MGS Delta Boss Guide: How to Beat Every Cobra Unit Member

And the Cobra Unit bosses are the heart of MGS Delta. Each one has a unique gimmick and each one can be beaten multiple ways, including non-lethally, which gives you their special camo pattern. Here's how to handle every single one of them. ## The Pain (Hornet Controller)

The Pain controls hornets with what I assume is some kind of supernatural pheromone situation. And the game never explains it and doesn't need to. His arena is a shallow cave pond. He hovers above the water throwing hornet swarms at you. But the hornets form shields around his body between attacks, shooting during this window is a waste of ammo. Wait for him to wind up a hornet throw, then fire while his body is exposed. Shotgun works well here because the spread hits him even when your aim is shaky. Grenades tossed into the water create splashes that disperse his hornet swarms temporarily. Non-lethal: Empty your Mk22 into his head when exposed. Takes about 20 tranq darts on normal difficulty. Stamina kill drops the Hornet Stripe camo, which is actually useful for the mountain sections later. Easy fight overall. If you struggle with this one, the later bosses are going to hurt. ## The Fear (Spider-Like Agility)

This guy moves. Fast. He jumps between trees, turns semi-invisible, and shoots crossbow bolts that poison you over time. But the poison isn't lethal but it blurs your vision and drains stamina, which makes the fight spiral if you don't treat it immediately. Thermal goggles reveal him when he's cloaked. Seriously. The goggles are in the weapon lab you pass through right before this fight, don't miss them. His crossbow bolts can be shot out of the air. Easier said than done. I just dodged and fired back. The trick I found: when he lands to throw a flash grenade, he stands still for about two seconds. That's your damage window. Two shotgun blasts or four tranq rounds per opening. His stamina is low compared to other bosses. Non-lethal takes maybe 12-15 tranq headshots. Drops the Spider camo, which gives 100% camo index on any tree trunk or bark surface. Incredibly useful for forest sections you get the idea.. ## The End (Ancient Sniper)

This is widely considered one of the best boss fights in gaming history and the UE5 version is even more tense. Not kidding. The End is a 100-year-old sniper with a parrot spotting for him in a massive three-area forest map. The fight is a sniper duel. He moves between sniper positions, leaving faint footprints in the mud. His parrot circles above his current location. If you capture or kill the parrot (with a tranq, not a lethal shot, come on), he loses his spotting ability and becomes much harder for him to find you. You can track him with the directional microphone. Point it around and listen for his breathing or snoring. Yes, he falls asleep. If he falls asleep, you can sneak up on him for a hold-up. Holding him up three times drops the Moss camo, which is the best woodland camo in the game. Thermal goggles show his footprints. The sniper scope shows the glint of his scope. Use both. It works. The non-lethal method: tranq sniper to the head, then rush his position before he moves. Or sneak up while he's sleeping, hold him up, get the camo, then tranq him. Either way, the Mosin-Nagant is your best friend here. If you save during the fight and come back a week later, he dies of old age. Not kidding. It's been a thing since 2004. ## The Fury (Flamethrower Astronaut)

Totally worth it.

Former cosmonaut, current walking flamethrower. His arena is a narrow corridor filled with flammable debris. He flies using a jetpack and blankets the ground in fire. The floor is lava, literally you get the idea.. Shoot his jetpack. When it sparks, he's about to go down. While grounded, he's vulnerable. Shotgun to the face, rinse, repeat. Keep moving, standing still means fire damage and fire damage stacks fast. Trust me on this one. If your uniform catches fire, open the CURE screen and treat the burn immediately. Burns drain health continuously until treated. Non-lethal: tranq sniper from the far end of the corridor. He moves slowly when grounded. Drops the Fire camo which reduces fire damage by 50% and is basically required for the Shagohod chase if you're going for a clean run. ## The Sorrow (Dead Medium)

This isn't really a fight. It's a walk through a river filled with the ghosts of every enemy you've killed so far. If you played non-lethally, the river is empty and the walk takes 30 seconds. If you killed everyone... you're going to be walking for a while. At the end, your revival pill brings you back. I learned this the hard way. You do have the revival pill equipped, right? The one The Boss gave you earlier? Check your inventory before this encounter. If you don't have it equipped, you die and restart from checkpoint. ## The Boss (Final Fight)

The final fight takes place in a field of white flowers. No gimmicks, no tricks. Just CQC counters and patience. She counters almost everything you throw at her. The key is countering her counters. When she charges you, wait for the tell, she shifts her weight slightly before each attack, then press the CQC button. If you counter successfully, you get one hit in. Then she counters your counter. Then you counter her counter's counter. It's a rhythm game disguised as a fight scene. The Mosin-Nagant works if you keep distance, but she closes gaps fast. Took me forever to figure out. Shotgun is more reliable. Non-lethal requires near-perfect CQC timing for about 5 minutes straight. The fight ends with a cutscene. You know the one. It's the reason this story has been talked about for 20 years. Game changer, honestly.