=================================================================
Silent Hill: Homecoming
Boss/Enemy Guide
Version 1.03
By Travis Rappa (Dauragon C Mikado88)
=================================================================

 _    _           _       _            
| |  | |         | |     | |           
| |  | |_ __   __| | __ _| |_ ___  ___ 
| |  | | '_ \ / _` |/ _` | __/ _ \/ __|
| |__| | |_) | (_| | (_| | ||  __/\__ \
 \____/| .__/ \__,_|\__,_|\__\___||___/
       | |                             
       |_| 

Version 1.00
Began the FAQ. All enemies and bosses have been added with basic strategies. 
New updates will include grammatical fixes, additional strategies and some 
background information.

Version 1.01
-Added FLAWLESS strategies for Nurses and Needlers. I also improved on the
Sepulcher strategy.

Version 1.02
-Made the Needler strategy even more...flawless. 
-Mentioned the upgrades to each weapon in the Weaponry section, as well 
as where you find each one. I noticed the Crowbar is actually the 
Steel Pipe replacement and not its own weapon. However I still kept it 
as its own weapon since it's still fairly harder to come by than the other 
hidden weapons and is particularly useful for Scarlet.
-Added Crowbar as good weapon against Lurkers.
-Corrected 'Order Follower' with its official name 'Order Soldier'.
-Added some minor extra tactics against Order Soldiers.
-Minor typo corrections.

Version 1.03
-Made a little note about the Laser Pistol.
-More typo corrections, especially a fairly big one on the Copyright
section.
-Changed 'Stomp of Death' to 'Stomp of Doom' (sounds better, eh?)
-Added a new section to 'Combat Techniques' named 'Counterattacking'

I did receive a few submissions improving on certain strategies, 
I am still going through most of them and checking how well they
work so I will most likely start adding some by the next update.

I am looking for very effective means of defeating Smogs and Siams
using melee only. If you know a strategy that avoids damage or
take very little, please submit me one!

=================================================================
Table of Contents
=================================================================
Please use the Find function in your web browser and type in the numbers listed 
in parenthesis to quickly find what you are looking for.

I. Introduction (1000)
II. Combat Techniques (2000)
	2a. Dodging (2001)
	2b. Counterattacking (2002)
	2b. Melee Attacks (2003)
	2c. Firearms (2004)
	2d. Stomp of Doom (2005)
III. Weaponry (3000)
	3a. Knife (3001)
	3b. Steel Pipe (3002)
	3c. Fireaxe (3003)
	3d. Crowbar (3004)
	3e. Circular Saw (3005)
	3f. Handgun (3006)
	3g. Shotgun (3007)
	3h. Rifle (3008)
	3i. Laser Pistol (3009)
IV. Enemies (4000)
	4a. Nurses (4001)
	4b. Swarm (4002)
	4c. Lurker (4003)
	4d. Feral Dogs (4004)
	4e. Smog (4005)
	4f. Needler (4006)
	4g. Schism (4007)
	4h. Siam (4008)
	4i. Order Soldiers (4009)
V. Bosses (5000)
	5a. Sepulcher (5001)
	5b. Scarlet (5002)
	5c. Asphyxia (5003)
	5d. Curtis (5004)
	5e. Amnion (5005)
VI. Contact Info (6000)
VII. Copyright/FAQ Usability Note (7000)

NOTE: This guide was written with the standard 'Normal' mode difficulty in 
mind. While this guide can be used for tactics on Hard mode, actual hits it 
may take to defeat a boss may vary.

=================================================================
I. INTRODUCTION (1000)
=================================================================
Silent Hill: Homecoming marks the first Silent Hill title to be released on 
the PlayStation 3. Being developed by a new company, Double Helix Games, many 
diehard Silent Hill fans were concerned about how scary the game would be, 
and most importantly - how scary the monsters would be! I believe it is safe 
to say that the monsters and bosses in Homecoming are just as terrifying as 
we've come to know from all the previous Silent Hill games. Each monster and 
boss for their matter has their own strength and weaknesses, and this guide 
is here to help you perfect your strategies against all enemies, especially 
when using melee combat.

