Materia Guardian is the boss of Chapter 1: Fall of a Hero in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (FF7 Rebirth). Read on to learn how to beat Materia Guardian, its weaknesses and resistances, a list of its moves and attack patterns, as well as tips and rewards for beating it.
How to Beat the Materia Guardian in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Break the Legs and Dodge Grabs to Stagger the Boss
The easiest way to transition between the different phases of this boss fight is to pressure the Materia Guardian until it gets Staggered. Target its Left and Right Hindlegs during the fight to remove its grab attack entirely.
When either Cloud or Sephiroth gets grabbed by the Seizing Claws attack, use your Aerial combos to cripple the leg that grabbed them, increasing pressure by a large amount. Alternatively, dodging this grab attack will also count as applying pressure!
Use Focused Thrust or Voidshatter to Quickly Build Up Pressure
Cloud’s Focused Thrust skill as well as his new Synergy Skill with Sephiroth called Voidshatter will also be good alternatives for applying pressure. If you find yourself easily dodging the Materia Guardian’s grabs, consider comboing into these attacks for max pressure.
Target the Legs When it Goes to the Ceiling
During Phase 2, the Materia Guardian will start hanging from the ceiling and using deadly ranged attacks. The easiest way to bring it down to ground level is to use Sephiroth’s Fire Materia to instantly cripple its legs.
Simply cast Fire on any one of its Forelegs or Midlegs to deal critical damage and bring it down from the ceiling. Once it lands, the Materia Guardian will be stunned for a few seconds, giving you an opening to attack.
Counterfire Works Against Mucous Discharge and Stonefall Attacks
The new Synergy Skill called Counterfire will negate the damage of the Materia Guardian’s Mucous Discharge and Stonefall attacks during Phase 2. When timed properly, it can be used to fully block damage if you don’t have enough ATB for a Fire spell.
Use Double Helix to Bring it Down in Phase 3
Once the Materia Guardian enters Phase 3, it will start parking itself on top of some ruined pipes, preventing both Cloud and Sephiroth from getting into melee range. To bring it down from the pipes, use the new Synergy Ability, Double Helix.
Spam Abilities, Limit Breaks, and Spells After Using Double Helix
Double Helix is unique in that it grants both Cloud and Sephiroth unique buffs after the attack animation plays. Cloud will get a huge boost to his Limit Break Gauge while Sephiroth will get unlimited MP for a short duration.
