The Giant Scorpion Boss Chaos Mode (Need Help!!!)

Okay. This Boss HAS to be the WORST GoW boss I have EVER faced!! At this point, I'm sorely frustrated....Mind you, I'm not a bad GoW player at all. For those who do not remember me (and that wouldn't be too surprising since I took a long break from TUGOWU after beating GoW2 on Titan Mode), I have beaten both GoW and GoW2 on their highest difficulties. I've also beaten the CotG in GoW. After beating GoW3 on Normal mode, I decided to do what what I did to the other 2 games in the franchise and set out to beat GoW3 on Chaos mode. Please bear in mind that I am a bit of a sucker for challenging games. I've beaten Shadow of Rome on Exreme difficulty with a gold rank in every arena, 007: EoN on '00 Agent' mode with a platinum rank on EVERY single stage. Hitman: Blood Money on the highest difficulty with a 'Silent Assassin' rank in every mission, RE4 on 'Professional' mode in just 4 hrs 25 mins with ZERO deaths. I also beat RE4 mercenaries with a 5 star rank on all stages with all characters,  MGS3 - Subsistence on EXTREME mode with ZERO KILLS and ZERO alerts. More recently, I have beaten MGS4 on its second highest difficulty with a FOXHOUND ranking, RE5 on Professional with an S rank on every stage, RE5 mercenaries with an SS on every stage with every character in both solo AND duo mode, Uncharted 2 on Crushing mode, CoD4 and MW2 on the highest difficulty settings. So much for a re-introduction (Phew).

The point is that I've played some REALLY 'hard' games and I'm proud to say that I've beaten most of them. GoW3 started off pretty well too......I tamed the Leviathan, then Poseidon and beat Hades after an excruciatingly long battle. Beat the Chimera, followed by Helios, then Herakles, Aphrodite (heh heh) and Kronos (all with relative ease). At this point, I must say that the battle with Herakles has become one of my favourite boss fights ever. But now, I'm at the point where I feel that I'm about ready to give up. It's pretty sad really....I could've ended my long running hobby for games on a high note (yeah, I'm planning on quitting games for good....they're too bloody addictive. Lol) but it seems unlikely now. Which is why I've returned to good ol' trusty TUGOWU. I mean, half of the best GoW gamers are probably TUGOWU members.

This particular boss fight is tougher than even the Endurance Run in GoW2 Titan Mode as well as the Clone Fight from GoW. In fact it makes the fights against Theseus and the Barbarian King from GoW2 (Titan Mode) seem easy (I kid you not).

Basically, this particular fight against the 'Scorpion Queen' has been poorly designed by Santa Monica Studios. I doubt that they've play tested it even once!! The big mama scorpion would've been easy had she been the only thing to worry abou. Instead, SM Studios had to go and put an infinite number of Baby Scorpions in it too!!!

So, I've probably died about 50 times here.....it's pretty much the same thing always: I'm pounding away at the Scorpion Queen's onyx legs with my Cestus when this group of babies surround me, jab me with their tails (simultaneously, at that) and I'm down to 1 little bar of health. Oh and at about the same time, the Queen decides to flex her tail muscles before I can unleash a dash to safety (or at least a Nemean Roar) 'cause I was doing a stupid recovery animation on screen and the very next momet, I'm staring at the 'You Are Dead' screen. GoW3 Chaos Mode vets will know what I', talking about.

So basically, I'm appealing to these vets to help me. Mr. CycleCancel (among others I don't recollect) was very helpful the last time I asked for advice on these boards (when I was having trouble with the 'Endurance Run'). I've seen videos on Youtube in which guys make this fight seem ridiculously easy (Shinobier's vid for e.g.). What I need is real tips, hints (preferably exploits) to beat this b!tch and get it out of my system.

Guys, please help me.  

sup Crippler. Afraid MrCycleCancle isn't around anymore, perhaps I can be of assistance.

First up, nice rant. Helps with the rage right? Don't quit gaming until your thumbs fall off.

Can't help you with any exploits per se but I can give you a few tips and might be able to rummage up some COPYPASTA later.

Tail slam, the camera will pan outbefore this attack so either scarper using the "Jetdash" or just evade.

Jetdashing involves jumping, pressing both sticks in the direction you wish to travel, holding down L2 and mashing square *easier than it sounds * iot allows for double or triple air dashes. Very useful.

Triangle attacks won't damage the legs but you probably knew that already.

t,t rapes the spawns, some people advise killing them, first then damaging the legs. I take a few out with t attacks then leave a couple to grab *I frames* during the tail slam.

Might sound obvious but you want to turn all the legs red  before you break ANY of them. Leaves you less work to do after the minigame .

When Skorpius jumps about you want to jet dash away from him then back to the side you were attacking before.  This should keep you away from those troublesome instakill claw swipes.

MrE had thoughts on this matter that I can find if you wish.

Thanks for the tips Addam....I got to a point where all I had to do was get one hit in to activate the second QTE but those ugly baby b@stards nailed me before I could do it.....the fact that the camera panned out and distracted me didn't help matters one little bit.

#@$%!! I just realised something else! On Chaos settings, all it takes is 2 jabs from a baby scorpion's tail to kill Kratos! That's right all it takes is ONE BABY SCORPION!

This time, I was counting on my Nemean Roar to bail me out of a tail slam situation, didn't have it guess what happened next..... 

To me the mostr dangerous time is right after the QTE when Skorpius whores spawns.

 I don' tlike using magic until after the first QTE.

Are you using triangle hits from the cestus when Skorpius is down, for the FACERAPE?

Are you using triangle hits from the cestus when Skorpius is down, for the FACERAPE? Dukeaddam

Actually, I use the RoS for the 'facerape' as you so delicately put it.

A common mistake.

 What level are yourCestus right now? even at base strafing side to side whilst pummeling with t will do more damage in less time. Save the RoS for OMFGINEARLYDIED moments.

NOTE, we have an EDIT  function here, care to tidy that triplepost up? It is afterall a ToS violation and against "house rules". 

My Cestii are maxed out. Won't I get hit by the baby skorpions if I use them when Skorpios is down?

Also, I've edited my previous posts. I am now in compliance with 'house rules'.

Cheers bra' I went and switched to my officer account for nothing. Was going to tidy them up for you but you sorteds it.

Nothing personal but you know how GS is, gotta keep things by the book.

try using just triangle attacks when Skorpius is down. The area of effect keeps the peky little critters at bay.

RoS works as well but I just don't like it much and it is better saved for elsewhere.

So, how goes it? Getting brutalised by the claw swipe?

Consistently getting to the second stage?

Crippler MAH BOI, you gave us a long introl with qualifiers and talk of quitting and no tactics? What manner of joke is this? Perhaps you've forgotten how we work here.

