The First Berserker Khazan: How to defeat the Viper boss

Viper is one of the hardest bosses that you’ll come across in The First Berserker Khazan. He has two phases and is of the Dragonkin variant. You are recommended to reach at least level 18 before taking him on. To defeat him, you’ll need to understand his attack patterns and time your blocks or dodges well.

This guide will walk you through the best strategy to defeat the Viper boss in The First Berserker Khazan.

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How to defeat Viper in The First Berserker Khazan

Where to find Viper in The First Berserker Khazan

Try to use Greatswords against Viper in The First Berserker Khazan (Image via Nexon)

In The First Berserker Khazan, Viper is located at the Forgotten Temple in the Embars Ruins region. To reach him, you’ll need to fight waves of dragonkin warriors and undead enemies. The undead enemies will revive unless you destroy the purple essence they leave behind, so make sure to clear that out.

To open the final door at the Heart of the Forgotten Temple and reach Viper, you must unlock three separate mechanisms.

Make sure you’ve upgraded your gear and stats before taking on Viper because this is a fight where every advantage counts. You should be at least level 18 before fighting him. If you find yourself struggling, try leveling up more and improving your equipment.

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Preparing for the fight

The Greatsword and the Spear are the best weapons against Viper in The First Berserker Khazan.

The Greatsword works well for the first phase because its heavy attacks can stagger Viper, giving you a chance to land big hits. The Spear is faster and more effective in the second phase when the boss becomes more aggressive.

A well-timed Brink Guard can deplete Viper's stamina and create an opening for a counterattack. You can summon the Spirit of Advocacy to help, but you should avoid doing this until you’ve learned the boss’ attack patterns.

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Phase 1 – Viper's first form

In his first form, Viper uses a spear and focuses on quick, piercing combos. He will often open with a two-hit spear stab followed by a heavy swipe. Try to block the first two hits and dodge the swipe to avoid heavy damage.

Viper also uses a spinning flourish with his spear that hits twice. This move has a large hitbox, so back away when you see him start to spin. If you’re far enough away, you can throw javelins to chip away at his health while he’s recovering.

If Viper plants his spear by his side and winds up, he’s about to perform a five-hit combo. If you manage to Brink Guard the final hit, you will stagger him and create an opening for a powerful counterattack. This is one of the best chances to deal heavy damage, so stay focused when he starts this combo.

When the boss throws his spear, dodge to the side to avoid both the initial throw and the spear's return. If you see him lean back with his spear pulled to the side, he’s about to perform a stabbing attack. Dodge sideways instead of backward to avoid getting hit.

After you deplete his first health bar, a cutscene will play, and Viper will transform into his second form.

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Phase 2 – Viper's second form

Bosses can transform into monsters in The First Berserker Khazan (Image via Nexon)

In his second form, Viper becomes more aggressive and gains new attack patterns. He starts this phase with a vortex spear spin that pulls you in and deals heavy damage. Back away as soon as you see him start to spin, and use this time to heal or throw javelins.

One of his most dangerous moves in this phase is a jump followed by an explosion. When you see him leap into the air, back away immediately to avoid the shockwave. After he lands, you have a small window to attack before he recovers.

Viper also starts using his claws in this phase. His claw swipes are fast and hard to predict, so focus on guarding rather than trying to dodge them. If he does a big claw slam, he will be stuck in the ground for a second, giving you a chance to land a charged attack.

If you stay too far away, Viper will throw rocks at you. These are easy to dodge but will keep you from healing or setting up attacks, so try to stay at mid-range.

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5) Use the dark phase to your advantage

At around half health, the arena will go dark. In this phase, Viper will launch a series of lunging attacks. Try to dodge them rather than blocking them, since they come quickly and in succession. After the lunges, the boss will follow up with two big slam attacks.

The dark phase is your best chance to reflect Viper's attacks. If you time your Brink Guard correctly during the lunges, you can stagger him and create an opening for a brutal attack. Even if you miss the reflection, guarding will reduce the damage and keep you alive.

After the dark phase, Viper will repeat most of his earlier attacks. Keep punishing him after successful blocks and focus on landing heavy attacks from behind. If you stick to this strategy, you will eventually bring him down.

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After defeating Viper in The First Berserker Khazan, you’ll earn the Fallen Lord’s Spear, which is one of the best spears in the game. You’ll receive the Fallen Lord’s Claws, which you can use to craft pieces of the Fallen Lord Set. In addition, you’ll get a rare accessory and several Transmutation Mists for enhancing your equipment.

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In The First Berserker Khazan, Viper is a difficult boss because of his speed and aggression, but his attacks are predictable once you learn his patterns. Focus on guarding and reflecting rather than dodging in the first phase, then switch to more dodging and counterattacking in the second phase.