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NGS2 - The Beginners Bible
On your journey to becoming a master ninja, you must first master a ninjas bread and butter 'the basics'. Everything from game play mechanics and boss strategies to ninpo, essence and weapon spotlights to help you realise your potential!
Decision Making
Every action you commit to will inherently have benefits and consequences therefore making smarter decisions in key moments will be the difference between life and death. Virtually every attack you can perform has recovery frames or a number of frames before your safe therefore you always run the risk of taking damage.
Everything from using the correct ninpo or using ninpo at the right situation, being able to safely switch a weapon or heal to reduce the risk of certain attacks via shuriken cancelling all come into play. Although this is not limited to combat scenarios, resource and essence management are pivotal to your success as a newcomer to the series.
Weapon and ninpo upgrades are another layer of strategy that a player needs to take into account. The rarest consumable that can be purchased/found is the sacred Talisman of Rebirth therefore its paramount you ensure you don't waste any talisman throughout your playthrough as rebirths are very expensive to purchase and are very scarcely found.
Essence
Essence is the heart and soul of the modern Ninja Gaiden franchise because everything revolves around it, it's primarily used as a currency allowing the player to purchase consumable items to replenish your health and ki and a rare talisman to resurrect you from death.
However, essence is so much more than a simple currency it’s used in both an offensive and defensive manner. Upon an enemies death, essence or the soul of an enemy will float in the air, essence can be Red, Blue or Yellow in colour.
Red Essence signifies 'Ki' or magic which upon absorption will restore one shot of your current ninpo, Blue symbolises 'Health', whilst Yellow represents 'Currency'. Essence can be held or in certain situations dragged towards you, however, it's also used to negate the charging time of your ultimate technique.
A single Yellow orb will give you a level 1 charge instantly upon absorption whilst Red and Blue will grant you a fully charged ultimate technique. If you absorb a Yellow orb you will receive 20% of the value of your kill.
For instance if your kill was by a level 1 ultimate technique and you earned 1000 currency through collecting the orb if you absorb it you would only receive 200 currency and a level 1 ultimate technique through absorption.
Fundamentals
Anyone who wishes to master the secret arts must first master the basics or fundamentals. Defensive maneuvers such as movement and blocking are more important than offensive pressure. When coupled with the games mechanics and offensive pressure you will become an unstoppable force of nature, mowing down everything in your path!
Blocking - Without any shadow of doubt, blocking is the quintessential component to your survivability, without it you will stand absolutely no chance. When coupled with dashing you have the best defensive option the game can offer for a new player.
Movement - Movement is one of the most important aspects of Ninja Gaiden after all a ninja that doesn't move is a dead ninja. As such, you are able to 8-way dash, jump and block dash the latter being a vital component of your development. You can run up and across walls allowing you to start your offence or escape from a tight situation.
Escaping Grabs - Throughout your journey through Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 you will undoubtedly get grabbed at some point. Grabs deal a considerable amount of damage on the lower difficulties however once you reach the higher echelon grabs are fatal. Thus it's imperative you try to escape grabs by mashing your way out of them, a word of caution some grabs are inescapable!
Mechanics
In order to survive on your perilous journey to save the world, Ryu Hayabusa has mastered various techniques whilst training at the Hayabusa village. Some techniques are simply used to traverse the world therefore these have been excluded from the list below.
Guillotine Throw - Performed by pressing Square & X together then repeat once you're close to your opponent. You will catapult your intended target across the battlefield, as such the guillotine throw has 2 useful applications the first is to separate a priority target from a group such as a ninpo caster/RPG ninja and to potentially delimb you're opponent by throwing them against the wall!
Flying Swallow - The flying swallow is an iconic move within the Ninja Gaiden series, pressing Triangle whilst airborne will allow you to attack from the air however your positioning is important otherwise you will get a completely different attack. Despite this being a powerful tool in your arsenal, a word of caution this move is not safe due to recovery frames once you land so don't abuse this move or you will get punished.
You have a percentile chance to decapitate your intended victim using this mechanic, however the flying swallow is used by experienced players to not only cover ground but to extend/style on your target using the True Dragon Sword via the reverse flying swallow.