There are a variety of reasons why Skorpius is a piece of **** by design. The list goes on and on.

That noted, let's establish a few things:

-Chaos

-What are your upgrades at this point?

-What are your extensions at this point?

-What are your tactics (S1P1, S1P2, S2P1, S2P2, S3) per give stage/phase? I imagine you've not quite made it to Stage 1 Phase 2 *removing a piece of the mandible* with the face beatdown.

(Shinobier) You should know better than to try and emulate skill as if that was a tactic.

(Gent) You recall him by that name?

Tactics/Tips:

-One approach is to go after all one side, then the other.

-An alternative being to weaken all sides to red before breaking any

-My specific preference is to break the middle leg of either side before getting its neighbors to red

NOTE: This due to an 'exploit' of sorts

-An uncovered leg (like the very back legs that are sometimes difficult to reach) being hit will stun Skorpius when it is struck so long as he is NOT attacking already

Ex: After tail slam, he follows up with birthing. If you close the distance and strike an uncovered leg, this will not occur. You can somewhat 'lock' Skorpius with a hit to an uncovered leg and trade off with a covered leg.

-Another exploit is to use Fiery Inferno (charged shot) when a large group of spawns gather near his covered legs as their flailing will damage the leg and the fire keeps them off guard

NOTE: By itself, the damage isn't that great to the legs, but you are free to use attacks with Cestus

-t1 and t2 do not hit the leg. I don't recall about the specials aside from L1+s which some swear by, but I didn't find impressive. "S" is decent if you can land it. air S is less awesome. s1, s2 and s3 are fine. CG (L1+O) is likely worthless, but I haven't tested it for poking like with Onyx Shields.

-There are gents who can talk further about Skorpius' evasion antics in greater detail than I

-Obviously you can use RoS, magic *i-frames*, grabs *i-frames* and outright evade his attacks

NOTE: His grab can pull you out of a grab. Evasion i-frames just don't work on him outside his claw grab 'foul tip'. Foes in GoWIII attack when you are in i-frames and will often catch you as you come out of them. The Camera isn't as good as in the past so you can get caught off guard easily too...thus some exceedingly cheap incidents are possible/probable.

-The claw grab is a bane of these runs. It has retarded range and can pull you out of grabs to waste your time. IF it merely 'tips' you, enormous damage is taken rather than being grabbed. This is utterly rediculous. You can either get used to his range and learn to evade it or stay exceedingly close while being mindful of getting tipped (you would rather be grabbed).

-The tail slam is an annoyance to be sure. You need to get well clear of it. The damn thing makes a sort of wind that will force you and the spawns away/together. It is followed by birthing.

-The double claw clip and the jab moves shouldn't be seen often if you're fighting him right. S2P1's tail stab should also not be seen if you are keeping close during said bit.

-The breath ability only applies as he reappears in S2P1 and it doesn't really deal damage so much as crowd you with spawns.

NOTE: It CAN glitch Kratos into a fall state (even through i-frames) where you will be combo'd to death and not be able to stop it

-RoS only works when you have Cestus selected. Otherwise it will do nothing to Skorpius.

-Spawns are easily taken out with grabs *i-frames*, but you should be careful about this for you can and probably will find yourself getting struck as you come out of it if you aren't paying attention. The HP drop is practically worthless here.

NOTE: Skorpius happens to be a boss without a BOSS REFILL *full HP, MP and Rage*. Isn't that nice?

NOTE2: No checkpoint until the start of S3. There should have been one as you start S2P1 (mandible removed).

-If you fail to beat on the face and/or do the mini-game, the legs regenerate. For S1P2, that means you're back to S1P1 without progress. For S2P2, this means you are back to S2P1 and only need to get 3 more legs taken out to down it again.

-If you get Skorpius to "O", all the spawns on-screen will die

-Spawns can be mocked with Solar Flare/Flash, Fiery Inferno (maybe basic shots too), most attacks...For Cestus, the ideal is to get a good feel for 't,t' (t1 then t2). Learning the shockwave range for each and adapting to crowd control tactics.

NOTE: t1 and t2 may not hit covered legs, but they can hit uncovered legs to keep Skorpius behaved as you take out whatever spawn it may have succeeded in making

NOTE: I wouldn't suggest Hermes Boots for offense here, but learning the findleglide/jet dashing would help for future reference

-As spawns are birthed, they are invincibile and their roll can 'hit' you (no damage). Beware this fact.

-You shouldn't rely on magic or RoS to get through his attacks.

-For the face, it would be GREAT if you could learn to properly fend off Spawn using t,t alone while hitting the face, but you could also apply Solar Flare to blind them (maybe even Fiery Inferno by the face *possibly chipping Skorpius as with the legs*). Whether burning or blinded, they may be easier for you. If you must use RoS, it should be to close the deal in S2P2. You should be able to safely deal with S1P2's face pounding using some item aid and Cestus hits...maybe MP if you botch it up *you shouldn't*.

NOTE: If you can a sufficient amount of spawns, you could regain a decent amount of RoS after S1P2 I suppose

-In S2P1, breaking two legs will FORCE him to retreat. Otherwise, it's somewhat random about this annoying behavior leading to lots of spawns

My suggestion would be:

S1P1 - Kill off spawn. Get to either flank. Beat a center leg until uncovered. Start using it to stun Skorpius and safely attack the other legs (until red). Should you need to deal with spawns and no leg is uncovered, stick close and use t,t and/or Fiery Inferno. If one is uncovered, you should be fine to use t,t which should stun Skoprius and kill his spawns.

NOTE: It really is important you get used to using t,t on spawns without getting hit

Get to the other side. Work the center leg. Get either side to red. Shatter one more and make way to the face.

S1P2 - Use whatever tactics noted above which you find easy while being reasonably efficient (don't resort to your highest power abilities so quickly). Those who get used to managing spawns will guide t,t as needed to hit those all around them while the shockwaves hit Skorpius. You are free to use items aid as noted. You shouldn't need to resort to RoS or MP (Nemean Roar) so quickly, but one or the other is fine I suppose.

S2P1 - He goes under. Lots of spawns. You could perhaps use item aid again (burning/blinding) before t,t rape. Beware getting blown into the thick of the group and DO NOT keep far from Skorpius when he is on all the way on the box. IF you have to, run up to Skorpius flank with unbroken legs *preferably with at least one broken leg and two in the red from prior antics* right away and do battle with t,t to stun Skorpius and kill spawns. Keeping just behind the middle leg should be safe enough aside from him trying for tail slam. That's an attack which you should gain mastery of evading one way or another.

