Even the most skilled action RPG veterans are likely to stumble through a few of the boss fights in PS4's Bloodborne. The game is as difficult as it is addicting and that is definitely a compliment. Much like the Dark Souls games before it, Bloodborne's difficulty is what makes playing it so rewarding. If you already mastered the third boss fight and are ready to move beyond The Blood-Starved Beast, we're here to offer our support and guidance for the next major obstacle.

Bloodborne's fourth big boss fight pins players up against the long-haired villain Vicar Amelia. Despite not appearing until a little later in the game, Vicar's fight is actually not quite as complicated as some of those gamers had to survive to reach her lair. The she-devil can definitely wipe out the majority of a health bar in one swing if players leave themselves open, but by following a few easy rules the fight should go in your favor.

In preparation for the battle, players need to enter the fight with full blood vials. Guns won't be too useful against this boss, so don't worry if your ammo pouch is a little low. Molotov Cocktails will do some damage, but we wouldn't recommend relying on them in this fight. Vicar has a ton of health, so even when striking in the right spot, this fight is going to go on for a while (unless you're overleveled).

Like many other boss fights, the trick to defeating Vicar is staying behind her. To maximize DPS, players can use fire paper to light their weapons on fire and get a bit of bonus damage. Players will be mostly safe if they can dance around and stay behind Vicar, but always stay vigilant. Her rear attack doesn't deal a ton of damage, though, so back away and regroup if things get too hairy.

Speaking of staying away from Vicar's frontal attacks, players should never deplete their stamina supply if possible. The last bit of stamina needs to be saved for a quick escape when you find yourself face-to-face with those massive claws, so don't overextend resources with an ambitious full combo. Dashing behind Vicar is what will keep players alive long enough to deplete her enormous health bar. We'd recommend using the light attack version of Bloodborne's trick weapons for rapid slashes and low stamina usage.

Players should also stay as close to Vicar as possible throughout the fight. This will up the odds of dodging the Shock Wave attack when it comes, but more importantly, will put players in the best position to strike when Vicar clutches her necklace and freezes while attempting to heal.

Her attempts to heal will begin once players have beat her down to about 50% health and to keep the life total going in the right direction players should use Numbing Mist to stop the heals. If that ability isn't ready when the heal begins, then trying to negate the heal with damage is the best plan B.

The real key to success in the Vicar Amelia battle is not rushing. She has a ton of health and it is going to drop down slowly, so players need to be very careful to hang on to enough blood vials to survive the marathon fight. After five minutes or so of dodging and staying behind, the fourth boss should finally be in your rear view mirror.

With a few quick fixes on the way to the From Software game early this week, the Bloodborne community should hopefully be bug-free and able to concentrate on the upcoming boss fights. We'll continue adding our boss guides as we tackle each big baddie in Bloodborne. Check back for updates.

Do you have any other tips or strategies for the Vicar Amelia fight? Let us know in the comments.

Bloodborne is available now for PS4.