How to Beat Boss: Warden Garcia

Overcome Warden Garcia in The Surge 2. Master directional blocking and precise dodges in the JCPD Detention Center to defeat this early boss.

Warden Garcia is your first true test in Jericho City, encountered within the JCPD Detention Center. This fight emphasizes parrying and precise dodges. Come prepared with a good understanding of directional blocking and a weapon you're comfortable with for quick, focused attacks.

Recommended Gear & Preparations

• Weapon: A fast-hitting one-handed weapon or a medium-speed staff is ideal. Consider the Jagged Edge (found early in the Detention Center) or the MG Jackknife for their speed.
• Armor: The Lynx Gear Set is excellent for its stamina regeneration bonus, allowing for more dodges and attacks. If you've found pieces of the Scrap Rig Gear Set, its defense can also be beneficial.
• Implants:
  • Medi-Voltaic Injection: Essential for healing. Ensure you have at least two charges.
  • Vital Boost: Increases maximum health, providing a larger buffer for mistakes.
  • Reclamation Buddy: While not directly for combat, it helps recover lost Tech Scraps if you die, reducing the penalty.
  • Endurance Enhancer: Boosts stamina, crucial for dodging and attacking.
• Consumables: Stock up on Small Energy Drink or Large Energy Drink for emergency stamina recovery, though careful play should minimize their need.

Phase 1: The Warden's Fury

Garcia wields a large, two-handed weapon and moves surprisingly fast for his size. His attacks are telegraphed but hit hard. The key to this phase is mastering his attack patterns and using directional parries.

Attack Patterns & Strategy:

• Overhead Slam: Garcia will raise his weapon high and bring it down vertically. This is a slow, powerful attack. Dodge to the side or parry upwards. A successful parry will stagger him, opening him up for a few quick hits.
• Horizontal Swings (2-3 hit combo): He'll perform wide, sweeping attacks. These are excellent opportunities for directional parries. Pay close attention to the direction of his swing (left or right) and parry accordingly. If you're struggling with parries, dodge backwards twice to create distance.
• Charge Attack: Garcia will sometimes charge forward with a powerful thrust. This is best dodged to the side. Do not attempt to parry this unless you are very confident, as the timing is tight.
• Stomp: If you get too close, he might perform a quick stomp. This deals minor damage but can interrupt your combo. Dodge back or parry downwards.

General Strategy: Focus on parrying his horizontal swings and overhead slams. After a successful parry, land 2-3 quick hits on his unarmored body parts (usually his arms or legs, depending on your angle). Do not get greedy. After your hits, be prepared to dodge or parry his next attack. Maintain a medium distance to bait out his more predictable attacks.

Phase 2: Reinforcements and Rage

Once Garcia's health drops to approximately 50%, he will call in two JCPD Officer drones. These drones are a significant threat as they can interrupt your parries and attacks on Garcia. He also becomes more aggressive, adding a few new moves.

New Threats & Strategy:

• JCPD Officer Drones: These drones will fire projectiles at you and can perform a melee charge. Prioritize taking them out. Use your directional parries on their melee charges, or simply dodge their projectiles and close the distance for quick attacks. They have low health and can be dispatched quickly.
• Garcia's Enhanced Attacks:
  • Extended Combos: His horizontal swings might extend to 4-5 hits. Be prepared for longer parry sequences.
  • Ground Slam (AoE): Garcia will sometimes slam his weapon into the ground, creating a small area-of-effect shockwave. Dodge backwards to avoid this.

General Strategy: As soon as the drones appear, disengage from Garcia and focus entirely on eliminating them. Use the environment to your advantage, breaking line of sight with Garcia if necessary while you deal with the drones. Once the drones are down, return to the Phase 1 strategy, but be mindful of Garcia's increased aggression and extended combos. Patience is key; don't rush your attacks, and prioritize survival over dealing damage.

Loot & Rewards

Upon defeating Warden Garcia, you will receive:

• Warden Garcia's Weapon: The Warden's Twin-Rigged, a powerful two-handed weapon.
• Warden Garcia's Head Gear: The Warden's Helmet, a heavy head armor piece.
• A significant amount of Tech Scraps.
• Access to the next area of the JCPD Detention Center.

If you managed to sever specific limbs during the fight, you may also acquire schematics for other pieces of the Warden's Gear Set, allowing you to craft them at a MedBay.