You’re walking through the cold, metallic halls of the Zelator Underground Facility, thinking you’ve seen the worst Krat has to offer. Then you hear it. Screaming. Not the mindless screech of a carcass or the grinding gears of a puppet, but the raw, vocal fury of someone who has clearly reached their breaking point. That’s Veronique in Lies of P, or more specifically, the main roadblock in the Overture DLC.
Honestly, if you haven’t thrown your controller yet, you aren’t fighting her right.
She isn't just another Stalker with a fancy hat. Veronique, the Leader of the Sweepers, is a nightmare of fire and engine-grease. While the base game gave us the Red Fox and the White Lady, the DLC ramps the human-style combat up to a level that feels more like a rhythm game than a soulslike. It's fast. It's mean. And if you’re looking for her, you’ll find her guarding the path to the laboratory in the Coolant Control Room.
Who Exactly is Veronique?
The lore here is actually kind of tragic, which is standard for this game. Veronique leads the Sweepers, a Stalker faction made up of the "common folk" of Krat. Unlike the Bastards (the noble-born Stalkers), the Sweepers were the blue-collar warriors of the city.
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By the time you find her in the DLC, she’s lost it. She went into the laboratory looking for proof that the Stalkers were in bed with the Alchemists. Instead of finding justice, she got cornered, fought a legendary Stalker named Lea, and basically became a hollowed-out guardian of a place she hates. She’s essentially a prisoner of her own duty, barely keeping her sanity together while she swings a hammer the size of a small car.
Voice actress Aliona Baranova absolutely kills it here. You can hear the desperation in her voice when she shouts about being "indomitable." She isn't a villain; she’s a person who refused to give up until her mind literally cracked under the pressure.
Why the Veronique Boss Fight is a Wall
Let’s talk mechanics. Veronique wields a massive, engine-driven greathammer. It looks heavy, but she moves like she’s on roller skates. This is where most players get stuck. You expect a heavy-hitter to have long wind-ups, but Veronique cancels her recoveries into rapid-fire spins and slams.
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The Attack Patterns
She loves her hammer spins. If you see her wind up, get ready for a five-hit combo that tracks your movement across the entire arena. It’s a lot. Then there’s the Hammer Slam—she’ll jump and bring the engine-powered head down with a fire explosion.
- Phase 1: Fairly predictable. She uses heavy slams and two-hit spins.
- Phase 2: This is where the "bullshit" (as Reddit calls it) starts. She gets faster. Her combos get longer. She starts mixing delayed attacks with frame-one transitions.
The biggest mistake you can make? Trying to dodge everything. The tracking on her hammer is predatory. She will glide across the room to catch you mid-roll. You have to learn the Perfect Guard timing or you’re going to be looking at the loading screen for hours.
How to Beat Her Without Losing Your Mind
Patience is a lie. Well, mostly. If you’re too passive, she’ll just whittle your stamina down to zero.
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- Listen to the sound. Seriously. Her engine-hammer makes a specific vacuum or charging sound right before the hit connects. Many players find it easier to parry by ear than by watching her erratic animations.
- Break the weapon. Like other human bosses, her weapon can be broken. If you land enough Perfect Guards, that hammer will snap, drastically reducing her range and damage. Use the Perfect Guard Grindstone—it’s basically a cheat code for this fight.
- The "Cheese" Method. If you’re struggling, use the Puppet String. A fully upgraded Puppet String lets you fly in for a heavy attack. It won't win the fight for you, but it’s a great way to close the gap when she’s recovering from a slam.
- Staggering is key. She’s surprisingly easy to stagger if you can land a few charged heavies. Don't get greedy, though. She has a very small window where you can actually get the fatal attack in before she recovers and starts spinning again.
The Choice: To Salute or Not?
After the fight, you don't just walk away. You can actually talk to her as she's fading out. You get a choice: "Salute Veronique" or just leave.
If you salute her, you get her gear—the Blue Sheep’s Mask and the Blue Sheep’s Battle Apparel. You also get Veronique’s Will, a note that fills in the gaps of why she was down there in the first place. It’s a small moment of respect for a character that the game clearly wants you to feel for. Plus, the outfit looks incredible. It’s one of the best-designed sets in the DLC, hands down.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Playthrough
If you're currently banging your head against the wall in the Coolant Control Room, take a breather. Go back to the Stargazer.
First, check your gear. If you aren't using the Azure Dragon Crescent Glaive or something with high guard regain, switch it up. Second, make sure you have at least two charges of your Grindstone if you’ve unlocked that P-Organ upgrade. Use the first one to survive her initial flurry and the second one for the mid-point of Phase 2.
Finally, don't forget to explore the room after she’s gone. The Coolant Control Room Console Key is required to move forward into the laboratory and eventually find the Legendary Stalker, Lea. This is the turning point of the Overture story, so make sure you’ve looted the nearby chests for the Tenacious Amulet before moving on to the Elixir Research Zone.