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Skalpelwas a loyal subordinate ofKhazanwho made a pact with a blood demon and lost his sanity. He is the boss of thetwelfth mission,Corrupter’s Fortress, and to initiate the boss fight, you must reach theVampire Gate (Blade Nexus)inVaisar Gate. Skalpel is a challenging boss who inflicts Plague with most of his attacks and alternates between sword and coffin strikes. His relentless aggression and status effects can overwhelm unprepared players. Here’s how to avoid his attacks and defeat him with ease inThe First Berserker: Khazan.
Phase 1
3-Hit Sword Combo
Skalpel approaches the player and performs three slash attacks.These are a bit delayed, so time your Brink Guards correctly.
Coffin Slam
The boss slams his coffin down at you, causing Plague if you don’t dodge out of the way or Brink Guard it.
Grab Chain
Skalpel leaps into the air before pulling his coffin forward, attempting to trap you inside.He can do this up to three times and may also perform a lash attack at the end of each grab animation. Dodging is the only way to avoid this attack.
7-Hit Burst Combo
The boss strikes the player multiple times with his sword before performing a Burst Attackthat you must counter. If you fail, he will add one more slash after the Burst.
Coffin Drag
Skalpel pulls down his coffin and drags it along the floor before grabbing it with both hands and attacking you.Dodging or guarding both workfor this attack.
Coffin Ride
The boss jumps onto his coffin and rides it toward you before piercing his sword into it, causing a wave of Plague.This must be Brink Guarded to avoid massive damage and Plague buildup. Skalpel can perform this attack up to three times or cancel the ride to rush at the player and execute a coffin slash.
Sword Rush
Skalpel pulls back his sword and rushes toward you, striking as he passes by. Brink Guard just as he gets close to avoid damage.
Phase 2
Berserk Frenzy
The boss enters a Frenzy, hitting the player with both his sword and coffin one after the other, drastically increasing Plague buildup if the player is hit. He alternates weapons throughout the attack, withno delays between strikes, so make sure to Brink Guard each oneto avoid damage and the Plague effect.
Coffinquake
Skalpel slams the coffin on the ground, causing a wave of arms to rise from the earth, dealing damage and increasing Plague buildup.Brink Guard or dodge as the boss slams the coffinto avoid the attack.
Coffin Projectiles
The boss skewers his sword into the ground, causing the coffin on his back to open. The coffin shoots outslow-moving projectiles that home in on your location.you’re able to run around during the entire animationto avoid taking damage.
Leaping Plague
Skalpel leaps into the air, opens the coffin, and projects a wave of Plague before slamming the coffin down. Afterward, the coffin performs an area slam attack that drastically increases your Plague buildup.
How To Beat Skalpel In The First Berserker: Khazan
Skalpel starts the fight by using his 3-hit combos, with his primary goal being to charge his berserk state.The more attacks you get hit by, the more his weapon charges upand begins inflicting Plague. This allows him to execute powerful versions of his attacks, all of which can instantly cause the Plague status effect, making you lose health gradually.Plague Cleanse Potions and accessories that resist the status effectare quite usefulfor this boss fight.
Most of his attacks are easy to Brink Guard once you get the timing down, and it is recommended to do that over dodging to break his stance quicker. Once he is exhausted, you can do a lot of damage to him with your skills and light attack combos.You can try dodging his coffin attacks, as the windup on those attacks is quite long, giving you ample time to react and dodge accordingly. For the Coffin Ride attack, where he leaps onto the coffin and starts to ride it around the arena,you must constantly stay on the move to avoid the base of the coffin, which also deals damage. Stay at medium range and Brink Guard whenever he skewers the coffin. This will avoid any Plague buildup.
If you find your damage output to the boss’s health to be low, you may check your stats and skills, as well asupgrade your armor and weapon at the Blacksmithto give you a much bigger advantage.
After dealing enough damage, the boss will lose his entire health bar, and you’ll get the “Mission Complete” sign as the coffin takes Skalpel and places him inside. However, your excitement will be short-lived,as the coffin will throw out Skalpel, powering him up for the second phase of this fight.
The second phase is where the boss fight really starts to amp up, with the boss becoming much more aggressive than in the first phase. He will now perform longer combos with little time between them,forcing you to guard each attack one after another. During this phase, the boss inflicts Plague quite easily with his attacks,so be sure to have the potions in your hotbar.
One key element of the second phase you might notice initially is thatthe boss has a red stamina bar that doesn’t decrease, regardless of how much damage you deal to him. This meansthe boss will not enter his Exhausted state, denying you free hits. However, to compensate for all the buffs he gets during the phase,you will notice that he loses health gradually. This makes it a fight whereyou must survive and outlive the boss as he loses healthuntil he is dead.
Most of the attacks stay the same during the second phase, but there are a few additions, with themost deadly being the Berserk Frenzy attack. During this attack, the boss hits you multiple times, andit can be punishing if you fail to Brink Guard most of the attacks, as your stamina bar will deplete. His triple grab chain is still active for this phase as well, sobe ready to dodge out of the way when you hear the audio cue, but also be prepared for the next grab.
For the Coffin Projectiles attack,you can simply move around the boss arena to avoid the projectiles homing in on your location. However, be ready, as the boss can initiate his next attack immediately, giving you another thing to focus on.
You can also change your weapon andrespec your skillsfree of cost at any time, allowing you to adjust your playstyle depending on the boss you’re facing.
