Skyrim: Now THAT'S a boss fight!

[Trippy Turtle]

I have no idea where it was but next to a word wall there was a trap door. I fell into said trap door and ended up in a cage that had an expert lock but I only had the three lockpicks that I looted of the body that was in the cage. So, while picking an expert lock I had a mage trying to kill me that could one hit me. I FINALLY manage to get out of the cage and then spent a good 25 minutes trying to kill that bastard. He was probably my toughest fight yet.

On another note I get so annoyed when I have to watch a cutscene repeatedly when I fail a boss.

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

Best fight I've had in Skyrim?

Fighting a dragon.

As a werewolf.

Transmission ends.

 

[Ilikemilkshake]

I forget what the boss was called, but it was one of the Dragon Priests. He's up on a mountain next to a dragon mound. I was playing on the hardest difficulty as a mage and i was level 11 at the start of the fight.

After over half an hour of battle (something like 10 hours in game time) i stood victorious above the smouldering remains of the Priest and the Dragon, finishing at about level 15 (i had gained something like 30 conjuration, 10 one handed, 15 destruction, 10 illusion and 10 restoration levels)

Possibly one of the toughest fights ive ever had in a game. (also i didn't use a single potion)

 

[krazykidd]

Today, I've begun a proper mage playthrough. I've had trouble with mages [http://forums.bethsoft.com/topic/1341625-help-casting-is-too-difficult-to-level/page__fromsearch__1] before, but this character Is basically clearing various dungeons, moreso than my other characters (Warriors who just level naturally and my rogues who can still level up and earn money in cities).
So, it's been moderately successful thus far. That was just some backstory.

I'm still fairly squishy mind you, but that's par for the course for mages.

I had my eyes on the Dawnbreaker [http://uesp.net/wiki/Skyrimawnbreaker] as my chosen "mage" weapon (Though I'm not sure recharging adds to enchanting skill?) because an artifact is better than anything I could find or craft, and will probably hold me for a long time.

So I began The Break of Dawn [http://uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:The_Break_of_Dawn] right at the requisite level of 12. Damn first part made me go through hell and back in order to get the beacon (Had to go through a dwarven ruin where it drops you - the falling rocks instakilled me several times, even a mere touch).

But again, that's just some backstory.

Finally doing the quest proper, and I come across this bastard [http://uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Malkoran]. I'm level 12 on novice, mind you.
First go, he one-shots me with a ranged snow spell. I reload the autosave at the door, so I kill a couple of the shades again and save in front of the boss plus his backup.




I die about five more times, each surviving more and more. During though few times I find that I happened to have some resist frost potions, dropped from a few Ice Wraiths I killed in my travels. That helped me survive his usual one-shot spell (though I learned to try to not get hit from it to begin with, as this fight pretty much kills all my health potions).

Anyway. Funny part is, I finally get him after an Impact perk spell staggers him, and I -rush- in and slap him with Flames+Melee, not even bothering with the four shades that support him yet. For some reason he didn't employ his one-shot spell in melee range so I survive, with a lot of healing still.
Thankfully his little popup shade when he dies wasn't as difficult.

Now, that's a lot of text for the point I'm getting at:

THANK YOU, Skyrim. THANK YOU for giving me something that actually felt like a freaking boss.
I admit I sometimes go into autopilot when playing Skyrim (Powerlevel this, do this quest, get that artifact, beat this questline for that piece of armor, etc) but this really forced me to think, and it brought back the feelings of accomplishment. The kind in other games where a boss kills you a few times while you figure out how he works - the perfect amount of challenge. I found myself not even MINDING the deaths because I would just think, "Okay, so let's try this..." rather than "GOD, AGAIN?!"

So, thank you.

To keep this thread alive (hopefully?), you may post your own memorable experiences regarding difficult fights or whatnot.

Wait did you say you were playing on novice ? Then you complain about auto-piloting skyrim? ThenYou say you feel overjoyed when faced with a situation where something wasn't easy? Colour me confused ....

OT: Nyx from persona 3 and lucifer from SMT: Nocturne also the final boss from SMT: strange journey ... Now THOSE are hard boss fights.

 

[ChupathingyX]

My best experience with boss fights was trying to kill Lu Bu for the first time in Dynasty Warriors 4.

Ahhh, I remember all those countless attempts like it was yesterday...

You mean at Hu Lao gate? I seem to remember him being a nightmare there, despite it being a 2-star mission.

Yep, that's the one.

DW4 was my first DW game and when I encountered Lu Bu for the first time I didn't know what to expect.

A couple of seconds later suddenly there was a "Game Over" screen in front of me...

 

[BabyRaptor]

Doesn't anyone encounter that teleport dude in skyrim? That guy is freaking hard if you are low level.

Do tell?
My random encounters are minimal. I fast travel too much, I think. Unless I'm on a character with specific plans to explore. But even then I don't do enough quests to activate various encounters.

Oh! that guy for the Galadur Amulet!
http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Geirmund%27s_Hall
Taught me to whip out a shield.

That guy. Fuck that guy. *shudders from memory*

 

[EHKOS]

You want a boss fight?! Play Castlevania Lords of Shadow on the hardest difficulty right from the beginning. Straight up brutal. Every encounter is a boss fight lol.

I know, I'm on normal and those Warg things suck.

OT: Azezla. Fuck you you purple/red glowing Egyption dragon thing.

 

[Soviet Steve]

Oh man, actual boss fights? You mean they don't just lock you down for a cutscene? Might have to consider this when it's on offer now.

