Gwydo serves as a formidable secondary boss in The First Berserker: Khazan, presenting a reimagined challenge that draws parallels with the earlier battle against Maluca. While Gwydo retains similar moves to Maluca — particularly from the latter’s second phase — he introduces greater difficulty due to his increased power and tactical variations. Donning a glowing katana, Gwydo calls to mind the intense encounters with Maluca but also requires players to hone their skills with newfound awareness.
Similar to Maluca’s tactics, Gwydo employs a blend of katana strikes and greatsword attacks, but he does so with a harsher frequency and intensity. Unlike his predecessor, who reserved strong katana attacks for pivotal moments, Gwydo unleashes his powerful moves more liberally. This aggressive style presents newcomers with challenging bursts of attacks that can be difficult to predict. However, players should note that defeating Gwydo does not yield unique crafting materials or exclusive reward pieces, leading to randomized drops akin to those received from Maluca.
Strategies for Defeating Gwydo in Khazan
Brink Guard, Reflection, & Sustained Combos
Confronting Gwydo requires a blend of patience, timing, and strategic reflection. Players must re-familiarize themselves with Gwydo’s moves, which are largely reminiscent of Maluca’s attacks. A key point of caution is Gwydo’s frequent retreating slash counterattack; rushing could cost you health and stamina.
Thanks to his slow-swinging strikes, players can effectively utilize the reflection skill in The First Berserker: Khazan. Activate this skill when you anticipate his greatsword swings, but remain vigilant against his unblockable spinning attack, which demands dodging rather than blocking. The visual cue of Gwydo’s katana glowing indicates an upcoming teleport strike, allowing players to time their reflections to disrupt his consecutive hits effectively.
Upgrading the reflection abilities in your Common menu can enhance damage output and improve timing windows for counters. Avoid his katana sheathing move, as the chaos energy has a tendency to cause severe damage, as well as any thrust projectiles. Gwydo may launch multiple projectiles in succession — sometimes as many as seven or eight — making effective dodging essential. Overall, maintaining awareness of his glowing katana will pave the way for successful reflections and counterattacks.
Rewards for Defeating Gwydo
Uncover Gwydo’s Nature & Collect Chaos-Ridden Set Pieces
Despite being a challenging boss, Gwydo does not provide stellar rewards upon defeat. Players can collect two random pieces of the Chaos-Ridden Set, similar to those obtained from Maluca, along with a random weapon or accessory, some Lacrima, and a bit of gold. Notably, Gwydo’s diary serves as a grim revelation about his abusive nature. Upon sharing this discovery, Khazan can return to the Crevice and expand his inventory of Chaos-Ridden gear, which notably includes a powerful Greatsword set with Brink Guard enhancements.
What sets Gwydo apart is his farmability, making it worthwhile to engage him multiple times for the Chaos-Ridden pieces. Players can typically assemble a complete set after just three or four encounters, often finding that these battles are relatively quick compared to others in The First Berserker: Khazan, optimizing your time to collect the desired gear.