With spawns gone, attack and break two red legs *you should probably know which side has two by a broken leg*. He'll retreat. Repeat the process of getting rid of spawns quickly *don't use Nemean Roar for this unless you are in a relatively safe place and they are bunched up in range of the attack AND you don't feel you'll need all that MP for a face phase*. Break the last leg.

NOTE: As noted before, whether or not he keeps retreating is somewhat a matter of chance for all we know

S2P2 - Face again. If you are doing well with face antics, you shouldn't need MP or RoS. If you are iffy about it and wish not to risk it, proceed to unload either *The latter at full should do it*.

NOTE: Square mashing with RoS is plenty effective

NOTE2: As you grab the face, be READY for the random button presses...you DO NOT want to find yourself accidentally messing that up and going back to S2P2 with yourself having to break 3 blue legs...

S3 - Evade his ice crap, do the QTE, ???, PROFIT

~Let's talk shop Crippler...how goes progress?

NOTE: We expect you to be detailed about success/failure and to address our suggestions properly so we know if you are doing them right or what alternatives to offer

If one is any good at keeping track of such things.

~Which I am not

Hi there Midas, than's for the advice, these battles were taking a toll on my mind so I took a break to unwind. I'll start using Triangle in my next attempt. Also, I'll save my RoS for important moments too.

Yeah, I'm getting to the second stage consistently. More than the claw swipe, it's the tail slam and the baby skorpios that are bugging me.

Hi there StarKiller, I cannot thank you enough for the detailed 'real world' advice you've provided. Again, I will highlight my progress at all times and in great detail (it's the very least I can do seeing how you guys have beem so helpful). This is why I cameback to TUGOWU. I knew I could counton the people here to bail me out.

 Here's a list of my health/ magic/ weapon upgrade:

BoE: Lvl 3 (1 more lvl to max out).

Nemean Cestus : Max

Apollo's Bow: Max

Everything Else: Base level.

HP bar: Max

MP bar: Max

Item Bar: need one more horn to max out (I didn't realise that you could use Head of Helios to uncover invisible chests until much later in my run so I missed out on a few feathers, horns etc.

My tactics are to work on both legs until red and then break one more followed by a face attack. I usually use RoS for S1P2. I can get to S2 pretty easily now....getting past S2 is a challenge no doubt (and a very cheap challenge might I add.....SM Studios have failed to impress me with this boss).

I'm taking a quick break from gaming now, got to socialise a bit, finish a few tasks etc......I'll be back online in a few hours and renew my quest with greater vigour thanks to your empowering advice.

For now,

 Sayonara.

Have you had the chance to read and review both of our 'primary' posts?

(t,t,t) It's just 't,t'. "t1" then "t2".

I can't recall by what name you would remember me by. I never really used GodModeGOD here at GS. I'd have to look into your past. Answers for another time.

(Upgrades/Extensions) Noted.

(Chests) Some opened chests can be found again later as closed chests to be reopened. Two EXP chests are known to do this infinitely.

(Tactics) Of course we'll expect you to consider/try the bulk of these and report successes/failures. As for what you've been doing:

S1P1 - ...So you're just getting all legs to red then breaking them or is there a more specific plan?

S1P2 - You should probably reserve that 'trump card' for S2P2. Perhaps land a few hits with Cestus then use Nemean Roar if you're looking for an easy out. Learning to use 't,t' properly would be best however.

S2P1 - And what happens here I wonder? What sort of things go wrong?

S2P2 - Same as before. If you have RoS, you're free to use it here to close the deal without too much worries.

S3 - Vent then QTE.

(Skorpius) Terrible boss.

(Break) Suit yourself.

(Socialize) Bleh.

(Tasks) I have a few of my own that I've put off.

~Be sure to carefully examine the notes offered thus far and give things a fair trial. It helps the gent and I when you report back to know what's 'changed' since the last session.

S1P1: Yup, pretty much what you said......get all the legs red and then break one of them to activate S1P2.

S1P2: Yeah, I'll try doing what you suggested.....I may get killed a few times here while I get the hang of this technique but what the heck, I'll do it for sure.

S2P1: I keep getting swarmed here........blasted baby skorpios are a pain in the butt. I suppose T,T would help here. I just got back home so I'm off to practice T,T button mashing now.

S2P2: Only been here once so far so...

S3: Can't wait to get here.

BTW, what happened to CycleCancel? Wasn't he running for TUGOWU president or something? I got a message asking to vote for him or something.... 

****!!!!!! I've already been killed 14 times with a claw swipe while I was trying to break big ugly's foremost limbs. This just SUXXX!!!!!!! I thought she'd grab me once, instead she drained my ******* healthbar!!!!

Curse you!!!! Scorpios you ugly mother!!!!

Help me!!!!! I've reached the limits of frustration!!!!!!!!!I'd almost defeated the ugly sonofab@#ch!!!

GODALLMIGHTTTYY!!!!!!!! NOT AGAIN!!!!!!!!!! Guess what, I'm consistently able to reach S2P2 but keep getting ****** by those ugly **** babies when I run out of RAGE!!!!!!!! CURSE YOU STIG AN' YOUR BUNCH OF JOKERS! CURSE YOU!!!!!

Cyclecancel is still around-ish. We got a safe leader and that is what matters.

I have "account issues" speaking of which, careful with the censor bypassing, it doesn't bother me per se but this is GS.

 If the foremost legs are giving you grief then break them first.

Out of rage? practise t,t. You want to land the second hit, not the first.

Thanks Midas.....you think I ought to tone down the swearing a bit? Don't blame you, but then again this fight is driving me nuts.

 I'm going to try this battle again after a bit.....this fight is taking a lot out of me.

S1P1 - You have to break 3 legs for him to drop. The rest should be red for ease of progress later. And your 'tactics' to pull this off have been what? Recall, we need details. What have you tried that has been suggested thus far?

S1P2 - You should stop using RoS here and just save it all for S2P2 so you can close the deal with relative ease. Try one of the alternatives (burning spawn groups then 't,t' , blinding spawns then 't,t', 't,t' like a madman, 't,t' and freak out into Nemean Roar, etc.). And if you're using MP for i-frames outside damaging the face, stop it. If you need MP at all, don't be using it lightly.

S2P1 - Practice away. Try to have at least half of them gone before being blown into the group. Flee to Skorpius (as suggested) and hide nearby as you take out the rest. Feel free to blind/burn the group and use 't,t'. Then deal with him alone. Refer to notes about hitting his uncovered legs to keep him from birthing more while semi-locking him for a hit or two before locking again.

S2P2 - Let him have everything you've got if need be. This is the deal closer. Pass this and begin the Icarus Vent, you have a checkpoint.

S3 - You'll win for sure at this point.

(CC) You can't keep a gent down. Nor a scoundral. He had plenty of both attributes.

(Leader) As noted, we opted for a 'safe' choice.