 

[Rack]

The Asura's quest is kind of the opposite side to this. The quest ends with a fight against a mage and his 3 followers all of whom spam fireballs and other aoe. It takes place in a narrow corridor so there's no room to manoeuvre or any kind of strategy, it's just a check on how powerful your character is or if you save scum past it.

 

[Shinsei-J]

And while we're on the subject of hard RPG bosses, how about Minamimoto/Leo Cantus in The World Ends With You?

[raises JRPG flame shield]

-Can't be damaged at all for the first minute or two
-Very high defense, making the fight marathon-length
-Only able to be hit by one character at a time
-Attacks hit hard and are hard to avoid if you go overboard with attacking
-Teleports, usually when you're attacking (there's a trick to this but I'll let you work it out yourself)
-Whole bunch of smaller enemies bothering the other character

And trust me, it's unbelievably cathartic when you finally win. It might be annoying to get to that point, but it's completely doable without any luck.

That was one of the best times I've ever had in gaming but my favorite boss fight is still Sephiroth in KH2 that was just to much fun and to good.

 

[SadisticBrownie]

The best way to get boss fights like that is to only very occasionally choose to level up your health, and always aim for magicka. When you get to the harder enemies, they can almost all one-shot kill you from a distance.

My most epic fight was fighting 10 Draugr Deathlords at once. Sure, it was a big area so I could run and dodge, but it took a lot of concentration. This was outside a ruin you get to as part of the main quest.

If you mean the bit I think you do (Skuldafn), then yes, it was horrible. So many deaths from being shouted off ledges and their hugely damaging bows. I was around level 60 and it was still really hard.

 

[Whoatemysupper]

Doesn't anyone encounter that teleport dude in skyrim? That guy is freaking hard if you are low level.

Do tell?
My random encounters are minimal. I fast travel too much, I think. Unless I'm on a character with specific plans to explore. But even then I don't do enough quests to activate various encounters.

It's a "boss" that you encounter in some ruin, can't tell you exactly which one. You can trigger Meridia's quest in there so I though that you already gone past it...

It's called Lost Histories and is unlocked by reading a certain book right? You do mean the teleporting Draugr archer right?

 

[Call me Baz]

Doesn't anyone encounter that teleport dude in skyrim? That guy is freaking hard if you are low level.

snip

Oh! that guy for the Galadur Amulet!
http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Geirmund%27s_Hall
Taught me to whip out a shield.

That guy. Fuck that guy. *shudders from memory*

Funnily enough I got him to glitch out. I ran right up to him before to teleported to a platform, I stood behind his coffin/sarcophagus and shot arrow after arrow at him while he did ... well nothing, apart from teleport around a little without ever looking at me.

OT: Divine Dragon in Legend of the Dragoon was challenging (and therefore nice for me), Lu Bu in most DW games (3-6) is a square-square-triangle-fest, taking 0.1mm off his meter long health bar without making each battle last >45 minutes.

Also, last wave of strangers dream in Bastion frustrated me, partially because it took a while to clear the waves leading up to it ...

 

[nokori3byo]

trying to save my pilot in deus ex as a sneaky mc jenson was hard as hell but when i pulled it off i felt warm inside that the only character i actually liked was still alive.

I actually did that on my Pacifist/Insanity run. Easy enough if you know what to bring and in what order to take the guys on. Having an EMP grenade for the mech is also essential.

First time through, I actually gave up and reloaded a game from my point of no return in Detroit to stock up on ammo and grenades.

 

[Rastien]

If you like that feeling of a hard boss and finally kiling him you need to play dark souls. The feeling after you kill the first taurus demon in undead burg is incredible.

 

[Proverbial Jon]

My most epic fight was fighting 10 Draugr Deathlords at once. Sure, it was a big area so I could run and dodge, but it took a lot of concentration. This was outside a ruin you get to as part of the main quest.

Ahh yes, I've just completed that level for the second time. I found the multiple Deathlords quite challenging, even at a high level. Although I did have a bit of fun...I just ran around until there were several by a high ledge and then just FUS ROH DAH-ed them off the edge. So much fun!

Then of course an Elder Dragon and a Frost Dragon ganged up on me which was also quite a hairy battle.

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

There was one wizard that took me ages to kill. I had no other saves as i saved it just before the boss without realising that the door gets locked behind you - which i didnt find out until i decided to run away and try something else. To late, by then i had a main save and a quicksave in a locked room with a boss wizard and minions. Took forever.

 

[Sam Warrior]

Dragon Age Origins on the higher difficulties for PC. It's the only game that has evoked the same, consistent feeling of accomplishment after every major encounter. Every major fight fels like a major fight. You need to properly line up all of your spells and properly place all of our AOE spells (because friendly fire is active). You need to use poisons/traps/resistance pots. You need to position your party carefully. You need to take advantage of the pause and play mechanic. No game has done tactical boss battles as well as it has, in my opinion.

Baldur's Gate 2 my friend.

Boss battles are intense and unforgiving easy on easy difficulties.

Bodhi, Lich in Spellhold, Demogorgon, Firkraag, Irenicus, Demilich, Twisted Rune, Slaver Lords. Battle after epic battle. So epic, and so challenging.

Dragon Age did do battles well though.

The Baldurs gate 2 bosses didnt give me any problems, though I was playing a Paladin who kicks major ass which might be why I didn't have many issues.

 

[viranimus]

Wait.. its Skyrim. Does that not mean that the hardest boss in Skyrim is pathetically inept when compared to the first boss in say Demon or Dark Souls?

Do people actually play Bethesda RPGs for the the challenge? I thought the point of a Bethesda RPG was the story or was that Bioware? Wait whats the point of Bethesda RPGs again?

 

[illas]

Almost every single boss in Dark Souls feels epic due to the magnificent degree of challenge present.