Kotama and Academy Citadel is a brand-new take on the Metroidvania genre, which instantly stands out from the crowd due to its unique art style and a much more layered combat loop. It inherently comes with numerous boss fights that pose a great challenge for the players, including the third tutorial boss, Arrowhead Alpha Sailfish.
Alpha Sailfish blocks the pathway from Central Station to the Art Academy, and it is pivotal to defeat it to progress in the game. This guide is here to help you in beating the first challenging boss Kotama and Academy Citadel has to offer.
Kotama and Academy Citadel: Arrowhead Alpha Sailfish Moveset
Before taking on the boss, it’s crucial to understand its attack pattern and make a strategy to time your attacks successfully as it recovers stamina.
| Attack Name | Effect | How to Counter |
| Ground wave | Alpha Sailfish charges up its sword and sends an orange wave towards the player. | Jump forward to avoid the wave; collision with the boss itself doesn’t damage you. |
| Forward Dash | After a yellow flash, indicating that the attack can be parried, Alpha Sailfish launches itself towards the player to deal devastating damage. | Press L1/LB to parry the attack. If you’re playing it safe, it’s better to jump in the direction of the attack. |
| Ground wave (bait) | Alpha Sailfish can use this iteration of Ground Wave attack, which covers a point-blank area. | This attack is executed when you’re too close to the boss. Either parry the attack or fall back. |
| Blue Sword Lightning Strikes (Second Phase) | After Alpha Sailfish’s health drops to 60%, it swings the blue sword and jumps to perform a smash. This attack covers the entire ground sequentially. | Stand in the corner of the arena, and as the lightning covers the ground, time and jump to the safe side. You can attack the boss during their attack. |
| Blue Slashes (Aerial and Ground) | Similar to the Ground Wave, Alpha Sailfish throws Blue Slashes in the direction of the player. The aerial iteration is followed up with a smash. | Jump and glide over the Blue Slashes if you’re at a distance; parry if you’re close to the boss. For the aerial iteration, run away from the boss and prepare to dodge the incoming smash. |
| Ground Smash | In the second phase, Alpha Sailfish jumps and performs a smash. | Keep a distance from the boss or parry the slash to gain an extra attack window. |
How to Beat Arrowhead Alpha Sailfish in Kotama and Academy Citadel
Before stepping into the arena, make sure to have your Temporal Coils recharged to receive as little damage as possible. Additionally, explore all the available rooms in Central Station to unlock the Double Jump and Sliding abilities; capitalize on them to dodge all incoming attacks.
Once the boss fight begins, Alpha Sailfish will lunge forward to the player for a devastating blow; parry and attack the boss as it is staggered.
Keep a moderate distance from the boss to lock its range, which also provides you with leverage to dodge/parry the incoming wave attacks. Continue parrying and dodging Alpha Sailfish attacks, and once its health reaches 60%, prepare to dodge the lightning strikes.
Lightning strikes indicate its second phase, which increases the boss’s attack potency and range. Time your parries to stagger and hit the boss; don’t forget to use the heavy attacks once Alpha Sailfish is highlighted in purple to deal maximum damage. Repeat the process, and ultimately, you will conquer this battle.
After beating Arrowhead Alpha Sailfish, you can now begin exploring the Art Academy.
Arrowhead Alpha Sailfish Rewards
After successfully beating Alpha Sailfish, you will receive a Damaged Wristband, which is an upgrade item that you can use in later parts of the game.
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