Melancholia Zorba Boss Guide

Master the Melancholia Zorba boss fight in Metaphor: ReFantazio! Learn Zorba's attack patterns, weaknesses, and the best strategies to overcome both Offence and Defence forms.

Alright, let's talk about Melancholia Zorba. This boss has two distinct phases, Offence and Defence, and knowing when to switch gears is key to taking him down. He starts in Offence Form, so be ready for some heavy hits!

Stats / Weaknesses:

• Offence Form: No resistances or weaknesses. He'll hit hard with magic and physical attacks.
• Defence Form: Resists everything except Almighty. Also repels Slash, Pierce, and Strike damage with Piercing Apostasy.

Phases:

1. Offence Form: Zorba unleashes powerful Dark and Lightning magic (Mamudodyne, Gakandeon), inflicts status ailments like Anxiety and Rage (Sorrow Curse, Madness Curse), and hits everyone hard with his Giant Scythe. Watch out, as Giant Scythe's damage increases if characters are afflicted with Anxiety or Rage.
2. Defence Form: Zorba switches to this form to buff himself and debuff you. He'll use Heat Riser to boost his stats for three turns and All Reset to clear your party's buffs. He also has Piercing Apostasy active, making physical attacks useless.

Strategy:

• When Zorba is in Offence Form, focus on dealing damage and managing your party's health. Be ready to heal up after his big attacks like Giant Scythe. If characters get hit with Sorrow Curse (Anxiety) or Madness Curse (Rage), try to cure them quickly, especially before he uses Giant Scythe.
• When Zorba switches to Defence Form, stop using Slash, Pierce, and Strike attacks immediately due to Piercing Apostasy. Your best bet here is to use Almighty attacks, as they're the only thing that bypasses his resistances. If your party only has physical attackers, have them pass their turn or use items to heal. You'll want to remove his Heat Riser buffs if possible, and just bide your time until he switches back to Offence Form.
• Keep an eye on his form changes and adapt your strategy accordingly. Don't get caught using the wrong attack types in Defence Form!
• After you defeat Zorba, you'll move on to some cutscenes. There's a save point ahead, but no boss fight. You'll have a long scene with Louis, and there's a chance for a Bad Ending here. Just avoid agreeing with Louis if the dialogue choices allow it to continue the main story.