METAL GEAR SOLID 2: SONS OF LIBERTY
                        European-Extreme Boss Guide



VERSION: Final
CREATED BY: Averick
LAST UPDATED: 15th Of June 2003

Copyright© 2002-2003 Stephen Bacon
This document should not be copied, sold nor placed on any web site without
expressed permission from the author.


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                                CONTENTS
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1.0 INTRODUCTION
2.0 UPDATES
3.0 BOSS GUIDES
 3.1 OLGA GURLUKOVICH
 3.2 FORTUNE
 3.3 FATMAN
 3.4 HARRIER
 3.5 VAMP
 3.6 METAL GEAR RAYS
 3.7 SOLIDUS SNAKE CHOKE HOLD
 3.8 SOLIDUS SNAKE
4.0 FAQ
5.0 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
6.0 FINAL THOUGHTS


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                           1.0 INTRODUCTION
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In this guide I will try my best to help you get passed every single boss
that MGS2 throws at you.  European-Extreme is much more than "Extreme
without rations". EVERYTHING is harder. There are very few attacks that
bosses use that will not kill you in one hit. Because of this if you follow
my guide you should be able to defeat every single boss without being hit
once.

It took me many hours to learn exactly how to beat each boss and during
those hours I encountered the continue screen hundreds of time.  However,
once I had learnt how to avoid each attack I found the bosses very easy.
Something which I know everyone else will be able to do if they have some
patience and a little luck.

European-Extreme Bosses are hard for a reason. People who choose this
setting should know what to expect and for this reason I expect the people
who do this not to use any of the special items. I did it without anything
like that and I know you can. This guide was written assuming that the
player does not use the special items, if you want to use special items
then by all means go ahead, but can you really say that you beat
European-Extreme?  It's up to you.

In case you didn't know I am assuming that everyone who reads this has
finished the game at least once because you need to in order to gain
access to European-Extreme mode. As this is the case there will be a lot
of spoilers throughout this whole guide, if you haven't finished the
game read at your own risk.

                           _SPOILERS BELOW_

Everything here is a fact to the best of my knowledge, enjoy and good luck!

- A


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                                2.0 UPDATES
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15th of June: Since the last update a small number of strategies have been
             emailed to me. I have added these and decided that this will
             be the last update that I make. This FAQ is complete and I
             would like the thank everyone who contributed to it.

21st of April: Made some updates to the Solius Snake Choke Hold and updated
              my contact detials, that's pretty much it.

5th of February: It's been a long time since I last did an update, but some
                more people have provided tips so I thought I'd put them
                up. From the reviews of Substance it doesn't look like
                there are going to be any extra bosses so it doesn't look
                like this guide is going to have any major updates. Still
                I will add tips from anyone who sends them to me so keep
                them coming!

5th of September: Added some more strategies, that's all there is left to do
                 really but don't worry. For those of you wondering, I will
                 be adding guides for any extra bosses that will appear in
                 Substance. Also the American version will now have EE.
                 I wonder how they will cope? Hehehe.

25th August: Some more strategies put up.

24th July: Added some more contributed strategies, fixed some minor errors
          and added a whole new section for Solidus Snake Choke Hold.

26th June: Added a few Acknowledgements.

9th June: Revised Vamp and Solidus strategies, added some Acknowledgements.

27th May: Corrected minor errors, added some more contributed strategies,
         updated the FAQ and added Acknowledgements.

18th April: Added several contributed strategies.

7th April: I finished the guide today and have sent it to GameFAQ's.


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                              3.0 BOSS GUIDES
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3.1 OLGA GURLUKOVICH

                  "Conflict and Victory were my parents!"
                     "The unit is my life, my family!"

 Olga is the first boss and the only one that you encounter as Snake. She
 is very hard considering that a single shot will kill you. Add this to
 the fact that she fires off several shots at a time and you have got
 yourself one mean soldier from Mother Russia!


