Elena and Rude Ch. 12 Boss Guide

Struggling with the Elena and Rude boss fight in Chapter 12 of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth? Get the strategy, attack patterns, and weaknesses to defeat them.

Alright, let's get you through this Chapter 12 boss fight against Elena and Rude. They're tougher than you remember from Chapter 3, so pay attention to their new moves and how to counter them!

Stats / Weaknesses:

• Elena: Weak to Lightning.
• Rude: Weak to Wind.

Phases:

1. Initial Encounter: Both Elena and Rude use attacks from their previous encounters, plus new ones.
2. Team-Up Attack Charge: Around 50% HP, they begin charging their ultimate move.
3. Turks's Two-Step / Turk's Vengeance: Their devastating team-up attack.
4. Post-Interrupt: If you interrupt their ultimate, they become pressured.

Strategy:

• Focus Fire on Elena: She's the more aggressive of the two. Her machine gun fire and stun grenades can stack up damage quickly.
• Elena's Attacks to Watch For:
  • Stun Grenade: Unblockable. Tosses a grenade that can stun you.
  • Grenade Kick: Unblockable. Kicks a grenade at you; faster than a normal toss.
  • Elena Knuckle: Unblockable. A dashing punch with a wind-up, easy to dodge.
  • Backflip Barrage: Unblockable. Backflips while tossing stun grenades, followed by machine gun fire or a kick.
  • Rogue Stance: Changes her style, making her faster and able to use Dash Knuckle (blockable).
  • 'Nadefield: Unblockable. Tosses multiple stun grenades when teaming with Rude.
  • Turk’s Vengeance: Unblockable/Unavoidable. Double team attack with Rude. Elena uses 'Nadefield while Rude charges his part. Does heavy damage if not interrupted.
• Rude's Attacks to Watch For:
  • Shockwave: Unblockable. A small shockwave on the ground that homes in slightly. Counters long-range attacks.
  • Triple Shockwave: Unblockable. Charges up and unleashes three shockwaves in a fan pattern.
  • Spirit Geyser: Unblockable. Punches the ground, causing energy pillars to erupt under you. Keep moving.
  • Whirlwind: Unblockable. Summons a tornado that tracks you. Keep moving.
  • Stalwart Stance: Changes his style for quick, chained attacks (Right Hook, Snap Kick, High Kick, Roundhouse).
  • Turk’s Two-Step: Unblockable/Unavoidable. Combo team move with Elena. Rude sends Shockwaves/Triple Shockwaves while Elena does 'Nadefield.
• Exploit Weaknesses: Use Thunder spells on Elena frequently; one or two casts should pressure her. Use Wind abilities on Rude, especially when he's guarding, to pressure him.
• Handling the Team-Up Attack: When they start charging their ultimate (around 50% HP), Rude will use Shockwaves/Triple Shockwaves and Elena will use 'Nadefield. Their big attack, Turks's Two-Step/Turk's Vengeance, follows. It deals massive damage. You need to either keep your HP very high or, ideally, interrupt it.
• Interrupting the Ultimate: This is tough due to the onslaught of attacks. Spam strong abilities, even just spamming Thunder on Elena can help break their charge. If you successfully interrupt, they'll be pressured, making it easier to fill their stagger gauges.
• Rude's Phoenix Down: Be aware that Rude can use a Phoenix Down to revive Elena once. Elena cannot revive Rude.
• Post-Defeat: Once you defeat one of them, the rest of the fight becomes significantly easier.