Hunt Showdown: How to Kill the Butcher

hunt showdown

The Butcher is one of two bosses currently available in the multiplayer game Hunt: Showdown. A towering foe that can easily down a player in just a few swings, this behemoth can be tricky to kill for both new and veteran players. When going into this fight it’s important to note that certain weapons and consumables are more effective than others. While rifles are great for the Spider and PvP, you’ll want to have a shotgun or powerful single action gun on hand. The Butcher is a very big target, so he can easily take the full force of your shotgun blasts.

One of the best guns to use against the Butcher is the Nitro Express Rifle, which is a double barrel shotgun. Not only does this weapon have max damage, but its range is quite strong for a close quarters gun. This makes it ideal for fighting the Butcher and keeping him at a comfortable distance. For those just starting out or in the lower ranks then consider using one of the following guns:

  • Romero 77
  • Romero 77 Handcannon
  • Sparks LRR
  • Caldwell Rival 78
  • Specter 1882

All of these are great against the Butcher and allow you to quickly pour out damage on this boss. The best strategy for fighting him is fairly easy, especially in certain areas like crypts or single floor boss locations. Since the Butcher lacks any real mobility outside of his normal run, you can easily kite this enemy in a circle. This allows duos to have one person act as bait while the other fires safely from a distance or to just keep him always from trapping you in a corner. A simple sequence of “Fire, Run, Reload, Turn, Fire” can easily put this foe in the ground.

Additionally, he may fall onto one knee, which lets you pour on even more damage. Since he is vulnerable to explosives, I like to save my dynamite or Frag Bombs for when he’s stunned to ensure the blast hits. The trick with this fight is to only face the Butcher when firing your gun. He’s quicker than you’d expect and can easily punish those who plant their feet and try to face him head-on. If you aren’t in an environment where you can have a teammate safely fire from a  distance, try to keep the Butcher’s attention shifting. Swap firing times, so when one of you are reloading the other is unloading their ammo into the boss. This should cause him to aggro the person he recently took damage from and keep his attention moving.

Once the Butcher loses half his health the hook will be set on fire allowing him a ranged AoE (Area of Effect) ability. This is simply him throwing fire and creating small pockets of flames around the arena. You will take damage and be set on fire if this happens, so do your best to avoid them whenever possible. Remember, the Butcher is completely immune to fire regardless of what phase he is on so don’t bother bringing Fire Bombs or tossing lanterns at him. All you’ll do is make the arena harder to fight in for yourself. The Butcher has a lot of health, so make sure you have some time to commit to the fight otherwise other hunters may swoop in and kill you.

With some patience and a little luck, this boss will become another trophy to mount on your wall. For more Hunt: Showdown guides, features, and news make sure to visit Heavy’s gaming section.