The First Berserker: Khazan Guide | How To Beat Viper (Third Boss)

Viper is the first real wall you will hit in The First Berserker: Khazan. You can't just burst him down; he has two health bars, and breaking his stance takes time. This is one of those fights that forces you to learn and improve at the game. This guide will have his combos detailed, along with tips on recognizing and countering them.

Viper's First Phase Basic Combos

In the first half of phase one, Viper only has five core attacks. When you learn and become comfortable with these, they will set a solid foundation for all the following attacks in the subsequent phases, as they are mostly just evolutions of those first five. 

The timing of these five attacks also translates to some of the newer ones, so it pays to learn them well. When Viper readies his spear in a stance with it flat on his left side, he knows that he is about to perform his triple thrust attack. 

The first two thrusts come quickly with even spacing, and the third thrust is slightly delayed. If you are new to brink guards or not very confident, this is a good practice because it is one of the most straightforward and predictable. 

After the triple thrust, you will have a brief window to do some damage—no big combos, just a tiny poke or two.

When Viper readies his spear behind him for a side slash, you know he is about to do his quick double slash. This attack consists of two quick, horizontal slashes: forward and back. It is fast, so you must immediately guard, counter, or dodge back-to-back. 

After this, you have only a short time to land a quick combo or poke. To make things confusing, Viper also has a slow double slash that, at the start, looks precisely the same as the quick one. 

However, for the slow double slash, after the first slash, he transitions into a bit of a spin over his shoulders, followed by a much more delayed second slash. You can treat the first slash for both attacks the same, then respond to whatever follows. 

A puff of smoke—or breath—in the slow version occurs about 90% of the time, although it does not always appear, so you need to keep an eye on it. 

The cue you can use for timing the second slash is watching for his elbow as it moves around to the top; when it pauses in that position, that is your signal to press your guard button. Everyone's reaction time is slightly different, so see what works best for you. 

If you prefer to parry or reflect attacks, note that the second delayed slash is an excellent target for your reflection, even though some may find it harder to time.

The third attack starts with a right-hand slash that comes at a slight angle. This spin across the front can nick you, though it does not do a lot of damage, followed by a slow, delayed slash. 

The visual cue for the delayed slash is watching for his knuckles to appear on the side of his head as they come around the back; if you are too far away, Viper may skip the front spin and start with the spin around the back into the delayed slash. 

Again, if you like to reflect, that delayed slash after the spin is a good target for your reflect attack. The fifth core attack involves Viper winding up for a backhand slash across the body. As he does this, he leaps away and then performs a boomerang throw, which you can guard on the way out and back or dodge to the side. 

If you struggle to time the guard as it returns, hold up your block for a hard one. You do not always need to execute brink guards; holding the block up early is acceptable if you are struggling. If you want to be aggressive, you can close the gap as the boomerang returns, providing a small window to inflict extra damage.

Phase 1 Below 60% Combos

Once Viper reaches around 60% health, you will notice a transition into the second half of phase one, marked by a whirlwind attack that will pull you in if you are too close. 

Suppose you are caught in this, backstep or dodge immediately to avoid damage. After this transition, Viper gains a few new abilities, though they are well-telegraphed. 

The first new ability involves a very high leap into the air, followed by a single slam down; you can either dodge it or use a brink guard. If you opt for a brink guard, it is a good opportunity to deliver significant damage, as this slam attack has a long recovery time. Often, if you are far enough away, Viper will perform this high leap straight after the transition.

You must be alert when Viper dashes away from you because he is about to leap at you and execute an overhead slash as he passes over. He nearly always performs two of these quickly, so you should expect the second once you see the first one. 

The visual cue here is when the hand and hilt of his weapon are just above the health bar—that is when you need to dodge or guard later than you might expect. 

When Viper adopts a low stance facing the other way, he is preparing a vertical throw; the blade hovers for a moment, giving you a chance to dodge to the side to avoid having your stamina chewed, although blocking or guarding is still better than not doing so. 

In addition, when Viper takes a stance with the spear tip glowing, it signals that he is about to perform a grab attack—a thrust that cannot be blocked. 

You need to dodge; blocking or guarding is not an option. When you dodge, move to the right, which is always safer. The triple thrust and the quick double slash remain the same in this phase, but note that the slow double slash receives an extra slash as Viper spins around. 

Finally, there is a variation where Viper adopts a stance that signals he is about to perform a spin through the front; in this case, it is a quick double slash followed by a slow triple slash. This five-combo attack has a very long recovery time, making it an ideal moment for you to launch a full combo on him.

Phase 2 Basic Combos

Viper is about to do a quick double slash in phase two when he winds up his sword on his right. This move is the same as the quick double slash from phase one, even though it looks a little different. 

Occasionally, he will add a single downward thrust after these two slashes, so stay alert for that addition. When Viper winds up his left claw, he is preparing a two-part attack that consists of two very slow claw strikes performed one after the other. 

The main variation of this attack is that after the two claw strikes, he will execute a third burst attack—a prime opportunity for you to perform a counterattack. If you are struggling with the timing of the counterattack, it may be because you are acting too early. 

You must execute the counterattack at the very last moment, and the visual cue for this is his left fist on the left side of the screen, just below the health bar. As soon as that fist starts moving upward toward the health bar, you should be ready to press your extra keybind. 

Alternatively, you can hold your guard and then hit the second keybind at the perfect moment. This counterattack window is your best chance to inflict a lot of damage.

When Viper performs a little leap away from you, he is preparing to do three quick slashes that are evenly spaced, followed by a fourth, delayed slash that slides across the room. 

Alternatively, he might perform a burst attack after the three slashes instead of the fourth slash and slide. When Viper executes a quick backhand slash across his body, he will leap away and launch a ranged attack as a rock throw, which you can parry or dodge. 

Finally, when Viper moves toward you with his fist positioned upward behind him, you must be prepared for a downward slam with his fist. Sometimes, he will perform a downward slam followed by a very slow uppercut. You might be able to attack before the uppercut appears, but you must always be aware that it is coming. 

The last core ability added in phase two occurs when Viper runs at you while dragging his claw. This move starts with a quick uppercut; in some versions, he does a quick downward smash after the pulling claw. Even less common is a version where he does an uppercut after the first two moves that are very slow and delayed. 

Phase 2 Below 60% Combos

Viper goes into a whirlwind mode when it has about 60% or 60% health left in phase two. The second part of the fight has begun. In this state, it gets dark for him, and he does three leaps across you at the same time as in the first phase. 

After these three leaps, he follows up with a dragging uppercut and smash, which he always starts with, or at least he did in most cases. 

After this sequence, his move set will begin to vary. Still, the only two new additions are a high leap, identical to the one in the first phase, and occasional double leaps that you should treat in the same manner as those in phase one and the initial transition.

For the rest of the move set, the patterns remain consistent with what you encountered in the first half of phase two. This detailed breakdown of Viper's combos and abilities will guide you through the fight, helping you recognize patterns and respond appropriately.

Also, check our The First Berserker: Khazan Review and other guides below:

• The First Berserker: Khazan Beginner's Guide
• The First Berserker: Khazan Guide | How To Find The Hound Set
• The First Berserker: Khazan Guide | Best Spear Build and Ways To Play
• The First Berserker: Khazan Guide | Best Greatsword Build and Ways To Play
• The First Berserker: Khazan Guide | How To Level Up Fast
• The First Berserker: Khazan Guide | How To Beat Yetuga (First Boss)
• The First Berserker: Khazan Guide | How To Beat Blade Phantom (Second Boss)
• The First Berserker: Khazan Guide | How To Beat Volbaino (Fourth Boss)