----------------------------
 - Buffy the Vampire Slayer -
 -                          -
 -     Fighting Guide       -
 ----------------------------

By: UnSub ([email protected])
Version: 1.25
Date: 31 May 2003

CONTENTS
________
 - Introduction
 - Instruction Manual Combos
 - Buffy's Journal Combos
 - Other Combos
 - Weapons / Items
 - Putting the Hurt on the Undead (in General)
 - Putting the Hurt on the Undead (Specifically)
 - Notes
 - Thanks
 - Version History


INTRODUCTION
____________
Having just got an Xbox, one of the first games I sought out was Buffy the
Vampire Slayer (BTVS from now on). I'm a fan of the series, but what really
sold me was playing the game on Xboxes set up in gaming stores. It was fun, the
combo system seemed pretty adaptable and you got to stake vampires and kick
zombies to pieces. What is not to love?

I've decided to throw my 2c into the ring about effective fighting with Buffy.
Although I'm sure I haven't found every combo, I'd like to go through the ones
I have along with some tactics for fighting the undead. For simplicities sake
I'm calling everything a combo, including Buffy's slayer moves.

For the purposes of this guide I will assume you are using the default control
scheme. As such X = Punch, A = Kick, Y = Use Item, B = Jump, White = Logistics
Screens and Black = Switch ammo types. The right trigger (|R|) is your defense
trigger and the left trigger (|L|) swings the camera to a position behind
Buffy. The directional pad is used to select weapons. The left controller
controls Buffy while the right controller can swing the camera around Buffy's
position.

For directions, U = up, D = down, L = left and R = right. FC stands for full
circle of the left controller. \button\ means to hold down that button eg \A\
means hold the A button down; \X\ means hold the X button down.

Copyright: I wrote this, but I don't mind it being duplicated elsewhere
provided it is unaltered and you don't have to pay to get at it. If you want to
alter it, please contact me for permission. This faq first appeared at
www.gamefaqs.com.

Email policy: If I've got something factually wrong or made an error, please
tell me. Please don't contact me to send me a virus or because you have an open
social calendar (even if you are a cute girl who is oh-so-lonely... :-) - I'm
sorry, but I'm busy. I do appreciate those who take some time out to provide me
with constructive feedback but I probably won't reply, so don't feel sleighted
if this happens.


INSTRUCTION MANUAL COMBOS
_________________________
The instruction manual has a list of basic attacks. You could probably figure
all these out in about 5 minutes of play so I'll skip through them.

Defense
-------
Hold the |R| and Buffy will block attacks that come directly at her. This is
best used in a one-on-one - two or more opponents will kick Buffy's butt if all
you try to do is block. Using |R| will swing you to protect against the nearest
bad guy, so that can be very useful in locating enemies that are off camera. Be
aware that the enemy usually have ways of getting Buffy out of her blocking
stance, either through a charge or some power move. That said, defense will
save your life.

Throw
-----
X + A at the same time. Buffy makes a grab in front of her. If it connects she
grabs and throws the opponent. It only works on human-sized figures, not the
big vampires or Sirens. This move is great for vampires who are blocking all
your attacks or for getting rid of one enemy while you focus on another one. It
is very easy to hold down the buttons and execute a power throw, but with a bit
of practise you won't use your slayer bar every time you use this move. You can
direct where you throw your opponent by moving the left controller in the
direction you want them to land in. Try to throw opponents into flaming areas,
exploding barrels or environmental spikes to finish them off quickly.

Moves:
X + A
\X + A\

Punching
--------
Hitting X throws a punch. You can hit X X X to throw a punch combo. Hold the
last X down in that combo to execute a powered punch at the end of the combo
that does more damage and knocks the enemy down. If you move the left
controller U at the same time as hitting X Buffy will execute a snapping
backhand punch that is a bit quicker than the normal jab and can lead to a
different looking combo. Pressing X and moving D at the same time executes a
spinning backhand punch that will send enemies directly in front of you flying
backwards (hold down X when doing this to charge it with slayer power). It is
sometimes easier to hold down |R| to execute the spinning backhand - you won't
turn around if you muck it up. You can also jump and overhead punch by hitting
B then X.

