Poltergeist can be a challenging glove to acquire in Slap Battles, but with the right strategy, it becomes significantly easier. This guide will map out the process, ensuring you navigate the minigame effectively and claim your prize.
1. Accessing the Poltergeist Minigame Arena
One of the initial hurdles is simply getting into the Poltergeist minigame. The intermission lasts a considerable 10 minutes, and only three players can participate in each round. This limited access often leads to players trying to knock others off the island in a frantic attempt to secure a spot, reminiscent of a chaotic king-of-the-hill scenario, but with three winners.
However, there’s a straightforward method to bypass this server rush. Open the game menu and navigate to the servers section. Initially, servers are typically sorted by ‘Descending’ player count. Change this setting to ‘Ascending’. This will list servers from the least populated to the most populated.
To avoid joining quickly filling servers, scroll down the list until you encounter servers with only 2 players. Continue scrolling further past these and then randomly select a server. Once in a less crowded server, gather a team, ideally with two friends, as smaller servers often have fewer players actively participating in the minigame. With your team assembled, head to the default-only arena to begin the obby leading to the minigame. Sticking to the left side of the obby is generally considered the easiest path. After completing the obby, wait for the intermission to conclude, which is less than 10 minutes, and you’ll be entered into the Poltergeist gamemode.
2. Navigating the Zombie Minigame Rounds
In the initial zombie rounds, adopt a straightforward approach. Focus on landing the first slap early on each zombie. Immediately after slapping, move backward to evade incoming damage. Resist the urge to combo zombies as you would players in the main Slap Battles arena. Combos can leave you vulnerable to damage. Instead, patiently wait for the zombie to recover and stand up before repeating the slap-and-retreat tactic until it’s defeated. If a zombie becomes cornered against the back wall, adjust your position or flick your slaps to redirect it and continue the assault.
3. Identifying and Countering Zombie Types
The Poltergeist minigame introduces various zombie types, each with unique characteristics:
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3.1. Basic Zombies:
The fundamental zombies are best handled with the standard slap-and-retreat method. Maintain a safe distance, as their hitbox is slightly larger than their visual model. Be mindful that, like all zombies in this mode, their attack hitbox is larger than their own hitbox, adding a layer of trickiness to engagements.
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3.2. Ice Zombies:
Ice zombies are slower, making them relatively easy to manage with the established strategy. Their slowness makes avoiding their attacks simpler. However, prioritize dodging their attacks as being hit by an ice zombie will briefly freeze you, leaving you open to attacks from faster zombie types like speed runners.
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3.3. Speed Runner Zombies:
These fast zombies are defeated using the same core method as basic and ice zombies. In fact, this method applies to all zombie types. The challenge with speed runners lies in timing your slaps correctly due to their increased speed. Constantly maintain distance by running away. When they close in, deliver a slap, and attempt to follow up while retreating, using the slap-and-retreat strategy.
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3.4. Skeletons:
Skeletons often catch players off guard. While their hitbox is identical to the basic zombie hitbox, it visually appears smaller. This visual discrepancy leads players to underestimate the safe distance and inadvertently walk into the skeleton’s attack range when attempting to slap. Counter this by consciously visualizing the zombie hitbox size when engaging skeletons and apply the standard method.
4. Post Gate Opening Strategy
Once you and your team collectively reach 500 points, the gate to the next area will open. Coordinate with your teammates to ensure relatively even point distribution so everyone has sufficient points for glove upgrades later. After the gate opens, decide whether to hold your ground on the plank leading to the main island or camp on the larger island itself to eliminate zombies. As zombies are defeated, points will accumulate. Once everyone has enough points for their desired upgrades, designate one person to acquire a new glove while the others continue to defend against the zombie waves.
5. Glove Selection for Zombie Domination
When upgrading gloves, prioritize obtaining one of the following for optimal zombie control:
- Woah
- Kraken
- Rojo
- Barrel
These gloves are highly effective due to their ranged abilities, providing a significant advantage against the zombie hordes. If your initial glove roll doesn’t yield a ranged option, rotate glove acquisition amongst your teammates until someone obtains a suitable ranged glove.
6. Efficient Zombie Elimination with Ranged Gloves
After securing a ranged glove, assign the user to a strategic position on the lamppost located near the plank connecting the zombie spawn island to the main island. From this vantage point, the ranged glove user can effectively target and eliminate zombies as they gather beneath the lamppost. Gloves like Woah, Kraken, or Rojo excel at clearing large groups of zombies quickly using their abilities. Woah, Kraken, and Rojo also have the added benefit of being able to roll gloves for teammates in the later stages, providing further team support. Note that Barrel, while powerful for damage, does not grant points.
7. Conquering the Final Boss
Upon clearing all zombies in phase 9, the boss will spawn. Have your team rush to the house structure. Position yourselves inside the doorway and wait for the boss to approach. The boss will become stuck in the doorway, unable to fully enter the house, creating an exploitable vulnerability.
If a team member has the Barrel glove, have them spam its ability to inflict continuous damage on the trapped boss. If a Barrel glove is not available, the ranged glove user can roll gloves for teammates in hopes of obtaining one. Rojo’s ability is ineffective against the boss, and the effectiveness of Kraken and Woah abilities is uncertain against the boss.
As an alternative strategy, if you lack a Barrel user, have the player with the highest health approach the boss. Position yourself at gear-testing distance from the boss’s arm, jump, and slap. Immediately retreat to avoid taking damage. Repeat this jump-slap-retreat pattern to safely chip away at the boss’s health. Another option is to position yourself near the doorway edge. With precise positioning, the boss may be unable to hit you, while you can still land slaps. However, this method may not guarantee 100% damage registration.
By following this guide map, navigating the Poltergeist minigame and obtaining the coveted Poltergeist glove in Slap Battles will become a much more achievable goal.
