A Complete Strategy Guide for New and Intermediate Players

Facing the West Boss in Hyper Light Drifter can be intimidating at first, but with the right strategy, tools, and timing, you can conquer this encounter with consistency. This guide breaks down each phase of the fight, offers key tips, and highlights common mistakes to avoid. Let’s get started.

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Boss Overview

The West Boss features unpredictable and aggressive AI that rewards precision and patience. The key to victory lies in staying close, controlling the boss’s positioning, and responding quickly to visual and audio cues.

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Preparation Before the Fight

1. Practice in Naked Mode

Use Naked Mode to focus on clean execution without distractions. This helps you learn enemy patterns and positioning fundamentals.

2. Understand Your Arsenal

• Sword: Your bread-and-butter melee weapon. Fast, reliable, and recharges ammo on hit.
• Pistol: Useful for poking at the boss between melee exchanges.
• Shotgun: Excellent burst damage when used at close range but harder to land consistently.

3. Master the Dash Chain

Practice chaining dashes to stick to the boss at all times. Maintaining proximity controls its behavior and limits its more dangerous ranged options.

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Fight Breakdown: Phase-by-Phase

Phase 1: Establish Control

• Initial Dash In: Start the fight by dashing directly toward the boss to prevent it from retreating.
• Strike-and-Move: After it attacks, land a quick hit or two (plink), then dash at an angled direction rather than straight away.
• Stay Aggressive: Keeping close limits the boss’s leap range and makes attack patterns easier to read.

Phase 2: Reactive Combat

• Shockwave Recognition: When the boss prepares a radial shockwave, dash before the animation completes.
• Alternate Damage Sources: Mix in pistol shots when you’re recovering stamina or positioning.
• Dash with Intent: Adjust your angles and timing to stay just off-center—this keeps you in a safe, effective range.

Phase 3: The Final Stretch

• Faster Patterns: As the boss nears defeat, its attacks become faster and more frantic.
• Defensive Priority: If you’re low on health, shift to a more dodge-heavy strategy and strike only during clear openings.
• Finish Strong: Save your shotgun bursts for these final moments, then follow up with sword hits to recharge ammo if needed.

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Essential Tips and Tactics

✅ Stay Close at All Times

This boss behaves more erratically when you’re far away. Staying close keeps its movements more predictable and gives you more chances to deal damage safely.

✅ Watch and Listen for Cues

• Use animation tells to anticipate attack types.
• Audio cues can help time your dodges with pinpoint accuracy.

✅ Maximize Your Offense

• Plinking slows down the boss slightly and gives you room to plan your next move.
• Well-timed shotgun shots can significantly reduce the boss’s health if used carefully.

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Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Dashing Directly Backwards

This increases the distance between you and the boss, making its leap attacks harder to read and dodge.

❌ Getting Greedy

Landing multiple hits feels good—until you get punished for it. Focus on clean, 1-2 hit combos and reposition.

❌ Losing Positional Control

When you’re out of place, the boss gains the upper hand. Practice resetting your positioning through dashes instead of backpedaling.

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Conclusion

The West Boss in Hyper Light Drifter is a great test of skill and awareness. With practice, proper positioning, and smart weapon use, this fight becomes less about brute force and more about rhythm and timing. Stay close, dash with precision, and you’ll turn a tough challenge into a satisfying victory.

Good luck, Drifter—and keep pushing forward.