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At the beginning ofStellar Blade’s plot, the playable character Eve’s stated mission is to wipe out all the Alpha Naytiba, monstrous beings that have forced humanity to take refuge among the stars. On a mission to track down one of her prey, she encounters Stalker, a beast with a loop of rotating teeth and massive claws.
While not an Alpha, this Naytiba still presents a decent challenge, forcing you to “get good” at parrying or suffer dearly. Prepare for your reflexes to be tested as you try to bring this monster down, then continue your search for even greater threats.
How To Defeat Stalker
Here are some of the attacks you can expect from Stalker:
Blockable?
Claw Slashes
Stalker reaches into the air and brings its claws down on you in a flurry of strikes.
Yes, farm this attack for parries and wear down its Balance.
Head Charge
Stalker puts its head down and charges right at you, falling over if it misses.
No. However, you have a few moments to attack it after it has fallen.
Teeth Grind
Stalker grabs you and grinds you against its rotating teeth.
No, but you’re able to Blink through it and attack from behind.
While Stalker has a variety of attacks that force you to dodge or use other evasive maneuvers, it seems clear thatthe boss fight was designed with the intention of testing your parry skills. It will use its claw-slashing attacks often, alwayssignaling its use to you by flashing red, and you shouldtry to land as many parries as you canto destroy its Balance.
Stalker willsometimes end its barrage of blows with a strike that requires a Repulseinstead of parrying.Look for the purple flash on your sword, then dodge backward anduse your drone to shoot its exposed weak point, located on the beast’s back shoulder.
Parrying is of extreme importancein this boss fight.Stalker has 12 Balance charges, so you’ll have to focus and perfect your timing if you want to use Retribution.
Stalker has a few unblockable attacks up its sleeve,but they’re very well telegraphedand shouldn’t trouble you too much. One sees it charge directly at you, another has it sticking its head in the ground flinging debris, and it’ll also attempt to jump and land on you headfirst.Dodge away from these tactics, then approach Stalker again tobait its claw slashes once more.
You’ll notice asecond phase of the fight starting when you’ve taken about a third of Stalker’s health, marked by an unblockable roar that pushes you backwards. After this point,it will add an attackwhere it can grab you and grind your body against it’s rotating teeth. Thankfully,you can blink through this assault, and use powerful offensive techniques after it whiffs.
Claw slashesbecome slightly more erraticat this stage. Stalker won’t swing as much,may fall down after a few swings, and couldend a combo with an unblockable variation. The key is tobe cognizant of these changes, attacking if Stalker loses its footing and dodging if you have to.
Twice during the fight,you’ll have QTEs where you have to mash Square. These occur around the middle and end of the battle, dealing marginal damage to Stalker. During the ending cinematic,you’ll need to press Triangle, finally putting this menacing creature down for good.
When you collect the loot Stalker dropped,you’ll unlock Burst Skills, adding another offensive tool to your arsenal. These are earned byperforming successful Perfect Dodge, Blink, and Repulse maneuvers.
