How to Defeat Shepherd in Saros – Full Boss Guide

In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the boss in Acolyte’s Haven called Shepherd, located in Saros, and how to easily take it down.

The Shepherd is one of the few bosses in Saros that can be either really tough or surprisingly easy, depending on the gear you bring. Certain weapons, like the Repeater Crossbow or Smart Rifle, can make the fight almost too easy. But if you’re stuck with weapons like the Shotgun or Handcannon, the battle against the Shepherd will be much harder than any boss you’ve faced so far.

Still, the Shepherd is one of the easier bosses in Saros compared to others like the Prophet and Architect. With the right weapon and a bit of luck, you can easily defeat the Shepherd in Acolyte’s Haven. Here’s a complete guide on how to beat the Shepherd in Saros and the best weapons to use against it.

Shepherd Boss Guide – Acolyte’s Haven in Saros

Overview

Shepherd, similar to the Architect, mainly uses red projectiles for its attacks. However, instead of attacking in waves, it sends its projectiles in a straight line, making them easier to dodge.

That said, unlike the Architect, the Shepherd changes its attack patterns in later phases. What makes Shepherd a bit tough is its tentacles.

Before you can attack the boss, you need to destroy its tentacles, which can be quite tricky.

Best Weapons and Strategy

Recommended Weapons

• Repeater Crossbow
• Dispirator

Why These Weapons?

• The key is to use area of effect (AOE) attacks to take out multiple tentacles at once.
• This is where the Repeater Crossbow and Dispirator come in handy.
• For this fight, we highly recommend trying to get the Crossbow along with the Dispirator.
• While you can stick with Prominence, the Dispirator is much more effective against multiple targets.

Phase 1

Tentacle Mechanics

• The first phase begins with Shepherd’s real body under the platform, and only the tentacles are in the arena.
• Keep in mind that destroying the tentacles is necessary to bring the boss up from the water.
• For the first wave, you need to destroy three tentacles.
• Fortunately, the tentacles have very little health and are relatively easy to take down using the Dispirator.

Tentacle Attacks

In the first two phases, Shepherd constantly attacks with its tentacles, which can shoot projectiles all over the arena.

Projectile Patterns

• The fight usually starts with a barrage of red projectiles followed by waves of yellow and blue ones.
• For the red projectiles, we suggest parrying them to create space on the platform for movement.
• You can also choose to dodge by jumping over them.
• But be aware that dodging puts you directly in front of the follow-up attacks.

Damaging the Boss

• Once the tentacles are destroyed, the Shepherd will appear, and then you can start dealing damage to the boss.
• If you’re using a weapon that doesn’t auto-target, aim for the boss’s head, which is its weak spot.

Defensive Tips

• Additionally, Shepherd alternates between blue and red projectiles.
• Unless it’s a red one, we recommend blocking the boss’s attacks instead of dodging them.
• You should recharge your power gauge before the second phase, and using your shield to absorb projectiles is the best way to do that.

Phase 2

Increased Difficulty

• In the second phase, the battle becomes a bit more challenging as the Shepherd continues shooting projectiles and also uses its tentacles for follow-up attacks.

Tentacle Return

• After a short while, the boss will go back under the water, and you’ll need to destroy the tentacles again to bring it to the surface.

Arena Control

• Note that in this phase, the Shepherd will try to limit the space on the arena.
• Be ready to use the jump button to avoid getting hit by the tentacles while also shooting at them.

Weak Spot

• Once the tentacles are gone, the Shepherd returns, but this time it has a small wound on its head.
• Attacking the wound will deal extra damage to the boss.

Phase 3

Attack Pattern

• In this phase, the boss will launch red projectiles and perform five follow-up attacks using yellow projectiles.

Dodge Instead of Blocking

• However, instead of blocking, we recommend dodging.
• This is because the yellow projectiles can easily bring your health down to critical levels.

Final Weakness

• In this phase, the Shepherd won’t use its tentacles and will have a large wound on its head.
• This phase has relatively low health.
• With the Dispirator, you can quickly reduce the boss’s health bar.

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