Earn all other achievements to unlock Nephtis Superioris. There are 39 Valor Mortis achievements: boss kills, quests, collections, upgrades and a long list of combat feats. Bosses alone won't get you there. A few need one attack to catch several enemies at once, and others need a streak without missing, getting hit or dying.
What are all the Valor Mortis achievements and how do you unlock them?
Here's the full list, grouped by type. Watch the names, because a couple are misleading: Behemoth asks you to defeat Nephtis Superioris, while the achievement actually named Nephtis Superioris asks you to earn every other achievement.
Bosses and the Shrike encounter
| Achievement | Unlock requirement |
|---|---|
| Torn Banner | Kill General Lothaire, the Eagle-Bearer. |
| Ultima Ratio Regum | Defeat the Iron Marshall. |
| Not a Cat Person | Defeat the Sphinx. |
| Quixotry | Defeat the Slaughtermill. |
| My Dying Bride | Defeat the Bride. |
| True Oath | Defeat the Justicar Aurelius. |
| Lament of The Limbs | Defeat Experiment 83. |
| Birdwatcher | Rendezvous with the Shrike. |
| Coup de Grâce | Defeat The Orphan. |
| Behemoth | Defeat Nephtis Superioris. |
| In His Own Image | Defeat the Entity. |
Birdwatcher is the odd one out: you only need to meet the Shrike, not beat it. The boss guide covers where each fight is and how to win it.
Quest completions
| Achievement | Unlock requirement |
|---|---|
| Aggressive Reconnaissance | Complete the Adjutant quest. |
| Blood and Wine | Complete the Curious Case of Seamus Diggory quest. |
| The Bitter Cure | Complete the Laudanum quest. |
| Hand in the Jar | Complete the Deserter quest. |
| The Book of Beasts | Complete the Monster Hunt quest. |
Meeting the quest giver doesn't count; the quest has to be finished. For quest steps, see the side quest guide.
Collections, upgrades, and the castle bonfire
| Achievement | Unlock requirement |
|---|---|
| Arsenal Absolute | Unlock all weapons and transmutations. |
| Bladesmith | Upgrade a single melee weapon to maximum. |
| Gun of Glory | Upgrade a single firearm to maximum. |
| Transmutation Artifex | Upgrade a single Transmutation to maximum. |
| Ambersmith | Gather all Ambers. |
| We Wear the Same Colors | Defeat all Eternal Guardists. |
| Frenzied Flame | Ignite the bonfire in the castle. |
| Nephtis Superioris | Obtain all achievements. |
The three upgrade achievements want one item maxed out, not several half-upgraded ones, so pick one melee weapon, one firearm and one transmutation and pour your materials into those. Materials and the workbench are covered in how to upgrade weapons.
Ambersmith and We Wear the Same Colors both mean all: every Amber and every Eternal Guardist. The Eternal Guard locations page shows where the guards are.
Combat feats, flask use, and falling
| Achievement | Unlock requirement |
|---|---|
| Rookie Mistake | Attempt to use Ferro Flask with none remaining. |
| In the Nick of Time | Interact with a lantern while below 20% health and no flasks remaining. |
| Mind the Gap | Die by falling into the abyss. |
| Single Stroke | Shoot off a Risen Grenadier's bucket. |
| God's Trigger | Land 10 consecutive headshots or weak point hits without missing. |
| Symphony of Steel | Perform 10 parries without taking damage. |
| Flame Feast | Set 4 enemies on fire with a single flamethrower use. |
| Fight Fire With Fire | Ignite an enemy while you are also ignited. |
| Statue of Insanity | Fully lock a Remnant of the Iron Regiment enemy in Stasis. |
| Aerial Annihilation | Kill an enemy with a headshot after a wall jump. |
| Windhover | Kill 3 enemies with a pistol while Airborne Aiming. |
| Hoodsnatcher | Decapitate 3 enemies with a single Claymore attack. |
| Scattershot | Kill 5 enemies with a single Blunderbuss shot. |
| Jack-knife | Deal damage with every melee weapon, firearm, and transmutation without dying. |
| Abyssal Eviction | Kill an enemy by pushing them into the abyss with Shield Bash. |
How do you get the combat achievements?
Read the condition closely. Most of these need a specific weapon or move, and the kill count only counts if that part matches too.
God's Trigger is 10 head or weak-point hits in a row, so one rushed miss resets it; take your time between shots. Symphony of Steel is 10 parries without getting hit, so don't get greedy with attacks in between.
Flame Feast, Hoodsnatcher and Scattershot only count a single attack: four enemies set on fire by one flamethrower use, three heads off with one Claymore swing, five kills from one Blunderbuss shot. Wait for a group to bunch up before you commit.
Aerial Annihilation is a headshot kill straight after a wall jump. Windhover is three pistol kills while Airborne Aiming; kills with any other weapon don't count.
Jack-knife wants damage dealt with every melee weapon, firearm and transmutation in a single life. It's about using everything, not killing a lot, so play safe once you've started cycling through.
How do you unlock Nephtis Superioris?
Get every other achievement, Behemoth included (that's the one for actually beating Nephtis Superioris). Clearing the bosses won't do it on its own.
Mind the Gap needs you to die by falling into the abyss, and Jack-knife needs a run without dying. Do the fall on its own, not in the middle of a Jack-knife attempt.
The two flask achievements are easy to mix up. Rookie Mistake: try to drink a Ferro Flask with none left. In the Nick of Time: use a lantern with no flasks left and under 20% health.
If Ambersmith is the one holding you up, the ambers guide shows where to look.