To beat the Sphinx in Valor Mortis, you don't just need your parrying skills — you'll need your blunderbuss and plenty of bullets. This unfriendly golden kitty, encountered at the end of Chapter 4, isn't too hard to defeat once you've learned its weaknesses.
Including the best loadout and strategy, here's how to defeat the Sphinx in Valor Mortis.
The Sphinx boss location in Valor Mortis
Sphinx, Devourer of the Unworthy, is the Chapter 4 boss in Valor Mortis, following the General Lothaire and The Iron Marshall bosses in Chapter 2 and 3, respectively. Make your way through the Caverns, and be sure to do the "Homesick" side quest while you're there.
Following the mine cart ride, you'll arrive at the Ancient Lair Lantern. Traverse the mist to enter the Sphinx's lair.
How to prepare for the Sphinx boss battle in Valor Mortis
By the time you face off against the Sphinx boss, you'll be around character level 20 or higher. Don't forget to use your catalyst clots if you haven't already. If you're below level 20, we recommend exploring some of the previous, optional areas to gather more catalysts.
During this boss battle, you'll have to rely on parrying, transmutation damage, and weak point shots. To make parrying easier and have enough endurance to block, dodge, and attack, be sure to upgrade the Maximum Endurance, Blocking, Parrying Impact, and Melee Endurance Cost skills. To regain more nephtoglobin, Nephtoglobin Extraction is your best bet. If you have any skill points left, drop them in Melee Damage or Ferrofluid Flask Refill.
The following ambers work best against the Sphinx:
- Duellist's Focus: Increases the parry window for melee weapons.
- Bottomless Well: Slowly regenerates lost Nephtoglobin over time.
- Dominatus II: Restores health when performing critical attacks.
- Bountiful Harvest: Picking up nephtoglobin remains (purple orbs) restores health.
- Potent Concoction: Using a ferrofluid flask recovers nephtoglobin as well as health.
Though whetstones and grenades are always useful, you don't need to bring any special items to win this fight. Feel free to use either transmutation, as both will work just fine against the Sphinx. Since this is a parry-heavy fight, it's best to pick the sabre over the rapier, but the only weapon that's truly necessary is the blunderbuss. You won't need it during the first phase of the battle, but it'll secure an easy victory in the second (more on that below).
How to beat the Sphinx in Valor Mortis
The Sphinx, Devourer of the Unworthy, mainly relies on fast-paced claw attack combos. Most can be parried, but if they're unblockable, the Sphinx will briefly glow red. Parrying is the quickest way to defeat the Sphinx; if you parry four or five times, the posture meter below its HP bar should be full, allowing you to stab the Sphinx's head and deplete roughly one-sixth of its HP.
While parrying is your go-to strategy throughout this fight, beware that the Sphinx boss battle consists of two phases. The Sphinx gains additional attacks in the second phase.
Sphinx boss battle phase one
During the first phase of this Valor Mortis boss battle, the Sphinx mainly relies on its claw attack combos, which have different variations: A single claw slash, three claw slashes in quick succession, one claw slash followed by a pirouette (watch out for the tail!), and any number of claw slashes followed by a quick, unblockable jump attack.
To parry the regular claw slashes, wait until the Sphinx's claw glows purple before you block (see picture below, left side). If, following a claw slash, its body is turned away from you (see the picture below on the right), the Sphinx may use its pirouette attack. This one's harder to block, so you might want to dodge away instead.
Besides the short jump, the Sphinx will also use a high-range, unblockable jump attack. First, it will retreat to the other side of the arena, where it'll hunch and glow red before leaping toward you (see picture below on the left). This attack offers a great opportunity to dodge and attack the Sphinx's flank. Use your fire transmutation to apply burn if your nephtoglobin is full, or use melee attacks to recover nephtoglobin.
Don't confuse the jump attack with the orb attack. If the Sphinx crouches down but doesn't glow red (see picture below on the right), it'll summon an orb that slowly falls to the ground — when it hits the ground, it releases a shock wave. Don't waste bullets on the flying orb; you can simply jump across the shock wave to avoid damage.
Sphinx boss battle phase two
While transitioning to phase two, the Sphinx will spout purple poison from its mouth, so try to keep your distance.
In phase two, the Sphinx will summon a moving wall of purple tentacles, which won't harm you if you carefully pass through. The Sphinx also gains a few more claw attack combo variations, but the parrying gameplay remains the same. Keep an eye out for the body slam at the end of a combo; while the Sphinx is on the ground, you've got a great opportunity to attack.
By far the easiest way to complete the second phase of the Sphinx boss fight is to shoot the giant feline in the face, where a weak spot has now appeared. Normal pistol shots will work, but blunderbuss shots are especially powerful. They'll deplete about one-fifth of the Sphinx's HP, so it won't take long to win the battle.
As a reward for beating the Sphinx in Valor Mortis, you'll receive 20,000 catalysts.