Metaphor: ReFantazio – How to Defeat Goborn King and Claim Your Bounty

Venturing beyond the capital city in Metaphor: ReFantazio leads you to Martira, a new town with plenty of opportunities to boost your fame and earn some extra cash. While your main mission might take you elsewhere, you can take on bounties to face formidable foes, gain rewards, and grow stronger. One such bounty is the Goborn King, a powerful and optional boss that lurks in the Goblin’s Nest east of Martira. If you’re up for a challenge and want to take on this beast, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do just that.

What is the Goborn King and Why Should You Care?

The Goborn King is no ordinary enemy. This boss can be tough to defeat, but it’s an excellent way to rack up experience points, earn valuable items, and increase your reputation in Martira. Plus, who doesn’t want to take down the “King of the Imps” and claim the glory that comes with it?

But it’s not as simple as charging into battle. The Goborn King doesn’t show up on its own you’ll need to lure it out by defeating a group of its followers first. This guide will walk you through the best strategies for summoning and defeating the Goborn King, as well as providing insight into the best team composition to make the fight easier.

Step 1: Reaching the Goblin’s Nest

To find the Goborn King, you’ll first need to travel to the Goblin’s Nest, located on the eastern side of the city. The journey itself isn’t too difficult, but be prepared for a few random enemy encounters along the way. Stock up on items and ensure your party is well-equipped before you set out.

Once you arrive at the Goblin’s Nest, the real challenge begins. You won’t be able to face the Goborn King until you’ve taken out several Goborn Mages the key to drawing out the boss. These mages wear distinctive black cloaks, making them easy to spot.

Step 2: Defeating the Goborn Mages

To summon the Goborn King, you’ll need to kill multiple Goborn Mages. These enemies can be quite tricky since they can cast elemental magic and don’t have any glaring weaknesses. However, they are particularly vulnerable to sleep effects.

Using Sleep to Your Advantage

If you’ve unlocked the Gunner class for one of your party members, you’re in luck! The Gunner’s Sleep Shot ability can put enemies to sleep, allowing you to control the battlefield more effectively. Alternatively, you can use the Slumberthorn consumable, which costs 90 Gold and can be purchased in Martira. Once the mages are asleep, you can focus on taking them down without worrying about their magical attacks.

After you’ve killed enough Goborn Mages, the Goborn King will make its grand entrance.

Step 3: Preparing for the Goborn King Battle

The Goborn King doesn’t fight alone. When it appears, it will be accompanied by several smaller enemies. This makes the fight significantly more difficult, as you’ll need to deal with multiple threats at once. None of the enemies have any weaknesses, but they are all vulnerable to sleep effects except the Goborn King.

Recommended Team Composition

To give yourself the best chance of success, here’s a recommended team composition:

• Protagonist: Seeker
• Strohl: Warrior
• Hulkenberg: Gunner

Why this team? The Seeker is a versatile class that can handle physical attacks and has decent resistance. Strohl, in the Warrior class, brings brute strength to the table, while Hulkenberg, as a Gunner, can inflict status effects like sleep, which will help you manage the smaller enemies.

Step 4: Taking Down the Goborn King

At the start of the battle, your priority should be to eliminate the Goborn Mage. This mage can cast devastating elemental spells, and if your protagonist is in the Seeker class, they’ll be weak against fire. If the mage lands a fire attack, it could gain an extra turn, making things even harder for you.

While your Gunner puts the other enemies to sleep, focus your attacks on the Goborn Mage. Don’t waste your Gunner’s sleep shots on the Goborn King, as it’s immune to sleep. Instead, have your Gunner use Poison Shot, which can inflict damage over time and slowly chip away at the boss’s health.

What to Expect from the Goborn King

Once the smaller enemies are out of the way, the Goborn King will start buffing itself, increasing its ATK and AGI stats. This makes the boss faster and more powerful, and worse, harder to hit. Unfortunately, at this stage of the game, there isn’t a reliable skill to strip away the boss’s buffs, so you’ll just have to keep hammering away at it until it’s defeated.

Step 5: Strategy and Tactics

The key to winning this battle is managing the Goborn King’s buffs and using sleep to disable its minions. Since you can’t remove its buffs, focus on keeping your party’s agility high to improve your hit rate. If you’ve inherited skills from the Healer Archetype, make sure you can remove status ailments like poison and debuffs, which the Goborn King and its allies will use to weaken your party.

Here’s the strategy in a nutshell:

1. Eliminate the Goborn Mage first to prevent it from using powerful elemental magic.
2. Use Sleep Shot or Slumberthorn to disable the smaller enemies.
3. Focus all your firepower on the Goborn King, using Poison Shot and other attacks to whittle down its health.
4. Be prepared for a long battle as the Goborn King buffs its ATK and AGI. Keep attacking and don’t get discouraged by misses.

If your team’s agility is high enough, you’ll be able to land more hits and eventually wear down the Goborn King’s health.

Step 6: Claiming Your Reward

Once you’ve defeated the Goborn King, you’ll be rewarded with Reeve, MAG, and possibly new gear. Defeating this optional boss not only strengthens your party but also boosts your popularity in Martira. This increased reputation can lead to more bounties, better items in shops, and additional side quests that will further enhance your experience in Metaphor: ReFantazio.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Do I have to fight the Goborn King to complete the main story?

No, the Goborn King is an optional boss. However, defeating it can earn you valuable rewards and increase your reputation in Martira.

Q2: What’s the best way to put the Goborn King’s minions to sleep?

You can use the Sleep Shot ability from the Gunner class or the Slumberthorn consumable. Both methods work well for incapacitating the smaller enemies.

Q3: Is the Goborn King vulnerable to any status effects?

The Goborn King is not susceptible to sleep but can be affected by Poison Shot, which deals damage over time.

Q4: What should I do when the Goborn King buffs itself?

There isn’t a way to reliably remove its buffs at this stage of the game. Instead, focus on increasing your party’s agility and keep attacking.

Q5: Can I take on this boss early in the game?

It’s possible, but you’ll likely struggle unless your party is well-prepared. It’s recommended to come back later when you’ve levelled up and unlocked stronger abilities.

By following these strategies, you’ll be well equipped to take down the Goborn King, claim your bounty, and increase your standing in Metaphor: ReFantazio.