I'll tell you... Mother has several attacks, with which players should familiarize
themselves.
* Rock Stream - Mother will fire a far-reaching stream of rocky debris at the player.
This stream can stun/interrupt actions and causes light to moderate damage depending on
how much of it strikes the player. Mother tends to do this when Alex attacks from greater
ranges, particularly when he is using vehicles.
* Green Orbs - Mother will spawn eight large green orbs around itself and launch them
at the player. These orbs will track the player until they hit or are avoided. Alone, each
projectile will do relatively light damage, but each has the ability to stun/interrupt the
player, which can lead to the impact of one or more of the others. Multiple impacts can
quickly add up, and full impacts from all eight orbs can do moderate to heavy damage.
* Tendril Sweep - When the player is in close proximity to Mother, particularly under
its main mass, it may assault the player with one of its tendrils, causing light to
moderate damage and knocking them back.
* Crimson Shockwave - Intermittently, Mother will unleash her most dangerous and
powerful attack. The screen will become grayscale for a few moments, Mother will scream,
and a large, dark red wave of energy will emanate from her base. This wave will travel
outward along the adjacent streets for a fair distance, laying waste to most common
enemies caught in its path. This attack will immediately reduce the player's health to
critical regardless of their current amount (if the player has not purchased Adrenaline
Surge, it will be instantly fatal), but can be easily avoided by a charged jump, ascending
a nearby building, or quickly moving away from the wave. It is preceded by yellow energy
flowing up from Mother's spine into her head. Fighting in close proximity to Mother over
an extended period generally triggers it, and she will perform the attack each time she
emerges from beneath the ground.
Now easy way to defeat her... Despite the intimidating appearance of Mother, it can prove
to be a surprisingly easy boss when faced with a sound strategy, of which there are
several.
1. Groundspike Graveyard/Critical Pain Strategy - This strategy assumes that the player
has access to the Groundspike Graveyard and Critcal Pain Devastator attacks. Having their
Air equivalents is recommended but not necessary. First, the player should build up the
maximum amount of Critical Mass health by consuming the abundant supply of local Infected,
preferably from a side street protected from Mother's attacks. Once at full health, use
the Groundspike Graveyard in close proximity to Mother's base. Having the Air version will
make this task far simpler. The Tendril Barrage can be used as a substitute, but it is far
less effective. One Groundspike Graveyard is often enough to knock off nearly half the
combined health of the tendrils. Repeat this pattern until they are destroyed. If
possible, try to use conventional attacks to finish off the last bits of tendril health
while keeping a full Critical Mass bar. When all three tendrils are destroyed, Mother's
primary growth will descend to the street and flash, indicating vulnerability. Target it
and use the Critical Pain. This will deal significant damage, and can be done about three
times at most before she retreats. Having a full and fully upgraded Critical Mass will
ensure that all three hits can be achieved.
2. Normal Powers Strategy - If it becomes necessary to fight Mother's tendrils without
Devastators, there are several means with which to do so. Players should use hit-and-run
tactics to strike Mother's tendrils and then flee to avoid damage or consume nearby foes
to recover health. Any power can deal damage, but most leave the player vulnerable to
counterattack. The long-range attacks of the Whipfist and large area-of-effect damage of
the Hammerfists make them the most ideal choices. Armor is essential to reduce the damage
that will be taken in doing this. Alternatively, a charged Blade Air Slice from a nearby
building will allow for a reliable means of dealing damage, though it will allows the
tendrils to whip the player for a large amount of health. Finally, the rolling cannonball
attack, augmented by the Musclemass, can cause great damage and allow the player to escape
before Greene retaliates. When all of Mother's tendrils are disabled, the player should
switch to the Blade or Hammerfists power and attack the main mass until it retreats
underground. The player should collect the health orb pickups left behind and make ready
to repeat the assault until Mother has eventually been defeated.
3. Tank Strategy - This is arguably the easiest strategy. After forcing her to retreat
the first time, Tanks will show up. Steal one and start firing on her tendrils until
they're defeated, then fire on the main mass. Steal new Tanks as needed.
4. Whipfist Strategy - Using the Whipfist, keep jumping in a circle around Mother,
continuously using a fully charged Whipfist attack every time you get into the air. Stop
to consume someone when needed, and repeat.
When combating Mother directly, it is vital that the player be aware of what Mother is
doing when in close proximity to it. Mother's distanced attacks can be quite lethal if
allowed to fully connect, and her crimson energy wave attack will automatically reduce the
player to their critical health point regardless of their current health level. Though it
cannot kill the player on its own, the nearby military, Hunters, or Infected will often
finish the job if the player is not quick to retreat. It should be noted that, though
unlikely, if the player has not purchased the Adrenaline Surge upgrade, the shockwave
attack will be instantly fatal instead.
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