Devil May Cry: Enemy Strategy FAQ 
Version 0.2
Written by Skyrax (skyrax@yahoo.com)


This is my first time writing a FAQ, so bear with me. This was meant for players 
who have some idea as to how the game is played and are stuck on how to defeat or 
avoid a particular enemy.

The non-boss enemies in the game include:

-Marionettes
-Bloody Mari
-Sin Scissors
-Shadows
-Beelzebubs
-Death Scissors
-Sin Scythes
-Fetishes
-Frosts
-Plasmas
-Blades
-Kyklops
-Death Scythes
-Phantom Babies
-Sargassos

The boss characters are:
-Phantom
-Griffon
-Nero Angelo
-Nightmare
-Mundus

Description: The Enemy Strategy FAQ shall describe the enemies, and their attacks. 
Following that will be hints on how to best avoid or counter these attacks. 
_____
Terms

Range terms:
-Close: Within melee range, very close situation.
-Medium: Medium range runs from just outside melee range to     
 about the range of a full shotgun blast.
-Far: Anything out of the range of a shotgun blast.

Damage terms:
-Light: Dante can sustain several of these without any 
 danger.
-Medium: More damaging than lights, you can only sustain
 about 9 of these before Dante dies.
-Heavy: About 6 of these strength-type hits will kill Dante.
-Critical: Just takes 1 or 2 of this type of an attack to 
 defeat Dante.
_________________
Non-boss Enemies:
_____________
a)Marionettes

One of the earlier creatures you will encounter in the game, these gangly painted 
puppets are possessed by demonic strings and a penchant for blood. They may move 
slowly, but they can be extremely dangerous in packs. They are armed with curved 
blades, dart-like knives or shotguns. You will find them either lying limp on the 
floor or hanging from the ceiling.

Sound: A wooden clattering on the floor. They rarely activate unless you've come 
near them and then leave the battlefield, so you should rarely hear them until you 
see them. No worries though, it's almost impossible for them to get the jump on 
you.

Attacks:
-Double cleave (light-medium, close range): Their most frequent attack. They swing 
their weapons in a wide arc, first one arm, then the other (in the case of a 
shotgun-packin' marionette, they only swing once). 
-Neck slash (medium, close range): The marionette climbs onto Dante and locks its 
wooden legs around Dante. They then proceed to slash Dante at the neck repeatedly. 
Rarely performed by shotgun marionettes, and rarely performed in general.
-Weapon hurl(medium-heavy, long range): If you stand too far away from the 
marionettes, they will toss their weapons at you to do damage. The curved ones fly 
in a wide arc before returning to their owner, the darts travel in a straight line, 
much faster than the arc weapons. The shotgun does more damage the closer you are. 
You will be warned of this attack by a twirling noise, as they like to twirl their 
weapons before they shoot them.
-Scream (no damage, medium): If you remain out of range of their weapons and too 
close for a long range attack, the marionette will stop, and emit a high scream 
(causing a cool blur effect). If Dante is standing still, he will be captured by 
white strings and will be held aloft, unable to move.
Although this attack causes no direct damage to Dante, his inability to move will 
leave him in a world of hurt if he gets attacked by a pack of marionettes. Move the 
analog stick left and right quickly to shake out of it. Only used if you're 
attacking a group and you leave one alone for too long.

Strategy: Not a difficult enemy. Dante is worlds faster than they are, and even in 
packs they pose little threat to the fleet of foot. Use the Stinger and Shotgun to 
clear out advancing packs of marionettes, and jump slash to avoid any projectiles 
and keep attacking. The twirling sound they make before they throw or fire their 
weapons is a dead giveaway, and simply jumping will get you out of that situation. 
They rarely latch onto you, only doing so if you focus on attacking one side and 
leave yourself unguarded on another.
PoisonFiy had this to say: "The easiest way to beat em is to use a sword slash to 
knock 'em into the air, slice them twice then do the upward slash again...just keep 
juggling and slicing and you shouldn't get hurt (unless one attacks your back or 
your side) and you build up a sweet combo as a bonus."
_____________
b)Bloody Mari

Description: They are simply a slightly version of the Marionettes, and are often 
hard to distinguish except for a few ways (see below). They only carry the dart-
type of marionette weapon.

Sound: Same as the Marionettes.

Attacks: The same as the Marionettes (see above).

