If you’ve been playing Rogue Legacy for any amount of time, you’ve probably come up against the following facts.
- This game is incredibly addicting.
- The difficulty scales incredibly quickly
- The first boss is incredibly hard to beat.
Khalid the Gatekeeper became my holy grail after the first twenty four hours of playtime. He was the reason I would grit my teeth and choose my heir…just one more time.
If I could just beat the first boss then I could retire from this game for a week or two, content that I’d managed to achieve something.
I unlocked every class, dozens of runes and armor pieces. I drilled myself in The Maya to hone my dodging abilities. And I died, many, many times. Finally, I thought I was ready.
The first thing you need to know about Khalid’s boss battle is that there is nowhere to hide. He’s a giant eye, and he sees everything. There isn’t a single nook or cranny in his room to tuck away in, no time to offer a prayer to whatever deity you beg for assistance. If you aren’t quick, calm, and canny – you’re already dead. May Lady Winry II, V & IX rest in peace.
I had been neglecting the Paladin class, lured by the promise of power offered by the likes of the Spellsword and Lich classes. This was a mistake. The special ability of the Paladin – the capability to block incoming damage by raising your shield – is invaluable when you’re fighting Khalid. The ‘A’ key is your friend, but use it wisely as it drains your mana. You want to strike a balance between dodging and blocking, and only use the latter when you know you’re not going to make it. Don’t be afraid to use your spells. I was stuck with the Chakram, which wasn’t ideal but it did the job. Remember, if you dodge its return, it’ll sling back the other way for an extra shot of damage.
Finally, observe his patterns. Khalid knows where you are, and where you’re likely to go. He’ll time his bloody tears to match, and the key is remaining one step ahead of him, Space Invaders style. You have a grace period of perhaps half a second after the first missile is launched to deduce where they’re going, and use that time to start moving in the opposite direction. If he’s launching his cart-wheel attack, either use your shield or vault around the room like the kangaroo you are to stay ahead of the deadly fluid.
It might take two or three attempts, but ultimately Khalid’s fight isn’t as intimidating as it appears on the first run. And the rewards are definitely worth it – not just the coinage, but the hit of adrenaline that’s the motivation you need to close the game and move on with your life–
Dammit, fine. I’ll choose my heir.
C’mon, Chun Li VIII. Let’s do this thing.