Counter Attacks - Countering is very potent in certain situations as it allows you to deal damage in situations you never thought were possible. You can counter with either a weak or strong counter depending on your choice you will get a different animation. On paper this sounds like a broken mechanic however your timing and positioning need to be on point, should you miss-time your counter the repercussions could be severe.
Wind Path - Referred to in the professional community as a bunny hop, performed by pressing Square & X together then X again once your close to your intended target. Ryu will hop off the enemies back allowing you to perform a combo thereafter. The bunny hop is one of the most underrated mechanics in the game and is incredibly useful and should not be ignored!
Obliteration - The Obliteration technique is performed by pressing Triangle next to a delimbed opponent and acts as a brutal finishing move. Failure to use this technique to its fullest will cause you to die over and over again on the harder difficulties as the delimbed ninja will attempt to kamikaze or suicide grab you to your demise!
Izuna Drop - Ryu's signature move the Izuna drop can be performed by inputting a sequence of commands. Ryu will launch an enemy into the air before dropping them head first to the ground! The Izuna is a move that can be abused especially against human enemies.
Aimed Jump - By pressing Square & X together, Ryu will automatically track your nearest enemy and jump into their vicinity hence why we refer to it as an aimed jump. This has several benefits however the main one is it allows you to hone in on your foes which is crucial when fighting bosses that excel at range such as Elizebet.
Primary Weapons
Ryu is unequalled having the ability to wield different weapons and ninpo to suit every occasion, however, there are some weapons that outshine the competition. Player preference is incontrovertible as every player has their favourites and familiarity or mastery of their weapon of choice.
As such, every weapon has their distinct advantages and disadvantages, some are better at crowd control whilst others have unparalleled range and damage. Every weapon has an extensive command list however, only a dozen or so are commonly used.
Dragon Sword/True Dragon Sword - The Dragon Sword is the first weapon you will use and it's actually above average in terms of its overall effectiveness in combat, range and damage furthermore, it's one of the easiest weapons to learn how to shuriken cancel with.
The Dragon Sword has a few unique abilities the most notable would be the reverse flying swallow and the ability to perform up to 3 flying swallows in quick succession when fully upgraded to level 4.
Against bosses the Dragon Sword is not a bad choice against the likes of Alexei, Volf, Zedonius and the Godomus troll to name a few. As far as combos are concerned some of the best combo strings to use in general are Square, Square, Triangle or Square, Square, Forward & Triangle together, Triangle or Square, Square, Square, Triangle, etc. The Dragon Sword also has the ability to perform both a standard and 360 variation of its Essence/Ultimate techniques.
Lunar Staff - The Lunar Staff is widely praised for its ability to control a crowd since a lot of its attacks have a wide AOE. The Lunar is very effective against ninjas and fiends however it's not the best weapon of choice against bosses with a few exceptions such as Genshin in his regular form via a loop.
The Lunar Staff's 360 Triangle is not very good although it is one of only a handful of weapons that have a standard and 360 variation of both its Essence/Ultimate techniques. Arguably the best combo string to use is Square, Square, Triangle since this move has a high probability of delimbing an opponent. Additionally, the Lunar Staff has the ability to combo into an Izuna drop whilst in the 360 Triangle variation of its UT by mashing Triangle during the animation which is unique to the staff.
Falcon Talons - The claws are in my honest opinion a mid-tier weapon although they're very flashy they do have a lot of practical combo strings and attacks for general play. The claws have the ability to combo into an Izuna drop after a flying swallow which is unique to the claws.
Furthermore the 360 Triangle lacks i-frames although it's generally used as a combo ender, its Failed ET is terrible however the final hit of its UT allows you to combo further if your intended victim survives.
The claws have a lot of combo strings that end in a grab which have a high probability of delimbing or even decapitating your opponent. The Falcon Talons are actually very useful against certain bosses such as Alexei, Volf, Zedonius, Elizebet, Fiend Genshin and Marbus to name a few. Some of the claws best combo strings are Square, Square, Triangle, Triangle, Square, Square, Forward & Square together, Running Square is very useful but this requires timing and positioning but it should not be abused!