Strategy: The first enemy you fight in the game, Bloody Maris are often found in 
the midst of Marionette packs. They are virtually identical to the red colored 
marionettes, except that they have a lot more stamina, so it will take a bit longer 
to kill them and they are a bit more frequent on offense. The same strategy for the 
Marionettes apply. Use the speed of the Alastor to cut them to pieces quickly.
______________
c)Sin Scissors

Description: These shadowy demons possess the weapons they use (in this case the 
giant scissors) and use their masks as a focal point for movement. They possess the 
ability to move through objects and walls, and can be surprisingly (not to mention 
annoyingly) nimble on occasion.

Sound: Constant screaming female laughter. It can be a bit unsettling because they 
laugh long after they die. When they appear, the metallic sounds of their scissors 
let you know when they open and close them, so be ready.

Attacks:
-cutting the tape(medium, close range):With their scissors open, they close them on 
Dante. A fairly simple looking attack, it is also the one they most frequently use. 
Fortunately you can see them coming to do this a mile away.
-spin smash (medium, close): With their scissors closed, the Sin spins it like a 
staff once. Used only if they don't get a chance to open their scissors to attack 
(a defensive maneuver).
-death slash: (medium-heavy, close): Only done when you kill one of them. They toss 
their scissors violently in the air, landing hard in the ground directly below 
them, so don't be there when it happens.

Strategy: Go for their masks. No other part of their body sustains damage from any 
attack of any kind. The Sin Scissors, while not as dangerous overall as their more 
fearsome Death counterparts, can be annoying because they don't sit still and that 
their weapons often block their masks. They will circle Dante, looking for the 
right moment to attack, and then open the scissors and come in for a snip. Use a 
jump slash to knock their scissors away from their face (stunning them in the 
process too) and then unload a shotgun blast in their face. If you do it right, you 
can get a critical hit, killing them in one shot. Jumping off their heads also 
stuns them as well. If you attack too often while they are blocking, they will 
counterattack by trying to swing their scissors around to ward you off. When they 
die, their weapons go spinning in the air and land in the spot where they were 
defeated, so move away from them!
________
d)Shadow

Description: Shapeless spirits from another dimension, these cat-like creatures 
exist only to torment humans. Capable of shifting shape to attack their prey, they 
are among the most deadly of creatures if underestimated. Their true from is the 
reddish orb at their very core, around which they surround themselves with black 
magic to protect themselves.

Sound: You'll rarely get to hear it as they are very quick in engaging battle, but 
it is a pattering sound, like claws on marble. It's very soft, so keeps your ears 
open.

Attacks: 
-spinning slash (medium-heavy, any distance): Often the Shadows opening salvo, this 
attack is EXTREMELY accurate. It jumps into the air, morphs its head into a giant 
blade and begins to spin for moment before crashing into the earth again.
-giant bite (medium-heavy, close): Morphing their body again, the Shadow becomes a 
giant mouth with tries to take a chunk of Dante. It goes into the ground for a 
second before it attempts this.
-spike wall (light-heavy, close): The Shadow melts into a puddle. In this state, it 
shoots up several spikes from the ground under Dante. This attack tracks Dante's 
last position.
-javelin thrust (medium-heavy, far): The Shadow morphs once more, shooting a long 
spike from it's head that stretches all the way to the wall of the area. It's a 
deadly attack, but it can be used against him (see Strategy).
-Bite and explode (critical, close): The Shadow morphs into the giant mouth and 
grabs Dante. It slams him on the ground twice, before exploding, causing massive 
damage to our hero. It is only done once every time you fight a shadow, so that's a 
plus.

Strategy: The Shadow is no slouch to defeat. Its dark outer shell is immune to the 
Devil Arms, so use your shotgun or pistols to deal crack through to the orb. Roll 
to avoid his spinning slash, and jump to avoid his bites and spikes. Its attacks 
can go through floors, so don't think you are immune by jumping onto a balcony. 
When you deal enough damage, it will be unable to keep its shield up, and it will 
melt, revealing its core. Engage DT and use the Alastor to slash away. Two combos 
will deal enough damage. While you attack, it will try to defend itself by using 
the spike wall attack, but if you are close enough, it will do no damage to you. 
When it reforms, and it will, watch its color. If it is black, you have not dealt 
enough damage and work to reveal its core again. If it is red, then run away from 
it! If it captures Dante, it will perform the bite and explode technique, after 
which it will die. If you avoid it long enough it will blow up anyway, so don't 
walk into it or you'll take damage.
And as a side note, if you stand on the shaft of the javelin thrust attack, the 
Shadow will become paralyzed, Use your guns and you will be able to hit it in the 
CORE directly!!

