A Guide to Earning Blood Echoes Quickly in Late-Game Bloodborne

Following the release of patch 1.03 for Bloodborne, some farming exploits were removed. This left players looking for the most efficient, legitimate way to grind for Blood Echoes in the late stages of the game. One of the best methods is available in the final required area, the Nightmare of Mensis, just after reaching the Mergo’s Loft: Middle lamppost.

This farming run involves a short but dangerous loop of enemies that can be manipulated to fight each other, yielding a massive amount of echoes in a very short time. To maximize the gains, it is essential to equip all three of the game’s Moon Caryll Runes, which stack to significantly increase echo acquisition.

The Farming Route at Mergo’s Loft

The entire process, from lamp to reset, can be completed in just a few minutes once the pattern is learned. The area contains several powerful enemies, including crow-beasts, multi-eyed pigs, and figures resembling the Shadow of Yharnam.

After spawning at the Mergo’s Loft: Middle lamp, head out and up the main stairs. To the right are two crows with dog heads and one dog with a crow head. These can be fought for a few thousand echoes or skipped entirely to save time on the main loop. Continue forward into the next section, where two Shadow enemies are walking toward a third, who attacks with fireballs. It is best to engage the two walking Shadows before they can group up with the third, making the fight more manageable.

The next part of the run is key. A large, multi-eyed pig will be visible with its back turned. This is a prime opportunity for a charged heavy attack, which will stagger it and allow for a high-damage visceral attack. After dealing with this lone pig, two more will be heading your way. At the same time, four Shadow enemies will be walking toward you from further down the path.

The strategy is to lure the pigs into the Shadows. Run directly between the two pigs to get their attention, then continue sprinting toward the group of four Shadows. The pigs will charge, and if positioned correctly, they will collide with the Shadows, triggering a fight between the two enemy groups. The player can stand back and watch as the monsters destroy each other, collecting the Blood Echoes automatically as they fall. Any survivors can be easily picked off.

With all three Moon Runes equipped, the yields are substantial:

• Crows with Dog Heads: 1,425 echoes each
• Dog with Crow Head: 1,945 echoes
• Shadows: 3,921 to 4,276 echoes each
• Multi-eyed Pigs: 16,216 echoes each

A full clear of all enemies in this short section nets a total of 82,665 Blood Echoes. The pigs and Shadows also frequently drop Blood Vials, making the farm self-sustaining. To reset the enemies quickly, use the nearby bird cage elevator that serves as a shortcut. Simply jump off into the shaft to die. This respawns you at the lamp instantly, avoiding the long loading screen associated with returning to the Hunter’s Dream.

Acquiring the Moon Caryll Runes

To make this farm truly effective, collecting all three Moon runes is not optional. Their stacking percentage-based bonuses are what push the echo gains to such high levels.

Moon Rune (+10%)

The first Moon Rune is located in the Yahar’gul, Unseen Village area. It is specifically in the large plaza where you are ambushed by three hostile NPC Hunters after the Blood Moon has descended. This area is accessible from the Hypogean Gaol lamp before the story event, or the Yahar’gul Chapel lamp after. Once the hunters are defeated, the rune can be found on a corpse in the area.

Moon Rune (+20%)

The second rune is found within the Nightmare of Mensis, close to the farming location. From the Mergo’s Loft: Middle lamppost, you must backtrack down the stairs and into the castle-like structure where the Micolash boss fight occurs. Go down the spiraling staircase, past all the mannequins, until you reach the very bottom. Here, a powerful Nanny enemy and another mannequin guard a corpse. Defeat them to retrieve the rune.

Moon Rune (+30%)

The most powerful Moon Rune requires a multi-step process to obtain. First, you need the “Make Contact” gesture. This is located in the optional Upper Cathedral Ward area. To get there, you need the Upper Cathedral Key from a cage room near the Yahar’gul Chapel lamp. Once inside the Upper Cathedral Ward, proceed until you defeat the Celestial Emissary boss. The gesture is on a body in the Lumenflower Gardens area just beyond.

With the gesture, return to Mergo’s Loft: Middle. Ride the bird cage elevator up, but roll through a broken window onto a bridge. Follow this path to a different elevator that descends. Partway down, you must roll through an open doorway into a secret area. This path is filled with Brain Trust enemies that inflict Frenzy. Run past them to find a lever at the end of a long walkway. Pulling this lever drops the giant Brain of Mensis into a dark pit far below.

After dropping the brain, find another bird cage elevator that descends into a pitch-black room. The Brain of Mensis will be there, alive but helpless. Do not attack it. Instead, stand in front of it and perform the “Make Contact” gesture. Hold the pose for about a minute; your character’s arms will eventually shift. This will grant you the final Moon Rune. Afterward, you can kill the brain to receive the Living String, a rare ritual material.