=================================================================
II. COMBAT TECHNIQUES (2000)
=================================================================
You will undoubtedly be spending most of your time using a melee weapon in 
combat, and at times also a firearm to deal with your enemies. As such, it's 
important to master the combat controls and the most important button of all: 
the dodge button.

-----------------------------------
2a. DODGING (2001)
-----------------------------------
Dodging is executed by pressing the O (Circle) button. A successfully timed
dodge will allow you to evade an enemy's strike, and counterattack with your
own strike by quickly following up with the X or [] (Square) button. Depending
on where you move the analog stick in junction with the Circle button, you
will dodge in that direction. It is also possible to parry enemy attacks by
pressing the Circle button almost immediately before the enemy would have
hit you. While not as effective as a well-timed dodge, it is the games way
of rewarding you for a near-miss block.

-----------------------------------
2b. COUNTERATTACKING (2002)
-----------------------------------
Counterattacking is executed immediately by pressing X or Square after a
successful dodge. Dodging and counterattacking is an effective strategy
against most monsters, especially bosses, as it can usually lead to combos
in a more vunerable point on a monster. For example, dodging and countering
a Siam or Needler in the back is very effective. Most monsters are vunerable
to back attacks and dodging + counterattacking is the way to do it.

-----------------------------------
2c. MELEE ATTACKS (2003)
-----------------------------------
Melee can be executed in 2 forms: a light attack (X) and a heavy attack 
(Square). Light attacks are quick and may temporarily disorient an enemy but 
will not stun them or knock them back. Depending on the weapon, there is a 
set amount of consecutive light attacks possible; however at the end of a 
light attack combo, a heavy attack can be used to finish off the chain. Heavy 
attacks are capable of stunning and knocking back an enemy, and can even lead 
to a fatality-type attack in which Alex instantly kills the enemy. Heavy 
attacks can be 'charged' by holding down Square, doing do will usually knock 
the enemy over or stun them depending on health and allow you to finish them 
off with another press of Square. However a fully charged heavy attack is 
hard to pull off.

-----------------------------------
2d. FIREARMS (2004)
-----------------------------------
As you probably expect, firearms are the long-range weaponry of the game. 
Firearms will not be used as much as you might expect due to the low hold 
capacity rate Alex has. However firearms are very useful when dealing with 
multiple enemies or your health is very low without recovery items. Firearms 
are readied with the L2 button and fired with the R2 button. A weapon bash 
can be performed by pressing X while the weapon is readied. It will take some 
time to get used to the firearm controls if you primarily use melee weapons. 
Unlike melee weapons, aiming for vital spots is important. I will list some 
enemy weak points in the monster sections.

-----------------------------------
2e. STOMP OF DOOM (2005)
-----------------------------------
Yes the infamous Stomp of Doom has returned in Homecoming but unfortunately 
to my understanding it can only be used to squish Swarm enemies.

=================================================================
III. WEAPONRY (3000)
=================================================================

-----------------------------------
MELEE WEAPONS
-----------------------------------

*************************************
3a. THE KNIFE (3001)
Quickness: 5/5
Power: 2/5
Overall: 5/5 (The best melee weapon)
*************************************
The good old Combat Knife. Usually the knife is always seen as a 'last resort' 
weapon with very weak damage, but surprisingly, the knife is probably the 
best melee weapon in Homecoming. The knife, while fairly weak, its rapid 
slashes and quick heavy attacks allow you to keep almost any enemy at bay. As 
you will come to see in the Enemy/Boss sections, the knife will appear almost 
every time for recommended weapon. View the sections below for some tactics 
with the knife against various enemies. The knife is also used for 'Cut'.
The upgrade to the knife is the Ceremonial Dagger automatically obtained
later in the game, however I am not sure of any noticable differences
between it and the regular combat knife.