Vigoorian Flails - The Vigoorian Flails are the weakest weapon in terms of damage per second therefore they're a very low-tier weapon. Although the flails are very stylish and have specific loops that are very useful against bosses they inevitably require more effort. Some unique properties are as follows; they have the only 360 Triangle attack in the game that can be shuriken cancelled. Secondly you can mash Triangle whilst performing either an Essence/Ultimate technique to land more hits and damage.
Kusari-Gama - If a weapons viability was based on its reach the Kusari-Gama would annihilate the competition. This weapon falls just short of mid-tier in my book as the KG lacks damage potential and is the only weapon in the game that lacks an Izuna drop. Its Failed Essence technique is very unsafe, however, in its favour the KG has some very useful combo strings that are potent against certain bosses.
The Kusari-Gama shines against the Rasetsu, Marbus and the Ryu Clones in the mission mode. It's also not a bad choice against the likes of the statues, Fiend Genshin, Obaba and Godomus troll to name a few. Although the KG lacks the ability to Izuna drop it makes up for it with the ability to not only perform unique grabs but it's the only weapon in the game that can guarantee a delimb against a human-sized opponent.
As far as combos are concerned some of its best strings are Square, Square, Square, Triangle, Triangle, Triangle and aerial Square, Square, Triangle. Running Square/Triangle are useful as a combo ender and its 360 Triangle attack has an additional follow-up attack with Triangle for extended damage and crowd control ability.
Dragon Claw and Tiger Fangs/Blade of the Archfiend - The fully upgraded Dragon Claw and Tiger Fangs turns into the best weapon in the game the 'boss killer'! This weapon has 2 of the most abused moves in the game the first is its 360 Triangle which has a very generous amount of i-frames the second is the infamous Forward & Triangle together (Hold both inputs after pressing).
When it comes down to the bosses of NGS2, this weapon is around 85% of the time the optimal weapon of choice allowing you to destroy bosses in mere seconds rather than minutes. These dual katanas have some very flashy/stylish combos at their disposal along with high damage per second game play makes this weapon stand head and shoulders above the competition.
Although it has its drawbacks, particularly its failed ET has barely any frames of invincibility, the ET and UT are nowhere near as strong or potent as the Tonfas and it's not the easiest weapon to shuriken cancel with.
Tonfa - In experienced hands the Tonfas are an absolute monster capable of clearing out anything in there path. As far as the tier list is concerned the Tonfas are arguably the best weapon in the game however in my honest opinion I would rank them as the second best weapon. The Tonfas have only a few pitfalls that need to be known the first is apparent when you use them for the first time and that's their limited range, the second is the 360 Triangle has no frames of invincibility until Ryu spins around in a 360 degree motion.
Additionally, since your range is limited, you need to be adept at spacing and positioning in order to use the Tonfas to terrible effect. Meaning more skill is required to use these weapons at high level but don't let this prevent you from using these weapons. The Tonfas have the strongest Essence/Ultimate technique in the game!
Not only do they have very high damage they also have the ability to perform the infamous flower garland drop loop and the stone-breaker technique. Against bosses the Tonfas are surprisingly effective against the vast majority especially against Fiend Genshin, Zedonius and Alexei to name a few.
It's failed ET is one of the best in the game due to the amount of I-frames it provides the player. The Tonfas have a unique built-in dash that can be performed with either X or L1 after certain attacks however this gives the Tonfas an incredibly deep move pool but the built-in dash is not safe. Some of the best combos to use are Square, Square, Triangle, Triangle, Triangle or Running Square/Triangle or Square, Square, Forward & Square together and Forward & Triangle together, Triangle, X, Triangle to name a few.
Enma's Fang - Without question the worst primary weapon in the game, even the weak attacks are incredibly slow therefore you have to preemptively attack to avoid taking damage. It's 360 Triangle and Failed ET attacks lack invincibility frames and the weapon has very few combo strings that are useful in general play. A few honourable mentions that are noteworthy using Enma's Fang are its Essence/Ultimate techniques have an AOE blast which is useful in certain situations.