___________
e)Beelzebub

Lord of the Dust indeed. These insectoid demons are nothing more than nuisances, 
festering in their decadence as they seek out their prey. They live underground, 
shunning the light as they hunt. There are two types, those with wings and those 
without.

Sound: The buzzing of their wings is the only true giveaway. The wingless types 
only scuttle across the ground.

Attacks:
-spray (light, close): The winged types spray a stream of maggots on you. The only 
other effect rather than disgust you is to prevent Dante from aiming properly.
-bite (light, close): The ground types bite you. Simple attack.
-maggot spray (light, close): When you kill a flying Beelzebub with your blade, 
they spray a stream from their fallen bodies.
-power up (none, any distance): If you kill a flying type, the ground type will try 
to feed on the remains. If it is successful, it will gain more stamina and 
strength.

Strategy:
These are without a shadow of a doubt the easiest enemies in the game. The flying 
types fall to a single shotgun blast each, and Alastor's High Time Techniques turns 
the ground types on their backs, then shotgun away at their underbellies. Even when 
they power up, they are no problem. Easy pickins'...-

________________
f)Death Scissors

Description: The more deadly counterparts to the Sin Scissors, it commands the Sins 
and fights more fairly-to a degree. Its scissors are more refined and curved- and a 
heck of a lot more painful. The cow skull is your new target.

Sound: A continual, distorted male laugh, and the metal sounds of his scissors.

Attacks:
-scissors cut (medium-heavy): The same attack as the Sins, only does a lot more 
damage.
-scissors swing(medium-heavy): The same as the Sins, except is hits more time and 
has a better chance of connecting.
-drill dive(medium-critical): the most annoying attack in the Death Scissors 
arsenal. The Death scissors closes his weapon and proceeds to spin like a drill, 
passing through the floors and zigzagging through the area. He can make up to 8 
passes before he stops, so be careful.
-anger power up (no range): When he takes enough damage, his mask turns red. During 
this time, he is invulnerable.
-scissors drop: Like the Sins, Death drops his scissors to cause damage when 
defeated. Watch it.
 
Strategy: You thankfully only fight one Death Scissors at a time, but he is one of 
the most deadly enemies in the game, so be careful. I did not list the range at 
which he performs his attacks because you will not have room to run away, since he 
seals you in an energy cage. Use the walls of the cage to avoid his attacks, and 
smash his scissors away to gain access to his mask. When you see your chance, use 
Alastor or the shotgun. He is faster, both in reaction time and attack time, than 
the Sins.
His drill attack can hit multiple times and can kill Dante outright if you are 
careless in avoid it. Listen for the prompts and use rolls and jumps to avoid it. 
Watch for his scissors to fall when he is defeated, otherwise, you may suffer 
damage in death.
_______
g)Blade

Description: These demons chose to use reptilian bodies because of their heightened 
speed and agility. To make up for the lack of defense, they equip themselves with 
plates of armor. They are so versatile, they even use their blood as a weapon. They 
seldom travel alone, instead moving in packs of three or more. 

Sounds: Raptor-like screams, armor clanking quickly.

Attacks:
-claw swipe (medium, close): A swipe with their claw.
-jumping swipe (medium-heavy, close): Jumping high in the air, the Blade comes down 
with a downward claw swipe. Stronger than the basic claw swipe.
-dashing stab(medium-heavy, far): Using their speed, the Blade dashes across the 
area and stabs Dante with its claws.
-claw shot (light-heavy, far): Pressurizing their blood, the Blade shoots up to 4 
claws in Dante's direction. Rarely employed outside of water, where this is their 
only attack.

Strategy: These guys do not pack as much of a punch as the Death Scissors does, but 
they can be dangerous. You can engage up to 9 of these guys at once!
You can fight them with their armor on, but in reduces the damage sustained unless 
you can break it. Repeated Stingers and jump slashes will break them. Or you can 
aim for their underbellies, using High Time to launch them for a clear shot. The 
Grenadegun works wonders for clearing the pack.
Use the Alastor to deflect the claw shots.
PoisonFiy comments: "Alastor, grenade gun, and the juggling thing I talked about 
earlier for the puppets, if you want or are too badly outnumbered you can use devil 
trigger, but with a lot of dodging, the grenade gun and shotgun, and Alastor, I 
managed to beat down 6 at once without getting hit once, did it twice in a row too 
(was building up red orbs) but the third time one circled around behind me, they 
and I were blocking him from view, and he hit me, which gave them time to recover, 
and they had a good old-school gang beating with me as the target."
________
h)Fetish

Description: A more unearthly version of the already unearthly puppets, Fetishes 
are the leaders of the Marionettes. Mastery of the arts of fire and heightened 
reaction times make them deadlier than the Marionettes. They carry twin wheels of 
fire in their hands, and feathers and a mud-like substance cover their bodies.