*************************************
3b. THE STEEL PIPE (3002)
Quickness: 3/5
Power: 3/5
Overall: 3/5
*************************************
What's a Silent Hill game without the trusty Steel Pipe? In Homecoming the 
Steel Pipe is the second melee weapon you will obtain in the game. It is a 
fairly balanced melee weapon all across the board. Once you master the knife 
you will most likely not use the pipe, and you'll probably use the Fireaxe 
or Crowbar when you need a stronger weapon, so unfortunately the pipe doesn't 
get too much loving in the usefulness department. The pipe is also used for 
'Pry'.

*************************************
3c. THE FIREAXE (3003)
Quickness: 2/5
Power: 4/5
Overall: 4/5
*************************************
The Fireaxe is the 'powerful but slow' melee weapon of the game. Being 
effective with the Fireaxe can actually be a challenge as enemies will 
counterattack you during the slow swings, especially when charging up a heavy 
attack. However if you land it, the damage dealt is devastating. The Fireaxe 
is also used for 'Hack'. An upgrade, Pulaski Axe is in a truck just outside
the Prison entrance, it provides greater power than the Fireaxe.

*************************************
3d. THE CROWBAR (3004)
Quickness: 3/5
Power: 3.5/5
Overall: 3.5/5
*************************************
The Crowbar is a hidden weapon in 'Hell's Decent' that can be missed for the 
entire game. Its main purpose is to make the Scarlet fight a lot easier, but 
I also consider it in the middle of the Steel Pipe and Fireaxe in terms of 
effectiveness. If you obtain it, I would recommend using it when not using 
the knife. The weapon also replaces the Steel Pipe completely.

*************************************
3e. CIRCULAR SAW (3005)
Quickness: 1/5
Power: 4.5/5
Overall: 2/5
*************************************
The Circular Saw is obtained in the Garage of Alex's house ONLY after you've 
completed the game once. Unfortunately the weapon is very slow and even for 
its power, doesn't make up for the beatings you will receive in counterattacks 
from the monsters. I do not recommend using this weapon much besides the 
entertaining effect of hitting things with a chainsaw.

-----------------------------------
FIREARMS
-----------------------------------

*************************************
3f. HANDGUN (3006)
*************************************
The Handgun is automatically obtained from Curtis shortly after exiting the 
Graveyard. While not incredibly powerful, knowing where to aim can make the 
difference of 5-6 bullets and 2 bullets. The Chrome Hammer pistol upgrade
can be found in the graveyard behind some boards. Requires the Fireaxe.

*************************************
3g. SHOTGUN (3007)
*************************************
The Shotgun is automatically obtained from Wheeler in the Sheriff's Station. 
The shotgun allows a greater deal of aiming freedom, and can kill most 
monsters in 1-2 shots with a near direct shot to an up-close monster. Can
be upgraded to a Bluesteel Shotgun which is found in the father's basement
room in the Shephard's house.

*************************************
3h. RIFLE (3008)
*************************************
The Rifle is an optional weapon that you can obtain either at the Silent Hill 
Cemetery after discovering all 3 gems, or obtaining the Police Rifle in the 
final area in one of the rooms. The Rifle is in the middle between the handgun 
and the shotgun fired at close range. It's a hassle to get and is not important 
to complete the game at all. The Police Marksman Rifle is found in the last
area, in one of the rooms.

*************************************
3i. LASER PISTOL (3009)
*************************************
This hidden weapon is obtained after completing the game and seeing the UFO 
ending. The weapon is located in Joshua's room in subsequent playthroughs. 
It has unlimited ammo and can defeat most enemies in just a few hits. 
Because of how powerful this weapon is, and how easily it dispatches
enemies, it will obviously not be included as a recommended weapon.