   FIGHT SYNOPSIS:

      Weapon of Choice: M9
    Brief attack cycle: Fires at you, throws grenades, uses the cover and
                        then the light.
              Hardness: 5/10
            Defeat Act: Well I suppose it is nice to see her groan in
                        defeat and then drop to the floor, fast asleep.


   BACKGROUND:

 Olga is a Russian soldier, daughter of the GRU Colonel. She has been
 brought up in the unit, it is her life. She and her Father, Sergie
 Gurlukovich are hijacking the tanker so that they can obtain Metal Gear
 RAY and return Russia to its former glory. Olga is pregnant, the father?
 Unknown. She is not dumb and Snake knows that, she shoots like a commando
 and knows some Spetsnaz techniques, she is a worthy adversary of Solid
 Snake.


   LOCATION AWARENESS:

 The area that this fight takes place is on the Navigational Deck, Port
 Wing of the tanker, Discovery. Olga is in one section and you in the
 other, no physical contact can be made between the two during the
 duration of this fight. Your side has plenty of crates stacked up that
 can be used for cover, the cover is not bad but her side is much better,
 did you really suspect otherwise? There are two ammo points were you
 can restock on ammunition for the M9, these are against the outer wall
 of the bridge. There is another in front of the metal slab that Olga
 uses for cover but I wouldn't recommend trying to get this, Olga can
 easily get you. Olga uses the metal slab, the small box and the shelf
 like object to the back for cover. At the top left hand corner is the
 light.


   BASIC STRATAGIES:

  - You eventually get the gun she uses, remember how many bullets it
 can hold before it needs to be reloaded? 15. Count her shots, when she
 fires her 15th she MUST reload, this is your chance to get a free shot
 in.
  - When she begins throwing grenades she is open to another shot.
  - She may be a good shot but she isn't psychic. Let her see you on
 one side of a crate and then get into cover and let her fire her three
 shots. When she goes behind her piece of cover go to the other side of
 the crate, she will not see you, aim at your leisure but make sure you
 get back into cover when you hit her.
  - When she is using the light go the right side and press yourself up
 against it. She will fire at the light twice and then attack you. Wait
 for her to throw a grenade and once it leaves her hand run to the
 other side. The light will not be pointing at you and you can get a
 shot in while she is busy shooting the light again.
  - When she is using the cover for protection do not try to hit her,
 wait and dodge she will eventually get rid of it herself. If you want
 you, can try and use the ammo count strategy, it is hard to pull off at
 times though.
  - Whenever you get the chance, aim for her head, it does a little more
 damage.


   QUICK WALKTHROUGH:

 Okay, Olga comes straight at you and hides behind the slab, don't move
 she can't get you, yet. She will move to the box in front of you and
 will fire from your right. Quickly go to the left so you have a clean
 shot, use it! If you take to long she will head up to the top, you
 missed your first chance. Go back to cover. Keep using the same
 strategy. If she throws grenades go to the alternate piece of cover.
 Get her down to about half her life, she will use the cover on you.
 Use the ammo count strategy to hit her if you must, otherwise dodge
 her grenades by alternating your cover and wait. If you hit her or wait
 long enough she will remove the cover, light time! She should have less
 than 50% health now, your halfway there! The light part is easy if you
 know how. Go to the right side of the ship and wait. If the light is
 not already pointed at you she will shoot at it to move it. Wait until
 she throws a grenade, when it leaves her hand roll to the other piece
 of cover, she must turn to shoot the light, come out of cover its safe,
 and shoot her, a free easy shot! Wash, rinse and then repeat to get
 your first European extreme boss kill! Hurray for you, easy wasn't it?


   DO:

 Count how many shots she has fired.
 Move back and forth between the two sets of crates.
 Try and stay out of her site.
 Shoot at her when she is using a grenade or trying to move the light.
 Wait until she stops firing until you take a shot.
 Roll between the two pieces of cover.


   DO NOT:

 Try to shoot the light or the cover, you can't.
 Try to take her head on.
 Come from cover when she knows where you are.
 Crawl.
 Think she might miss, she doesn't.
 Shoot bullets everywhere, if you miss with your first shot don't
   try again unless she is doing something other than hiding or
   firing.