If you have a weapon equipped, Buffy is will use the weapon in her hand rather
than punching (stakes are excepted - Buffy will still punch when using a
stake).

Moves:
X
X X
X X X
F + X x x
X X \X\
D + X (holding down |R| makes this easier to pull off)
D + \X\ (holding down |R| makes this easier to pull off)
B X

Kicking
-------
Hitting A makes Buffy throw a kick. A simple kicking combo is A A A and if you
hold down the last A in that combo you will execute a more powerful finishing
kick. Moving the left controller U at the same time as hitting A will execute a
skin kick that you can combo into the shin breaker combo. Pressing D and A will
execute a roundhouse kick that will clear enemies in an area in front of you
(hold down A when doing this to charge it with slayer power). Again, holding
down |R| will make it easier for you do this. You can also execute some jump
kicks by pressing B then A.

If you have a weapon equipped you will still be able to kick normally.

Moves:
A
A A
A A A
F + A A A
A A \A\
D + A (holding down |R| makes this easier to pull off)
D + \A\ (holding down |R| makes this easier to pull off)
B A

Weapons
-------
Pressing Y when equipped with a weapon will usually go for the killing blow -
either the final stake or decapitation (depending on the weapon). With some
weapons (eg the Watergun and the Crossbow) pressing Y does nothing. I usually
don't use the Y attack until the enemy is passed out on the floor with little
to no energy. Provided you are in the right location (ie close to the enemy)
using Y in this situation will finish off the vampire / demon. When you are
equipped with the stake, holding down |R| and pressing Y will cause Buffy to
throw the stake at the selected target. This can result in an instant kill or
it can kill the weakened enemy at a distance. The Reaper Wing is the only other
weapon you can throw, but you don't get that until you are near the end of the
game.

Moves:
Y
|R| + Y (when the stake is equipped, Buffy will throw the stake / Reaper Wing
at the selected target)


BUFFY'S JOURNAL COMBOS
______________________
At each meeting with the Scooby Gang in the library, Giles (who looks like a
grown-up version of Harry Potter to me in this game, but anyway) will give you
a page with a special attack move or combo on it. Way to go Giles - make sure
you don't give them all to me at once. I might sprain something. You can't use
these attacks until you "learn" them in the game but I'll put them here for
your interest. Except for page 1 they all use slayer power to work, some more
than others.

Page 1
------
X A X

A simple punch kick punch combo. Exists to show you that you can mix and match
your attack combos.

Page 2
------
X A \X\

A slightly more powerful version of the above combo. Adds a slayer-powered
punch to the end of the combo. Uses a bit of slayer power.

Page 3
------
U U A

An aerial triple-kick. Buffy jumps in the air and moves forward a short way,
delivering three kicks to about head-height. It starts off pretty quickly so I
found I rarely got knocked out the air when I used this move. This is very
useful - the first kick tends to knock a human-sized enemy out of blocking, so
the next two kicks land and do damage. If you can unbalance the enemy in using
this kick (by knocking them back into a wall) you have a good chance of being
able to continue the combo when you land. Uses a bit of slayer power.

Page 4
------
FC A

A spinning backfist that hits all surrounding enemies that are up-close in the
head. It is quite powerful but is a little slow to start off, meaning Buffy
often gets knocked out of this attack's set-up. Useful (and very fun) if you
are surrounded by zombies, but vampires and demons seem a bit quicker and avoid
it. Uses quite a bit of slayer power.