(Foul tip) It's certainly a bastard of a design flaw.

(Help) You must do as instructed and report back as requested of you. Don't believe in yourself. Believe in we, who believe in you.

(Swearing) We don't worry about that at alt.TUGOWU. Here however, we keep things toned down.

(Punishment) It's to be expected. It's not easy to adjust to such a trashy fight.

#1 Tip for this fight is just to use t,t with Cestus (you'll learn how to distance yourself/time it after a few failed tries) to kill all spawn. Never attack a leg with Square hits unless all spawn are dead. It's best to break the middle legs first, because once a leg is uncovered you can attack it (t,t hits uncovered legs, but not obsidian) to interrupt further spawn.

Truly if you get his spawn out of the way and dash away successfully when he jumps he's EASY MODE. You've already received a lot of good advice here- once you get past him you won't have to fear him again.  

Ok....here's what I usually do for S1P1. I try to break the foremost legs first. this is because I keep getting clawswiped here. This having been done, I try to damage (and turn red) the rest of the legs on both sides. Then, I go to his right and break his rear most leg.

Now here's where it gets even more challenging.

S1P2:The camera pans out and gameplay is halted for 3 seconds while they show you the fallen skorpios ugly's mug. Now here's what happens next.....by the time I regain control of my character, I find that I've been SWARMED by a bunch of babies. I panic, jump and airdash to (hopefully) safety....often, I end up taking hits here (sometimes, I even get killed at this part). Now, if I'm able to get to ugly's face, I feel COMPELLED to use RoS (don't ask me why, I just feel safer). I mean, with a bunch of babies surrounding me, I just panic and switch to rage. The problem with T,T is that I haven't yet mastered it and sometimes get hit before landing the second T. Q: How do you 'blind' spawns? Secondly, do you think that T,T will do enough damage V/S RoS to end this phase? I gotta go now, I'll be back and edit this post and then I'll answer the other questions too.

Once again, thanks for your help guys.....especially StarKiller, your insight is truly deep.

To note it, we can apparently bring Skorpius to "O" during face phases without Cestus. Unexpected. All the same...

S1P1 - Try staying just between leg 2 and 3 (back) on either side as you work leg 2. Destroy the spawns as needed while respecting that they have i-frames during their spawn roll. Also, you can use blind/burn. The latter would add to your injuring of the legs though unwielding. 't,t' is ideal for taking them out, but won't hurt covered legs. You'll want to quickly get a leg exposed then trade hits between a covered leg (to progress) and uncovered leg (to prevent him from using claw swipe or birthing *it will NOT interupt so much as stun and prevent*...he may use tail smash eventually as he runs out of options to retaliate...or evade by a jump or strafe). Anyway, the idea is to keep him under control as noted before. Get leg 1 and leg 3 red. Repeat on the other side. Destroy leg 2, work on leg 3 and leg 1...destroy one or the other to bring him down. Perhaps you should use leg 1 then quickly react so you can get over his claw and begin the next phase properly.

S1P2 - You really need to NOT use RoS here. Like I said, try burning (Fiery Inferno) or blinding (Solar Flare) before 't,t' whoring if you have trouble keeping it pure. A dash of Nemean roar if you feel you need to cancel with i-frames and deal damage. Save RoS for S2P2.

S2P1 - And this? How do you typically fair with the large spawns? Have you considered the notes carefully?

S2P2 - Again, RoS should be enough to get you through. Only use square attacks. They are stronger than "t1".

(Power) lvl5 Cestus hits harder than RoS. I have the values if that sort of thing interests you. Of course, both will be weakened by 25% due to Chaos settings.

(Blind) Helios Head. lvl1 Flash deals 2 damage. 2 uses will cause a knockback. It doesn't seem ideal for this. lvl1 Flare deals 3 damage, has huge range and blinds lesser foes like spawns while making them glow. I believe Shinobier actually applied the charged attack in one of his videos. Using such a thing to distract/damage the spawns may help you land 't,t' safely. Recall that if you get Skorpius to "O", all spawns die. Perhaps you could just blind, use a single combo and repeat. I've never tried, but it should work just fine. Just as 't,t' by itself is fine at lvl1 on Chaos.

NOTE: What do you do for quick movement? Are you any good with evade cancels or perhaps known of findleglide/jet dashing?

~In your next report, tell us what tactics you've tried and what happened. We need some idea of what's going on afterall.

I panic when I'm required to do TT at S1P2. I ended up doing square, square at Scorp's mouth and got killed by the babies just now.

I haven't reached S2P1 in a loooong time now. Maybe I should just take a break grom GoW to get my focus and passion back.

S2P2: Have only been here once in 120 odd attempts :(

I've had a rough day at the office.....I'm just tired I guess.  BTW, I'd be curious to know exactly how much damage the Cestus deals as compared to BoE or Nemean Whip or even ROS......

Also, I have a tonne of red orbs....you think I should upgrade my Helios Head or Hades Hooks?  I read somewhere that Hades Hooks work like Medussa's gaze and can freeze enemies...is this true?

For quick evading, I use jump followed by airdash or, Cestus dodge when I'm on solid ground.

Maybe I should take a short break now.

(S1P2) Then keep at it until you don't panic. Practice.

(Break) I don't advise this. You won't likely return.

(S2P2) You have much to learn still. Stick with us.

(Damage Values) This can be arranged.

(Upgrades) Claws can't help you here. The Gorgon Serpent Soul Summon exists, but consider this. It works with GoWIII targets *poor*. Not every foe can petrify of the non-boss variety. It is essentially a lvl2 EH Gorgon Flash (not quite lvl3 effectiveness). The cost difference is 70MP to 25MP respectively. So EH's lvl3 GF for 25MP rapes the Gorgon Serpent even at lvl5 (70MP). If it were Gorgon RAGE instead...the 70MP wouldn't compare well to EH's verion, but it would beat Medusa's and be a worthy addition to the arsenal.

Helios Head's Flash triples in strength at lvl2. However, Flare *the charged attack suggested* remains the same.

(Evade) We have much to teach you, but merely using Hermes Dash *air evade* to Cestus (R) *evade* should be fine for flanking Skorpius.

~Don't take a break more than a day. It's a bother for us to have to pick back up with this process too and it's possible you'll find yourself delayed for a long while. It's better you keep to it. Before you do, how about a checklist of what you've read that was suggested above...what you've tried...and how things went. It's important we know you're giving the suggestions a proper go and not just reporting back after having done the same thing you've been doing and dying more while hoping for victory through some stroke of luck to change the outcome

---WIP Normal MAX'd values---

DAMAGE VALUE TESTING
NOTE: Testing on Normal with lvlMAX weapons *for now*

Blades of Athena

s1 - 2
s2 - 2
s3 - 4
s4 - 2/2
s5 - 2/2
s6 (Valor) - 8

S (Hyperion Rush) - 2
s2a (Hyperion Rush) - 4
t1a (Hyperion Rise) - 2

t1 - 3/3
t2 - 4/4
t3 (Spirit) - 2/12
NOTE: A 'false' third hit exists rather than another '12' *GoWII*
t0 (plume) - 6
NOTE: As with t3's note.