   POINTS OF INTEREST:

 Unless she is running she will only ever fire in bursts of three
   or one shot(s) at a time.
 She will eventually get rid of the cover by shooting it herself.
 She never gets rid of the light but must shoot it to turn it.
 She can only fire 15 shots before she must reload.
 Head shots do more damage.
 She will shoot the light twice to get it pointing at you, never
   more than that.
 You can hide from her.
 You should not run out of bullets.


   ALLY ADVICE:

 OTACON

 "Snake, you're not the only one with a gun. If you don't take
  cover, you'll get hurt. Hide behind something. She may be
  hiding too, but you have a clear shot whenever she decides
  to attack. Use the First Person View Attack!"

 "Snake, she's shooting from concealment. You should use your
  first person view attack. Push the R1 button to change to
  first person view. Then use your weapon button to raise the gun
  and you can attack from that viewpoint. Push the L2 or R2
  buttons while in first person view to strafe left and right.
  Push the L2 and R2 buttons at the same time to stretch up on
  your toes while still in first person view mode. These moves
  can be useful."

 "Snake, use the corner view to watch for a chance to attack
  while hidden. Push the R2 or L2 button while in corner view to
  take a quick look out. You can also move the right analog stick
  while in corner view to survey other directions. If you have a
  weapon selected, push the weapon button while in corner view to
  jump out from concealment and aim your weapon. Your best
  opportunity will be when she tries to attack. Shoot before she
  does!"

 "If you use the first person view attack, you should be able
  to strike from between containers. You have the element of
  surprise of your side."

 "The handgun's effects vary depending on where you manage to
  land a shot. Aim for the head for the highest degree of
  damage. Use the first person view to take aim."

 "Who is she anyway?"
 "That scout knife has Spetsnaz written all over it, but..."
 "Spetsnaz? That's the special ops of the Soviet GRU. So she
  must be Russian..?"
 "Who knows. All I am sure of is that she shoots like a
  commando."
 "Be careful."


   EVALUATION:

 While not the hardest boss, Olga is certainly a nice
 introduction to how hard things will get. I enjoyed the Olga
 fight and I think that you will find that if you follow this
 strategy Olga will quickly fall. I also like the fact that you
 can't take out the light or the cover - you have to cope with
 it, its the hardest setting for a reason.


###########################################################################


3.2 Fortune

                    "Come! Put me out of my misery!"
              "...I could have died whenever I wanted too..."

 "Lady Luck". Armed with a Rail Gun and so lucky bullets cannot hit her you
 would be forgiven if you thought it would be impossible to beat her. Well
 in truth you don't even fight her, you just dodge. Good luck, although it
 seems she has your share of it.

   FIGHT SYNOPSIS:

      Weapon of Choice: Nothing.
    Brief attack cycle: Shoot, shoot, shoot.
              Hardness: 4/10
            Defeat Act: Seeing Vamp get shot in the head and stomach by
                        deflecting bullets from Fortune is really good!
                        Nice moves Raiden!


   BACKGROUND:

 Daughter of a Marines Commander, fortune uses all her luck in the
 battlefield. She cannot be hit by bullets and all grenades used on her are
 duds, she is pretty much indestructible. She longs for death and seeks out
 Solid Snake thinking that he is the only one that can provide it. She has
 a husband that went down, along with her father on the ship Discovery.
 She blames Solid Snake for their death's.


   LOCATION AWARENESS:

 You are in the Pump Facility of Strut A, Shell 1. You are in the basement
 part though and this looks more like some sort of storage room. Wooden
 and Metal crates are all over the place, these can be used as temporary
 cover because nothing much can stand up to multiple blasts from a rail
 gun. There are six barrels in this room and you should stay away from
 them at all costs. There are two close to where you start and another
 three on the right hand wall with the sixth on the left, although you will
 only go near the two near you, should note where the others are just in
 case things get hectic. If these barrels are hit there will be an
 explosion followed by balls of flame. If you go near these guess what?
 Yeah, you get set on fire, something you don't want. There are some SOCOM
 bullets near the top of the room although what you would need them for I
 don't know, still if you want to risk it they are yours for the taking.
 There is an invisible "barrier" preventing you from getting close to her
 so don't try it. Pretty much everything can be flattened in this room so
 don't stay in one place for to long.


