Combat Guide (Aries)

Thunder Strike possesses a multitude of unique bosses with varying degrees of difficulty (some less so than others). There is bound to be a moment when you encounter a boss that proves its worth and actually poses a challenge. This is especially so in Stage Mode, and thus this guide aims to offer the best tips and tricks for every boss you meet. Grab your notebook and pen (or just remember it).

Also, click here to see the Stage layout for referencing.

## Aries Constellation

The first few tutorial bosses of the game offer a change in the intensity of game play, but can be quickly overcome once the pilot has grasped the basics and learned to evade well. This section covers Aries and Taurus.

**Enemy wave behaviour** - Fighters come in small waves and short pauses between each wave. The game slowly eases you into fighters to the larger ships, with the end waves featuring mixes of fighter types.

**Stage 2 - Heavy Red**

The very first (mini) boss in the game. The bullets it fires are miserably slow, so there is no reason you would get hit by anything. You only need to look out for its core attack which shoots out a spiraling barrage of large bullets. Train your firepower on its body and it'll go down in no time with its weak armour.

**Stage 4 - Destroyer III**

The first Main boss of the game. Larger than anything you have encountered so far, its large hitbox allows for easy attacking (as is true for all boss-class ships). This boss only employs a single tracking gun while every other arsenal is just forward firing. But because it shifts side to side to compensate for this, players simply need to keep up with its sluggish movements to stay out of harm's way. Its destructible missiles are a hassle at best, because of the initially lacking firepower to overwhelm them.

In its 2nd form, look out for its new attack with exceptionally large linear bullets. This attack is particularly lethal to your low armour.

The first time you challenge Destroyer III, you will also be granted a Peacemaker to demonstrate its function and power, capable of decimating the Destroyer III quickly.

**Stage 6 - Raptor**

Slightly more difficult than the preceding (mini)boss, it uses more complex bullet formations in its arsenal, coupled with a few tracking attacks. Be careful not to get caught off guard by its first attack: where it fires a stream of bullets from each wing, as it moves quickly and later can be used at random to some degree of effect. Still, your battle will be a rather short one.

The only thing you need to worry about is its scatter fire. The Raptor can fire a restricting bullet wall from its guns but since it cannot perform combos, that attack will mean nothing to the player.

**Stage 8 - Galaxy Ash**

Galaxy Ash introduces more lethal attacks, such as energy orbs, which while slow-moving will severely damage, if not outright destroy the pilots ship. It uses many simple bullet formations that teaches the player to not just dodge bursts of bullets quickly, but remain in blindspots when more powerful and longer attacks are used. Up to this point, most of its attacks are best avoided when you are placed in the center.

As the second part of the battle commences, it ramps up the difficulty by firing a series of short bursts with alternating gaps, followed by streams of bullets which are much faster and difficult to dodge. To survive, don't expect to stay in the center to attack so easily, as you will need to move between alternating blind spots to avoid all of its attacks. You may also find yourself dodging one attack, only to get caught in another. Battling Galaxy Ash will be significantly longer than usual, and you can be brought down in 4 hits if you don't concentrate on where you are going.