Sounds: The same odd clanking as the Marionettes.

Attacks:
-spinning strike (heavy, far): Spinning like a Tasmanian devil, the Fetish makes a 
beeline for Dante, weapons ablaze.
-fire line(heavy, far): Tossing out its weapons like a boomerang, they head 
straight for Dante, burning him before they return to the Fetish like a yoyo.
-fire breath (medium-heavy, close): The Fetish can counterattack an attack from 
Dante by showering him with fire. It is very quick on the draw with this attack.
-scream (no damage, medium range): The Fetish is also capable of executing a scream 
like the marionettes and Bloody Maris can. Same effect, very rarely done.

Strategy: Standard up-close Marionette tactics are not advisable, since their fire 
breath hurts. A lot. To avoid their spinning attacks and yoyo attacks, jump, roll, 
run out of the way or shoot them. Use Stingers and Grenadegun shots to keep them 
constant struggling to stand up, and use High Time and the pistols/weapon/combo of 
your choice to destroy them as they are helpless. Ifrits are also useful against 
them, especially in DT mode. As long as you keep them on the ground, they cannot 
launch their attacks. If you're surrounded, then move away and engage them one on 
one. Being gangbanged by these guys will lead to a quick death.
_________
i)Kyklops

Description: Similar in appearance to the Phantom, these rock spiders are not as 
smart or nearly as strong. Their brown rocky hide is susceptible to attack from all 
sides, but be careful. Although they may not look it, they can leap enormous 
distances.

Sounds: Pounding rock as they walk about. They don't physically make any noise for 
some reason.

Attacks: 
-swipe(light-heavy, close): There are three variations of this attack, but they are 
essentially the same. Kyklops swipes at Dante if he gets too close to the Kyklops' 
head.
-rock spew(medium-heavy, medium range): The Kyklops faces Dante and spits out 
several rocks of various sizes at him. This attack spreads out in a conical 
pattern.
-big drop(heavy, anywhere it wants): The Kyklops tries to squash Dante with his 
tremendous bulk by leaping high into the air and then crashing down in Dante's last 
position. It also does this cover ground if Dante runs too far away.

Strategy: They usually attack in pairs.  To avoid their swipes, jump out of the way 
or just avoid being close to them. Jump away from the direction of the rock spit to 
avoid it, the jump tracks him to the point before they descend, so if you keep 
moving, you should easily avoid it. Weapons don't seem to work, so use the Devil 
Arms to attack their face. Alastor is quicker for getaways, so use it to avoid 
their swipes. By carefully attacking between them, you can bait them into killing 
each other or at least doing great amounts of damage. Idiots.
____________
j)Sin Scythe

Description: Another variation of the Sin family, they are larger than the Scissors 
type and wield one solitary scythe. This scythe is HUGE though, and these guys pack 
a punch.

Sounds: Same creepy laughter as the Sin Scissors. No metal noises for obvious 
reasons.

Attacks:
-scythe swipe: The Sin Scythe swipes at Dante with his scythe in a wide arc.
-scythe spin: The Sin Scythe twirls his Scythe for several moments, and then sends 
it after Dante. After a few seconds, it returns to the thrower like a boomerang.
-scythe twist: The Scythe performs a wide sweep with its scythe. If it hits Dante, 
the Scythe will impale Dante and swing him around for a while. Painful to say the 
least.
-umbrella: The Sin Scythe tosses out a black umbrella-like device. If Dante comes 
in contact wit this, he will be forced to the ground, setting him up for a swipe or 
a twist.
-scythe drop: As usual, they drop their scythes when beaten. Watch for it.

Strategy: These guys can hurt Dante a lot if given the chance, but they are 
actually easier to beat than the Scissors. Their swipes can be avoided by jumping 
above them, rolling or simply running. The range of the scythe spin is fairly long, 
so avoid the scythe by rolling or jumping out of the way. It tracks Dante both on 
delivery and return, so be ready to avoid it twice. The umbrella is only a problem 
if they are too high and you must jump around a lot. If you are forced down, then 
wait for them to come down to your level.
To defeat these demons, equip the Grenadegun. It takes two shots to defeat them. 
After the first successful shot, they will circle around for a while before coming 
in for another strike. Shoot again, and if it connects, it's gone. They are easier 
because their scythes don't block their masks like the Scissors do.