Page 5
------
|R| D D X

Buffy jumps in the air and delivers a slayer-powered fist to the ground that
splashes the area around the punch. This is a powerful attack that is also a
bit slow, meaning Buffy can get knocked out of the air. That said, it does
quite good damage and has a good range, so if you have an enemy or two lying on
the ground use this move to hurt them badly. It also knocks down enemies who
are standing in its range. Uses quite a bit of slayer power.

Page 6
------
U U X

A powerpunch that sends all human-sized enemies flying whether they were
blocking or not. Buffy can't get knocked out of this attack (or if she can, I
haven't seen it). She does take a bit of time to power up and can get hit in
this time, but the enemy doing the damage is usually sent flying when this move
executes. Buffy travels a good distance forward when using the powerpunch. This
move does quite good damage and is useful in sending enemies into other
damaging environmental positions (eg fire, exploding barrels, etc). This move
will also knock back multiple enemies directly in front of Buffy. Uses quite a
bit of slayer power.

Page 7
------
FC A

A spinning kick version of the spinning backfist. Its range is longer than the
spinning backfist and Buffy is also better protected from being knocked out of
this move by jumping high in the air. It also "double-hits" enemies - the first
kick knocks the enemy up a bit and the second kick sends them flying. Uses
quite a bit of slayer power.

Page 8
------
|R| D D A

This executes a slayer-powered sweep that damages both standing and prone
opponents in front of Buffy. This is a very useful move - Buffy ducks to use
it, meaning that many attacks go over her head. The attack has quite a good
arc, meaning it hits most opponents standing in the area in front of Buffy and
usually knocks them down. Buffy slides a bit forward when using this move. Uses
quite a bit of slayer power.


OTHER COMBOS
____________
The effectiveness and nature of a combo depends on a number of things that are
only learned through playing the game. One of the most important things that
need to be considered is the range of Buffy to the target. At close range (or
in deep, depending on your terminology) you can land more hits in a combo -
Buffy's kicks will become knees and her punches change which can lead to a
different looking combos. You are also more likely to keep an opponent
off-balance at close range after the first attack has landed and if you can
keep them on their feet you can really lay on the damage.

Handspring Recovery
-------------------
Pressing X and Buffy is knocked down results in her doing a handspring back
into standing postion. This can be very useful in avoiding more damage.

Getting Out of Grapples
-----------------------
In most cases hitting X repeatedly as an enemy tries to grapple Buffy will
cause her to block the grapple. This works standing up (for vampires and
zombies) and on the ground (for hellhounds and some boss fights).

Punching and Kicking
--------------------
Most combos are limited to three attacks, but their effectiveness varies.
Buffy's kicks have a greater range than her punches, so ending a combo with a
kick often will hit an enemy where a punch will miss. I'm not going to try to
list all the simple punch and kick combos and their effects; suffice to say you
can X x A, A A X and A X A along with other rational variations.

I will point out here that it is probably easier to stick to a couple of combos
you know and are happy with. If you want to mix up some combos for fun, use
them on opponents that won't block like zombies - trying to pull off fancy
stuff versus Sirens is probably wasted.

At close range you are more likely to land a combo of greater than 3 chained
attacks. Buffy can execute an A A A A attack that starts with a knee and then
moves up with following kicks. The same happens with punches (X X X X), but
they tend to be less effective since punching combos have shorter ranges that
can miss a staggering enemy. In these situations you can also use A A X A
combos (and other variations). I always try to finish these bigger combos off
with a kick (A) as you can knock an enemy out of range and a kick will make the
distance where a punch won't.

If an opponent is behind you pull D and an attack button (A or X). Buffy will
launch out an attack behind her that can be very good for starting off a normal
combo. Most enemies don't block when they are behind you which makes it easier
to land the attack. Of course, you can't block attacks that hit you in the back
using |R| without turning around, so there is some risk.

If you are aiming for a huge combo attack, the aim is to keep the opponent on
their feet and dazed (ie not blocking). The best way to do this is to not
finish off an attack with a massive "knock-back" attack (the ones that send the
enemy flying, although you can stomp on them on the ground to continue the
combo for a short time) and to keep knocking them back into walls so they
bounce off them and back into your chain of attacks. Enemies that don't block
are great for these long combos.

