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If you’re a fan of the classic Final Fantasy 7, then you might know this one by its originally translated name: Midgar Zolom. And if so, it might be tough to accept that it was always supposed to be Midgardsormr. But if you fixate on this overlong, then its boss fight inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthwill get the best of you.
In fact, it isn’t hard for Midgardsormr to get the best of you whether you embrace its name or otherwise. The bane of many a swampgoer in FF7 is back with a vengeance, and to slay it in style, stick to our guide.
Midgardsormr Boss Fight Overview
Midgardsormr will be unlike anything you’ve faced in Rebirth up until now. Itspower, size,even itsspeed, and surely itsnumber of unique attacks- you’re in for a real fight here. Thankfully, things start out pretty straightforwardly.
The bossbegins the fight positioned directly aheadof your party. Try not to let the extreme length of its shape distract you, becauseviewing it as one ‘linear’ entityis better for visualizing your strategy.
The reason for this is thatthe Midgardsormr itself attacks in linear fashionfor the bulk of the battle. It’s not untilthe last third or sothat things getlesslinear. Until then, here’s what you’ll be dealing with:
Several of these have fairly long ‘tells’, too. Remember you can pause at any time if you need to process the name of an attack. When you’ve seen it, you can react accordingly.
So long as you can manage toblock and/or evade at least some of these, Midgardsormr will only become a more intense threat upon thecutscene introduction of its Scorching Breath, which sweepshigh conal fire damage from left to rightacross the screen.
Toward the end of the fight,Midgardsormr will wrap around one of the trees, at which point it will periodically buffet the party withCorrosive Liquid, a ranged strike. Toward theveryend, it will use its infamousBetaattack, and it may temporarily remove a character withGorge.
Following Beta, when the battlefield is aflame,Scorching Breath will be easier to avoid. The arena has’opened up', so to speak; you can run backward from it across a great distance.
Midgardsormr Battle Strategy
Midgardsormrresists Fireand isweak to Ice. Don’t use Ifrit (if you have it), nor Fire Materia (which you’ll certainly have).Midgardsormr’s Defense isalready high enough without it outright resisting your attacks, and its cranial appendageheightens the Defenseeven higher while it’s there.
Going into this with Blizzardvia Ice Materia is vital to a reasonably easy time against MIdgardsormr.Don’t let anyone’s HP drop below halfif at all possible, andneverbelow a third. This is because Midgardsormr’sScorching Breath,when it connects, will obliterate them otherwise.
Be sure to pick up theFire & Ice Materiafrom Chadley’sWorld Intelas well. While the Fire side of the equation clearly isn’t going to do you much good right now, an additional source of super-effective offense via the Ice side sure will.
Speed is your best friend in this battle.Control Tifa most frequently, since the rapidity of her strikes andquickness of her dodgeswill render you nimbler against many of Midgardsormr’s aforementioned linear blows.
Tifa also has multiple attacks thatmake her airborne, and this is another angle you’re able to exploit, since many of your foe’s moves contain ground-level, sweeping, motions.
Given thewidth of the battlefield- especially in the post-Beta phase of the bout -swapping between characters to directly controlmay leave you somewhat disoriented at times. Your other party members may have spread out considerably.
Pause to get your bearings if needed! Use this to your advantage, even;consider these distant switches great for momentary evasiveness, as you will often no longer be the chief target. A golden opportunity, then, tohit with your heaviest attacksuntil this big snake slithers out of the ring.