T (Olympic Ascension) - 2

(R),t *Athena's Wrath* - 5
NOTE: A 'false' extra hit exists. Pity. Being able to hit more than once would help its case.

(air) s1 - 2
(air) s2 - 2
(air) s3 - 4
(air) t1 *Dissension* - 2/2

L1+x (Icarus Ascension) - 5

(air) Icarus Strike - 5

L1+x (Rapid Switch) - 2

(air) - 2/2
NOTE: Two false hits it seems.

L1+s (Cyclone of Chaos) - 1 per hit (9 hits) / 5 *ender*

(air) - 1 per hit (10 hits)

L1+t (Tartarus Rage) - 5/5,5/5,6 (26 damage total)

NOTE: The 5's should be 2's based on the lvl5 power being reduced by three to lvl1 status. The error in translation makes this attack quite a bit stronger than it was in GoWII...at least from the perspective of it being at 'lvl1 power'.

(air) - 1 per hit (hits vary) / 3 *ender*

L1+o (Rampage of the Furies) - 1 per hit (14 hits) / 5 *ender*

(air) - 1 per hit (13 hits)

Argo's Revenge - 5

Argo's Return - 5 *?*

Divine Reckoning - approx 2 per hit (9 hits) ***


Blades of Exile *lvl5*

s1 - 6
s2 - 6
s3 - 12
s4 - 6/6
s5 - 6/6
s6 (Valor) - 24

S (Hyperion Fury) - 12
s2a - 6/6
s3a - 6/6/6
s4a ('Hyperion Valor') - 9
t1a (Hyperion Rise) - 6
NOTE: These are faster than they were in the demo

t1 - 18
NOTE: False extra hit can occur.
t2 - 12/12
NOTE: two false extra hits
t3 (Spirit) - 6/36
t0 (plume) - 18

T (Olympic Ascension) - 6

(R),t *Athena's Wrath* - 15

(air) s1 - 6
(air) s2 - 6
(air) s3 - 12
(air) t1 *Dissension* - 6/6

L1+x (Rapid Switch) - 6

(air) - 6/6

L1+s (Cyclone of Chaos) - 3 per hit (9 hits) / 15 *ender*

L1+s,s (s2b?) - 6 damage (1 extra hit)

L1+s,s,s (s3b?) - 3 damage per extra hit (up to 3 extra hits?)

(air) - 3 per hit (10 hits)

L1+t (Tartarus Rage) - 6/6/24

L1+T (TR lvl2) - 6 / 6 per hit / 30 *ender*

(air) - 3 per hit (hits vary) / 9 *ender*

L1+o (Hyperion Ram) - 15

(air) - 15

Argo's Return - 5

Argo's Ram - 5

Argo's Rise - 5

Army of Sparta - ...40 damage for 5 hits + 5 *mash*
NOTE: Not quite as advertised for 40MP. Perhaps far better on large targets.


Claws of Hades *lvl5*

s1 - 4.75

s2 - 9.5

s3 - 7/7

s4 - 10/9

s5 (Hades Agony) - 3/19
NOTE: Can hook some foes into OH
NOTE2: Not all foes that have an OH can be grasped as such
NOTE3: I haven't tried making this into alt.OH on a Harpy

S (Mourner's Lament) - 2/2/19
NOTE: The final hit is 'Agony'

t1 - 7/14.5
t2 - 7/14.5
NOTE: If you get 1 hit, either way, it will only be the 7 damage portion oddly enough
t3 (Hades Curse) - 6.5/6.5/6.5/6.5 ***

T (Hades Ascension) - 9.5

(R),t *Hades Bane* - 9.5

(air) s1 - 4.75
(air) t1 *Dissension* - 10.5/4.5
NOTE: 4 possible hits but two appear false.

L1+x (Rapid Switch) - 3/4/3/4

(air) - 10.5/4.5
NOTE: Basically a variant of Dissension

L1+s (Tormenting Lash) - 2 per hit (9 hits) ***

(air) - 4.5 per hit (6 hits) ***

L1+t (Unending Sorrow) - 5/5/4

(air) - 7/9 ***

NOTE: three hits are false?

L1+o (Soul Rip) - 0 + 0.75 per hit (5 souls; 20 hits) ***

(air) - 0 + 0.75 per hit (5 souls; 20 hits) ***

NOTE: 1 hit is from the grab which appears to deal 0 damage. It may be a decimal though. Hard to test.

Soul Summon (Cerberus Mongrel) - 25

Soul Summon (Olympus Sentry *3*) - 7 per hit? (? hits MAX)

Soul Summon (Olympus Archer) - 3 per hit (10 hits MAX)

Soul Summon (Gorgon Serpent) - N/A

Soul Summon (Olympus Fiend) - 25

Soul Summon (Chimera) - 15 per hit (3 hits MAX)

Soul Summon (Cyclops Berserker) - 55 ***

Soul Summon (Centaur General) - 30 ***

Soul Summon (Siren Seductress) - 25



Nemean Cestus *lvl5*

s1 - 10/10
s2 - 10/10
s3 (Triumphant Labor) - 10/10

S (Augean Stampede) - 10 / 6 per hit (5 hits MAX) / 10/10 *ender*
(air) - 6/6/5/5 ***

t1 - 20
t2 (Erymanthion Rage) - 30

T (Brutal Ascension) - 5

(R),t *Savage Charge* - 5

(air) s1 - 5
(air) t1 *Dissension* - 10

L1+x (Rapid Switch) - 7.5/7.5

(air) - 1.6/1.6/1.6 ***

L1+s (Vicious Maul) - 12.5/12.5

(air) - 10/10

L1+t (Crushing Strike) - 5/5/10

(air) - 5/7

L1+o (Ferocious Bite) - 15

(air) - 15

NOTE: I don't know about you, but 15 damage is a hell of a lot more impressive than 0 amirite? *demo reference*

Nemean Roar - 55 (6 hits) ***

NOTE: Guide says 65, but I tested on a light foe. One that can bounce. Perhaps he didn't receive the full damage because of it. Even still, 55 for 33MP that is so focused...I'm just not that into this even at lvl5. It bores me.



