Welcome to Part 3 of the Skul: The Hero Slayer guide, where we’ll explore everything Act 3 throws at you — from room-to-room threats and the chaotic adventurer trio, to the towering boss at the end: the Chimera. This part builds on the foundation from earlier guides, and assumes you’ve already picked up the essential Flexible Spine witch trait — it’s not just useful, it’s crucial for surviving what’s ahead.
Let’s dissect Act 3’s biological battlefield and the volatile enemies that call it home.
Exploding Lab Enemies: Danger by Design
Act 3 is set in a grim laboratory where just about everything explodes. Be it enemies, traps, or even the environment, expect after-death retaliation mechanics to test your spacing and awareness.
- Footman: Looks familiar but faster than earlier versions. Upon death, they emit a red glow and detonate after about one second. When you see the exclamation mark above them, back off immediately.
- Red & Green Vials: Breakable objects that release ghosts.
- Green Vials: Small white ghosts float and bite slowly.
- Red Vials: Kamikaze-style red ghosts that charge at you and explode. Dash or stay moving to avoid damage. You can ignore leftover ghosts once core enemies are cleared.
- Ogres: Intimidating but easy once understood. They attack with three club swings:
- Two toward your current position.
- A third that tracks your new location.
Dash past during early swings, hit them in the back, and reposition. They can be stun-locked briefly but explode when killed — reposition right away.
- Evil Trees: Recycled from Act 1, now more aggressive.
- Red circles indicate their targeted root attacks.
- Stay close, and they’ll glow white before poking you with sharp branches. They’ll repeat this endlessly if you remain in range. Use large-range weapons or hit-and-run tactics to stay safe.
- These also explode on death — maintain distance.
- Large Alchemists: High-priority threats.
- Can summon purple golems that either shoot large projectiles or perform AOE melee attacks with follow-up explosions.
- Also throw ghost-spawning vials — either red or white, sometimes one, sometimes many.
- The good news: their attack types are consistent after they first reveal themselves.
- They don’t explode on death — small mercy.
- Summoners: Will trigger a ritual that summons a golem if not killed quickly. You must defeat both summoners before the cast completes to cancel it.
- If even one remains alive at the end of the ritual, the golem appears.
- Summoners auto-die upon summoning, and their golems don’t have to be killed to clear the room.
Optional Golem Mechanics
Should a golem appear, know this:
- The first attack is a rushing charge, triggered when you’re within its horizontal range.
- Other attacks include:
- Exploding quartz crystals in melee range.
- Ranged quartz explosions.
- Wide mouth beam that travels horizontally.
Each attack has generous windups. Dash through and counter from behind. Golems drop a bit of gold and quartz, but skipping them is often safer.
Act 3 Adventurer Fight: A True Test
Act 3’s adventurer trio is no joke. With more synergy, more pressure, and ultimate attacks that are harder to interrupt, this fight can feel like a damage and decision-making check.
- Randomized team combinations keep you on your toes.
- The Priestess, in particular, is a high-threat unit. She acts as a literal damage check. If she appears, focus her immediately.
- This fight is difficult not just due to power, but because of how fast everything unfolds.
Practice and knowledge of each adventurer’s patterns are key. If you’re struggling, keep grinding. Having the most expensive witch traits unlocked by now is more than helpful — it’s nearly essential.
Boss Battle: The Chimera – Act 3’s Final Obstacle
The Chimera might be intimidating, but the real challenge is juggling her many mechanics — not any one move in isolation. Here’s a full breakdown:
Phase 1 Mechanics:
- Container Drop + Minions:
- Containers fall from above (they can hurt you), releasing dog-like minions.
- Minions have low HP and can be killed by Chimera’s own attacks.
- Decide whether to clear them or let her do it for you.
- Bouncing Purple Glob:
- She launches large sludge balls that bounce chaotically.
- Avoid panic. Watch bounce patterns and find safe spots.
- Purple Sludge Waterfalls:
- Constant tick damage if you stand in them.
- Warning signs include a roar and debris from the ceiling.
- Sludge leaks show where waterfalls will fall — pre-position accordingly.
- Three-Fall Sludge Orbs:
- Slow descent, big splash. Stay airborne or find safe middle spots.
- Bite Attack:
- Easily missed while watching other mechanics.
- Dash through it, but better yet — avoid standing mid-range to prevent it altogether.
- Repeated Stomp:
- If you’re near, she’ll stomp several times.
- Easier to react to than the bite. Dash through or away.
Phase 2 Transition:
- She jumps away, triggering a red floor glow. Her body is also a hitbox.
- Jump + dash to stay safe.
- Two platforms fall — avoid standing underneath.
- She sprays sludge in an arc, then destroys the platforms as sludge rains from above.
Secret Technique: Dash through the sludge spray as it rises — this keeps you close enough to deal damage while avoiding it. Then dash again to dodge the stomp.
Final Phase:
All previous attacks return, but now faster and possibly in overlapping combinations. She’ll also redo her Phase 2 transition move again if the fight drags on.
Final Thoughts
Despite the chaos, Chimera isn’t the hardest boss — not by a long shot. Many players struggle more with the Act 2 boss or the third adventurer fight. With a bit of practice, the timing and mechanics become manageable.
Once again: Get Flexible Spine. Unless you like pain.
That’s it for Part 3! You’ve now got all the tools to experiment, adapt, and conquer Act 3’s biomechanical nightmare. Good luck, and keep pushing forward — Part 4 will arrive after the game’s full release on the 21st.
Thanks for reading, and as always, happy slaying!
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