______________
k)Death Scythe

Description: the undisputed leader of the Death and Sin families, the Death Scythe 
is one tough guy. It's intricate cow head mask and red cloak symbolize its power, 
and it is strong enough to take on a host of Sin Scythes.

Sounds: Distorted male laughter, miniboss music ^_^

Attacks:
-scythe swipe (medium-heavy, close): The swipe from the Death Scythe hurts, moreso 
than any other variety's attack.
-scythe twist(heavy-critical, close): A rare attack, but it can kill Dante outright 
if it is done enough times. Death Scythe impales and spins Dante on one of his 
scythes.
-scythe toss(medium-heavy, medium range): Death Scythe sends a scythe spinning 
after Dante. Same as the Sin Scythes but with greater range and power.
-springboard(no damage, any range): Death Scythe shoots red beams onto the floor at 
random. When they hit the ground, they create swirling black circles. If Dante 
jumps while on one of these, he will shot into the air, and Death Scythe will swoop 
in for an attack.
-scythe gathering(no damage, any range): Only happens if you take too much time 
defeating Death Scythe. He will begin to gather scythes from around the room, 
eventually holding as many as five.
-scythe combo(heavy-critical, close): Only possible after he gets three or more 
scythes. Death Scythe does two overhead swipes, and a horizontal swipe. Brutal.
-shredder(critical-death, medium): Same as the scythe toss, but he throws out all 
the scythes he has at once. This is one of the most deadly attacks in the game.

Strategy: Death Scythe is arguably the hardest non-boss enemy in the game. Unlike 
the rest of the Scythes and Scissors, he enjoys playing a high-altitude game and 
has the speed and power to keep up with Dante.
To avoid his attacks you must know how to roll and jump efficiently. Some of his 
attacks, especially the shredder and the scythe combo, really can end a game 
outright. He is so fast that hitting him with anything but the shotgun and pistols 
is next to impossible (save a fully charged Nightmare-Beta shot), so you will want 
to concentrate on taking him out with your sword or fists. Ifrit is better if you 
keep getting catapulted, because the flying kick brings you down quickly and can 
out-prioritize his attacks. It can take a while to defeat him as he does not sit 
still for long.
________
k)Plasma

Description: The Plasma is a shape shifting entity, combining electrical energy and 
organic material to become something else entirely. Able to mimic their adversary, 
they are highly adaptable to any combat situation.

Sounds: Cracking electricity. You will know these guys are in the area because they 
light up the surroundings, so sound is not really necessary.

Attacks:
-particle beam(heavy, medium-far): The Plasma forms energy in front of its red eye 
and shoots an arcing blue beam at Dante.
-combo (medium-heavy, close): In its pseudo-human form, the Plasma performs Dante's 
basic sword combo. 
-split(no damage, any range): Plasmas split from time to time, often when they are 
about to die. The clone has full health, so it is essentially respawning.

Strategy: The Plasmas particle beam is its most devastating attack, but it can be 
avoided by jumping over it. They often halt in the middle of combos, so rolling out 
of the way will help to avoid danger.
Plasmas are freakishly susceptible to fire, so use the Ifrit gauntlets to pound 
away. Use DT-enhanced flame pistol bullets to bring them to their knees, and to 
knock down bat-form Plasmas. They tend to clone if you use High Time on them, and 
they seem to be immune to launchers, so adjust accordingly. 
_______
l)Frost

Description: A more advanced version of the Blades, Frosts use the power of ice to 
smash their prey. Their cold hide makes them almost invulnerable to even molten 
lava.

Sound: the shattering of ice, strange music.

Attacks:
-claw swipe(heavy, close): A strong swipe, similar to that of the Blades.
-ice field(light-heavy, close): The Frost leaps into the air, Upon landing, it 
creates a field of ice spikes, similar to that of Dante's Inferno (heh heh).
-ice shield(no damage, close-medium): The Frost rises slowly into the air and 
creates an invulnerable shield of ice.
-ice shot(light-heavy, medium-far): Similar to the Blade, the Frost shoots out a 
series of icy claws at Dante.
-teleport(light-heavy, far): The Frost stands up straight and shoots across the 
room in pieces, only to reassemble after it stops.

