Gir-Tab

"Although memories of another time still flit to the surface, he can barely distinguish between friend or foe."

Description

Gir-Tab is a biomechanoid Variant, and the game's 4th sequential boss. Its appearance is that of a large, scorpion-like creature with a flamethrower for a tail, a laser cannon replacing each claw, and a third cannon on its back.

Athetos created Gir-Tab by first cloning himself with one of Sudra's Rebirth Chambers, and then making biomechanoid modifications to the clone.

Gir-Tab is the most verbally capable Variant, and is notable for having helped Athetos decipher the Sudran language for use with the Passcode Tool.

Gir-Tab Has 1,800 Health

Battle

Gir-Tab as seen in his boss battle.

Trace confronts Gir-Tab in the middle-right portion of Kur.

Gir-Tab will fire volleys of energy projectiles from its claw and back cannons, walk backwards and forwards, and can crouch low to the ground. From time-to-time, it will also leap at the player, getting in range to attack with its flamethrower tail. Gir-Tab's weak underbelly should be the primary target for Trace. While his cyclops eye is also a weak-point, Gir-Tab keeps it closed and invulnerable most of the time.

After defeating Gir-Tab, the player will be able to enter the next room containing Katrahaska and will also be able to turn on the Repair Drones.

Strategies

Gir-Tab can be frustrating to beat if you don't have the right weapon(s), as his weak point is underneath him and thus can't be directly targeted most of the time. With the right weapon, though (see below), the fight becomes nearly trivial. Gir-Tab's attack patterns are fairly basic and not difficult to learn, although he will speed up his attacks when near death.

• The most straightforward strategy to this battle is to crouch low and use the Hypo-Atomizer. Even though its shots will have to align with a small part of Gir-Tab's underbelly in order to damage it, by crouch-walking slowly towards it and firing rapidly, you virtually guarantee that many of the shots will hit, dealing damage very quickly. Be sure and keep your distance though, as it can leap at you and also fire a flamethrower. The main thing to watch out for is when it crouches - when you're crouched, you will be beneath the firing line of most of its projectiles, but when it crouches, you need to jump over its shots. Keep your distance, crouch-walk and fire rapidly, watch for its crouching so you can jump over its shots when needed, and the battle should be over within a couple of minutes.
• The Nova or Voranj can also be used, but the Nova will be much slower, as you have to fire shots one at a time and also time their detonation, and the Voranj is so unpredictable that it will rarely hit. The Inertial Pulse trivializes the fight, as it has the ability to pierce targets; however, obtaining it before defeating Gir-Tab requires some minor sequence breaking, by using a very precise jump in Zi and being knocked back by an enemy. This is the only way to clear a gap that would otherwise prevent access to Absu.
• Watch for Gir-Tab to get low to the ground and use short hops to jump over his low shots. Pay attention to the height of the oncoming fire because he will sometimes switch it up with a third shot at medium level. There's not much to say about his flamethrower attack. Keep your distance and wait for it to end. Repeat, and repeat, and repeat and he will eventually go down.
• Another strategy is to start with the above and, if you're feeling confident, go on a suicide attack to hit Gir-Tab's underbelly with powerful blasts from the Kilver. If you have weakened him enough, you will be able to finish him off.

Etymology

Girtab is the Sumerian word for "scorpion" and is the traditional name for the star constellation Kappa Scorpii.

Additional Images

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