Fighting Ricardo in Limbus Company
Ricardo is one of the more frustrating early-mid game boss encounters. He's a single-target damage dealer with some annoying counter mechanics, and if you walk in blind he'll tear through your team pretty quick. I've put enough runs into this fight to know what works and what doesn't.The Ultimate Limbus Company Guide To Defeating Ricardo Unlocking The Secrets Of Sinworker Victory
The core issue with Ricardo is his skill rotation. He hits hard with physical damage, and his counter attacks punish you for being sloppy with your positioning. The real problem isn't just dealing damage fast enough - it's managing your E.G.O abilities and cooldowns so you're not caught flat-footed when he goes on a run. I've found that the most reliable approach centers around three things: strong defense skills, consistent bleed application, and keeping one character alive at all costs.
Character Selection
Not every Sinworker builds work here. You want characters who can generate Block and Counter well, because those are your primary damage mitigation tools against him. Characters like Hook, Don Quixote, and Outa tend to be your most consistent picks. They bring defensive utilities that actually matter in this fight. What most people get wrong is bringing pure DPS characters without defensive coverage. I tried this on my first few attempts and watched my team get shredded. Ricardo doesn't have massive HP but his damage output scales up when you don't have blocks ready. Bring at least two characters with solid defensive skills in their arsenal.
Combat Strategy
The fight plays out in phases. Early on, Ricardo will spam basic attacks and some light skills. This is when you want to build up your Bleed stacks. Bleed is particularly effective against him because it chip away at his HP during your turns while also applying pressure. Once he starts using his heavier skills, usually around the halfway mark, the pace picks up significantly. He'll go on combos that can wipe a character in one turn if you don't have Blocks stacked. This is where preparation matters. If you spent the early phase building defense skills and cooldowns, you can survive his aggressive phases. If you didn't, you'll be replaying this fight for a while. I learned this the hard way during a run where I focused entirely on offense. Ricardo used a skill sequence that hit my frontline character for over 40 damage in a single turn. I had no Blocks, no counters ready, and that character was dead within seconds. After that, I adjusted my approach and started prioritizing defense first, offense second.
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Bleed Stacking
Bleed is your best friend here. Most characters can apply it through various skills - either direct damage skills that carry bleed effects or support skills that set it up. Aim to have 3-5 bleed stacks active before you start going hard on damage. When you have multiple bleed stacks running, Ricardo takes damage every turn regardless of what you do. This gives you breathing room to play more defensively while the bleed chips away at his health. It's a slower approach but significantly more consistent than trying to burst him down quickly.
Specific Counter Techniques
Ricardo has a habit of targeting your lowest HP character. This is useful information. If you want to protect your backline, keep your frontline characters healthy and let them draw aggro. Conversely, if you're comfortable losing a character, you can use a damaged frontline unit as bait while your backline deals damage safely. Another thing to watch for is his counter skill. When you attack him, there's a chance he'll counter with additional damage. This doesn't happen every time, but it catches people off guard. Having high Block stats or characters with damage reduction skills helps mitigate this.
What Doesn't Work
Pure burst damage strategies often fail against Ricardo. He has enough HP and damage output that trying to kill him in one or two turns rarely succeeds unless you have an incredibly strong team. Most players end up wasting resources and cooldowns this way. Also avoid relying solely on one character to carry the fight. I've seen it happen multiple times where someone brings a single high-damage character and assumes they can win solo. Ricardo will focus that character down quickly, and once they're gone, you've lost your main damage source along with it.
Recommended Build Approach
For a standard team composition, aim for two defensive characters and two offensive characters with some defensive utility. Make sure your defensive characters can generate Block and have skills that protect the team. Your offensive characters should bring bleed application and consistent damage output. The exact skill choices depend on which characters you have unlocked, but the general principle holds: defense first, then offense. If you're struggling with the fight, this is usually the adjustment that makes the difference. I've found that after implementing this approach, the fight becomes much more manageable. It's not about having the best team - it's about understanding what Ricardo does and preparing for it appropriately. With the right preparation, even a moderately strong team can handle this encounter consistently.