Feel free to stomp and punch your opponent when they are on the ground. They do
it to you and every little bit of damage counts, right?

Triangle Jump Kick
------------------
U + B + A

Buffy executes a low jump kick that travels quite a way forward and seems to
have good block-breaking ability when charged with slayer power. It's a fairly
quick move and works great against charging enemies. It also seems that you can
use this move to block-break and then launch a punching / kicking combo on
landing (before the enemy recovers of course). I find this move invaluable as a
first strike maneuver.

This move is also called the Reverse Dropkick and is mentioned in phunkking's
Combat Guide (see http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/xbox/game/13271.html) and
confirmed by DJAMES. I think this move looks more like a triple kick than a
drop kick so that's what I'm calling it (it's my faq / and I'll cry if I want
to :-). Although DJAMES says you can execute it by just hitting B + A, I find
it much easier to move U when doing it.


If there are some combos you think should go in here, please email me and I'll
include them in an update.


WEAPONS / ITEMS
_______________
A lot of your time is going to be spent with a weapon in hand, so it is
worthwhile knowing about them.

Holsterable Weapons
-------------------
These are the weapons Buffy can put away and generally keep. They include
stakes, the crossbow, the watergun, the reaper blade and the reaper wing.

Stakes: A staple Buffy accessory. Stakes can be knocked out of your hand and
will eventually break, but there are enough of them around not to worry about
conserving them. Buffy will only use the stake when you press Y and will punch
normally with a stake in hand. Pressing Y will make Buffy go for the killing
blow. You will almost certainly kill an enemy on no health on zero health if
you stake them, but there is also a chance of killing vampires on any level of
health if you are lucky enough to stab them in the heart. Remember, you can
also throw stakes. I have killed vampires on full health by throwing a stake at
them, but you are just as likely to hit them in the leg and do very little
damage. You can also throw stakes to knock climbing enemies (eg demon spiders,
hanoch demons) off walls.

Crossbow: For ranged dusting. Pressing X will fire a crossbow bolt while A will
still kick. You can also hold down the |L| button to go into first person
targeting mode which is useful for sniping. That said, vampires rarely stand
still for very long so good luck in achieving long distance kills. Buffy can
only carry 30 bolts at a time so you are unlikely to be able to shoot enemies
to death using only arrows - a good kicking is often needed to get them down to
no health first. You can shoot enemies on the ground to kill them (again, when
they are on zero health). The crossbow becomes much more useful in fighting big
enemies using Hellfire bolts (Crossbow Bolts combined with Hellfire Vials) and
Blessed bolts (Crossbow Bolts combined with Holy Water Vials). Hellfire bolts
cause an explosion on contact with the enemy, meaning that nearby targets
(including Buffy) will suffer some damage. Blessed bolts don't cause damage to
Buffy if used up close. Holding down |R| means Buffy will keep the crossbow
targeted on an enemy making it relatively easy to hit them.

Watergun: Has two types of ammo - Hellfire and Holy Water. Fonts of both types
exist to keep your watergun full and you can refill them with the vials you
collect (1 vial = 25 units in the watergun). The watergun exists primarily to
melt the translucent walls that block Buffy's path (Hellfire burns the
spiderweb walls, Holy Water destroys the evil soul walls). A font of the
relevant type will usually be nearby if there is a wall you need to melt. The
watergun is a bit slow to fire and doesn't do much damage - you will have to
use a lot of ammo to kill enemies with it. Where it does come in handy is if
you are being attacked by a large number of enemies that stop you from
delivering the death blow to the enemies you have weakened. Switch to the
watergun and hose them down - those on zero health will burst into flame or a
blue aura (depending on the ammo type used). Enemies can still attack when on
fire / auraed, but this only happens occationally. Pressing X fires the
watergun, A still kicks as normal.

