Hello, warrior! So, you've found yourself facing the formidable Tiger Vanguard. Don't worry, you're not alone. This boss is a true test of skill, patience, and timing. It's a dance of life and death, but with the right moves, you'll be the one left standing. Are you ready to dive in and learn the rhythm of this beast? Let's get started!
Step 1: Preparation is Your Best Friend
Before you even step into the arena, you need to make sure you're properly equipped. Think of this as getting your gear in order before a major expedition. Your success hinges on having the right tools for the job.
Optimize Your Build: The Tiger Vanguard is fast, relentless, and hits like a truck. This isn't a fight where you can tank hits. Stamina is your most precious resource. Invest the majority of your 'sparks' or skill points into the stamina section of your skill tree. This will allow you to dodge more frequently and recover your stamina faster. Don't forget to put a few points into your preferred attack style, whether it's light attacks, heavy attacks, or a mix of both.
Choose Your Stance and Weapon: The right stance can make a world of difference.
Smash Stance: Excellent for dealing massive damage with charged heavy attacks. If you can land these, you'll see his health bar melt.
Thrust Stance: Great for maintaining distance and poking him from afar. The tactical retreat during light attacks is a lifesaver.
Pillar Stance: A good all-around option with decent reach and stagger potential.
Staff Choice: Consider a staff like the Cloud-Patterned Stone Staff if you plan on using charged heavy attacks, as it increases their damage significantly.
Craft Your Consumables: Don't go in empty-handed! Stock up on useful items.
Evil Repelling Medicaments: These are a must-have as they reduce incoming damage.
Tiger Subduing Pellets: Pop these for a temporary attack boost.
Amplification Pellets: Increase your critical hit chance for even more damage.
Equip a Spirit and Curio: Your spirit companion and curios can give you a crucial edge.
Wandering Wight: This spirit can knock the boss out of his 'Rock Solid' form, which is invaluable.
Backscratcher Curio: This increases your maximum stamina, allowing for more rolls.
A Jar Curio: This increases your defense, helping you survive a stray hit.
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| How To Beat The Tiger Vanguard |
Step 2: Mastering the Dance of Dodging
The Tiger Vanguard is a martial artist, and his moves are a complex sequence of punches, kicks, and slashes. You need to learn his rhythm and dodge, not just randomly roll. Think of it as a dance, and you're the one who needs to lead.
Phase 1: The Pugilist
In the first phase, he relies heavily on his fists and kicks. His attacks are fast and furious, but they have predictable openings.
The Opening Leap: As soon as you enter the arena, he will dash to the right and leap into the air. This is his signature opening move. Dodge out of the way as he's about to land. This gives you a great opportunity to land a short light attack combo.
The Two-Hit Combo: He'll often throw two quick punches. Dodge towards his back to avoid the follow-up and get a couple of hits in.
The Delayed Sweep: Be wary of his melee combo that ends with a slightly delayed low sweep. This move is notorious for catching players off guard and can take a large chunk of your health. Focus on dodging the entire combo and do not get greedy with your attacks until he finishes.
The Ground Smash: He may roar and get on all fours before unleashing a single, linear punch. This is a slow attack, and you can easily dodge it or just move out of the way.
Sub-heading: Punish with Focus
QuickTip: Don’t ignore the small print.
Your focus points are key to dealing significant damage. After successfully dodging a combo, you'll have a brief window to land a light attack string and build focus. Once you have a focus point or two, unleash a Resolute Strike or a charged heavy attack.
Step 3: Navigating the Blade
Once you've dealt enough damage, the Tiger Vanguard will unsheathe his sword, adding a new layer of danger to the fight. His sword attacks are quick and can be devastating.
The Horizontal Slash: A single, swift horizontal slash. Easy to dodge in any direction.
The Multi-Hit Sword Combo: This is where he gets tricky. He can unleash a 4-hit combo with a kick, two quick slashes, and a very delayed final slash. This delay is a major trap. You need to dodge the first couple of hits and then wait for that final, delayed swing before dodging again.
The Blood Tornadoes: If you create too much distance, he will summon tornados from the bloody pool. These tornadoes will follow you. The trick is to dodge forward just as they are about to hit you. Once they pass, they will dissipate.
