How To Beat Skalpel In The First Berserker: Khazan

In The First Berserker: Khazan, Skalpel is a formidable boss who won’t shy away from confrontation. Unlike some other bosses that require chasing, he’ll be the one pursuing you. Not only does he pack a powerful punch, but he can also infect you with the plague status. To make matters worse, you have to face him in a two-round battle.

In this tutorial, we’ll walk you through the various maneuvers of Skalpel, offering advice on opportunities to counter specific moves, as well as strategies to steer clear of potential traps. Additionally, we’ll offer constructive ideas for a strong build to help you overcome him effectively.

Preparation

In preparing for this battle, I suggest focusing on a defensive playstyle with a build that emphasizes guarding. Skalpel will approach you, eliminating the need to pursue him. Given his reliance on physical attacks, the Brink Guard would be an excellent choice. Moreover, prioritize investing in the Counterattack skill tree as Skalpel’s burst attacks are easily countered, making this a crucial aspect of this fight.

He additionally unleashes a significant amount of sickness during his assaults, so it’s advisable to have a plague-purifying elixir readily available on your person. Furthermore, it might be beneficial to carry an amulet and ring that can offer you increased resistance against the plague. While this isn’t crucial in the initial phase of combat, it proves exceptionally useful during the latter stages.

To fully equip yourself against the plague-inflicted attacks, it’s essential to have obtained the Knight’s Scroll from the Veiled Knives mission, allowing you to armor up completely with a set of Knight’s armor, which significantly reduces such attacks. This is even more effective when combined with an appropriate necklace and ring.

Among the three weapons, any could prove effective in this scenario, yet the Greatsword offers an edge by allowing swift counterattacks after blocking. Furthermore, given the numerous chances to retaliate against Skalpel, it’s beneficial to inflict significant damage, and the Greatsword excels at that. Lastly, a build centered around the Greatsword will prioritize strength, enabling you to don heavier armor without suffering a substantial reduction in mobility.

First Form

In the fight against Skalpel, it’s wise to adopt a defensive strategy. This means waiting for him to approach, blocking his attacks when he does, and capitalizing on his recovery periods. He tends to offer numerous opportunities for damage, but surviving his aggressive outbursts is crucial. Acting reactively offers more chances to deal damage, while taking the initiative might result in you receiving heavy blows. Notably, Skalpel has the ability to finish you off rather swiftly.

One of his frequent methods of attack involves two swift horizontal slashes initially, followed by a noticeable vertical slash where he raises his sword vertically over his head. Given its predictability, keep yourself ready to block the descending strike that follows. After successfully blocking this attack, you’ll have an opportunity to counterattack effectively.

If Skalpel begins rolling his casket along the ground, he’ll raise it to attack when he gets close enough to you, so be ready and move to block as soon as he lifts it up. You should find this move relatively simple to Brink Guard against. Again, there will be a good amount of time for you to retaliate after the block.

Leaping Coffin Attacks

A significant chance to inflict harm arises following his high, vaulting, coffin assaults. He possesses several of these, offering varying durations for retaliation. The greater the leap, the longer he’ll need to recuperate. Nevertheless, this assault can manifest in two ways.

Pay close attention to the coffin when Skalpel is soaring through the air, as it becomes conspicuously red-glowing and sports protruding arms at its sides – these are signs that he’s about to make a grab. This tactic isn’t stealthy; instead, it’s quite obvious. Keep an eye on the coffin to anticipate Skalpel’s moves effectively.

When Skalpel initiates a series of actions involving backward hops followed by forward leaps, culminating in a grab, he will execute three consecutive hop and jumping coffin grab attacks. The open coffin will attempt to grab you even if you are positioned behind Skalpel after the first two attacks. To avoid this, dodge to the side and move away from the coffin. For the final leaping attack, dodge behind Skalpel to ensure safety.

Coffin Riding Attack

When Skalpel perches on his casket and commences riding it, each pause triggers a large burst of blood from the casket. To evade this action, simply keep your distance. However, rather than dodging him, target the casket directly. Powerful attacks, such as the Greatsword’s Inner Fury, are effective in halting this move before any explosion occurs.

If you’re wielding dual weapons, the Whirlwind special skill will gobble up your move. To take advantage of this, ensure that you are during the aerial phase of the attack, right when the coffin has come to a halt and is just about to detonate.