=================================================================
IV. ENEMIES (4000)
=================================================================

---------------------------------------------
4a. NURSE (4001)
---------------------------------------------
Effective Weapon(s): Knife, Handgun

The Nurses are surprisingly the first enemy you will encounter in the game. 
The best offense is the best defense against Nurses, as they can be relentless 
in attacks if you give them an opening. The first weapon you'll even be able 
to use against them is the Knife, which generally is the best melee weapon 
to use. Do the full X (x3) + Square knife combo that ends with the spin
slash. Do not attempt to do a charged heavy strike or you will almost
always be countered before you can finish it. The final heavy attack will
send the nurse slightly back, causing her counter-slash to miss you. At 
this point, simply repeat the combo and you will easily kill her without
taking any damage.

Later on you will fight them again while you possess a handgun. There are 
a few instances where you will fight many of them at one time (up to 4 at 
one point!) The handgun comes in handy here, as you probably could have 
expected from their humanoid appearance, aiming for the head is the most 
damage. 2 bullets from the handgun should bring one down.

---------------------------------------------
4b. SWARM (4002)
---------------------------------------------
Effective Weapon(s): Knife, Stomp of Doom

The swarm enemies are more of a nuisance than a real threat. They will always 
come in numbers of about 3-4 at once. While on the ground, ready your weapon 
and press X near one to do the infamous Stomp of Doom for an instant kill. 
If they hover near you, slash them with your knife. If they manage to latch 
onto you, mash Circle then press the button that appears on screen for a split 
second to throw them to the ground and kill it.

---------------------------------------------
4c. LURKER (4003)
---------------------------------------------
Effective Weapon(s): Knife, Circular Saw, Crowbar

Lurkers may seem intimidating but are actually weak enemies and can be killed 
off very quickly. Their main weakness is their head, to quickly dispatch with 
the knife: X (2x) + Square followed by an X + Square will bring down a Lurker 
with no damage taken. In later playthroughs, the Circular Saw can usually 
behead it in one cut. For another easy means to kill it, use the Crowbar 
combo of X + Square which will knock it down, then proceed to use a fully
charged heavy attack on the downed Lurker, beheading it instantly. I am not
completely sure if this works as quickly with the Steel Pipe. Will verify
in a future update.

---------------------------------------------
4d. FERAL DOGS (4004)
---------------------------------------------
Effective Weapon(s): Knife

Yes you guessed it, the knife is again the most effective weapon against Feral 
Dogs, and is even said so in the loading screen. X (2x) + Square is the safety 
combo to bring it down without damage. You can also use the complete combo 
of X (3x) + Square but the time you are vulnerable can allow the dog to attack 
you, it also slightly sends the dog away in risk you might not be able to 
hit it again right away.

---------------------------------------------
4e. SMOG (4005)
---------------------------------------------
Effective Weapon(s): Handgun

Smogs are in my opinion, the most difficult normal enemy in the game to defeat 
by melee weapon means. I would save handgun ammo simply for killing Smogs. 
Before a Smog readies its poisonous gas attack, it exposes its yellow lungs 
for a brief second in which a direct handgun bullet will stop the attack, 
and send it stumbling backward. Get close to the Smog to trigger the attack 
again, and then repeat with a second handgun bullet to the lungs to bring 
it down. A shotgun is also highly effective, as one well-placed shotgun blast 
to the exposed lungs will kill it, but since a Smog is so easy to defeat with 
the handgun, I would save those bullets for other monsters, such as a Siam 
or Schism.

You can defeat the Smog using melee weapons but it is risky and you will most 
likely lose some health during the battle. If you decide to use melee, try 
to circle strafe it as much as possible, and attack it from behind once it 
uses its gas attack, but do not stay in that spot for long, or you risk taking 
damage soon after.