Strategy: Frosts have extremely high stamina. They do not seem to register hits, 
even when they are indeed taking damage. When launched in to the air, they recover 
very quickly. The claws can be easily avoided, but the ice shield can only be 
avoided by jumping away, or it can be neutralized with the Rolling Blaze maneuver. 
Their ice shield can't be destroyed, but it will lift in a short period of time. 
Their teleport can hurt, but it is only used when they are too far away from Dante. 
Their icy shots can be deflected by a well-timed punch.
Despite their strength, Frosts fall prey to Ifrit's fiery strength. Pound away, 
using Kick13 to keep them at bay. The Grenadegun can help if you feel overwhelmed.
________
m)Nobody

Description: The Nobodys: despised by all, they are unworthy of a real name. The 
revel joyously in their twisted mayhem, their bizarrely humanoid bodies convulsing 
in delight as they hunt down innocent victims.

Sounds: Dementedly evil laughter, jumping up and down while clapping.

Attacks:
-punch(medium, close): Nobody throws a punch. Simple attack.
-ritual(no damage, medium): Nobody puts on a mask, making it grow to twice its 
size.
The following are performed only when it is double-size.
-grab and smash (heavy, close): Nobody grabs Dante with a hand and slams him 
around.
-flying kick (heavy, close-medium): Nobody jumps up and kicks Dante in the head-
hard. So hard, Dante goes flying. Hard to counter with attacks.
-smart bomb(medium, close): Nobody detaches an eye from its back and sends it 
rolling after Dante.
-dance(no damage, medium-far): Different than the taunt, this dance does not hurt 
Dante but it drains his DT gauge.
-taunt(no damage, any range): Nobody jumps up and down, laughing. No damage 
whatsoever.

Strategy: Nobodys have exceptional stamina, but they are not that dangerous. Their 
punch is their only attack, and it is fairly simple to escape. Now, when they 
become double size, they become a lot more dangerous. Their kick is only performed 
as their recover from being knocked on their back, so once you knock them down, 
back off. It is very hard to counter, so if you absolutely MUST strike back, use a 
technique that has zero execution time like the Rolling Blaze. Their grab is 
avoided by not getting too close to them. They perform the dance when they are at a 
safe distance, so keep them at a medium range at all times. To avoid the bombs, hit 
them with the Alastor to safely detonate. The presence of the bombs can make Dante 
lock on incorrectly, so take them out as fast as possible.

Use Stingers and Grenadegun shots to dispose of the Nobodys. Jump slashes with the 
Alastor will  help to break the mask of the Nobody, making it revert to its smaller 
size. If you can't break the masks, try to Stinger them from the back. If done 
correctly, they will stumble and fall off their feet, and will NOT do the kick 
counter. Repeated Stingers will defeat them in this manner. The larger Nobodys are 
more bold than the smaller ones, so be careful.
___________
o) Sargasso 

Description: Spirits that exist half in our dimension, half in another. They assume 
the form of skulls to inspire fear and dread in their victims. They are prone to 
inhabit murky waters and the nightmarish recesses of the mind. 

Sounds: Groaning, teeth chattering. You will often see a Sargasso before it 
attacks, so it shouldn't be that much of a surprise.

Attacks:
-bite(light-medium, close): the Sargasso turns sideways and bites down on Dante.
-spray(light, medium): the Sargasso shoots a spray from its mouth at Dante.

Strategy: These guys appear fairly rarely, and they are easy to beat. They only 
attack if you move into their range. If you stay out of range, they become 
transparent and Dante can not hurt them either. The larger ones, however, attack if 
all the smaller ones are destroyed first. A Stinger and a single shotgun blast will 
dispose of the smaller, plainer variety, whereas the larger painted ones will 
require about 4-5 slashes/shots.

____________
Boss Enemies

Phantom:

Description: The first "true" boss enemy you fight in the game, Phantom is a giant 
rock spider/scorpion creature, with lava-like blood. He fights for Mundus while 
trying to further his own agenda (as to what that agenda is, I have no idea). In 
any case, he is one really big spider/scorpion thingy. You must fight him on two 
different occasions, but there are three occasions where a fight is purely 
optional.

Sounds: A weird cry, stomping around with all eight feet.

