How do you deal with the final-final boss?

[Abomination72]

As in giving no spoilers is even worth it by now, but you know which boss I mean :)

I pick this game up once in a while and still struggling at A0. But once in a while, I get a really decent run and even survived the battle just before the last boss with more than half my health. And then it's game over. Always. I mean come on... that scaling is insane.

Just had a pretty well going Defect Claw run with some decent defence I think, but I was still slaughtered at the end.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2699584687
(is this link working? uploaded it as private)

Anything I shouldn't have taken here? Maybe the two reprogams were an error since my orbs weren't doing anything most of the time? I don't know man. It's so hard making the right choices.

Still had a few useless cards in the deck I couldn't get rid of. I got Fission, Glacier, Hello World, Melter and Compile Driver from converting remaining Strike and Defend cards. So that was partially an improvement I guess.

[Zu]

Originally posted by Abomination72:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2699584687
(is this link working?)

Nope. But yes, full commitment to reprogram needs more pieces of its puzzle than just echo forming some powers.

[⭕TheSodaman]

I couldn't open the link.

The boss that I think you speak of, most of my attempts have ended miserably and as you said, even getting past the elites before it with more than half life.

Out of all the attempts, only succeeded once with the Silent, but it manifested differently than any other run and that may not help you with the Defect. I think if you have an option somewhere to Artifact to avoid any vulnerability or remove debuffs as well as maintain Weak on the boss* seemed to play a role in the winning round. But difficult to guarantee what you'll even come across unless you keep playing the same seed after all the unlocks are complete.

[Abomination72]

Changed the screenshot to public, now it should work.

Yeah, the cost for adding these reprograms was maybe a bit too much. Hmm.. time for another run.

[Zu]

1) Fight more elites. Imagine helix, incense, kunai, sunflower, tungsten, bag of prep, etc.
2) Too many claws and by extension cards that do nothing but deal damage. Reprograms and holograms scale more safely.
3) Never found go for the eyes or blind?

PS: Upload screenshots to imgur if you don't want to keep them on steam.

[Spawnling]

Originally posted by Abomination72:

I pick this game up once in a while and still struggling at A0.

Get to a10, win a few Act 3 runs on it, then try it on a1 and don't forget to hunt elites.

[Abomination72]

Originally posted by Zu:

1) Fight more elites. Imagine helix, incense, kunai, sunflower, tungsten, bag of prep, etc.
2) Too many claws and by extension cards that do nothing but deal damage. Reprograms and holograms scale more safely.
3) Never found go for the eyes or blind?

PS: Upload screenshots to imgur if you don't want to keep them on steam.

Thanks for the tips. Not entirely sure why I didn't have at least one go for the eyes. Think it was offered once but thought another card was better. Not sure anymore.

I now see that prioritizing on damage reduction is quite important.

[Abomination72]

Originally posted by Spawnling:

Originally posted by Abomination72:

I pick this game up once in a while and still struggling at A0.

Get to a10, win a few Act 3 runs on it, then try it on a1 and don't forget to hunt elites.

Got it!

[mldb88]

Defect is probably my worst class, but when fighting "He who shall not be named", you really want to pick up some specific cards and/or relics/potions specifically to prepare for it if you plan on taking him down. The easiest way to do this with any class but watcher is use his multi-hit against him. Flame Barrier, Caltrops, the one that channels a lightning orb when you get hit i forget the name, they all shred his life on his own turn if you can draw into them when needed. Bronze Scales, Tungston Rod and Torii are all also amazing, and lizard tail/fairy in a bottle are nice for insurance. Aside from that, heavy defense or relics/cards that have a trigger to add block (rage for example) are great to mitigate the damage passive since block is always applied before you take damage. Lastly, due to the damage cap, you'll need to survive at least 3 turns if my math is correct, so super trimmed infinite chip deck isn't going to work either (even if you have rage/dropkick combo) since you'll still take way too much damage from attacks without revive relics/potions.

It's basically a fight you spend your entire run prepping for, along with prepping for the other bosses. The first time I cleared it was somehow on A18 on Ironclad using flame barriers, bronze scales, torii/tungston, and dead branch with exhaust cards, and even then it wasn't exactly "easy". You'll get it eventually though, just keep at the ascensions for now and get better at understanding some of the nuances and synergies to look out for and you'll get him eventually.

[1.2M | Missingno.]

Try it on A1 instead of A0, it's arguably easier since more elites means more relics.

[letir]

Final boss designed to punish spam decks. It's bad idea to push in that direction without preparations.

I think Silent have best kind of cards to handle it. Afterimage helps against beats, Footwork give additional block, Caltrops+ deal significant damage on the boss turn. If you have just these cards and enough block, 1/3 of the fight is alredy won.

There is also Wraith Form, Piercing Wail, Malaise and multiply sources of Weaken to help with defence.

Beyond that Poison deck with Blur/Nightmare and at least one Catalyst+ can reach damage ceiling with minimal effort.

[Abomination72]

A1 was indeed a success. More elites: more relics, a thorns potion I hold onto from about 1/3td of the run and maybe a better deck I think.. I mean, it worked.

So happy to score this win just before the end of the year

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2700620402

[Spawnling]

Congrats

[Zu]

Yee, look at that sick torii tungsten combo.

[⭕TheSodaman]

Originally posted by Abomination72:

A1 was indeed a success. More elites: more relics, a thorns potion I hold onto from about 1/3td of the run and maybe a better deck I think.. I mean, it worked.

So happy to score this win just before the end of the year

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2700620402

Congrats on the victory! (I don't know if there is a different victory theme for that battle... yet, so I imagine one of the existing three act fanfare songs plays for you)

[Meesterfarkaboy]

I got to the boss with more than half health, a good shiv build, and a lot of thorns. I lost. :P it's hard, but I'll get it one day!