How to defeat all Outriders bosses, from Gauss to Yagak

outriders boss guideSquare Enix

Taking down the toughest bosses in Outrides is no easy task, whether it’s the first one you meet – Gauss – or even the final showdown with Yagak. If you want to take them down with ease, we’ve got a handy guide for you. 

The first major boss you’ll meet in Outriders is Gauss, who is located at Rift Town’s Solar Tower Platform area. It’s actually a fight that sets the tone for the entire game, because while dismantling groups of enemies at a time may feel like a breeze in some sections of Square Enix’s third-person shooter, the bosses are far from being a walk in the park.

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In this guide, we’ve selected the hardest bosses from our own playthrough and noted some tips for each battle that should make your fight a little easier. While you may think you’re at an advantage with your abilities – as a Trickster, Pyromancer, Devastator, or Technomancer – each boss also has its own abilities you will need to combat.

Knowing what you’re getting yourself into for each of these bosses is crucial, so let’s go through them one by one.

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Outriders boss list

Main Bosses

Mini Bosses

  • Captain Reiner
  • Captain Serrano
  • Captain Diesel
  • Salem Koresh

With every boss in Outriders, one of the most frustrating things is jumping into a fight with them blind. A few of them have different abilities that are, in some cases, much more powerful than anything you can throw their way. Knowing what they are and how to play off them, to your advantage, is going to be crucial. In each section, we’re going to break down the boss’s abilities and run through tips to combat them.

How to defeat Gauss in Outriders

Gauss in OutridersSquare Enix
Gauss is a tricky first boss to get past in Outriders.

Location: Gauss is located at the Rift Town Solar Tower platform.

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Gauss abilities in Outriders

Gauss ability What does it do?
Ball Lightning Two balls of lightning float around in close proximity to each other, and these will deal damage on contact.
Discharge Mine This ground attack will erupt a second after it’s been activated, lingering and dealing damage every few seconds.
Lightning Storm Four lightning storms will strike the surrounding area after 10 seconds of charging it up. This will deal damage every few seconds.
Metal Barrage A barrage of metal will crash onto different areas.
Shock Shift This deals continuous damage to enemies nearby, creating an aura around him for around 5-6 seconds.
Steel Wall To absorb enemy fire, he gathers huge metal plates to surround him for 5-6 seconds. Don’t stay too close, though, as it explodes after the time is up.

Outriders Solar Tower boss tips

Some of these Gauss abilities are stronger than others, and it can get a bit hectic trying to dodge everything that the monster throws your way. Having one of your teammates play from the back with a sniper is a great way to start chiseling away at his massive health bar, which is broken down into three segments.

If you can have one player playing on the front foot, striking him at close range with their abilities, and another rotating around cover locations at the back, this should give you a good balance. For revives, too, it’s best to wait until Gauss enters the Steel Wall – which he uses when the HP bar is rather low. As the boss becomes inactive for around six seconds, that’s an opportune time to restock on ammo and get your teammate back in the fight if they’ve been knocked down.

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Don’t fly in all guns blazing, though, because a few strikes from his abilities only results in one thing – lights out.

How to defeat Molten Acari in Outriders

Outriders molten acari bossSquare Enix
Molten Acari, the Volcano boss, is one of the toughest in Outriders.

Location: Molten Acari is located in the volcano.

Molten Acari abilities in Outriders

Molten Acari ability What does it do?
Lunging Bite High damage melee attack used by the spider when you approach it.
Leaping Smash It leaps into the air and crashes down again, meaning lava spews around.
Dash and Wall Climb Bulldozing enemies in a straight line, only to jump onto a wall and spit out explosive eggs.
Egg Toss Shooting eggs while in the lava.
Flame Hoppers Explosive smaller spiders are spawned in to attack you.
Flamethrower The spider spins around in a circle while shooting out fire, making players sprint around to dodge the attack.
Flame Eruption Lava erupts from different areas of the battlefield.