Hellfire Vial: Vial full of Hellfire. It can be thrown to be used like a
grenade, but this is a waste. Use it instead to produce Hellfire Bolts.

Holy Water Vial: Vial full of Holy Water. It can also be thrown at enemies or
drunk for slayer power, but is much better spent in combination with Elixirs to
produce Holy Elixirs. If you throw a HW Vial into a pool of water, the whole
pool becomes Holy Water. This is clever and fun, but a bit of a waste of
resources.

Reaper Blade: A bladed weapon that can't be knocked out of Buffy's hand. Buffy
will use this when you press X and you can set up some nice combos using this
and kick; basically the Reaper Blade changes you punching attacks. The Reaper
Blade is very nice as it can decapitate enemies who are on no health as a combo
- A 3+ combo that ends in an X usually sees Buffy swing the Reaper Blade in a
wide arc and take the head off the weakened target. You can also use Y to
execute a wide swing of the Reaper Blade (that is a bit slow and is often
blocked) or to hit / decapitate an enemy on the ground. The Reaper Blade also
adds damage to Buffy's X attacks. Use it as standard once you get it.

Reaper Wing: This is the same as the Reaper Blade execept you can hold down |R|
and press Y to throw it at a target. This weapon homes in on targets, so once
you have gotten to grips with its effective range you can throw it at will. It
does quite a bit of damage and often seems to decapitate enemies even if they
are on full health. Throwing the Reaper Wing uses up some slayer power.

Unholsterable Weapons
---------------------
These are the weapons that you find lying around. They are all pretty similar
in effect and use the X button to hit with them. I have found a Push Broom, a
Mop, a Rake, a Baseball Bat, a Spear, a Shovel, an Oar, a Sledgehammer and an
Axe. The Sledgehammer and the Baseball Bat are a bit slower than the other
types but have the advantage of being able to kill zero-health enemies by
crushing their heads when they are on the ground. The Axe and the Shovel are
able to decapitate zero-health enemies in a combo. Remember that these weapons
can get knocked out of Buffy's hands and picked up by the enemy to be used
against you.

These weapons are great in that they can do a lot of damage to enemies and
lengthen the range of Buffy's attacks. You will be able to bit more than one
enemy when using the wide swinging attacks of these weapons. Pressing Y will
make Buffy got for the killing blow (when the enemy is standing up or on the
ground). Just pressing X will see Buffy jab at the target with the weapon; you
need to use the controller to gain the full advantages of these weapons. A
couple of combos I have found are:

U + X (Buffy spins the weapon in front of her)

D + X (Buffy goes for a big swing with the weapon)

A A X X X (I haven't been able to pull this off 100% of the time, making me
wonder if I'm missing something, but Buffy kicks twice then goes on a massive
three hit swinging spree with the weapon that causes major damage)

U U X (Buffy starts twirling the weapon around her body, putting a lot of hurt
on an enemy standing right in front of her; uses slayer power)

FC X (Buffy launches into a spinning attack that hits all enemies around her -
the weapon extended the range of the attack and can even decapitate enemies if
the Axe or Shovel is used; not sure if this works for all weapons)

B X (Overhead smash with weapon that can knock the enemy down)

Items
-----
Crossbow Bolts: For the crossbow. You can carry 30 max. Combine them with
Hellfire Vials and Holy Water Vials to make Hellfire Bolts and Blessed Bolts
respectively. I'd stick to making Hellfire Bolts.

Elixirs: Healing potions. Combine with Holy Water Vials to produce Holy
Elixirs.

Holy Elixirs: Super healing potions. Gives you back a bit of slayer meter too.

Health Crystals: Hidden as secrets, these crystals can by used by Willow to
boost Buffy's health meter capacity.

Power Crystals: Hidden as secrets, these crystals can by used by Willow to
boost Buffy's slayer meter capacity.


