The nature of the final boss encounter in Bastion depends on your ultimate choice at The Sundown Path: Restore or Evacuate. Both endings present a unique challenge.
Restore Ending: The Calamity's Core
If you choose to Restore, you will face the physical manifestation of the Calamity's Core. This is a multi-stage boss fight against a powerful, ethereal entity.
- Phase 1: Core's Guardians: You'll fight waves of powerful, corrupted enemies that guard the Core. Focus on clearing them quickly.
- Phase 2: Core Attacks: The Core itself will attack with energy blasts, ground slams, and summoning smaller, fast-moving projectiles. Dodge constantly and look for openings to attack the Core directly.
- Phase 3: Desperation: The Core becomes more aggressive, summoning more enemies and unleashing more powerful attacks. This phase is a DPS race.
Strategy: This fight requires high damage output and excellent dodging. Use your most powerful single-target weapons (e.g., Musket, Dueling Pistols) for the Core and area-of-effect skills (e.g., Calamity Cannon, Bellow) for the guardians. Keep moving, use tonics, and focus fire on the Core whenever possible.
Evacuate Ending: The Gauntlet
If you choose to Evacuate, there isn't a traditional 'boss' fight. Instead, you face a gauntlet of increasingly difficult enemy waves as you escort the survivors to the Skyway. This is a test of endurance and resource management.
- Waves of Enemies: You'll encounter every enemy type from the game, often in large, challenging combinations.
- Escort Objective: You must protect the survivors, who have limited health.
Strategy: Prioritize crowd control and protecting the survivors. Weapons like the Gatling Gun, Fire Bellows, and Mortar are excellent. Secret Skills like Bellow, Calamity Cannon, and Gel Canister are invaluable for clearing groups and creating space. Use tonics liberally. The challenge is managing the constant pressure and ensuring the survivors make it to the end.
Recommended Loadout (Both Endings):
- Weapons: A strong ranged weapon (Gatling Gun/Musket) and a strong area-of-effect weapon (Fire Bellows/Mortar).
- Secret Skill: Calamity Cannon or Bellow (for high damage/crowd control). Leechade can also be useful for sustain.