After everything else Snake goes through in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, the final battle is against his Mentor. The Boss is a tremendously skilled fighter who cannot be easily beaten, requiring players to use one of a few strategies if they hope to take her down.

To take down The Boss in Metal Gear Solid 3, players will either need to make use of CQC to counter her attacks or camouflage and ranged sniping to catch her unawares. This guide will explain both tactics and how they work. This guide assumes a PlayStation controller when discussing button prompts. If playing on another system, the button used for CQC is the button to press.

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Every Enemy Type In Metal Gear Solid 3

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How To Beat the Boss

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When the fight begins, The Boss will usually start by running at Snake and attempting a CQC grab. When an exclamation mark appears above Snake's head, press the circle button and hold it to counterattack. Failing to counter her CQC grabs will result in Snake getting thrown to the ground and shot, so it's important to perform the counter whenever possible. Snake will grunt when the moment to press the circle button occurs, which can be used as an additional audio cue.

Players can, alternatively, use flashbangs, cigarette spray, and well-timed scrambles over logs, to get away from The Boss and interrupt her CQC attempt.

The fastest way to defeat The Boss is by countering her CQC grab, performing a CQC throw on her immediately afterward, and then attacking while she's on the ground with a pistol. Repeating this tactic can quickly deplete The Boss' health or stamina, depending on the weapon used.

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Other than CQC, The Boss will also take shots at Snake with her gun whenever she can see him. The best way to handle The Boss when she's shooting is to get away from her, equip white camo and face paint, and take advantage of the environment to blend in. Lose The Boss in the foliage, then swap to a sniper rifle (ideally the Mosin Nagant if going for a non-lethal takedown) and aim for the head.

The biggest danger players face when using guns near The Boss is her ability to dismantle them using her CQC grabs, requiring players to recollect the pieces if they hope to use that weapon again. As such, players should unequip their weapons when The Boss is close to Snake and only equip them when it's time to go on the attack.

Utilizing CQC and ranged sniping, players should be able to wear down The Boss and end the fight. Beating The Boss non-lethally will cause her to drop the Snake Camo, which is effective in most environments and especially when crawling.