V.II Snail Fight Thoughts

[the.sightless.jayfeather]

Been pretty slowly getting through NG with the Liberator of Rubicon ending (I really like Rusty and didn't want to kill him) but finally got around to fighting V.II Snail Balteus. My thoughts on it are mostly confused but it was a tough fight! Main thing was having to just accept most of what Balteus did won't be happening again besides having to stick close and that pulse weapons are my friend. The big lack of missiles was honestly a disappointment, the laser weapons felt more frustrating than anything else has in game so far - including Ibis moving at mach 8. The big laser shot was frustrating getting the timing but I mostly got it, the weird spinning laser beam thing tho..... well, I never really dodged the tricky part of it but I did survive it!

My biggest thoughts in retrospect are just it was a pretty fun fight and that it's kinda weird I haven't seen another pulse gun since before the Ice Worm fight. Anyone else got thoughts on this boss?

[Kain]

I really didn't like it to be honest, was somewhat challenging, must have taken me 5 or so tries, but I think I would have preferred an AC battle. It was just too much of a critical moment for a recycled boss, that granted has it's own unique quirks.

I guess it just failed to impress me narrative wise as gameplay wise. I can't much comment about his intricacies, because once I beat him I just moved on.

I much preferred the time you fight him in NG++ , and I'll leave at that as to now spoil. That was a very interesting fight narrativewise and gameplay wise.

[ImHelping]

*kicks open another thread waving around a machinegun*

There is a back mounted pulse cannon. Even with an energy build it is garbage. It is also I think, the only full auto back weapon we have.

Considering all the tears over gattling guns not being garbage. people would probably lose their minds even more if we had back mounted chainguns like a lot of past games.

"Damned gattlin spam!"
"But they can't equip stun cannons or missiles if they use back chainguns."
"...But gat spam"

Buy yeah. Snail 2 is an odd combo of "Haha kids, hope you didn't forget for two seconds that pulse shields are annoying!" frustration run vs "Aw ♥♥♥♥ they had a build that worked good on pulse shields still equipped?"

Snail is also large enough that songbirds won't miss him while they are stunned in the air, which is a problem with Iblis and every other humanoid size fight. Even fat boy nightfall armed with a songbird himself, can have your songbird shots fly past either side of him if he staggers in the air and you fire up.

[MadArtillery]

It was a bit weird that they brought back both cleaner and balteus for that mission in the same breath. Cleaner outside of a box was downgraded to an MT level threat just dieing instantly without even threatening a single point of damage and the balteus fight was nearly a completetly different boss just using an old model for budget. Really wasn't a fan of this ending or it's content, glad I did the other ending first.

Never did get the big laser cannon timing, just threw up pulse protection for it.

[Enthropy]

For me, it was a very frustrating fight until I found out that my face melting kaboom build can trash him in seconds.
Tetrapod legs, energy weapon favoring generator, two long range shotguns, two shoulder laser shotguns, assault armor, short range FCS. Stay close, be aggressive as much as possible. Use assault armor when he is staggered. You can melt 60-70% of his AP during the first shield drop.