Beat the Swine King, barely. What strategies do you guys like for this boss?

[Mr. G]

I don't think I've even had my palms be this sweaty in a game that wasn't a racing game.

https://youtu.be/E_ZfNRlX4KU

This was definitely the closest boss fight I've ever had.

I didn't take an optimal team but I did at least remember to leave Wilbur alone till the end.
What strategies do you guys like on this one?

[Delta 1038]

Stuns work on him and I don't recommend using the Abom's Hulk mode as his primary use. Yes it is hyped as the core of his character but you'd be surprised at how effective vomiting and whipping people is.

[Mr. G]

Originally posted by Delta 1038:

Stuns work on him and I don't recommend using the Abom's Hulk mode as his primary use. Yes it is hyped as the core of his character but you'd be surprised at how effective vomiting and whipping people is.

In the end I had to exit beast mode just to keep him alive. That stun is no joke when you need it.

[Solo Death]

I still prefer just bringing an arbalest. Rallying Flare breaks this fight.

[Mr. G]

Originally posted by Solo Death:

I still prefer just bringing an arbalest. Rallying Flare breaks this fight.

That was what I was running in my previous run which my son exited out of by clicking retreat while I was putting his sister down. Although I have never used her flare ability I will give that one a try.

[Dr. Uncredible]

Wow, man that was rough, so sorry about the first two Deathblow Rolls.
Team wasn´t too badly set up, problems I noticed were:

1. Enemy prioritisation: In the fights here you took down the frontliners before touching the stress dealers. The frontliners, especially the butchers take a -lot- of beating, while the wretchers and drummers take 1-2 hits each. Don´t forget stunning and de-buffing. Cripple the front while killing the back. The boss fight would have gone quite a bit easier if everyone wasn´t really stressed when you got there.
2. Trinket set-up: I noticed your jester had Dark Tambourine fer an example, but you always kept the torch nice and bright.
I´m kind of bad at identifying trinkets by look, but do take a second look at your trinket set-up before battle.
3. You can stack the Curse of Weakening, rather than having the occultist prick enemies with his tiny knife, stack that ♥♥♥♥. After 2-3 curses in a row you´ll have a much easier time, use this on the swine butchers as well.

[Mr. G]

I didn't really realize you could stack a debuff like that. Thanks for the tips Jolly. I will try and high light my heroes and the trinkets they're running better at the start of my next video.

Off to the cove or the ruins next.

[Dr. Uncredible]

Best of luck sir, it´s interesting seeing you improve. ^^
Oh, and -all- buffs are stackable, positive and negative, there are some fun things one can pull off with that!

[Pokemuffin]

As other have already noted, the Arbalest is extremely useful for this fight. My go-to team for this boss goes: Arbalest - Occultist - Houndmaster - Bounty Hunter.

Arbalest spams her flare while the Occultist either debuffs the swine prince's damage (ideally as far as 80% for the entire fight) or marks the boss. Houndmaster manages stuns and using hound's rush on the boss, whilst the Bounty Hunter just keeps digging into the big guy.

So long as the boss is marked, you should be able to run him down before things get tense. I like to have the Arbalest as a back-up healer, but the Occultist should be able to handle it. You should also get the Houndmaster to guard anyone who, for whatever reason, wasn't cleared of their mark.

Once the bigger half of the boss fight drops, just keep trying and stun Wilbur long enough to kill him.

[Mr. G]

Originally posted by Pokemuffin:

As other have already noted, the Arbalest is extremely useful for this fight. My go-to team for this boss goes: Arbalest - Occultist - Houndmaster - Bounty Hunter.

Arbalest spams her flare while the Occultist either debuffs the swine prince's damage (ideally as far as 80% for the entire fight) or marks the boss. Houndmaster manages stuns and using hound's rush on the boss, whilst the Bounty Hunter just keeps digging into the big guy.

So long as the boss is marked, you should be able to run him down before things get tense. I like to have the Arbalest as a back-up healer, but the Occultist should be able to handle it. You should also get the Houndmaster to guard anyone who, for whatever reason, wasn't cleared of their mark.

Once the bigger half of the boss fight drops, just keep trying and stun Wilbur long enough to kill him.

That was the exact crew I was taking just before this one. My five year old exited out of that run (hit retreat) while I was putting his sister down.

"Hey Daddy I won the battle for you. All I had to do was click the white flag."

sigh...

[Mr. G]

Originally posted by Screaminglyjolly:

Best of luck sir, it´s interesting seeing you improve. ^^
Oh, and -all- buffs are stackable, positive and negative, there are some fun things one can pull off with that!

Thanks for the tips I most certainly need them.

[Ham]

Ignoring the stress dealers to the end gives your party a lot of stress as you can see.

You just need to work on target priority and that can go all the way back to party build and skill synergy. (Having good attacks or stuns for bank rank)

Usually you want to kill back rank first, they are almost always the squishy baddies that do extra nasty stuff beside damage.

[Lujo]

Just put two good stun trinkets on Plague Doctor and spam the back-row stun. It doesn't trigger the riposte from wilbur being hit.

[3 Ducks In a Man Suit]

I usually use either 2 MaA's and a hound or 2 hounds and a MaA, with a vestal in back. I try to avoid the non-boss fights until after killing the boss. Be sure to camp right before you enter the fight so your guys are as fresh and buffed as possible.

Have the MaA use bolster a few times to boost everyone's speed and dodge, then use the dog treats and have everyone but the vestal wail on it. Don't bother with the little pig until you kill the big guy.

[Syntax Error]

I just did this fight. My party was (front to back)

Hellion (Dismas Head + Focus Ring)
Highwayman (Overture Box + Focus Ring)
Plague Doctor (Blasphemous Vial + Witch's Vial)
Arbalest (Prophet's Eye + Sniper's Ring)

Arbalest only needed to fire one flare because the PD kept Wilbur stun locked most of the time and usually had the Swine King stunned as well by using the back-row stun. Hellion & HWM went to town on the Swine King and Arbalest did spot heals for for the King's wild flailings or her debuff the couple times when Wilbur was in front. Went as smooth as could be hoped -- Hellion caught a crit to the face and went on Death's Door but the Arbalest healed her off and that was the only hairy moment.

[Mr. G]

Just when I think I'm getting better this game you guys point out really well thought out strategies I didn't think of.