Descent 1: boss robots
 
There are "only" 2 but they rock ;)
 
 level 7
 
Demo: d107boss.zip (544 KB)  map  
1cloaking device
2invulnerability
3entrance to boss room

This one's regarded the toughest mech by most people so they weakened him in version 1.4. However, to defeat this mech isn´t as hard as it seems from first impression! In this level you should save up your Vulcan Ammo until the end: you´ll need it to take out the smaller guys from within the pillar. Before entering the "last" room pick up the cloaking device by doing it like this: In the cavern where´s the entrance (red keycard) to the final room there´s a door right under the ceiling. This leads into a tunnel with two generator fields leeding to a hall with an invulnerability globe guarded by two Medium Hulks. Blast them off, take the invulnerability globe and head towards the tunnel you came in.

Just before the first generator field there´s a secret door in the ceiling that leads into a small hallway where a cloaking device and a pack of Homing Missiles are hidden. Pick up the items and take the other secret door down finding yourself right in between the two generator fields and a horde of Medium Lifters blocking your way. Hurry up destroying them and speed to the red keycard door cause invulnerability and cloaking device just serve function for 30 seconds!

Avoid the Mega Hulk and enter the pillar through one of the top level doors. Now fire Homing Missiles on the Class 1 Drillers. You need to get rid of them first cause they tend to sneak up into the pillar and attack you from behind. But this is easy as you just need one Homing Missile on each. Do not waste any missiles on the red hulks (you´d need 5 on each). Save them up for later. When all Drillers are destroyed go for the red hulks but stay inside the pillar!

Stay right in the door to keep it open and wait on a Super Mech to pass by; then blast it off with your Vulcan. Usually it can´t fire back. But if it does, take a quick step back and the door closes immediately so that the Homing Missile smashes at the outside. When all red hulks are destroyed start attacking the Mega Hulk. The "music" always shows you the direction the hulk is to be expected from. Permanently keep circling close to the tower´s wall until you encounter it. Hopefully you find it just decloaking right in front of you. Now open fire using missiles and quads simultaneously: if you hit it early enough it will cloak again immediately without firing on you at all! Unfortunately this happens really seldom so practice dodging the missiles (keep firing while doing it) coming up to you. This works always cause they aren´t homing and therefore smash at the wall behind you. As the "Lock"-signal appears indicating the plasma projectiles turning on your back, stop firing even if the Hulk is still visible. Now there are two methods:

1.) circling the tower

Immediately speed towards the Hulk and pass over or under it. In most cases it dematerialises and appears at another position firing another couple of missiles. But you´re already on your way circling round the tower (switch over to rear view to have a short glimpse at the plasma balls coming closer). Keep circling but suddenly head towards the outer wall; Just before you´ve reached it make a hard turn back again towards the tower. The plasma balls cannot follow fast enough and detonate at the outer walls.

2.) just stay where you are

It´s possible to dogde the Plasma blobs as well! Just turn around (or switch over to rear view) and watch the missiles detonate at the outer wall releasing one bulb of deadly Plasma coming straight up to you. Don´t move! Just wait until they´re a little bit closer and suddenly strafe up (or down or whatever) and the Plasma will pass you by leaving you astonished that it´s been that easy! Trust me, it works! The only possible danger is that the Hulk already materialized again right behind you and released another couple of missiles. Therefore it´s better just to switch over to rear view instead of turning around.

BTW, do not forget there´s another cloaking device (and a lot of shield powerups) down in a small alcove in the pillar. Take it and attack the hulk from behind so it needs more time to turn around on you to fire a bunch of missiles. Still watch out for those Plasma blobs cause even if they´re not homing they can hit you accidently. However the use of the cloaking device takes you a big step nearer to your destruction of the Big Boss. If you practice enough, either of the methods will make you destroy the Mega Hulk without loosing any ships (I did it several times in version 1.0 before they weakened him in version 1.4a).

 
 level 27
 
Demo: d127boss.zip (872 KB)

This is really a hard one. It´s very important to enter this level with a full set of Mega and Smart Missiles. A lot of invulnerability globes, cloaking devices, Mega and Smart Missiles are behind the yellow door. The missiles can only be reached by taking secret tunnels from over and beneath the room. But first pick up the invulnerability from out of the room lying left from the entrance. It´s hidden behind a secret door guarded by a platform robot. After destroying it take the invulnerability globe (not yet the cloaking device from behind the gutter!) and speed up to the last room.

Fly directly into the middle of the room so that the four walls are forming a cross under you. At this position you can overview all 4 quadrants under you and spot the End Hulk easily. As you are visible the other mechs attack yourself immediately and the End Hulk fires it´s Mega Missiles. These Mega Missiles destroy a lot of the attacking mechs so it´s comparetively easy to keep your position atop the walls. If you´ve got time left fire a few Smart Missiles as well but remember that the End Hulk has to be visible to be tracked by the plasma balls. Therefore fire directly on it when it´s getting invisible so that there are no plasma balls and the Hulk gets hit by the missile itself. Leave the room to pick up the other Mega and Smart Missiles and take another invulnerability globe.

Or enter the goody room by going down the secret tunnel at the opposite side of the last room. Down there you´ll find (besides a few cloaked Medium Lifters !) a lot of ammo/energy/orbs and 3 Mega and 2 Smart Missiles. This secret room is a nice place to have a little break, you should stay there for a while before you turn on the next attack on the Big One. It doesn´t matter from which room you use up the missiles and cloaking devices/invulnerability globes first. If you've spent all your new missiles pick up the invulnerability globe that´s on the left side of the final room behind a gutter and fly down into one of the quadrants. Stay almost in the middle of it so that the Mega Missile fired towards you through the small window can destroy a few of the other attacking mechs.

Now fire all Homing Missiles and your Plasma Cannon simultaneously. When your last invulnerability globe is spend pick up the cloaking device from out of one of the windows or the yellow room. Then stay at a window close to the wall so that by dodging to each side you´re just pressed at the wall. If you start firing now through the window the End Hulk fires back. Dodge to any side and the Mega Missile will detonate at the wall behind you. But as you are so close to the wall your ship won´t be affected by the explosion at all; but the other mechs attacking you from behind will be!

If not all of them get destroyed change your postion a little bit and blast them away. Leave the room early enough to replenish the cloaking device and try the same method again. It won´t take much time till the End Hulk is destroyed and you can watch the end sequence.