How To Defeat Shactuka In The First Berserker: Khazan

The First Berserker: Khazan features a variety of challenging bosses that can give you a tough time if you dare to underestimate them. You will have to use everything in your arsenal to defeat these bosses, and there’s nothing quite like the accomplishment you feel after overcoming them.

Shactuka is the ninth main story boss in the game, and while it hits very hard, it’s pretty easy to avoid most of its attacks. Some of its attacks can be extremely delayed, making them difficult to counter, but if you stay patient, you’ll be able to overcome them with ease.

Preparations For The Shactuka Boss Battle

Shacktuka is the final boss of the Inconceivable Truth mission, and it can inflict the Plague status effect with ease on Khazan, so you should have a few Plague Cleanse Potions in your inventory.

If you don’t have any Plague Cleanse Potions, you can go to the blacksmith in the Crevice to craft some after you’ve obtained the Plague Disruption Parchment.

Other than the Plague Cleanse Potions, there’s nothing that you specifically need for this boss fight. Any weapon type works fine, provided that you’ve equipped the one with the highest damage.

For armor, you can equip at least two pieces of the Nomad armor set to get that extra Plague resistance for maximum protection against the status effect.

The Plague status effect causes Khazan to freeze in place and cough blood if he runs out of stamina while being inflicted by it, and you can’t afford to have that happen in this boss battle.

How To Defeat Shactuka

Shactuka isn’t that much of a threat compared to the other bosses you’ve faced so far. Its attacks are slow but can deal a ton of damage.

The boss can inflict the Plague status effect with any attack that utilizes its mouth or its arm, which turns pink in the middle of the battle when Shactuka coats it in a Plague-inflicting substance for a limited duration.

While it is recommended that you block most of its attacks, whenever it brings out its Plague Arm, you should try to dodge it as much as possible, because simply blocking any attack from it will cause the Plague status effect to build up on you.

Shactuka also likes to jump a lot around the arena, but you don’t have to follow it. Just wait for it to come to you or attack you. The boss recovers very slowly on certain attacks, giving you enough time to deal enough damage.

5-Hit Combo

Shactuka will attack Khazan with each arm several times, and finish it with an attack where it brings together both of its hands and slams the ground. The perfect way to deal with this attack is to Brink Parry each hit, dodge the final attack, and retaliate.

If Shactuka’s arm is glowing pink, you will have to dodge every hit instead, because blocking it will fill up the Plague gauge. Dodging and then attacking after the final hit gives you enough time to land more attacks with more stamina to spare compared to simply guarding against it.

The boss will jump ahead of Khazan, turning its back on you. It will then unleash a powerful kick with both of its legs. All you have to do against this attack is to block it. Even if you run out of stamina, the boss will not attack you afterward before you can recover.

While you can also avoid this attack by dodging, it’s simply too risky, and there’s not much room to attack the boss in return after a perfect dodge.

Backturn Arm Swing

The boss will often use this attack after the Backfoot Kick. It slowly turns to face you while launching a quick attack with one of its hands.

You have to avoid this attack at all costs, whether by blocking or by dodging because after this attack, the boss will fall to the ground and will take a lot of time to recover.

The best way to attack after avoiding this move is to simply run in and do a charged sprint Potent Blow. The attack will land on its back, which will deal additional damage to it.

Jumping Swing

Shactuka will jump into the air and land a delayed swing. Keep holding back, and you’ll be able to block this attack. The boss will jump to the back after landing this attack, and it will immediately perform another attack, so you’ll have to be ready for it.

Don’t chase the boss after this attack, wait for it to do another attack, because most of the follow-ups that the boss usually uses after this attack are very slow to recover, and you can get your turn then.

Backturn Twin Arm Swing

The animation of this attack is very similar to the Backturn Arm Swing, but Shactuka attacks with both of its arms this time. After executing this attack, the boss will lay flat on the ground for a while, and you can approach it to deal a ton of damage.

Make sure you aim for its face because the boss takes increased damage to it.

One Arm Swing Into Dive Attack

The boss attacks the ground with one of its arms and then immediately jumps back to the distance, only to dive at you shortly after with its face in the front. Make sure you block this attack or dodge it because its recovery is also very slow.

As the boss lies on the ground after executing this attack, make sure to get the most out of this opportunity by doing as many attacks as possible until the boss stands back up.

Triple Bite Combo

Shactuka will bite at you thrice with its plague-inflicting mouth, and then, after a short delay, it will finish the combo with a final attack with its mouth. You want to dodge each hit of this attack because blocking it will cause you to build up the Plague status effect.

The Dual Wield users have an advantage while dealing with this attack because you can do a swift attack into the whirlwind combo, and you’ll automatically avoid the final attack. However, after finishing up the attack, the boss will lie on the ground for a while, so you can also use that opportunity to deal damage to it.

Grab Attack

After certain attacks where Shactuka jumps back to do another attack, it may choose to do a grab attack with its mouth. You’ll hear an audio cue before the grab attack and that’s your signal to press dodge.

Bite The Hand

After the boss has lost at least a quarter of its HP, it will often bite its left hand, and it will turn pink, inflicting the Plague status effect with each hit. This attack is unblockable, so you’ll have to use a counterattack to deal with it.

The attack is very delayed, so you’ll have to be very patient and only press the counterattack button when you see that the arm is about to hit you.

Scratching Hand

The boss will scratch the ground with its hand and then do a swinging attack with its other arm. If the boss has lost at least a quarter of its HP, then it will use the scratch attack twice before unleashing the swing attack.

Keep holding the block button until you’ve blocked the swing attack. Dodging it is risky because of the threat of the second scratch.

Charging Claw

The boss will dig its hand into the ground and will charge at you. Shactuka often uses this attack when there’s a lot of distance between itself and Khazan.

It is an unblockable attack, but counterattacking is very challenging due to the strike being very delayed. But, you can avoid this attack much more easily by dodging to the side.

Pink Hand Thrust

While its left hand is already pink, the boss will bite it once again, only to throw a quick thrust attack at you. You can easily predict this attack and hit the dodge button at the appropriate time to avoid it.

Keep making use of the opportunities this boss gives you after avoiding each attack successfully, and you’ll be able to bring it down easily.

Furthermore, after you’ve staggered the boss, make sure to position yourself quickly in front of its face, because its face is the only place where you’ll be able to launch a Brutal Attack.

After you’ve defeated the boss, you’ll receive a shocking revelation from Yulian, who you’ve just managed to save. The rewards for defeating the boss are often randomized, but you may receive a Beast’s Jawbone, which is required to craft the Beastslayer set and weapon, alongside receiving a Beastslayer equipment piece.