---------------------------------------------
4f. NEEDLER (4006)
---------------------------------------------
Effective Weapon(s): Knife + Fireaxe Combo, Shotgun

Needlers are right below Smogs as the most difficult normal enemies in the 
game. Unlike other enemies, Needlers can block attacks from the front using 
their claws, and will counterattack you from blocked strikes. This makes 
striking from the back the most useful position to defeat a Needler. 
Fortunately, its attacks are predictable, usually using a side swipe which 
is easily dodged and can put you behind the monster if you use a direction 
with the dodge. 

Begin each encounter with a Needler by immediately using a full knife combo 
with a fully charged spin cut >at the front of the Needler<. You will usually 
get this off before the Needler swipes you, knocking it to the ground. It will 
block most of your attacks, don't be concerned by this, it's suppose to. Now 
here is the tricky part, once the Needler is knocked to the ground, equip your
Fireaxe. Use a fully-charged heavy attack on the downed needler. Now
wait for it to get up, and press Square. Instead of using a heavy attack, 
Alex will use the axe fatality 100% of the time on it. This strategy is flawless
and you should not take any damage at all.

Sometimes you get lucky and can continously hit a Needler from the side
or the back giving it very little time to turn to you and block your attacks
this is one of the great things about the knife, if this happens, just keep
doing full knife combos on the Needler without charged heavy attacks to bring
it down quickly.

If you don't want to deal with using melee weapons, dodge and get behind the 
Needler and shoot it with a well-placed shotgun blast. The game recommends 
using a Handgun and aiming at the head, which is probably harder than it seems, 
especially since you only have a brief time to aim at its head.

---------------------------------------------
4g. SIAM (4007)
---------------------------------------------
Effective Weapon(s): Knife (as if you figured anything else), Shotgun, 
Handgun

Siam's are the intimidating huge monsters that do large amounts of damage 
if they connect with a hit. Fortunately, their slow speed means for 
predictable dodging. The back of the Siam, aka the 'female side' of it is 
the most vulnerable part for damage. As much dodging and getting behind it 
is important. If it attempts to punch you, dodge to the side and slash two 
times in its back, most of the time it will attempt to follow up with an 
unexpected rear strike, but if you only hit twice, you will be able to roll 
away from the attack. It also seems to go in slow motion from your slashes, 
make it easier to predict. Sometimes the Siam will slump over from the attacks 
to the back allowing you some moments to really punish it. Rinse and repeat 
the dodge + counterattack strategy until its dead, it usually tries the same 
moves over and over.

Sometimes, it will turn its back and run away from you, why it does this I'm 
not sure, but as soon as you see this, equip the handgun or rifle and fire 
off as many rounds as you can into its back, this can kill it quite easily. 
The shotgun also can bring it down very easily and with little effort, 3 
shotgun blasts to the front will bring the monster down, and even less if 
you manage to shoot it in the back.

---------------------------------------------
4h. SCHISM (4008)
---------------------------------------------
Effective Weapon(s): Knife, Shotgun

A Schism is another fairly difficult monster that will try to work around 
you and will counter your attacks whenever possible. It has long range attacks 
and deadly attacks that knock you over as well. The best weapon to use to 
prevent it from countering is of course, the knife, or the shotgun. 

If you are choosing to use the knife, ONLY use the X (x2) + Square combo 
(uppercut finisher), then repeat the combo as quickly as you can. This usually 
keeps the Schism on lockdown until you kill it. It may attempt to counter 
you after a combo but the speed of the knife should prevent that. Avoid using 
any charge attacks and the complete knife combo, as tempting as it is, it 
leaves you open. If possible, try to corner it near a wall as it becomes a 
lot easier if the mob tries to step back.

The shotgun is the easy method to beat these guys; one well-placed close range 
shotgun blast will bring one down in one shot, two if the shot was bad.