Secondly this is the only weapon that can launch opponents bigger than a human via the Izuna drop, although you cannot complete the combo. Finally you can guarantee a temporary stun lock on Elizebet.
Eclipse Scythe - The Grim Reaper's weapon of choice is surprisingly not very high on the tier list since this weapon has a lot of shortfalls for instance its failed Essence technique lacks i-frames, its weak or light attacks aren't the fastest and it's damage output and range is about average.
Despite this the Scythe is not very useful against bosses but it does have its benefits, it has both a standard and 360 Essence/Ultimate technique however the standard variation is more practical. Secondly after landing a flying swallow you can immediately follow-up with a combo of your choice against human-sized opponents. Furthermore the Scythe has some exclusive grabs such as the River Styx drop and its Triangle, Triangle, Triangle string is one of its best attacks.
Secondary Weapons
Fiends Banes Bow - The bow is an excellent ranged weapon for your arsenal. It has a high-fire rate and respectable damage. You can also shoot an arrow in an aerial state to extend your air-time which can be used in conjunction with aerial shurikens.
Howling Cannon - Without question, this is the worst secondary weapon in the game. The Howling Cannon has a very slow fire-rate and long recovery after each shot. Furthermore, your unable to shoot in the air thus restricting your mobility. Although there are a few instances where the Howling Cannon is effective these are very few and far between for instance the Statue of Liberty or Blue Dragon to name a few.
Projectile
Shurikens - The majority of your time will be spent playing as the main protagonist Ryu Hayabusa therefore its imperative you understand how to utilise shurikens to your advantage. Ryu can throw up to 4 shurikens at once, there uses in combat are as follows,
- Shurikens can be used to briefly stun an enemy, upon contact the shuriken will cancel your opponent's attack animation provided they're human so Ninjas and Ninpo casters.
- Shurikens can also be used to cancel the recovery frames of your attack to allow you to either make your attack safer or to extend your offensive capabilities this is known as 'Shuriken Cancelling' an intermediate technique.
- They can also be used to extend your air-time therefore if you miss-timed your jump you can use shurikens to remain in an airborne state for longer.
- Finally you can use them to juggle your opponent after launching them into the air via a launch attack for example the final hit of the Dragon Sword's Square X5 combo will launch an enemy of human size into the air.
Ninpo
Throughout your journey you will come across different types of ninpo or magic which can all be upgraded to level 3 via a consumable item known as a Jewel of the Demon Seal. Ryu Hayabusa can only equip one ninpo at once therefore it would be prudent to equip the best ninpo for the job. With potentially 4 types of ninpo to choose from making the correct decision could make the difference between life or death.
Inferno - The Art of the Inferno is the first ninpo you will come across, Ryu will hurl a fireball towards your enemies which can be aimed manually. When fully upgraded Ryu will be able to target 3 enemies at once! Unfortunately, this ninpo is overshadowed and is rendered obsolete, however, in specific situations this can be the most effective ninpo but these instances are few and far between.
Phoenix - The Art of the Phoenix is a very interesting ninpo, upon casting a Phoenix will surround Ryu to protect him. The Phoenix will deal damage to nearby enemies and will disappear after Ryu has either been defensive i.e. blocking for too long or takes damage or the ninpo simply runs its course. Regrettably, this ninpo is very circumstantial and is not worth upgrading otherwise you will be wasting your precious Jewel of the Demon Seals on which are highly sought after.
Wind Blades - The Art of the Wind Blades is one of the most potent ninpo in the game, however, the caveat is this ninpo becomes less effective on enemies bigger than a human. Upon casting, Ryu will send a flurry of blades around him, devastating all enemies in its wake. I strongly recommend using this ninpo to dispose of Ninjas since it will outright kill any variation once fully upgraded.
Piercing Void - The Art of the Piercing Void is a projectile ninpo where Ryu will send a Purple void to his intended victim. As far as range is concerned this ninpo has the best range of any ninpo by a country mile. Piercing Void ninpo is the antithesis of the previous ninpo, thus it's in your best interest to use this on enemies bigger than a human.