   BASIC STRATAGIES:

  - For the duration of the battle or for as long as you can, keep running
 across the gap between the two large crates. If you time your run you can
 be running between the two as she is firing, as soon as your hear the
 sound of the second shot fading turn direction, keep this up for as long
 as you can.
  - Try and keep the two big crates near you intact. The reason for this
 is that when you get hit for the first time, surprisingly you do not die,
 however you bleed. You can use either of these two crates to kneel
 behind and recover life until you stop bleeding, just don't get hit
 again!
  - Don't roll, you can't time your rolls properly and you may end up
 getting trapped in a corner because you began rolling when you were
 two close to one side, if you waste time turning while she is firing your
 dead.
  - Run in a straight line, if you begin to run downwards as well you
 could inadvertently be losing time and messing up your timed runs, she
 will get you if you make a mistake.
  - The falling lights can be a pain at times, just try your best to time
 your run so that you don't have to stop to avoid being hit by them.
  - The falling lights will give you a small breather, Fortune is to busy
 with the lights to bother with you, take these few seconds to center
 yourself for the next attack.
  - The laser sight is a tell-tale sign of where fortune is aiming, use
 it to help plan where to move next.


   QUICK WALKTHROUGH:

 You start of with a nice clear, light room. By the time you finish it
 will be covered with debris, flames will be everywhere and it will be dark,
 I promise. One thing that you should know about this battle, one time you
 may do it without getting hit but other times you will be hit by her
 fourth of fifth shot. This happened to me a lot so maybe it was a mistake
 on my part but I think that she sometimes gets in a lucky shot getting hit
 once really causes problems. You are on one side of the room, Fortune on
 the other, get ready. Start by using the first basic strategy. As soon
 as the second shot is fired and you hear that draining noise immediately
 push the analog stick on the opposite direction. You should be able to
 keep this up for a while. Try and keep the two boxes in one piece while
 you are doing this. Keep doing this until Fortune starts shooting the
 lights, these are easy enough to avoid just be ready to start running again
 when she is finished. Odds are that you will get hit, if this happens kneel
 behind one of the boxes that you have been preserving. Don't stay there too
 long and keep an eye on how many boxes and in what condition they are in,
 are between you and Fortune, you don't have to get the health into the green
 if you don't think you can stay that long go to the next. After a few more
 attacks the cargo-life will begin blinking, not much longer to go now. By
 this time odds are that despite your best efforts the boxes are gone, it's
 not a bad thing though, you know have the whole run of the room, use it.
 If the boxes are still there then well done, you can use them if you get
 hit. Make sure you do not reach one end of the room when she is firing  at
 you, if this happens your dead unless you have not yet been hit. When she
 gets really mad and starts shooting the barrels along the side just stop
 and wait, your codec will ring. Congratulations, you have beaten Lady
 Luck herself!


   DO:

 Run.
 Time your runs.
 Try and keep the two large crates in tact as you can use them to kneel
   behind and heal.
 Make sure you run in a straight line.
 Use bandages in the event that you don't have the time to kneel, you
   don't get many other chances to use them.
 Keep an eye on the laser sight.
 Make sure you get back up at the right time if you get hit and fall
 over.


   DO NOT:

 Stay in one place for more than a few seconds.
 Try and find cover.
 Roll.
 Try and shoot her.
 Catch fire.
 Get caught turning to the opposite direction while under fire.