---------------------------------------------
4i. ORDER SOLDIER (4009)
---------------------------------------------
Effective Weapon(s): Any melee weapon for melee type, handgun/rifle for 
firearm type

Some people consider the Order Soldiers to be the hardest enemy in the game; 
I actually consider them one of the easiest. While they will try to use 
'tactics' against you such as dodging your strikes, that only proves 
effective for one of your swings. They focus too much on counterattacking 
that if you put on a heavy offense you can defeat them without taking any 
damage. The ones wielding firearms can be trickier but defeating them with 
a handgun or rifle of your own works best.

As usual, I use the knife here, but I tested this strategy with both the pipe 
and the fireaxe so it's safe to assume any melee besides maybe the circular 
saw works well here. Begin by doing your maximum light attack combo, then 
follow up with a fully charged heavy attack. Yes you heard me right; take 
the 'chance' here. They will stand there and not even attempt to hit you as 
long as you began the combo with the light attacks. I have no idea why, but 
it works. If successful, you will knock them over and allow you to pummel 
them on the ground, and repeat again. Two complete combos from the knife 
usually did them in, and every one ended in a fatality of Alex cutting their 
throat. To speed up the process, if you read my Needler strategy, you can
apply it here as well. Once you knock over the soldier using the knife
combo, equip the fireaxe and do charged heavy attacks on the downed foe.
This will do much more damage than the knife, and will allow for a quick
fatality once he gets up.

The ones wielding a firearm are a bit tougher because they will very 
frequently weapon bash you, so frequently to the point they almost prevent 
you from doing melee attacks. The simple way to counter this is to use either 
the handgun or rifle and headshot them until they die, simple, but effective 
and easy way to dispose of them. You can melee them, but be prepared to
dodge their very quick weapon bash after your combo. Do not attempt to
use any charged heavy attacks.

=================================================================V. 
V. Bosses (5000)
=================================================================

-------------------------
5a. SEPULCHER (5001)
-------------------------
Effective Weapon(s): Your melee weapon of choice.

Sepulcher is an easy first boss with plenty of room to maneuver and even take 
cover behind. In this first form he will mostly try to punch you away, or 
slam the ground and hit you with debris. You will notice many of these bag-type 
objects all surrounding the boss. These are your first targets. Also take 
note of the shelves placed at the edges of the area as well, Alex is able 
to hide behind these shelves, which the monster will then punch, usually 
causing it to become disoriented for a few moments. This gives you time to 
hack away at one of the bags. Any weapon works particularly well here, I'd 
go for either the knife or the fireaxe. Use your best combos and end with 
combo with a fully charged heavy attack to make short work of each hanging 
bag. 

Sepulcher's attacks are also predictable so if you see him readying his punch 
attack or the ground pound, be ready to dodge. Besides that, there isn't much 
else to worry about on the first form. Once all the bags are destroyed, the 
boss will shift into a second form.

Now you'll be face-to-face with the boss with much less cover to provide. 
You will now have to defeat the boss up front, but fortunately his attacks 
are still predictable. I would recommend switching to the fireaxe now if you 
weren't already. Pretty much all of Sepulcher's attacks is a side swipe with 
either arm, when you see it coming, dodge around the arm and immediately 
follow up by pressing X or Square, if done correctly, Alex will counter attack 
the monster's arm right after the dodge. Try to stand as far away from the
monster as possible, it will usually go for a pound attack, and if you
dodge, the monsters arm appears to become stuck for a brief moment, if you
attack during this time, that usually knocks the monster to the floor.
After two assaults on the head when the monster is down, Alex can perform
a fatality to end the fight.

-------------------------
5b. SCARLET (5002)
-------------------------
Effective Weapon(s): Crowbar/Fireaxe (first form), Knife (second form)

If you were like me at this point, you may not have many healing items at 
all for Scarlet. I had to manage a way to beat Scarlet with half health and 
no healing what so ever. Fortunately, beating Scarlet is mastering the dodge 
and counterattack system for the first form, and just keeping her on lockdown 
with the knife the second form.