Boss Strategies (Beginners)
As a young ninja honing your skills, it's imperative to employ fundamental strategies against the games diverse and challenging bosses before attempting more advanced/stylish strategies. The most important aspect of the game is your defence which will be tested against the games toughest bosses. As such I have compiled a beginner friendly breakdown of every boss in the game along with a basic game plan to help you overcome them with appropriate punishes with several weapons.
Buddha Statue
The games introductory boss the lumbering giant of stone is as you might expect a very straight-forward affair. You're strategy/game plan should be to stay as close to the inside of the Buddha’s arms as possible to prevent the likelihood of long ranged attacks being used.
You're choice of weapon for this encounter should be either the Dragon Sword or the Blades of the Archfiend, however, the Kusari-Gama is surprisingly effective in capable hands. The fundamental strategy is simple, stay close to the arms and evade attacks accordingly through jumps and dodges.
Simply attack each arm until it breaks then move to the other arm and repeat. Once you have destroyed both of the Buddha statues arms the colossal will fall exposing its head.
Dragon Sword - Triangle X2 (Against the head use Triangle X3)
Blade of the Archfiend- Square, Triangle (Hold Triangle after pressing) Use Triangle X4 on the Head
Shadow Ninja Rasetsu
The Rasetsu is an intimidating adversary but don’t let his appearance deceive you, he is actually very simple to overcome. Alike the previous boss the Rasetsu excels at the distance game therefore staying up close and personal is your best option.
Block dashing to the side of his close range combos is the way forward, just watch out for his grabs! As far as weaponry is concerned you're best options are listed below;
Dragon Sword - Square, Square, Forward & Triangle, Triangle
Blade of the Archfiend - Square, Triangle (Hold Triangle after pressing)
Tonfas - Square, Triangle, Square, Square, Square, Triangle
Falcon Talons - Square, Triangle, Square, Square, Square, Triangle
Lunar Staff- Square, Triangle, Square, Square, Triangle
Kusari-Gama - Square, Square, Square, Triangle, Triangle, Triangle
Genshin
One of the games main antagonists, and the head of the Black Spider ninja clan, Genshin is a formidable opponent with street cred to back it up. Once again you're game plan revolves around staying as close to Genshin as humanly possible whilst block dashing to avoid taking damage.
You're combos should be short, direct and straight to the point. Watch out for his Piercing Void ninpo in particular as this is one of his most powerful attacks. Regrettably, there aren’t many weapons I would recommend for a young ninja in training so you're options are limited.
Dragon Sword - Triangle X2
Lunar Staff - Square, Triangle, Square, Square, Triangle
Tonfas - Forward & Triangle X3 into 360T
GigaDeath
The atrocity residing in the tunnels of New York, the aptly named GigaDeath is a unique opponent in regards to your current progress through the campaign due to having melee immunity. Thus rendering you're primary weapons useless therefore you need to use ranged combat to dispose of this foe. Ninpo is also effective, however, at the climax of your encounter make sure you obliterate the beast to continue your journey.
Godomus Troll
The Godomus troll is a giant brute, black in colouration with poor vision as such this adversary has incredible range therefore you should ensure you stay between its legs at all times to restrict its offensive capabilities and guarantee easy access to damage.
Dragon Sword - Triangle X3
Tonfas - Square, Square, Triangle, Triangle, Triangle
Falcon Talons - Square, Square, Triangle, Triangle
Blade of the Archfiend - Square, Triangle (Hold Triangle after pressing) X2
Alexei
The greater fiend of lightning is a formidable opponent at face value fortunately battles aren’t won on face value. Providing you keep Alexei at close quarters, you will have little to no problems defeating him as he excels at distance. Against his tornado you can time you're horizontal dash to avoid taking damage and his grab and his ground pound are both avoided by neutral jumping.
Dragon Sword - Square, Square, Square, Triangle
Kusari-Gama - Square, Square, Triangle
Blade of the Archfiend - Triangle X4
Falcon Talons - Square, Square, Triangle, Triangle
Lunar Staff - Square, Triangle, Square
Statue of Liberty
The colossal lady of America is a towering opponent, literally. Due to the ladies size, her attacks are very sluggish and easy to punish on reaction. Akin to the Buddha Statue encounter, the method in which you dispatch this opponent is exactly the same the exception here is you have to shoot the neck after destroying both of its arms.