The Ranged Blood Slashes: After summoning tornados, he may follow up with ranged projectile slashes. These are linear, and you can avoid them by repeatedly dodging forward.
Step 4: Dealing with the Stone Form
This is his ultimate defensive maneuver, and it's designed to punish aggressive players.
Rock Solid: He will crouch down and turn into stone. If you attack him during this phase, your weapon will bounce off, and you'll be stunned, leaving you wide open for a counter-attack. Do not attack him when he's in this form.
The Counter-Punch: Sometimes he'll turn to stone and then disappear in a cloud of dust, only to reappear and launch a devastating charged punch. This can be tricky to dodge due to the camera, but the key is to wait for him to reappear and dodge as soon as you see him. This is a perfect time to use your Cloud Step spell to remove yourself from the situation entirely.
Using Spirits and Spells: If you have the Wandering Wight spirit or the Azure Dust spell, you can use them to knock him out of this form, creating a massive opening for damage. The Immobilize spell is also your best friend here. If you can freeze him in place, you can unleash a full-powered combo without fear.
Step 5: The Final Push
As his health gets low, he will become even more aggressive and mix up his attacks. Stay calm and stick to your strategy.
Tip: Focus on sections most relevant to you.
Don't Panic: It's easy to get flustered when he's low on health and you're close to victory. Maintain your patience and discipline.
Stick Close: Staying close to him throughout the fight makes it easier to dodge his moves. When you create distance, he resorts to his most dangerous ranged attacks.
Use Your Transformation: When your transformation gauge is full, use it! It's a great way to deal extra damage and, in some cases, heal yourself.
Go for the Immobilize: If you have a full focus gauge and he's close to death, don't hesitate to use Immobilize to finish him off. Don't give him a chance to use his tricks.
10 Related FAQ Questions
How to find the Tiger Vanguard?
You can find the Tiger Vanguard in the Crouching Tiger Temple, which is located in Chapter 2, past the King of Flowing Sands and through a crack in the wall in the Valley of Despair.
How to deal with the Tiger Vanguard's delayed attacks?
The key is observation and patience. His most dangerous combos often have a fake-out or a delayed final hit. Watch his movements carefully and delay your dodge slightly to match the timing of the final attack. Don't panic-roll.
How to avoid the blood tornadoes?
Tip: Use this post as a starting point for exploration.
The tornados will follow you. The best way to avoid them is to sprint and dodge forward just as they are about to hit you. They will then pass by and disappear.
How to punish the Tiger Vanguard?
The best opportunities to punish him are after his multi-hit combos, especially the ones that end with him staggering or taking a moment to recover. A successful perfect dodge also gives you a window for a quick attack.
How to break the Tiger Vanguard's Rock Solid form?
You cannot break this form with regular attacks. Your weapon will bounce off. You can, however, use certain spirits and spells like the Wandering Wight or Azure Dust to knock him out of it.
How to use spells effectively in this fight?
Spells like Immobilize are incredibly useful for creating damage windows. Use them when you have a full focus gauge and want to land a charged heavy attack or a full combo. Cloud Step is great for escaping his more unpredictable attacks, especially his teleporting punch from the Rock Solid form.
QuickTip: Look for contrasts — they reveal insights.
How to build up focus points?
Landing successful light attacks and performing perfect dodges will build your focus gauge. A good strategy is to use quick light attack combos after dodging his attacks to build up focus and then unleash a powerful heavy attack.
How to choose the best stance for the fight?
The best stance depends on your playstyle. Smash Stance is for high-risk, high-reward players who can land charged heavy attacks. Thrust Stance is great for a more cautious, hit-and-run approach. Experiment with what feels most comfortable for you.
How to manage stamina in the fight?
Invest heavily in stamina upgrades. Avoid unnecessary rolls and attacks. Dodge only when you need to, and take a moment to let your stamina recover after a combo or a series of dodges.
How to start the fight strong?
A good opening is to charge your heavy attack before entering the arena. When the fight begins, he will often leap at you, giving you an opportunity to release your charged attack for a significant amount of damage right at the start.
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