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How to Beat Maluca in The First Berserker: Khazan

A phase-by-phase plan for beating Maluca in The First Berserker: Khazan, including the greatsword tells, katana hazards, healing move, and weapon trade-offs.
WorldThe First Berserker: Khazan Length3 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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Maluca is the boss of the “Veiled Knives” mission. The safest approach is to treat the fight as two distinct rhythms: use openings against his slow broken greatswords, then prioritize evasion when he switches to his faster katana. Watch for the healing tell in either phase and interrupt it when you can.

Before the fight: choose your weapon and clear Chaos

No weapon is required for this encounter. PowerPyx describes the broad trade-offs this way: dual wield favors direct damage and dodging; greatsword suits charged attacks and Brink Guard; spear focuses on stamina damage and offers both Brink Guard and dodging. PowerPyx recommends spear, but that is the guide author’s preference, not a Maluca-specific requirement. Choose the style whose defensive timing you can use consistently. PowerPyx’s boss guide.

If Chaos is affecting you, bring Chaos Resistance Elixirs. GamesFuze says the status reduces maximum health and can stack to lower HP, stamina, and spirit as well; the elixirs cure the effect rather than prevent it. GamesFuze’s Maluca guide.

Phase one: broken greatswords

This phase is slower and more predictable, but its deliberate rhythm can make Brink Guard timing awkward. Stay attentive to the tells rather than guarding on instinct, and respond to the three main threats as they appear. GamesFuze’s move descriptions and responses are summarized below.

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  • Three projectiles: A backstep and twirl precede three shots. Dodge toward Maluca as they approach; this avoids the projectiles and brings you closer.
  • Taunt: When he turns away to taunt, attacking triggers a Burst Attack. Rather than trying to counter it at close range, use Javelins from a safer distance.
  • Healing: A pause and a scream toward the sky, accompanied by a visible shockwave, signal the heal. Rush in to interrupt it or limit how much health he restores.

At 70% health: escape the transition attack

GamesFuze places the phase change at 70% health. After the cutscene, Maluca leaps and plunges his greatswords into the ground, then releases a large area shockwave. Run away from this opening sequence rather than trying to stay close for damage. He then relies mainly on a katana, making the pace much faster.

Phase two: read the katana tells

Give yourself room to react. Several attacks punish blocking or rely on timing that differs from its visual cue.

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  • Sheathed slash: When the sword is sheathed, a bright horizontal flash appears and time slows. Dodge just after the flash to evade the unsheathing strike.
  • Jumping grab: Maluca jumps and draws the glowing katana back before a fast stab. This is a grab and cannot be blocked; dodge as he leaves the ground.
  • Long slash combo: A sheathe, retreating jump, and ground slash lead into a mud wall and a roughly ten-hit string: one slower slash, six faster slashes, then two slower slashes. Brink Guarding the entire sequence is difficult, though the string can also damage Maluca’s stamina. Avoid committing to a full guard unless you can maintain the timing.
  • Teleporting slash: The sheathed sword glows before the attack, but the strike lands later than the glow may suggest. Do not use the glow itself as your dodge cue. Timing is even less straightforward if Maluca jumps over Khazan before teleporting.
  • Healing and taunt: Both can recur. Use the same responses as in phase one: close in to interrupt the heal, and avoid attacking into the taunt’s Burst Attack.
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If Maluca returns to his greatswords

He may put away the katana and switch back to the broken greatswords during phase two. In this form, he can perform three consecutive plunging attacks and fire projectiles that are faster and more numerous than before. Learn the plunge rhythm if you intend to Brink Guard; dodge through the projectiles. He eventually returns to the katana, so be ready to shift back to the faster phase-two timing.

What the official launch note says about difficulty

In a March 27, 2025 launch-era note, the developer described Maluca as the boss of the first part of the story and said new players found him “more than twice as challenging as Rangkus,” the previous boss. The note also said the underlying data could not be disclosed, so this is a qualitative comparison, not a published measured statistic. The same note described a slight reduction to main-game difficulty, intended to let players earn rewards more quickly through stamina-based combat and make minor mistakes less likely to cause failure while preserving the intended challenge. These statements describe the launch update; they do not establish the fight’s balance after later patches. Developer note mirrored by SteamDB.

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