   POINTS OF INTEREST:

 Notice the little, yellow fork lift truck near the center of the room?
   It looks remarkably similar to the one in the first area of MGS1.
   Another subtle hint of the alternate S3 project?
 Everything is destructible including the lights above you, heads up!
 She will normally fire two quick bursts. If there is only one wooden
   box between you and here next round of fire, move!
 She is not really lucky, she has a magnetic field that protects her
   from bullets, if it were not for that "barrier" then you would be
   able to punch the living daylights out of her, take that!
 If one of the barrels gets hit once there will be a hole in it and it
   will be bent. Don't go near it, it's about to explode.
 At the very point where Raiden is standing at the beginning of the
   battle a fire appears, if you don't move you get burnt.


   ALLY ADVICE:

 COLONEL

 "Fortunes rail gun packs some power. A direct hit will kill you.
  Do not present her with a target under any condition, stay behind
  cover."

 "Raiden, Rose did a bit of research on Fortunes weapon."
 "That bug rifle she carries appears to be a personal rail gun."
 "Rail gun?"
 "Yes -- an electromagnetic gun that fires bullets with a magnetic
  force. As a movable conductor it uses plasma electrons to boost
  acceleration capabilities. The kinetic energy of the ammunition
  is approximately ten megajoules. Incidentally, that of a 140mm
  smooth bore guns ammunition is twenty megajoules."
 "I can't believe something like that even exists!"
 "It is not available though. What she has is only a prototype."
 "That thing sure doesn't sound like a prototype!"
 "Problems with the rail plasma and inner-rail electromagnetic
  release have yet to be solved. Evaluations exist that criticize
  it as unacceptable as a field weapon...because of the high risk
  of accidental discharge."
 "But hers doesn't..?"
 "...Most likely...probably because she is lucky."
 "Unbelievable..."
 "Either way, it's a weapon that she alone can wield, that's for
  sure."
 "Yeah, and a weapon that's uncontrollable, too."
 "Be very careful, Jack."


   EVALUATION:

 Despite what a lot of people say I think Fortune is a little harder
 than most people make out, maybe it's just the way I play but that
 is what I think. I enjoyed fighting her and this battle was also
 the one they showed on the E3 trailers and was the thing that
 convinced me to get a PS2. So I was waiting for this one for a
 LONG time. Onto the next boss, oh it's HIM, great, just great!


   CONTRIBUTED STRATEGIES

 I find that a cardboard box will help you avoid Fortunes attacks.
   - Contributed by Senna.


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3.3 FATMAN

          "I am the greatest humanity has to offer, and the lowest!"
                           "Laugh, and grow fat!"

 Arguably one of the hardest bosses. He flies around on skates while
 smacking bombs all over the place constantly insulting and taunting you.
 How nice! You can only hit him once at a certain time and if you don't
 take out those bombs then it's an instant kill! Definitely the hardest
 boss in my opinion and he WILL get you pissed off!

   FIGHT SYNOPSIS:

      Weapon of Choice: SOCOM
    Brief attack cycle: Skate, Shoot, Place Bombs, Repeat.
              Hardness: 8/10
            Defeat Act: Seeing that fat bastard finally go down was well
                        worth it!


   BACKGROUND:

 The Emperor of Explosives, trained by Peter Stillmen at Indian Head he
 became the best. He built an atomic bomb when he was 10 and was called a
 "Fat Cat" at the place where he trained. That could have been one of the
 reasons Fatman turned out like he did. Every explosive he makes is
 odored with his own personal cologne. A sick little puppy indeed.


   LOCATION AWARENESS:

 You are on the Heliport of Strut E, Shell 1, the Material Distribution
 facility. There are a lot of crates in the center of the Heliport, Fatman
 uses these to place bombs on. To the south are some shelves as well as
 two sets of SOCOM ammo. There are barrels here but they do not explode
 so they are nothing to worry about. The north is completely open with no
 cover. Fatman will sometimes wait around here. There are some sets of SOCOM
 ammo in between the many crates as well as a set of stun grenades to the
 west of the heliport. All around the perimeter of this building is a ledge
 with no railings, if you fall off you will die. Another "barrier" prevents
 you from running back down the stairs you came up. There is also a M9 ammo
 box to the North-East.