Dragon Sword - Triangle X3
Blade of the Archfiend - Square, Triangle (Hold Triangle after pressing)
Eclipse Scythe - Triangle X4
Tengu Brothers
The demon brothers rarely fight alone thus this is a rarity having to fight 2 Vs 1. Fortunately the Tengu brothers although strong in number are quite fragile allowing you to overpower them. Stay as close to them as you possible can to prevent their long ranged attacks/projectiles, furthermore you must ensure you keep the second brother in frame throughout the fight to avoid any unnecessary complications.
Enma’s Fang - UT
Dragon Sword - Triangle, Triangle
Blade of the Archfiend - Forward & Triangle (Hold Triangle after pressing)
Tonfa - Square, X, Triangle or Forward & Triangle X4 (Hit Confirm)
Kusari-Gama - Aerial Square, Triangle, Triangle
Blue Dragon
Often referred to as the ‘Water Dragon’, the Blue Dragon is a unique encounter due to the incredibly claustrophobic environment in which you dual. The majority of the dragons moves are from distance however there are a few attacks where the beast is vulnerable specifically during the scream attack.
Unlike any other boss in the game, the beast can summon a group of ghost fish as one of its attacks therefore recognising the visual cues to this you can preemptively charge an ET/UT to dispose of them. It should be noted that ranged combat is incredibly potent especially over the course of the battle.
Blade of the Archfiend - Square, Triangle (Hold Triangle after pressing)
Eclipse Scythe - Triangle X4
Enma’s Fang - UT
Dragon Sword - Triangle X3
Bone Giant
The giant skeleton is one of the easiest bosses to defeat providing you stay between its legs because the beast can only perform a few moves to dislodge you. After inflicting a specific amount of damage the beast will stumble and fall to the ground allowing you to hit the weak point within its rib-cage. You can ninpo the light inside its chest cavity with a Piercing Void ninpo for considerable damage!
Dragon Sword - Triangle X3
Blade of the Archfiend - Square, Triangle (Hold Triangle after pressing)
Tonfa - Square, Square, Triangle, Triangle, Triangle (The last Triangle must be hit-confirmed)
Lunar Staff - Square, Triangle, Square, Square
Eclipse Scythe - Triangle X4
Volf
The greater fiend of storms, Volf is an honourable combatant with a diverse move pool to boot, he has excellent range and moderate damage output. Although there are several methods to cheese this boss I strongly urge against this if you wish to become adept at the game. Once again stay close to Volf to prevent him from using any of his long ranged attacks thus limiting his move-set and making him easier to defeat.
Blade of the Archfiend - Triangle X4
Falcon Talons - 360 Triangle X2
True Dragon Sword - Square, Square, Square, Triangle, Forward Jump Triangle
Marbus
The greater fiend of the underworld, Marbus is an intimidating prospect given his demonic appearance however he is relatively straight-forward to defeat. Unfortunately the majority of players lack real experience against Marbus due to having fought him a limited number of times.
Being the ruler of the underworld has its advantages as Marbus will have minions supporting him in battle at regular health intervals making this encounter more problematic. Ninpo is definitely the fastest method to dispose of his backup.
Marbus can be damaged with long ranged attacks such as the bow and arrow however he is most vulnerable after landing from his aerial tornado. Its crucial you attack him from behind once he is grounded otherwise Marbus will retaliate with a wake-up grab!
Dragon Sword - Triangle X3
Blade of the Archfiend - Square, Triangle (Hold Triangle after pressing)
Nuclear Armadillo
The Nuclear Armadillo is without question one of the most visually striking bosses in the game/series. Regrettably, the armadillo is the only boss in the game that has no safe solid strategy to defeat it therefore every single strategy has risk associated with it.
Upon defeat, you will be forced to obliterate the beast, I employ you to block after the obliteration otherwise you will be defeated by a nuclear blast. The easiest methods to defeat him are listed below.