Nemesis Whips *lvl5*

s1 - 4.25/4.25 - (tirade) 2 per hit {26 hits}

s2 - 2/2 - (tirade) 2 per hit {24 hits}

s3 - 2/8/9 - (tirade) 2 per hit {18 hits}

s4 - 9/8 - (tirade) 4.25 per hit {26 hits}

s5 (Furious Contempt) - 5.5/5.5/5.5/5.5/5.5/5.5 ***
- (tirade) 4.25 per hit {14 hits}

t1 (Righteous Ascension) - 2 - (tirade) 6.5 per hit {16 hits}

t2 (Harsh Penance) - 5/5/5/5/5/5 ***

(R),t *Avenging Strike* - 3/3/3/3/3/4

(air) s1 - 4.25 - (tirade) 3 per hit {10+ hits}
NOTE: I don't know where I could fall long enough to test this on a foe properly
(air) t1 - 2 per hit (10 hits MAX) ***

L1+x (Rapid Switch) - 2/2/2/2/2/2

(air) - 1.5 per hit (10 hits) ***

L1+s (Severe Judgement) - 5/4/8 ***

(air) - 5.25/5.25/5.25/5.25 ***

L1+t (Deadly Reprisal) - 4/4/4 ***

(air) - 3.5/3.5/3.5/3.5/3.5/3.5/2 - (tirade) 2.75 per hit {32 hits}

NOTE: Testing of the tirade here has gone poorly.

L1+o (Surging Lash) - 10

(air) - 10

Nemesis Rage - 2.136... per hit *22 hits*

NOTE: They said 48 damage. It dished out 47 for 20MP.



Blade of Olympus *lvl?*

Rage of Sparta - 1

(air) - 10.5 *?*

NOTE: 'false hit applies here too.

s1 - 10.5

s2 - 10.5

s3 - 18.5 *?*

s4 - 18.5

s5 - 18.5

s6 - 18.5

s7 (Spartan Fury) - 21.5 *?*

t1 (Spartan Spirit) - 8/8/12

x1 (Spartan Glory) - 5/10/2 *approx*

NOTE: Landing all the hits is a bother. I'll probably have to retest this.

'Spring hits' - 3.5 *approx*



Bow of Apollo *lvl2*

Flame Burst - 2

Fiery Inferno - 2 + 2.5 damage per 0.5 seconds burning

NOTE: If a foe burns 5 seconds, they take 27 damage



Head of Helios *lvl2*

Solar Beam - N/A

Solar Flash - 6

Solar Flare - 3


Boots of Hermes *lvl2*

Hermes Dash - N/A

Hermes Rush - 1

Hermes Jest - 4 per explosion (3 explosions)

NOTE: Damage via the rush is not increased

S1P2: I will keep practicing until I master this.....

(Break): It will never be more than a day (if even that long). I'm too determined to give up yet.....I mean, I got this far didn't I? With better skills and a bit of luck, I WILL BEAT THIS BOSS.

S2P2: Yeah, I have plenty to learn and I'm not going anywhere yet :)

Here's the checklist for what I successfully implemented (from what I've been asked to do)

S1P1

1) Staying in the corner of the screen to avoid claw attack (I still get swiped sometimes though, especially when Skorpios jumps about and changes the camera orientation).

2) Breaking the foremost leg on both sides, turning noth other legs on either side red and then breaking one hind leg (the one to my left side).

3) Grabbing spawns during tail slam. This still doesn't always work for me (sometimes, I grab Skorpio's leg accidentally and get hit by spawns at other times. Either situation ends in a game over).

Have not mastered:

1) T,T spamming.

2) I still have problems when spawns surround me.

3) Have not tried Helios flare or burning with the bow here (Is there any specific attack I need to use with Apollo's Bow?)

S1P2:

Have not tried T,T spamming here, I will now that you've proved how powerful the Cestus is.

Lastly, it's tough for me to have a full time job (often 12 hrs+ these days) AND find time when I'm fresh for GoW. I will have much more time on the weekends though so you can bet I'll be able to strive harder then.

Don't give up on me Mr. Starkiller :)

(S1P2) Please do try. At the very least, you have a few noted tactics you try and report back on here:

-Blind to t,t

-Burn to t,t

-t,t w/ Roar as needed

-Pure t,t while moving to cover swarming spawns as you damage the face with shockwaves

NOTE: A pity you don't also have lvl5 BoE. I would have asked you to try the full power AoS w/ mashing to damage the face since we now know it's just a matter of power. You lack Nemesis Whips lvl5 so I can't advise you try blind/burn/NR to full tirade "T". Or maybe just work between L1+s (ground then air *repeat*)...mayble L1+s to air L1+t canceled into another L1+s. I suppose those tests will be left for me. Then there's the consideration of the Claws with their higher level summons perhaps adding if not using item distractions.

(Break) This news will due for now.

(S2P2) And learn you must.

(Checklist) Let's have a look:

S1P1

1) I'm not much for this 'corner' business. If you can't get a good feel for evading the claw 'tips' or staying outside the range, this is not for you. You would do better to stick close and just outside his reach. For instance between leg 2 and leg 3 or just behind leg 2.

2) What? Break leg 1 on either side and then some other without getting the rest to red? That's nothing like what I've been suggesting.

I'd break leg 2 while taking out spawns and watching his attacks. With it uncovered, I'd take out leg 1 and 3 while trading off with leg 2 to keep it stunned. Leg 1 and Leg 3 to red. Repeat on the other side. Shatter leg 1 as the final leg on whichever side you prefer and be ready to get to the face.

3) This is something you ONLY do if you find yourself somehow stuck during an evade. You need more practice with safe handling to avoid getting trapped and relying on this, magic, etc.

There is much left for you to try here I see. There were a great deal of tactics/tips mentioned early on. As for direct tactics, those too await trial and reports.

(t,t) It's less spamming and more controlled usage to effectively take out spawns. In the face phases, it is also meant to have the shockwaves chip the HP away. Let's say the face has 100HP. Most direct assaults would deal 15 damage on these settings and "t2" would deal 22.5. So with t,t ...the best case would be three repititions.

And what of the details of your progress with this? Have you gotten a feel for hitting spawn before they can hit you? And what of directing yourself towards the thick of an approaching crowd to prevent hits?

(Surround) You should be guiding yourself in such a way as to hit all comers. You could also flee from S2P1's large spawn and get by Skorpius then start up t,t, but you should have some killed before making that tactical retreat.

(Flare) You should practice that if you find it so difficult to control the crowd with just t,t.

(Bow) As noted before, "Fiery Inferno" is the attack you need to land. One spawn igniting the rest. Be it to hold them down as you beat them or even to deal damage to covered legs.

NOTE: In either the blinding or burning case, you should be using the opening to jack up the spawns (and Skorpius in the case of the face). It's more to keep them from attacking than to directly kill them. It keeps them off your case. Use it wisely.

S1P2

As noted before, you have much to try still.

