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Boss Guide: Scorpion Lady (Abyss Floor 5 - First Encounter)

Overview

The Scorpion Lady boss is a significant challenge, serving as a gear check for your party. If your characters lack +4 weapons and armor, this fight becomes incredibly difficult due to her high damage output and debuffing abilities. While +5 gear is ideal, it’s understandable if you haven’t reached that point yet, as the Den of Earth (needed for grinding ore) is unlocked later. Focus on upgrading to +4 gear where possible to mitigate her attacks effectively.

Preparation Checklist

Gear:

  • At least some party members should have +4 weapons and armor to reduce incoming damage.
  • Upgrade the Sword of Breeze (found a few rooms before the boss area) to +4 and equip it on your frontline characters. This weapon deals Wind magic damage, which the boss is vulnerable to.

Consumables:

  • Stock up on healing potions to keep your party alive.
  • Bring plenty of Antidotes to counteract the boss’s poison abilities.

Boss Abilities to Watch Out For

  1. Corrosive Liquid:
    • A debuff usually applied to the front row that lowers armor defense.
    • This makes your frontline much more vulnerable, so prepare to heal frequently.
  2. Sweeping Tail Strike:
    • An AOE attack that can hit either the front or back row but usually targets the front row.
    • This move has a chance to stun anyone it hits, including your healer, potentially disrupting your ability to recover.
  3. Giant Scorpion's Sting:
    • Does a vertical attack, hitting both the front and back rows.
    • Deals burst damage and inflicts Fear, requiring affected characters to overcome the effect before they can act.
  4. Giant Chelicerae:
    • Does a vertical attack, hitting both the front and back rows, and swaps their positions when it lands.
    • This can pull your casters to the front and push your fighters to the back, leaving the casters vulnerable.
    • Pay close attention when this attack is used and quickly reposition your party members back to their normal formation.
  5. Build Up Follow-Up to Giant Scorpion Stinger:
    • Build Up: The boss telegraphs this move with a message indicating it has aimed its attack at a specific character. The targeted character or row is highlighted, signaling the incoming attack.
    • Giant Scorpion Stinger:
      • Deals extra damage following the Build Up, delivering a high burst damage vertical attack that hits both the front and back rows.
      • Applies a Fear effect to both targets, preventing them from using abilities until they attack the boss. Sometimes, affected characters may refuse to act entirely due to Fear.

Strategy Options

Option 1: Endurance Strategy

  • Focus on absorbing the damage the boss deals and healing through it.
  • Keep your Priest free of stuns by maintaining a healthy supply of potions and antidotes to compensate for any downtime caused by Sweeping Tail Strike.

Option 2: Opening Exploitation Strategy

  • Use a Knight in the front row to taunt the boss and draw her attacks.
  • On subsequent turns, have the Knight use Defense Stance to encourage the boss to target them and potentially trigger openings.
  • Be aware that the Scorpion Lady has five possible attack patterns, so taunt won’t always direct all attacks to the Knight.

Option 3: Sleep and Stun Strategy

Another effective strategy involves relying heavily on stuns and the Sleep spell, as the boss is susceptible to Sleep.

How It Works:

  1. Initiative Order Matters:
    • This strategy works best when your Fighters act early in the initiative order and your Mages act later.
  2. Attack and Sleep Cycle:
    • Have your Fighters attack as normal at the start of the round.
    • When it’s your Mage’s turn, cast Sleep on the boss.
    • Once the boss is asleep, stop attacking her until her turn. This forces her to spend her action waking up, giving your party time to attack again.
    • Repeat this process to keep her incapacitated as much as possible.
  3. Stun Locking with Shield Bash:
    • Have your Knight use the Shield Bash ability to stun-lock the boss whenever Sleep isn’t active. This will further delay her actions, allowing your party to deal maximum damage.

Key Advantages

Reduced Incoming Damage:

  • Alternating Sleep and Stun significantly delays the boss’s ability to attack, minimizing damage to your party.

High Damage Output:

  • This strategy allows your party to burn the boss down quickly, which is critical given her high damage output.

Tips for Success

  • Avoid Waking the Boss Prematurely:
  • Remember that while the boss is asleep, attacking her deals extra damage but also wakes her up. Plan attacks carefully to avoid giving her an immediate turn.
  • Maximize Stun Phases:
  • Focus on dealing as much damage as possible during Stun phases, as the boss cannot retaliate.
  • Keep Supplies Ready:
  • Prepare plenty of healing potions to sustain the fight if the Sleep or Stun cycle fails temporarily.

Additional Tips

  • Watch for Stuns:
  • Since Sweeping Tail Strike can stun your healer, ensure you have potions ready to sustain the party if healing is delayed.
  • Exploit Vulnerabilities:
  • Equip Wind-elemental weapons like the Sword of Breeze to maximize damage output.
  • If you have a Mage specializing in Wind magic, use their abilities. If not, consider using Jarmil and his inherent Wind spell, FERU, for single-target damage.
  • Manage Debuffs:
  • Be prepared for Corrosive Liquid, which lowers armor on your frontline, making physical attacks more dangerous.

By preparing adequately and adapting to her attack patterns, you can overcome the Scorpion Lady boss and continue progressing through the Abyss. Good luck!