Begin the first fight by equipping the Crowbar, if you missed it, the Fireaxe. 
Scarlet's main attack is a swipe attack usually with her right hand. If you 
remember from Sepulcher, he did the same thing. However Scarlet is a lot 
faster and may take a few times to really anticipate her attack. Sidestep 
dodge the attack, then quickly counterattack on her leg. Get a few hits off 
as well before she tries to attack you again. Sometimes she throws you a 
curveball and will go for a double swipe if she misses, you can tell this 
is coming as she has a brief charge by holding her hand back before she does. 
Again, practice (which may mean dying a few times as a result) will make 
perfect to understand her attack pattern. You have two layers of her legs 
to chip off before you can actually start knocking her over. Once all 2 parts 
on both legs are broken, your attacks will now knock her to the ground. She 
will not attack when she collapses so take this time to unleash charged 
attacks on her arms. Once she rises up, repeat the process of dodging and 
counterattacking on her legs until she falls again. Once both arms are 
destroyed, she will change forms.

Now she will become a lot more agile and can even move across the ceiling 
to surprise you. Have Alex keep his weapon readied so you can auto-target 
Scarlet moving across the ceiling. When she is over you, keep rolling backward 
to lessen the risk of her jumping right on top of you. Once she comes down 
to the ground now you must prepare for all out offense. Equip the knife and 
quickly get close to her, doing your knife combo as quickly as you can, meaning 
do not charge any attacks. She may move positions after an attack or try to 
counter you but keep following her and just lying on the knife combos 
continuously. To put it bluntly: the knife messes her up. If done well, you 
will not take any damage at all this form. The fight will end once you initiate 
the fatality prompt when it appears.

-------------------------
5c. ASPHYXIA (5003)
-------------------------
Effective Weapon(s): Your most comfortable melee weapon and firearm.

Asphyxia is essentially an alteration of Scarlet with more moves, but a lot 
more freedom where you can strike. Overall she is an easy boss that you can 
either defeat effectively using melee or a firearm, in particular the 
shotgun.

Like the bosses before her, she will usually go for two side sweeps with her 
arms, and sometimes finishing it off with an uppercut. Countering her swings 
with your dodges is again the most effective way to defeat the boss. Her 
weakness is her tail which usually just one strike will bring her down into 
a temporary stunned state, at this point you can unleash some charged attacks. 
She will also frequently go for tail lunges or tail sweeps which you can also 
dodge with proper timing, allowing you to counter attack on her tail. 

Since the fight is again more about dodging and counter attacking on her tail 
to stun her, the fireaxe works well here for pure damage, but if you are like 
me and feel most comfortable with the knife, which works well here too. Any 
melee weapon should get the job done.

If you are sitting on a lot of shotgun shells you can try blasting her at 
mid-range and running away/back rolling when needed, you have a pretty open 
area, about the same as the Scarlet fight to maneuver.

After enough damage you will be given the fatality prompt to end the fight.

-------------------------
5d. CURTIS (5004)
-------------------------
Effective Weapon(s): Anything

Curtis is more of a mini-boss than a real boss, but I decided to include him 
in this section. Curtis is basically just a beefed-up version of an Order 
Soldier, wielding a Circular Saw. If you actually have the Circular Saw then 
you'll know how much of a slow weapon it is, making this fight an easy one. 

If you are going for the melee approach, equip the knife and treat the fight 
like a normal fight against an Order Soldier, do your full combo and go for 
as many fully charged heavy attacks to stun him. Sometimes he does not get 
stunned and may go for a charged up attack of his own, fortunately all his 
attacks are predictable and are easily dodged should you even need to.

The easiest approach to this fight is to use your handgun. If you've been 
following the melee strategies against the other order members, you should 
have plenty of handgun bullets left. Simply keep headshotting Curtis to keep 
him staggering back, it is possible to beat him this way without him ever 
damaging you, let alone even getting near you.