(Time) Noted.

(Give up) It's not in my nature to surrender on these matters.

~The great wall above has many tips and tricks I've yet to hear back on. Nevermind concrete approaches to explore/become familiar with. When the weekend comes, perhaps we can work through them at length as needed.

Time for (a long overdue) report:

I've been practicing S1P1 for an hour now and have been able to get to S1P2 with about 50% success ratio. I've also been practicing T,T a LOT. I've been using T,T even at S1P2 (face attack).....unfortunately, Skorpios got up from S1P2 twice while I tried the T,T method :(

S2P1 is another ball game. I kep getting killed by the spawn while I target the big one's legs.....I'm hoping to crack this bit soon. With a full RoS, S2P2 should be a cakewalk.

Seriously though, we should all petition against Santa Monica Studios for creating the most %@#$ed up boss in gaming history.

Oh and I also used Solar Flare on a couple of occasions at S1P2 :)

(S1P1) Better success is good, but I need to know more about what's going right for you and where you get caught. Give me the details on what tactics *of many* you are using with this reported success rate.

(t,t) Practice is good. How goes it against spawns?

(S1P2) You are keeping close to the face, yes? If not, that can happen. Get a feel for how far the shockwave reaches. Also, what exactly are you doing? Pure t,t for spawn and the face? What of the other suggestions?

(S2P1) You need to get rid of the spawn before trying to uncover legs. As noted, uncovered legs can be hit by t1 and t2 and those are good for killing spawn while stunning Skorpius. You could also practice application of blinding and burning.

(Bad boss) He is.

(Solar Flare) Good to know. But again, I need details. It's important that I know exactly what happens. Do you simple use it to blind the crowd then attack the face or do you blind them and attack the spawn while keeping close enough to damage the face?

~Now that I've finished my rounds, my hosting duty begins...after I play guest first

Well what can I tell you guys.......I've FINALLY DONE IT!!

I CANNOT explain to you how relieved I am!!!!! Wooohoooo!!! thecrippler scores again :)

Okay, here's what I did this time....I was totally aggressive and didn't let up on his legs even once.

S1P1: Scorpios tried tail slamming me a couple of times while I was bashing its legs and I countered with Nemean Roar on both occasions. When I finally brought him down to S1P2, he had 3 broken legs on his right side and three red legs on his left.

S1P2: It was ONE Nemean Roar at Skorpios' mouth (to clear the spawns) followed by T,T all the way. It only took me 3 (T,T) combos to get the QTE above his head.

S2P2: I was like a man possessed here.....smashing legs with a combination of square and T,T. I used Nemean Roar on two occasions while he tried to tail slam me....he retreated once, reentered the battle and I broke his last red leg within a few seconds just as he went for yet another tail slam. I reacted to the camera panning out for the tail slam and reflexively activated yet another Nemean Roar. this helped immensely as it cleared the spawns that had gathered around me.

Note: Slorpios blew me into the swarm of baby scorpions when he reentered battle after retreating. I tried dodging with the Cestus equipped while spawns had surrounded me and were going nuts with their swirling, jabbing tails. I wouldv'e been hit here (and would most certainly have been treated to a 'Game Over' screen) had it not been for my quick reflexes in using 'fleece reverse' manouevres on the swarm, knocking back every baby scorpion for good measure. This happened to me twice :) pretty cool huh?!

S2P2: I fumbled once while trying to activate RoS (but was luckily, far away from any baby scorpions). Got it going the second time, ran up to Big Ugly's mouth and bashed away. QTE!

S2P3: 'O' Prompt! Score! And the rest is history :)

So guys.....I've got the Boreas Stone now.....I've upgraded my BoE to Max. Is there any other ability that I should upgrade (something that'll help in later fights?)? 

Once again thanks for all your support....especially you Mr. Starkiller. You're Terrific!

FEELS GOOD MAN!.

 Know that this is MAX and it won't be much harder on NUR. 

140% is a pitiful power boostg for lvl5 cestus.

WRT to upgrades, you have lvl3 Claws of Hades, right?

They might prove useful to you quite soon.

Actually, I have Lvl. 1 Claws of hades, Lvl. 1 everything else (except MAX Cestus, BoE and Apollo's Bow).

I'm in the labyrinth and the spiked floors are pretty annoying......

I'm taking a break now.

(Terrific) You say that now. In this context.

S1P1 - Roar for i-frames...more practice in evading the tail slam is apparently needed still.

NOTE: And how did testing of Burning or Blinding as an aid to each stage go? Or am I to address that myself?

S1P2 - I'd calculated the case to be as such. The fact that I'd said as much without factor the 'Roar' gives a somewhat sad picture of its 'power'.

S2P1 - And how did the training to use t,t on swarms go?

S2P2 - RoS for cruise control.

S3 - The battle was already won.

(Upgrades) BoE, Cestus and Bow MAX (base elsewhere). You'll do fine with this. Plenty of tactics we can offer as such. Not like the Whips require anything beyond lvl1 to use "T" effectively where that would help.

NOTE: The gent brings up lvl3+ Claws for mention of the Gorgon Serpent summon as an aid against Satyrs during the HCB fight. You should be able to manage without it if you learn some tricks/exploits, tactics, get familiar, etc.

(Labyrinth) Spiked Floor? Not so bad. Learn face/floor 1's pattern. Have the spikes kill the Minotaurs and the vermin. CG the Harpy Queen. Hide on the ledge along the wall that later becomes the exit. Hold your block here while spikes kill everyone, but the Sirens. Then address the Sirens. Feels free to cheap them out with magic, launch to air grab infinite, etc. Perhaps you could lure them all near the ledge, stay atop it and cast lvl5 Army of Sparta *with mash*. I haven't tried using spells from there, but it may work out okay. As needed, tactics can be elaborated on.

Congratulations on Skorpius, as I may have said, T,T on his face actually gets him to "O" faster than RoS does while simultaneously killing Spawn. It is by far superior for the task at hand.

Also: For the Spike Room do as MrSK says- once you make it past the first stage simply fly toward the "back" of the room (where you can see the bridge you will later go over to reach Pandora) and land on the ledge. Guard. All enemies except for the sirens will be killed by the spikes, here you can kill the sirens, or it is even possible (if you are extremely patient) to simply wait them out and CG the Harpy when it arrives. Be warned that Kratos may accidentally target Sirens in this case.  

 

NOTE: The gent brings up lvl3+ Claws for mention of the Gorgon Serpent summon as an aid against Satyrs during the HCB fight. You should be able to manage without it if you learn some tricks/exploits, tactics, get familiar, etc.

MrStarkiller

In my opinion you should always take the easiest route to WIN at least once

'tis why we preach from the old MAX EH gospel when advising about GoW2.

