakumo will have a much better chance of surviving.
Once you’re prepared, the fight is much easier. Two-handed weapons are some of the best in the game — they’re crazy-powerful, and the slow roll still gives you a ton of invincibility frames to avoid taking damage from huge swipe attacks. Don’t discount those slow rolls!
When fighting, watch out for his volcanic geiser attack. The Cannoneer can, at any time, summon fire at your feet that explodes upwards. Just start rolling when it appears — it can happen a lot, so time your healing until after he’s pulled one of these attacks out.
The Blade Bearer is usually rushing into melee range, so you’ll be dealing with her more often. She’s similar to most of the melee-focused bosses and enemies in this game. She’ll lunge forward, try to hit you with a 3-attack combo, and can summon explosive ice pillars. Take her down first, then the Cannoneer is a total joke.
At least in this game, the surviving member of the duo doesn’t get powered-up.