PUTTING THE HURT ON THE UNDEAD (IN GENERAL)
___________________________________________
A couple of points:

 - The longer the fight goes, the greater the chance of getting hurt. Unless
you are specifically aiming to get a 15-hit combo, just throw the vamp onto the
table leg or decapitate the zombie asap.

 - Enemies give off a lot more slayer recharges than they do health recharges
so feel free to use your slayer abilities on them.

 - If Buffy is on zero health, she won't die until the enemy executes their
"killing" attack - vampires bite her neck, hanoch demons jump on her back, etc.
Try not to use an elixir until you see this "death" coming at you. If you have
no health and kill an enemy you will almost certainly get a health recharge
from them. This is a calculated risk as you could also die if you aren't quick
enough.

 - Try not to get caught between two enemies as they will beat you down very
quickly.

 - Always try to direct enemies into environmental hazards such as barrels and
stakes. This makes your job easier.

 - Blocking (Using the |R| button) is a very good thing.

 - If your enemy keeps blocking, throw them and stomp them on the ground. This
only works for human-sized creatures.

 - Use jump kicks to start combos on unblocking enemies.


PUTTING THE HURT ON THE UNDEAD (SPECIFICALLY)
_____________________________________________
Your enemies, in no particular order...

Vampires
--------
The most common enemy. They come in two sizes - regular and upsized. The
regular sized kill you by biting your neck when you are on no health. The
upsized can do it by breaking your back or stomping on your chest (again when
you are on no health). Each different looking vampire also has slightly
different fighting style that I won't go into except to say that girls kick and
are generally faster than the guys. Upsize vampires are generally slower than
you but can block you slayer attacks.

In general throw the vampires that block and then stomp them, use your slayer
moves to damage them and take them out whenever possible. Run away if will make
the vampire come out of block mode and then jump kick them into a damaging
combo.

Hanoch Demons
-------------
These are the spiky-looking guys who puke green stuff. They don't block so feel
free to pound them whenever possible. They do some close range attacks, but
also have a jumping attack that can knock Buffy over. If Buffy is on low health
this jumping attack will see them land on Buffy's back and possibly kill her.
Overall these guys aren't hard but can get frustrating if there are more than
one since they can knock Buffy out of combos. If fighting a number of these
guys try to deal with each one quickly, even if you just knock it down and move
on to the next one. Throw them into things / off platforms to buy yourself some
time.

Killing these guys will often cause a glowing green wall to evaporate, allowing
Buffy to progress through the level.

Zombies
-------
These guys don't block - even better, they can be beaten into separate pieces!
They come in three kinds: weak, strong and female. To kill zombies you must
destroy their head. As mentioned in phunkking's Combat Guide (see
http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/xbox/game/13271.html) a power throw into a wall
will quickly destroy their head. A slayer powered roundhouse kick (D + \A\)
will also take the head off quickly. Try to use moves that target the head to
(re-)kill them quickly. When you have it, a slayer ground punch (|R| D D X) at
close range can be a very quick way of beating zombies down quickly.

Weak zombies look pretty fragile and are fairly slow and easy to beat. Stronger
zombie look healthier (well, for being dead and rotting) and are faster. Female
zombies are in pretty good condition but it won't take you long to destroy
them. Zombies can punch, bite (which can kill you on zero health) and execute a
jumping headbutt attack. If you kick their legs off they will crawl around on
the ground, attacking your legs and executing flying headbutts. Stomp on them
to finish them off.

In short forget about your stakes and just destroy their heads.

Demon Spiders
-------------
These are big and bigger. Big spiders can be kicked into walls for an instant
kill. Bigger spiders can't be kicked into walls and require a good stomping to
finish off. Both types of demon spider can spit venom and hit Buffy at close
range, knocking her down and jumping on top of her (this kills Buffy if she is
on low health). Spiders are pretty weak and should be viewed as a low risk
source of health and slayer recharges. They do move around quite a bit (often
by crawling across the ceiling / walls) so watch for them trying to flank you.