Outriders Volcano boss tips

Just like Gauss, Molten Acari has three stages to its HP bar – and it’s good to note that in the second phase, a load of smaller spiders will come out on the hunt. Blasting a few of these away is important for your own health, as it will replenish with your attacks. Long-range attacks also work best, as you might have predicted.

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Keep an eye out on the floor for any blue indicators, as they will show the location whereby the Volcano boss will focus on next. Staying near the Molten Acari is important to be able to avoid its slamming attacks, too, as the handy roll button (B & Circle on console) can be used to avoid it.

The weakest point on the spider’s body is its abdomen, as that’s one part that won’t re-heal with the lava. It does glow like lava, though, so finding it should not be difficult. Dodging any lava that comes your way in the mid-fight is crucial, and when it evolves into its worm form, keep firing at the head.

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How to defeat Moloch in Outriders

Moloch in OutridersSquare Enix
Moloch is a very dangerous boss in Outriders.

Location: Moloch is waiting for your arrival in Trench Town.

Moloch abilities in Outriders

 Moloch ability What does it do?
Fire Attack Moloch uses his hand to charge up a fire attack, shooting a ball directly at a target.
Fire Tornado As you might expect, based on the name, the Fire Tornado comes swirling around and deals some serious damage.
Teleport Moloch can teleport away from a location when weak.

Outriders Trench Town boss tips

The Trench Town boss is one of the toughest around, but the strategy to take him down is fairly simple.

As seen in the abilities table above, you’re going to have to watch out for a select few moves that can be deadly. The Fire Attack and Fire Torando can wipe out some heavy damage, so it’s worth using your dodge controls as much as possible, or simply sprinting to safer grounds when it kicks off. Teleporting is something that should lead to increased communication in your team if playing co-op. The last thing you want is for the Moloch to appear behind your teammate and they still think he’s at the previous location.

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In terms of physically damaging Moloch, have one player focus on taking shots from afar. Headshots with a sniper to Moloch and the body he’s carrying on his back will see that HP bar come down faster than anything else you throw. Having some resistance gear for the fire is going to be essential if you want to make it.

The last thing to note would be the presence of Insurgents: when these smaller enemies arrive on the scene, take out as many as you can to restore health.

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How to defeat Yagak in Outriders

Yagak in OutridersSquare Enix
Yagak is a fierce enemy in Outriders – the final boss.

Location: Yagak is waiting for you to arrive on Utargak, and later at The Caravel.

Yagak abilities in Outriders

 Yagak ability What does it do?
Anomaly Rifts Small tracking electric orbs are summoned periodically by Yagak, which deal damage.
Sand Wyrm A wave of attack that will appear on screen as a blue bar.
Overload A narrow floor beam is released moments after Yagak summons a shield, which protects the boss momentarily.
Grasping Shock A close-range forward blast that deals damage.
Chain Lightning Series of electric lightning will head in your direction.
Ground Blast Don’t get too close to Yagak, because this electric ground slam deals some heavy damage.

Outriders final boss tips

There are a few things to consider when fighting Yagak, in both battles. First of all, you should know that co-operative play is far and away the best way to tackle this final boss, because you’re going to need as much help as you can get. With no mini enemies spawning in the fight, that means recuperating health is going to be a big ask.

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In terms of tips for battle, taking down the Anomaly Rifts is an excellent starting point. These will keep coming throughout the battle and track your location, so shooting them down as soon as they spawn is important. Leaving too many of them in the air is going to leave you overwhelmed.

One of the abilities Yagak deploys is called Sand Wyrm, and it’s pretty easy to avoid really. Watch out for blue markings on the floor as the attack has been called, and you should be able to use the roll control to bypass the attack each time. Not doing this will lead to some heavy damage reduction.

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Trying to play from a distance is important for at least one player on the time, as sniper shots to the head is a very effective way to take down all bosses in Outriders. That’s your sweet spot, so make the bullets count.


If you’re looking for more Outriders guides, head over to our main page for them here.