Dragon Sword - Triangle X3
Blade of the Archfiend - Triangle X4
Eclipse Scythe - Triangle X4 or UT
Zedonius
The greater fiend of fire, Zedonius is not an opponent you should take lightly due to his high damage output and arguably one of the most difficult moves to evade his close ranged fireball volley. Zedonius is best fought, you guessed it! Up close and personal because the majority of the time he will cycle between a few moves making him relatively easy to defeat. Not to mention he is the antithesis of a damage sponge so he is very fragile therefore his health gets obliterated before you know it.
Dragon Sword - Square, Square, Square, Triangle
Blade of the Archfiend - Triangle X4
Falcon Talons - Square, Square, Triangle, Triangle
Kusari-Gama - Square, Square, Triangle
Obaba
The great witch of the Black Spider clan is a very simple boss to overcome, stay as close as you possible can to prevent/limit the threat of her long-ranged attacks. Obaba can be stunned after specific moves including the last aerial jump she performs and her 360 cyclone spin attack. Should you temporarily stun her, you can deal respectable damage however a word of caution she will always retaliate with a wake-up grab so you’ve been warned!
Dragon Sword - Triangle X2
Blade of the Archfiend - Square, Triangle (Hold Triangle after pressing)
Black Dragon
The Black Dragon is actually a very easy boss to overcome provided you stay up close and personal with him as much as possible. The beast has some nasty long-ranged attacks at his disposal which he will rarely use if you're close to him.
Dragon Sword - Triangle X3
Blade of the Archfiend - Triangle X4
Eclipse Scythe - Triangle X4
Adult Quetzalcoatl
This is the only optional boss in the game but the Quetzalcoatl is very easy to defeat. Initially as soon as the fight commences the boss will swoop towards you, this is your only opportunity to land damage with your primary weapons. From this point on you need to rely on ranged combat to fell the beast, surprisingly the Howling Cannon is superior to the bow and arrow!
Elizebet
The queen of the greater fiends, along with her sidekick Genshin, Elizebet is a ‘noob destroyer’ due to her matrix-esque evasion and her dashes dealing guard damage if blocked. Coupled with 3 different grab animations and a move that can potentially replenish her health makes the queen a force to be reckoned with.
Eclipse Scythe - UT from afar
Tonfa - Forward & Triangle X3 (Must hit-confirm)
Blade of the Archfiend - 360 Triangle (During her attacks)
Fiend Genshin
Fiend Genshin is without question a ‘noob killer’ if you don’t understand his mechanics or how to evade and deal damage you will get destroyed. Its best to stay up close and personal to him at all times, if he tries to grab you, you can either neutral jump or dash away. Once his health is depleted under 50% his grab will be a lot faster, so watch out!
Tonfas - Forward & Triangle X4
Blade of the Archfiend - Forward & Triangle (Hold Triangle after pressing)
Kusari-Gama - Aerial Square, Triangle, Triangle
Dagra Dai
The infernal priest is quite intimidating for a demon of the cloth however what makes this fight difficult is his backup at regular health intervals therefore its imperative you defeat his companions first. Unlike the majority of bosses in the game, Dagra Dai excels at close range due to his infamous lightning spam. If you jump around 7 times you should be able to attack him with an aerial attack/series as he finishes his attack. He is susceptible to ranged combat thus the bow and arrow should be your weapon of choice from afar.
Larval Archfiend
The immature archfiend is without question one of the longest boss fights in the game because the leviathan is impervious to melee weapons and can only be damaged by ranged combat. Upon taking damage either by shooting the head or the orb within its chest blood will be spewed towards you so you need to evade accordingly to prevent taking damage.
Vazdah
The archfiend in his true form looks like a bat out of hell. Capable of powerful long and close ranged attacks to keep you either at bay or at arms length therefore you should not take this boss lightly. When the opportunity presents itself you can attack him but whatever you do don’t get greedy or you will pay the price!
You can abuse any move with invulnerability frames to prevent yourself from getting grabbed such as the Blade of the Archfiend’s 360 Triangle or the failed ET using the Tonfa to name a few.