Demon Zombies
-------------
These are the guys with a big glowing sphere in the middle. They don't block,
but are quite fast. They have a jumping attack that can hit Buffy on the way up
and way down and a punching combination that can knock Buffy down. Really,
these guys aren't that hard - just keep hitting them. To kill them hit them
with a combo that will end with them being sent up into the air (and then watch
them burst into flame). I've never been killed by them, so I don't know what
their "killing" attack looks like.

Hellhounds
----------
Big demon dogs. They have a couple of biting attacks as well as an unblockable
charging attack (they glow red before they do it). The easiest way to beat them
is to jump kick them then launch into a punching / kicking combo that only ends
when they are on no health. At this point stake / stab / burn them to finish
it. If fighting multiple targets Hellhounds can really annoy so I advise taking
them out asap (but don't avoid attacks of opportunity to do it). They kill
Buffy by mauling Buffy when she is on the ground with no health.

Sirens
------
Big, black / blue sphinx-looking demons. They block a lot, are pretty quick and
can hurt you a lot. They have a number of punching attacks, a long-range beam
attack that is unblockable, a jumping attack that covers distance quickly and a
grab attack that raised Buffy in the air to be zapped by their beams (which
kills her when on low health). Your best bet is to hit them a couple of times
when you can (you can generally attack faster than them, but they tend to block
out of your combos even if you made the first hit) to wear them down and to
finish them off with Hellfire. You can beat them to death manually, but I'm not
sure what the final attack must be - I've beaten on one for ages that had no
health and refused to die. Holy Water has no effect on them. Three Hellfire
Bolts tend to kill them at range.

Justin Leigh ([email protected]) sent me the following:

Just a note on killing the Sirens without hellfire, you can actually beat them
to death by doing a mid-kick (or roundhouse kick I think) as the finishing
manouvre when they have zero health.  It snaps them in half :-)

He's right. It's not a 100% effective move - you will do it sometimes and they
won't die - but if you do hit a Siren on no health with a roundhouse kick they
will sometimes bend over so far backwards they will break their backs (ouch!).
Hellfire to finish is much easier though.

Whitney Hedges adds:

[A] way to kill the sirens without hellfire is with the reaper blade. When they
get down to no health, just do a 3+ combo with the blade and they'll bend
backwards and die.

Teleporting Demons
------------------
These look a bit like a smoother version of the hanoch demon. These guys
teleport, block and unleash a slow but homing fire attack on Buffy (that can
drain her health quickly and kill her, so be careful). If the teleport holding
the |R| button will swing Buffy around to their new location and you can start
to hit them. They will just block attacks so feel free to throw them. These
demons are reasonably fast and have a double spin claw attack and a crucifix
kick attack that you should just block. You should only fear their fire attack
- this will hurt you a lot and kill you before you realise it.

Bosses
------
Malik - your first boss fight. He is faster than you are used to and has a kick
that sends you flying. He can also regain his health by glowing yellow. Just
beat him down like any other vampire - throw him if he blocks too much and use
your slayer moves to do extra damage to him. Stomp him on the ground as every
bit of damage counts. You don't have to stake him to win.

Spike - he's pretty fast and can beat you down quickly. Again, throw him since
he likes to block and stomp him on the ground. You can also run away from him
to get him to chase you then turn around and jump kick / combo him. You can't
dust him so simply aim to do as much damage as possible while protecting
yourself. You can bring out a weapon out from the previous level to help you (a
broom I think).

Scylla - Another high-level vampire to fight. What can I say? She's quick,
likes to block and can do quite a bit of damage. As before, throw her when she
starts to block, stomp her on the ground and use your slayer moves to bring her
down. Another vampire who runs away when you beat her.