Attacks: 
-claw swipe (close, medium): using its front legs, Phantom swipes at Dante. It has 
three variations of these: a single swipe, a doulble swipe, or a pushing swipe. 
They all do about the same damage.
-tail swipe (close, medium-heavy): using its tail, Phantom swipes at Dante. It has 
longer reach than the claws, but it is used far less frequently.
-fireball (any range, heavy): charging up energy in its mouth, Phantom shoots a 
white energy ball at Dante in a straight line.
-bring out yer dead! (medium-far, light-heavy): Phantom dips its head into the 
ground and summons the souls of the dead. The tortured souls manifest in the form 
of fiery columns which shoot up at Dante's feet, tracking his last position.
-meteor shower (any range, light-heavy): the Phantom stops moving and focuses 
energy in its back and shoots out a white column of energy, which travels into the 
sky before crashing down in the ground three times, tracking Dante's last position.

Strategy: The bosses in this game require some careful attacking to defeat. Wailing 
on Phantom will only get Dante killed really fast, so take your time, and attack 
then pull away for a moment. For the Phantom, you only have Alastor and Force Edge 
as your swords (and who's going to use Force Edge? Not you, that's for sure!) and 
the Handguns and the Shotgun. (if this is your second time through, you may have 
more than the above-mentioned). Use the Alastor and the Handgun or Shotgun (both 
guns have their uses, see below)

The Phantom only takes damage in it's face or on its back. The head is a more 
easily attacked target. To attack his back, you must jump on the Phantom itself and 
attack (yes, you can do that and you don't take any damage from the lava), but he 
doesn't always leave his back open.

The claw swipes are only used if Phantom is staring you in the face. Jump out of 
the way and you'll be fine. To avoid the tail swipe, stand away from the front of 
him (he never swipes the back of his rocky hide). The fireball is one tough cookie 
if you don't watch for it. The first time you fight him, you can use the 
cathedral's pillars to block the beams for you, but the second time you won't have 
that luxury. In any case, roll or jump out of the way. His fireball travels very 
quickly across the screen (if you don't start moving the instant you see him 
charging the ball, you will have a very slim of escaping it). This is also the only 
attack he uses when he's chasing you down hallways. The fire columns can only be 
escaped by nimble footwork. They come up really fast, are really large and the 
break inbetween is almost negligible. Roll, jump, just move really fast. The meteor 
shower can be avoided by always moving and rolling. And don't think you can escape 
by staying as far away from it as possible: despite its great size, this thing can 
leap great distances to squash you like an ant.

To defeat the Phantom, you must use the Alastor to deliver stinging blows to its 
weak points. The Stinger is really useful here. When you see the Phantom charging 
up a fireball, Stinger it in the face and it will stumble, detonating the ball in 
its body harmlessly. Use three sword strikes to deliver damage and then jump to 
avoid the claw swipes it will invariably use. Even better, instead of just jumping 
back, jump onto Phantom's back and slash him or just unload a couple of Handgun 
shots or Shotgun shots before it knocks you off. Repeats until it's dead. If you 
have Air Raid, use it. It does a lot of damage really fast. If you have DT, pound 
it with gunshots or DT-enhanced slashes. Increased speed means you can get off a 
full combo before you have to jump(if you're lucky).

Every so often the Phantom drains its energy by using a super attack, like the 
meteor shower. When it happens, it will stop glowing for a while. Run up and 
unleash some of your strongest attacks on him before he recovers!

One more note: You can get Phantom to defeat himself in the second battle by having 
him jump and land on the glass circle in the center of the arena 6 times. Bait him 
into jumping by staying behind him a lot, then running to the center when he jumps. 
The sixth time, he will break the glass and kill himself ^_^

Nelo Angelo

Description: It would be hard to describe the true nature of this dark knight 
without spoiling the story for those of you who haven't finished it, so I will 
simply say this: He's a knight dressed in black, he carries a sword bigger then 
yours and he's about 7 feet tall. He never says much preferring to taunt you with 
that infernal laugh. Ha ha ha.

Sound: The aforementioned laugh, various grunts, a whooshing noise when he 
teleports.

Attacks:
-sword combo(light-heavy, medium to close): He performs a variation of Dante's 
three hit combo, ending with a High Time, Jump Slash attack. 
-samurai slice(heavy, close-medium): Nelo dashes at Dante, slicing him in half. He 
does this if you counter his normal combo too many times.
-fireball(heavy, medium-far): Nelo crouches a little and pulls a hand behind him. 
He focuses energy in the palm for about a second and a half, and then lets loose 
with a blue fireball that travels in a straight line.
-teleport (no damage, any range): When the pressure is too much, or if Dante tries 
to keep to far away, Nelo will vanish in a flash of blue flame and reappear 
elsewhere.
-sword rain: Nelo teleports high above the arena. From his vantage point, he 
summons a circle of glowing swords which dangle above Dante's head. After a little 
while, he makes them rain down on Dante.
-taunt(no damage, any range): Nelo stands and laughs. Used after he finishes his 
sword combo.

