Another day, another boss in Mortal Shell 2. As you’ve no doubt figured out by now, bosses are almost as prevalent as normal enemies (not quite), and they all provide a range of challenges. The Subjugated Guardian is likely an enemy type you’ll be familiar with by the point you encounter him, with many a Crossbowhead in your path to his arena. Don’t worry though; even if you’re struggling, we’ll run you through the specific tips and tricks on how to beat the Subjugated Guardian in Mortal Shell 2.
Subjugated Guardian Location in Mortal Shell 2
When you find the Subjugated Guardian, you’ll understand his name a little more. In a castle in the bottom half of the map, near the Westernmost Corrupted Gate and Gate of Mammon beacon, the only struggle to get to him will be the many enemies between you and your spawn point.
As soon as you spawn, head up the stairway right next to you, then follow the next one too. You’ll know you’re going in the right direction as there will be a crossbowman on the stairway. In the next level, go past the heavy knight and a couple of archers into the room behind them, and then look for a doorway leading to the dungeon on the right side of the room.
Now, follow the linear path of the dungeon until its natural end, where you’ll be greeted with the not-so-lovely-sight of the Subjugated Guardian, flanked by a few of his friends.
How to Beat the Subjugated Guardian in Mortal Shell 2
When you enter the arena, you’ll notice the Subjugated Guardian isn’t alone. On either side, high up on ledges are two similar enemies. Crossbows in their heads, they act and attack in a similar fashion to our boss, and need to be taken out quickly. The first time I tried this fight, with three firing continuously at me, it was more dodging than it was attacking, and I ended up succumbing to multiple hits. This was because I didn’t realise you can get to the other two. You can. First though, my build:
- Eredrim Shell – Location here.
- Veteran’s Battle Axe – Location here.
- Troubadour Lute.
- Vatra Seal.
- Marksman’s Stone – Increases crit chance of ranged weapons.
- Retribution Stone – Increases Riposte damage.
- Deadeye Stone – Increases ranged crit damage.
- Berserker Stone – Increases damage output the lower your health is.
Either side has a set of stairs that leads to the higher ledge. Search for them; they’re not hidden away, and then quickly dispatch the crossbowhead enemy there. Be mindful that you can still be struck by the other two, so dodge regularly in between attacks. Pro-tip: position yourself with the enemy in between, and the crossbow bolts will instead hit him, helping you. When you’ve killed one, kill the other on the other side, and now this boss fight becomes a cakewalk.
Return to the centre of the arena again, and face the Subjugated Guardian. Even though it’s now just him, his attacks do pack a punch, so don’t rest on your laurels. I’d suggest dodging, rather than hardening or parrying his attacks, and making good use of your Shell’s abilities.
Due to the regularity of his bolts, it’s hard to time your Shoulder Bash properly, normally resulting in a bolt to the face. If you can pull it off, same as if you can use the Lute, the break damage will hurt him and you’ll quickly be able to pull off a Riposte attack. If not, focus on dodging his bolts, get in close, and attack normally. Be careful of his close-proximity attacks though, and these ones you should harden/parry to build up Break damage quickly.
In truth, the Subjugated Guardian isn’t that much of a special boss. He’s not really any different to the standard crossbowhead enemies, just with a little more health and packs much more of a punch. If you can beat one or two of them, you can definitely beat him. The bigger challenge is getting to the arena with full health through the gauntlet of firing bolts on the way in, if we’re being completely honest.
Once you’ve figured out how to beat the Subjugated Guardian in Mortal Shell 2 and accomplished it, you’ll get the following rewards:
- Gloom
- Glimpse
- Ballistazooka
For your next read don’t miss our review of Mortal Shell 2, or our tips and tricks to make the game so much easier.
Luke Addison is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Thumb Wars. Having previously been a part of multiple outlets over the years, including building an entire gaming team from nothing to something, he thought it best to forge his own path and answer only to himself. As likely to be found playing the latest game as he is in the kitchen relaxing (by cooking), he always brings the same bold and brash attitude to everything he does, with a heavy leaning on sarcasm and dry wit!
