Wanting to know how to beat the Rancor in Star Wars Jedi Survivor means you've almost certainly been eaten or insta-killed, as you'll find one of these creatures long before you're ready. It might well be the most unforgiving and toughest enemies in the game, thanks to its ability to more or less kill you in one hit. So if you need help finding the missing prospectors associated with defeating the rancor, I’ve got tips to help you survive and overcome one of the first major challenges Cal can find on Koboh.
How to find the Rancor in Jedi Survivor
If you're working through our Star Wars Jedi Survivor walkthrough then just before Cal arrives at Rambler's Reach on Koboh you'll find a Meditation Point, and off to your right will be a local prospector who says she's worried about a group that went into a mine and hasn't come out. This will start a Rumor titled 'Find the Missing Prospectors.' To get started, you'll need to head to the mine, which is only a short distance from the prospector - head up the nearby vine wall, and the mine will be off to your left in the nearby cliff face.
You'll need to climb down the pipe at the entrance, and then continue into the mine. Turn left as you approach the main shaft, and use the force on the glowing blue grate in front of you. Go straight ahead, watching out for the critters that will jump you, and cut through the pipes. Wall-run over the gap, follow the path, and turn left using the rock-bridge to traverse the next gap.
Take the second right, cutting through more pipes, then follow the path around until you find a squeeze-hole on your left. Turn right immediately, and go through another squeeze hole. Follow the path, activate the shortcut back to the start, and head through space on your left. There, you'll find a meditation shrine on your right, and the Rancor arena straight ahead of you.
How to beat the Rancor in Jedi Survivor
- Stay mobile and dodge as much as possible
- Focus on damage with the Dual or Crossguard Stances
The Rancor can kill Cal in a couple of hits. It also has three unblockable attacks, one of which is an insta-kill, so dodging is vital. The air dash you can unlock from the list of Star Wars Jedi Survivor abilities, Force powers and gear can be incredibly useful here. If you see the Rancor glow red, it's best to get as much distance as possible between you and it - two of those unblockable attacks are large area of effect strikes, and the third, most deadly one, is a lengthy lunge.
Let the Rancor come to you, and it'll have overextended, making it easy to get hits in. The Rancor's guard and the infrequency of its attacks means that parrying can be tricky, so it's generally bet to keep your distance. The beast's blockable attacks - an array of large swipes towards you - are extremely heavy, and will drain your block meter quickly, staggering you and opening you up to more punishment.
Before you start the fight it's worth considering your skills and stances. Given how hard the Rancor hits, extra health can make a lot of difference here. So consider putting your skills into the 'Survival' tree, which offers extra max health and more healing from very early on. You can also collect a lot more Star Wars Jedi Survivor stim canisters to help in the fight.
When it comes to which of the Star Wars Jedi Survivor lightsaber stances to use, you'll have two good options depending on how far through the game you are. Early on, I had most success with the Dual Wield stance, which lets you get lots of small hits in - breaking the Rancor's guard is nearly impossible due to its other attacks, so simply pressuring it where you can, rather than blocking, is a good strategy.
However, if you choose to return to the Rancor later in the game, you might have the Crossguard stance - this heavier-hitting lightsaber style is very effective against bigger foes that make no attempt to block your strikes, which means you only have to land a handful of hits to do some serious damage. You won't unlock the Crossguard until after you leave Koboh for the first time, but with the Meditation Shrine unlocked you'll be able to fast-travel back to the mine very quickly.
After you've beaten the Rancor, you'll be able to scan it for some extra XP, and make use of the crystal in the back of its cave to boost some other stats. To leave the mine, simply climb out of the pit, take the shortcut back to the mine entrance, and head back to Rambler's Reach. You can fully complete the rumor by talking to the prospector.
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