The final boss battle was worth the wait.

This quest comes in multiple forms, depending on how you got here:

• If you played What Lies Unseen you'll fight Detlaff and then go on to Pomp and Strange Circumstance.

• If you returned Syanna's ribbon in Beyond Hill and Dale, you'll fight Detlaff and then go on to Pomp and Strange Circumstance.

• If you did not return Syanna's ribbon in Beyond Hill and Dale, you'll be given the choice to fight Detlaff or let him go. Either choice eventually leads to the quest Burlap is the New Stripe.

If you end up fighting Detlaff through any of these paths, continue to read below.

Remember all the times Geralt has said that nobody can fight a Higher Vampire except another Higher Vampire? It's still true but you have to do it anyway. This quest starts automatically but until you rush towards Regis and Detlaff, you're not officially in combat.

This gives you time to prepare yourself (and save, if you like). Repair all your gear, too. Vampire Oil and Black Blood are obvious choices, but this is a good time to pull out all your best healing potions in quick slots, too. White Raffard’s Decoction and Enhanced Swallow, as well as your best food and drink items, are a good idea; this is the last boss, so you won't be wasting anything.

Boss: Detlaff van der Eretein

• Oil: Vampire
• Potion: Black Blood
• Sign: Quen

At first the fight proceeds like the first time you faced off against the Beast of Toussaint, and you shouldn’t have trouble; keep your Quen up in case you miss a trick, but just dodge and counter attack. Be conservative and take as little damage as possible; we have a long way to go and there’s no need to rush.

After you tickle Detlaff a bit he transforms. This is where things get interesting: in the second phase, Detlaff flies around a lot. Try to stay behind him to avoid a ranged attack which stuns you for several dangerous moments, but look for a diving attack; after landing, there’s a long recovery window for you to beat him up. You want to close the distance quickly to take advantage of this. If you’re quick you can easily get at least three hits in, but be ready to roll away as soon as he telegraphs.

The second phase shouldn’t last long if you’re well-prepared, as Detlaff is so vulnerable after his dive attack. The third phase is an entirely different matter. During this phase Detlaff attacks with melee so you can go back to the good old dodge-counter tactic. He usually combos, though, so be sure he’s facing away from you before you commit.

After a good whacking, Detlaff will vanish and you’ll notice a white globe at the edge of the small arena. Hammer it, but when you see a stream of blood appear next to you, give up and roll away as it signals Detlaff’s reappearance.

There are three of these globes to destroy and Detlaff will constantly respawn until you get them all. As such, you don’t necessarily need to keep beating him up; if you’re confident in your skill and levels, you can lure him across the room and then dash back to attack your real target while he catches up.

Watch out for his teleport dash, which makes things tricky – but can be turned to your advantage. If he uses it to reach you as you’re away from the globule, roll towards it and leave him behind you.

Phase four is not a problem. When all three globes have burst, one last Detlaff respawn will appear. It has so little health at this stage that you can quickly hammer it down, so we have no idea if it has any special tricks.