 I've always been of the opinion you should use all the toys available to you when MAX running. It helps to separate different run types.  

 PAIN mindset always helps but you've got to make hay when the sun shines 

I imagine the old boy is busy.

Hi All,

Sorry I had to go away for a bit (my job requires me to travel away from home sometimes.....). Anyway, I got back today and I've had some success with the spike room! I've gone so far as to beat the labyrinth and fly down to Hades to encounter the Cerberus......but first things first:

With regards to Mr.Starkiller's query about the strategy I used against Skorpios, I implemented everything that was suggested to me (often using T,T to clear spawns as well as at S1P2 to get the 'O' prompt).

I also used Solar flash on one occasion (but it wasn't really my thing anyway).

 So yes, the spiked room was a pain, but I did it once I learned to beat the Sirens using Hermes dash followed by 'jump' followed by 'grab'......pretty effective technique and I seem to have mastered it.

The last fight before the end of the labyrinth was a NIGHTMARE. It took me about two dozen tries before I finally beat it. The endless wave of onyx legionnaires, sirens and wraiths was a real pain.....

Thankfully, that is now behind me. However, I am now stuck at the Cerberus boss. I seem to be able to beat the first form and then a Satyr comes out of nowhere. This is where it gets tricky......any suggestions?  Oh and I may be travelling again soon (for a few days) so please bear with me if I'm a bit late with my reports :)

My current weapon levels are:

BoE: MAX

CoH: MAX

NC: MAX

AB: MAX

BH: MIN

HH: MIN

(Upgrades) Noted.

(Skorpius) All? There was a lot at work in the suggestions. I'll just leave this be for the moment.

(Box ER) Noted.

(HCB) Let's begin with your tactics thus far.

S1 -

S2 -

S3 -

I can give you tactics/tips and proper stage coverage with alternatives. That's easily enough done. I'm not sure where all my copypasta is though.

^Is "AB" not Apollo's Bow? I suppose "BH" is meant to be "HB" (Hermes Boots).

Apollo's Bow is MAXED as indicated by Mr. Starkiller. Yeah BH is in fact HB, sorry 'bout the confusion.

With regards to Cerberus:

S1: My strategy here is to use a combination of Cestus (Square, Square) and Firebow hits to bring him down to 'O'. The dogs are annoying and I grab them whenever I can.....

S2: No strat whatsoever here. I basically try to use Hades Hooks + Gorgon freeze at the Satyr (but get killed by the Cerberus while I'm doing this).

Also, I've noticed that the Satyr doesn't get petrified here (WTF is up with that?!). He just slows down for a second before going nuts all over again.

Would be great if I could figure this bit out. The stupid Gorgon Freeze move drains HALF of my MP!

What's a box ER again? And is there a way to freeze the stupid Cerberus?

Oh and my RoS metre is nearly empty at the start of this battle.

(RoS) So the Icarus Vent doesn't refill it? Pity. No matter.

(Box ER) The Endurance Run in the 'box'. The final Labyrinth battle.

(Petrification) GoWIII's 'summon' version is overpriced even if it were as strong a 'flash' as in GoWII. For the price of 70MP, it should have been Gorgon Rage (50MP in GoWII). It can work against the Satyr. It has to hit dead on though. Also, if the Satyr of Stage 2 survives to Stage 3, only one fresh Satyr will spawn instead of two. HCB is immune to petrification.

S1 - The dog kicks are relatively good (20 damage). It takes 27 here.

S2 - 19 here.

S3 - 15 here.

If you like, I can try and find various copypasta. Notes on Whelps, Satyrs, HCB and this fight in general. I'm sort of rushed for time now.

Ok....I've finally beaten this boss. It was a pretty tough battle but fortune favoured me eventually.

I started the battle with 4 hits from my Cestus, then immediately switched to the Claws of Hades. CoH is THE weapon of choice for this battle IMO. It lets you stay away from HCB while also getting a few decent hits in. Isn't it ironic that CoH is the cure for HCB? I wonder if that's a coincidence or if the developer's intended it to be that way. Oh well.....

HCB1: My strat here: whelp kickbacks, firebow hits, and square, square with CoH (sometimes S,S,T for good measure but this was rare overall) until I saw the 'O' prompt (damage taken here was one little bit of health lost to an exploding whelp).

HCB2: The Satyr complicates things here but I tried my best to avoid him and focus on the HCB by using my firebow. I used CoH dodge or airdash to avoid the Satyr when he got close. I repeated this formula till I got the 'O' prompt (damage taken here was 1 Satyr hit. I still had a bit more than half my health).

HCB3: 2 Satyrs to make one's life miserable. This was all I could bear. I backed away to a corner and unleashed the soul of the gorgon at where (I hoped) the Satyrs were (they were both outside the screen). SCORE! Somehow, I managed to freeze both Satyrs with one blast. I pulled out the Cestus and smashed one. The HCB charged towards me and swiped at me (but I was still alive. My health dipped to below the halfway mark). I immediately recovered and rushed to the second petrified Satyr and smashed him to bits. I heaved a sigh of relief at this point (really I did!). But I didn't realise that the fight was still on and I had some more work to do. Note that the HCB now goes nuts with his launched fireballs. I tried dodging them once with the CoH equipped but still took a hit :(. I was down to one little bar of health! Normally, I would have panicked and screwed the fight up at this point but my experience with Skorpios seems to have toughened me. I patiently set about working on HCB with firebow hits and whelp kickbacks. I used airdash to get over and behind him whenever he charged at me and I also tried to stay as far away from him as possible to avoid the deadly fireballs. This hard work paid off and I was rewarded with the 'O' prompt! I charged at him with CoH dashes (whelps were exploding everywhere and I was too far away from him), grabbed him and I was finally victorious!!

This fight was definitely better than the Skorpios fight. I still have a complaint though. Enemies should NOT be able to hit you from outside the screen. It is just UNFAIR. But then I suppose, this whole game is unfair.

Secondly, the CoH are awesome! The evade animation seems to protect you from exploding whelps a LOT during this fight. All in all, I'm glad that this fight is over :)

@ Mr. Starkiller: You said that HCB's form 1 takes 27 dog hits to reveal the 'O' prompt. You also said that each dog hit does 20 pts of damage to HCB. I've calculated that HCB's form 1 has 540 HP (is that accurate?).

Secondly, could you please tell me exactly how much damage each of Kratos' weapons do at each level of upgrade (starting from the base level). Hope digging this up isn't too much of a bother for you. Would be nice if you could post some 'copypasta'.

Thirdly, would you happen to have info on how much HP each form of every boss/ mini boss/ 'other annoying character' possesses?

Lastly, I'm at the Zeus boss fight now (heart of Gaia). I'm running low on patience so is there a quick way to beat him here?