-------------------------
5e. AMINON (5005)
-------------------------
Effective Weapon(s): All your firearm arsenal, your favorite melee weapon

You've finally made it! The final boss of Homecoming, beating this boss using 
melee can be challenging but if you have plenty of spare health drinks and 
first aid kits, feel free to go all out on this boss, it will all go to waste 
on your next play otherwise. 

If going for the firearm approach, begin with either the handgun or the rifle, 
you are given plenty of room for this fight so maintain as much distance as 
you can, the first form is more challenging to aim at, so place your shots 
well. Consecutive well-placed shots can stun her and send her retreating back 
momentarily. If she manages to get near you, try to run in a circle around 
the room, she will tend to use a spit attack that only shoots in one direction, 
giving you ample time to shoot at her side.

Once the first form is defeated, she will transform into a more agile form, 
with more reach on her claws. However, she exposes her body in full which 
allows you to aim a lot easier. Maintain the same strategy at the first form 
and blast her with whatever weapon you still have ammo for. Keep your distance 
and run as much as possible. Eventually she will stagger to the floor, 
allowing you to finish her with a fatality using the knife.

If deciding to do this with a melee approach you'll be in for a greater 
challenge but not much more than any of the others. If you are skilled with 
the dodging system by now, you'll have no problems with this boss. Equip your 
preferred melee weapon and circle around her first with some distance, try 
not to be tempted into rushing her head on. Eventually she will try to spit 
acid at you which is easily dodged, and gives you time to get close and start 
hacking away with your weapon.

Her main defense against your assault is swatting you away with one of her 
legs, or a very predictable leap attack in which she'll jump high into the 
air and slam down on you. You should easily be able to back roll out of that 
and continue the assault, the swipe is a bit harder to anticipate but still 
very doable. 

The second form is actually easier to defeat with melee means, she gets 
stunned easily from your attacks, and usually will try to get you away by 
either moving back quickly or raising her claws up and bringing them down 
upon you, this is also predictable and a side roll easily dodges it. She can 
also do the swipe attacks which by now you should be pro at dodging considering 
every boss uses this attack very often. When you've won, she will fall to 
the ground, allowing you to perform the fatality, and end the game. 
Congratulations! 

=================================================================
VI. CONTACT INFO (6000)
=================================================================
If you need to contact me, my e-mail is [email protected].

Here are things you should contact me about:
- Grammatical/spelling issues in the FAQ that need correcting.
- Certain errors or inconsistencies in actual substance of the FAQ.
- Telling me where this FAQ is going to be posted (see Copyright section for 
more on this)
- Improvements to strategies, if it's very important and helpful to beat a 
certain boss or enemy.

Things you shouldn't contact me about:
- Being stuck on a boss or enemy beyond my strategies. Reason for this is 
GameFAQs also has some very helpful message boards where you can receive very 
fast help on a boss rather than waiting for my e-mail response (which I may 
not even respond to). Please go there if you need additional help with 
something.
- Submitting to me your own lengthy guides and strategies. If you've read 
some of my other Boss FAQs I used to do this but not for this one, as I usually 
can't keep up with all the submissions. If you do submit to me a helpful tip 
I decide to post on the FAQ, I will however, give you credit.

If you are looking to post this FAQ on your website please read below:

=================================================================
VII. COPYRIGHT/FAQ USABILITY NOTE (7000)
=================================================================
The information expressed in this guide is copyright to me, Travis Rappa 
(Dauragon C Mikado88). By no means are you permitted to call this guide or 
information within this guide your own, nor are you allowed to edit material 
in this guide and pass it off as your own.

If you wish to post this guide on your website (as long as the content within 
the guide remains unedited and true to its original format) you may post this 
on your website without asking me for permission. However, I would 
appreciate an e-mail telling me where the guide will be posted, as well as 
a link to where I will be able to find the guide on your site.