Strategy:
You face him at three different points in the game. Nelo Angelo can be fairly 
difficult if you just wail on him relentlessly. He can block all of Dante's attacks 
(including Air Raid and Inferno), and does so on a regular basis. He also seems to 
take little (if any) damage from guns. Use Alastor the first two times you meet 
him, and Ifrit for the last one.

To avoid his sword combo, either run away from him or roll out of the way. He can 
change directions while doing the combo to track you, so be careful. He's not as 
fast as Dante with the combo due to his sword's size, but he does a lot more damage 
than Dante(on DMD mode a single swipe will take off a full lifebar of Dante's 
health-ouch). You can also counter his attack by hitting his sword while he 
attacks. If you clash swords, Nelo's sword will swing back, and he'll be WIDE open 
as he tries to regain control of the giant blade. Hit him with your strongest 
attack, such as the Stinger or quick combo.

When Nelo goes for a fireball, he is a sitting duck. He takes ages to charge up a 
blast, so you can easily get to him and attack. If you fail to get to him, remember 
that the fireball travels in a straight line, so chanig heights or rolling will 
avoid it. 

You can hit him for a max of 4 hits on any combo. Anything more than that and he 
will either block, counter or teleport. 

When Nelo blocks, he can not change direction. Either wait for him to release his 
block and resume battle, or jump over him and do a downward Jump Slash to nail him 
on the back. He will take damage and stagger out of his blocking stance. 

When Nelo tries to counter the attack, he will more than likely use a standard 
combo. Clashing blades will stun him, but for some reason on a counter he's stunned 
for a little less time (it may have been my imagination but I am looking into this) 
 So attack quickly or use the break to move out of range. He may also try to 
counter with the samurai slice, which is EXTREMELY fast and has some good range on 
execution. It is possible to counter it, but it is very hard to do so. 95% of the 
time, at close range, if he uses this attack you'll be hit.

When Nelo teleports, you will see a red line appear where he lands. He usually 
initiates an attack the instant he reappears, so be wary. Depending on his range, 
he will either combo(close), slice(medium) or shoot a fireball(far). Attack 
accordingly.

In his third battle, Nelo gains more speed and better vision, so he can be tricky. 
This battle also shows how big he really is compared to Dante ^^. To avoid his 
sword rain, wait for them to fall and roll out of the way, or if you have it, use 
the Ifrit's Rolling Blaze to shatter them before he even has a chance to use them.
When you have full DT, use Ifrit's Kick13 move (in DT it's an automatic 5 hit into 
a juggling kick combo) repeatedly. This move sucks DT like no other, but it does 
cool damage and gives you the initiative if he blocks. Handguns are also useful for 
building DT gauges, although they do no damage. 

Griffon

Coming soon...
______________
Credits/Thanks

Credits/Thanks for this walkthrough go to:

-Capcom for making this game

-PoisonFiy for hints on beating just about all the enemies in the game.

-You, for reading this FAQ

-And me, for writing it ^_^

_____________________
Copyright Information

  Copyright 2001 Afolabiyi Okubanjo (Team Sky City). This FAQ and everything 
included within this file cannot be reproduced in any way, shape or form (physical, 
electronical, or otherwise) aside from being placed on a freely accessible, non-
commercial web page in its original, unedited and unaltered format. This FAQ cannot 
be used for profitable purposes (even if no money would be made from selling it) or 
promotional purposes. It cannot be used in any sort of commercial transaction. It 
cannot be given away as some sort of bonus, gift, etc., with a purchase as this 
creates incentive to buy and is therefore prohibited.

  Furthermore, this FAQ cannot be used by the publishers, editors, employees or 
associates, etc. of any company, group, business, or association, etc., nor can it 
be used by game sites and the like. It cannot be used in magazines guides, books, 
etc. or in any other form of printed or electronic media (including mediums not 
specifically mentioned) in ANY way, shape, or form (including reprinting, reference 
or inclusion), without the express written permission of the author, myself. This 
FAQ was created and is owned by me, Afolabiyi Okubanjo. All copyrights and 
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this FAQ.