Skalpel’s Burst Attacks

Launching a Counteroffensive can be very effective in inflicting significant harm, but his attacks are relatively simple to defend against. This makes it a key element to consider during this battle.

During the initial phase of the battle against Skalpel, his primary Burst attack involves him spinning around before executing a horizontal slice. As soon as the Burst Attack indicator pops up on your screen, wait for his spin and then, act on your counterattack once Skalpel begins to rotate—after the spin. The move isn’t particularly swift, so if you fail to react, it’s likely because you acted too soon.

Instead of waiting for a precise timing with Skalpel’s Burst Attack, you should react swiftly if you notice the Burst Attack symbol appearing when he is at a distance from you. Unlike his other Burst Attacks, this one doesn’t allow for timing the counter. Therefore, if your reflexes don’t catch it in time, consider dodging to the side instead of attempting a counterattack.

5 quick, slightly staggered slices precede the final one, giving you ample opportunity to prepare for a counter-strike, as it’s consistently the burst attack that follows.

Rushing Thrust Attack

In this battle against Skalpel, the moves are quite predictable at first, but they pick up speed once he starts attacking. It’s best to avoid this attack when you’re near a wall so you can counterattack him afterwards. Interestingly, attacking Skalpel from behind won’t reduce his health, but it will significantly deplete his stamina instead. In fact, Skalpel often performs two such moves consecutively.

Second Form

During this stage, Skalpel will regain its full vigor. But it won’t last long. A peculiarity of the subsequent phase is that Skalpel’s health will gradually deplete over time.

In this new form, Skalpel primarily enhances the previous one, but with a few key differences. His strikes are swifter than before, and he seamlessly combines his moves. Moreover, certain attacks now have fresh follow-ups. Additionally, beware as he can unleash an alarming amount of plague in this form upon you.

Second Form Preparation

While Skalpel appears dead, remember he’ll be revived later. Use this interval to boost your abilities as much as possible. This can include healing yourself, using a Plague Resistance Potion or Vitality Sphere, charging up your spirit, applying buffs with your spirit moves, and consuming any other items that might help. You’d be surprised at how many improvements you can make during the time it takes for Skalpel to revive. So don’t forget to maximize this period!

Skalpel’s Second Form Attacks

For instance, in Skalpel’s moveset, his closed coffin slam attacks now conclude with the coffin opening post-slam. This means you should be more vigilant than ever about dodging behind him to dodge those grabs. However, certain aspects of his fighting style remain unchanged. Skalpel will still employ the identical six-hit slashing combo that culminates in a Burst Attack, so keep an eye out for this sequence to counterattack.

In his latest maneuver, his sword will grow in length using an energy akin to a plague. This allows it to cover almost the entire combat area. To avoid getting hit, I recommend dodging during this attack. Fortunately, although the sweep of the sword is immense, it doesn’t move quickly.

Whenever Skalpel jumps back, launches himself upwards and drives his sword into the earth, brace yourself for a beam of plague energy heading your way. Make sure to dodge sideways just as he lands. He will execute this maneuver thrice consecutively.

If Skalpel remains suspended in the air, it indicates that his coffin is about to discharge energy into the ground, which will travel straight towards you. Afterwards, Skalpel will hover above the arena’s center before crashing down. The large puddle of blood left behind will ripple before bursting shortly after. To ensure safety and avoid harm, it would be wise to evade and maintain a safe distance during this sequence. However, he will be incapacitated for a sufficient period following the final attack, providing you with an opportunity to launch a few attacks.

Since his health is steadily declining, it’s perfectly fine to assist him by attacking, but you could certainly bide your time instead. This situation offers an excellent chance to employ your Phantom Form, as you won’t sustain any damage while in this state. If the battle becomes intense and you start taking hits, consider using it as an emergency measure. Additionally, you can utilize this form to remove the plague effect from yourself.

The primary strategy should be to avoid his latest projectile assaults, keep in mind that every coffin slam attack involves a grab element, and defend against the rest of his attacks as you did during the initial phase. Since Skalpel’s time is limited, it’s crucial to play cautiously while capitalizing on the chances he offers you.

2025-04-04 11:35