Matereani - This guy summons zombies to help him. The real problem with him is
if he stays away - you want him up close and hittable. Take the zombies out if
they bother you, otherwise focus on the floating guy. He's not so tough but can
get annoying (especially if the zombies get in your way). Just keep beating on
him and watch for him trying to sneak up behind you. Don't know what his
killing attack looks like.

Scylla (Snake Form) - In this battle the boss is tough and strong, so it is a
bit of a challenge. You want to beat her down in health, but you can't kill her
just by fighting. See the buttons on the walls? They open window that let the
sunlight in. Hit a button, see where the sun comes in and run over to that
area. Scylla will follow you but won't go into the sunlight that often (she
will use her energy draining distance attack instead) so you are going to have
to try to draw her into it. That's the trick. The windows do close after a
while, so another option is to knock her down in the area under the window and
then run over to the button and open it on her. The middle button opens the
largest window.

Urd - Use Hellfire Bolts on him and he goes down quickly. If he has a glowing
sphere around him he has a forcefield around him and is invunerable.

Malik (Tiger Form) - The good thing about this fight is that Malik doesn't
block. The bad thing is he is strong, teleports and is also pretty tough. If
you see him teleport hold down |R| and you will hopefully block his attacks. If
Malik knocks you down try to get up as quickly as possible - he can kill a
no-health Buffy that is on the ground. Use all the slayer attacks you can and
wear him down to no health. You must stake him to finish him. I found it
easiest to throw the stake at him (|R| + Y) - once you hit a no-health Malik in
the chest you will have beaten him. Probably the toughest fight of the game.

Angel - After the Tiger fight, he's a push-over. Throw him when he blocks and
just generally hurt him until the cutscene starts. Throwing him off the
platform does nothing, so try to avoid that side since you can die there.

Dark Buffy - Start off by knocking her down and taking the axe off her. This is
another good old-fashioned brawl - Dark Buffy attacks quite a bit. Throw her
when she blocks. Once she is on no health either a) knock her off the platform,
b) decapitate her with the axe (FC X works well), c) headbutt her into oblivion
(drop the axe and execute a normal throw - Buffy will headbutt Dark Buffy
instead). Try to avoid going near the edges of the platform as some crumble and
you don't want to get knocked off.

Skuld - Nail him with Hellfire Bolts from a distance. Easy!

Vedandi - Nail him with Hellfire Bolts from a distance. Try not to waste those
bolts on the zombies he raises. Use a thrown Reaper Wing on him if you run out
of Bolts.

The Master - Equip your Reaper Wing. Run left on starting the level. See that
big stake next to the wall in the glowing area? You want the Master to end up
on that when he has no health. Don't use Holy Water or Hellfire as he will just
phase out. If he does phase just run around until he solidifies again - if you
stand still he will magically grab and throw you. In physical form the Master
can punch and kick very quickly, so just block them. When he blocks just throw
him. To send him into the spike throw him / knock him in the general direction
of it - he tends to just fly towards it. The Master isn't that tough. Try to
avoid going near the edge of the platform (or the fragile bits that crumble) as
you are very likely to fall into the lava below.


NOTES
_____
Overall, I enjoyed Buffy but found it way too short. Where are the extras? The
fighting system was very good, but get rid of the jumping puzzles next time (or
improve Buffy's jumping control-ability)!

Loved fighting Dark Buffy. Nice touch.


THANKS
______
To my long-suffering girlfriend - you go out with a geek; what do you expect?
:-)
To phunkking - for writing his Buffy Guides and being the authority on the
Boards!
Thanks to those who wrote to me about this guide - the messages were
appreciated. The viruses weren't. ;-}


VERSION HISTORY
_______________
Version 1.1: Fixed up some grammar and spelling mistakes. Added some
information I left out of the first guide.

Version 1.2: Added in some info sent to me by other players.

Version 1.25: Added some more contributor content sent by Whitney Hedges.

_____________________
Version 1 completed 18 October 2002