10 Alternate Video Game Boss Strategies You Never Knew
7. Fire Arrows At Manus From Outside The Combat Area - Dark Souls
Manus, Father of the Abyss was the final boss in Dark Souls' Artorias of the Abyss DLC, and is undeniably one of the most challenging foes - if not the most - in the entire series.
Manus is gigantic, agile, and tough to mount much of an offensive momentum against, no matter your build.
Even for the standards of a Dark Souls boss, he can make short work of even the most skilled players, and beating him the hard way is a sure exercise in wilful self-flagellation.
But there's an hilariously simple way to kill Manus without him being able to get anywhere near you. The "cheese" method involves equipping an upgraded bow with long-range arrows, while using the Hawk Ring to extend the weapon's range.
Basically, stand on the cliff-edge by the fog gate which triggers the start of the Manus fight. From there, you can see Manus' eyes glowing a faint red, and by using your binoculars you can angle the camera to give yourself a perfect shot at him.
From there, fire arrows at him continuously for a solid 10-15 minutes until his health is whittled down, and voila, you just stomped one of the toughest Dark Souls bosses with minimal stress.
Yes, it's cheap and the exact opposite of the way FromSoftware wanted you to beat Manus, but in a game this punishingly difficult, anything goes.