THE INTERCEPTOR
SPEARHEADThe first boss. Circles the arena slowly and never stops -- until its move.
Never parries.
THE MOVE
Stops dead and fires one heavy three-bolt spear straight down the announced line.
THE TELL
The name flashes, the hull beats white, a marker grows where you were standing.
THE ANSWER
Face it and parry. The spear flies straight back down the lane into a boss that is not moving. This fight teaches the language every later boss speaks.
THE DREADNOUGHT
RAMMING SPEEDA charger. Closes the distance and strafes when it gets near.
Never parries.
THE MOVE
Hurls itself most of the way down the announced line and lays a wake of eight bolts behind it.
THE TELL
The hull flash accelerates, the marker grows on your position, then it LEAPS.
THE ANSWER
Step off the line. Standing on it is fatal; standing beside it is free.
THE HIVE CARRIER
BROOD BURSTDrifts lazily near the middle and lets its swarm do the work. Summons escorts all fight long.
Never parries.Summons minions continuously.
THE MOVE
Drops a fresh swarm directly ON you -- not near itself -- plus a ten-bolt ring.
THE TELL
Green flash, marker on your position: the brood is coming to YOU.
THE ANSWER
Be somewhere else by the time it lands. You cannot out-shoot a swarm being born on top of you.
THE SCARAB
CARAPACE SPINA spinner on a tight central orbit. At half health it enters PHASE 2 and changes what it does entirely.
Never parries.Phase 2 at half health.
THE MOVE
A WINDMILL: four solid arms of slow bolts sweeping around the hull for three full seconds.
THE TELL
Gold flash, then the arms appear and begin to turn.
THE ANSWER
Rotate with the blades. It is not a pattern you dodge once -- it is a moving object you keep moving with.
THE MANTIS
DOUBLE STRIKEA dasher. Weaves fast, in and out, never where it was a second ago.
Never parries.
THE MOVE
Two fast five-bolt crosses: the first down the announced line, the second aimed at wherever you are NOW.
THE TELL
Mint flash, marker on the line it intends to cross.
THE ANSWER
Dodging the first cross is not the answer -- the second one follows you. Keep moving THROUGH, never settle.
THE ORB-SENTINEL
PULSE WALLHovers dead centre with a tiny wobble, pulsing rings outward. The first boss that parries your shots back (40%).
Parries 40% of your bolts.
THE MOVE
The wall closes IN: a huge ring of bolts materialises at the arena's edge, centred on you, and converges.
THE TELL
Sky-blue flash -- then the whole horizon lights up at once.
THE ANSWER
Run to the gap. There is exactly one, dead on the announced bearing, and it is a place you must GO.
THE CLAWED HORROR
RENDA zigzag-charger that jukes side to side as it advances on you.
Never parries.
THE MOVE
A wide, fast fifteen-bolt claw sweep across its whole front arc.
THE TELL
Red flash and the claws visibly draw back.
THE ANSWER
Get behind it. Only the front is dangerous -- this boss teaches flanking.
THE PHANTOM
AFTERIMAGEA teleporter. Blinks to a new angle every few seconds and parries over half of what you throw at it (55%).
Parries 55% of your bolts.Teleports.
THE MOVE
Four ghost-flashes ring your position -- your position NOW, not where you were -- and all fire inward at once.
THE TELL
Violet flash; four decoy blinks bloom in a ring around your position.
THE ANSWER
Do not stand still. The bolts take a moment to arrive; motion started when the ghosts bloom beats them.
THE BASTION
CALL THE SKYA fortress. Barely moves, casts walls of fire, and every 12 seconds shields itself behind a 32-bolt nova.
Never parries.Shield phase every 12s (brief invulnerability + nova).
THE MOVE
Telegraphed LIGHTNING. Glow pools on the ground under and around you; moments later the bolts fall, striking twice, with thunder.
THE TELL
The ground itself lights up -- a glowing pool on every strike point, almost a full second before the sky answers.
THE ANSWER
LEAVE. This is the one attack in the game your deflector cannot answer: it comes from above, and the shield guards the horizontal. Boost out of the lit ground.
THE REAPER
REAPA pendulum. Swings across the top of the arena and swoops down at you.
Never parries.
THE MOVE
One enormous 22-bolt scythe arc that sweeps across the whole arena toward your side.
THE TELL
Pink flash and the scythe visibly gathers at one end of its swing.
THE ANSWER
Cross THROUGH the boss to the side it just swept. Running from the arc loses a footrace you cannot win.
THE ARACHNID
RICOCHETA bouncer. Travels in straight lines and ricochets off the arena bounds.
Never parries.
THE MOVE
Twelve bolts fired outward in a wide star -- and every one BOUNCES off the arena bounds, twice, with a flash at each wall.
THE TELL
Yellow flash; the star goes out and the arena walls light up with returns.
THE ANSWER
Think one bounce ahead. The safe ground now is where a return path crosses in a second -- watch the walls, not the boss.
THE VORTEX-SAUCER
MAELSTROMOrbits with a big radius swing, spiralling in and out. Parries 70% of your fire.
Parries 70% of your bolts.
THE MOVE
The INHALE: for two and a half seconds the saucer drags your ship toward it, into a slow ring of fire.
THE TELL
Blue flash -- and then you feel it: your ship starts sliding toward the saucer.
THE ANSWER
Fight the current. Boost out-muscles the pull; drifting does not. The only move in the game that moves YOU.
THE LEVIATHAN
TIDAL WAVEWeaves the arena in a huge figure-8.
Never parries.
THE MOVE
A wall of bolts across the entire arena with exactly ONE gap -- dead on the bearing it announced.
THE TELL
Cyan flash; the wave assembles as a visible line with a hole in it.
THE ANSWER
Commit early. The gap is never in doubt and never moves -- this one is a test of nerve, not of reading.
THE NEEDLE-LANCE
RAILGUNA sniper. Holds a far position, repositions occasionally, and parries 80% of what reaches it.
Parries 80% of your bolts.
THE MOVE
One instant six-bolt lance -- a solid rod of fire down the announced line, at twice normal bolt speed.
THE TELL
Red flash and the line is drawn straight at you. Then it fires.
THE ANSWER
Leave the line. That is the whole move and the whole answer -- the purest version of the contract every boss makes.
THE PRISM
PRISM CAGEThe finale, flying the Warlord's hull. Blinks between the four cardinal points, shields itself behind novas, summons escorts, and parries almost everything (95%).
Parries 95% of your bolts.Shield phase, summons, quad-teleport.
THE MOVE
Four walls of bolts converge on the announced point from the cardinal directions -- with the corners left open.
THE TELL
White flash from wherever it just blinked to; all four walls assemble at once.
THE ANSWER
Take a diagonal. The corners are always open. Everything the previous fourteen taught -- read the shape, find the gap, commit early -- at once.