   BASIC STRATAGIES:

  - If he places one bomb don't try and defuse it, instead go after him and
 try to shoot him. If he falls and you damage him he may set the timer,
 giving you only one bomb to dispose of.
  - You can get a good two hits in within the first few seconds. Diffuse the
 first bomb and then knock him over with a Raiden flip. While he is falling
 diffuse the second bomb that he was standing near, if your quick you can
 get him before he gets up. When he gets up he will do a little dance,
 punch him and knock him over again, another hit!
  - When he is standing near a bomb and shooting you, go to one side of a
 nearby crate and he will begin shooting, run at him from the other side
 of the crate and he will be to busy loading his gun, another couple of
 punches and a kick and you get another shot!
  - Bombs can be placed in several places, on the shelves, on the crates,
 under the crates, on top of the crates, on the barrels look everywhere,
 you don't have ANY time to waste.
  - You can use your radar to find out where he is but if you opted for the
 no radar setting use the sound of his skates to locate him, its important
 to know where he is at all times.
  - If he ever goes to the North in the open of around the outside away from
 the crates take a chance with the L1 method and blast off a couple of shots.
 These are the easiest places to get him like that.
  - If you should come to be running low on ammo take him down but instead
 of shooting him go find some ammo. Fatman is momentarily unable to do
 anything its better to waste time getting ammo then, than trying to get it
 while he is on a bomb rampage.
  - If he begins firing at you, you're lucky. Fatman will nearly always
 reload before moving on, run up and punch him to get another shot.


   QUICK WALKTHROUGH:

 This battle is hard! There is no easy way to do it. Despite my best
 attempts I have been unable to find a good strategy to defeat Fatman. That
 is probably why he gets an 8/10. I find him really hard. As soon as you
 start immediately defuse the bomb to the south. Then run north and Raiden
 flip to avoid Fatmans shots, while he is reloading Raiden flip again to
 knock him over. Quickly defuse the bomb and you might be able to get a shot
 in. Fatman will do some stupid dance, you can knock him over when he parts
 his hands for the second time, do it, you have already go two shots in!
 Try and guess which way he will go after he gets up. Follow him, wait a
 few seconds and then L1 attack him. Knock him over and repeat. Keep doing
 this and you WILL beat him. When he begins to place bombs keep attacking
 him, if he plants two or more begin defusing them. Finding them depends on
 luck, sometimes they will be in obvious places so you can quickly find
 them with the scent detector, other times they are just out of your vision
 and ultimately you run out of time. Luck is a large factor in a lot of
 the boss battles but try your best. There is really nothing much else that
 Fatman can do, follow the strategies and with some skill a luck he will
 soon hit the deck.


   DO:

 Begin defusing bombs when he places two or more.
 Punch him rather than hit him if you can get within range.
 Keep stocked up on ammo.
 Try and keep up with him and use the L1 button to keep running with your
   gun aimed, fire at him while he is running.
 Keep track of where he is going.
 Take short, controlled bursts when using the L1 method, if you run out of
   ammo you let him have the run of the place while you get restocked.
 Remember where the ammo points are, don't waste time trying to find them.
 Keep Sensor A on at all times.


   DO NOT:

 Bother with claymore mines, it's hard enough to fight Fatman and locate
   bomb locations quickly without having to remember where you placed
   them and move around them.
 Use stun grenades, even though there is an ammo point for them they are
   useless, you would have to be a real good shot to get him.
 Get caught in his path, he will cause you damage.
 Take the chance when you have almost defeated him that you can forget
   about the bombs in favor of hitting him that last time. The game does
   not end until you have defeated him AND diffused all of him bombs.
 Take the time to aim at his skates, again this takes to long and you
   rarely get a chance of doing this.
 Begin shooting him when he has just gotten up and is running away, he
   is immune to any damage for a short time.


   POINTS OF INTEREST:

 Even though you can fall of the edge in a light stealth suit, Fatman in
   a fifty kilogram suit can't.
 Trying to diffuse 5 bombs in 20 seconds is almost impossible, diffuse
   the bombs while he is planting them.
 You can hit Fatman twice if you get him in the head before he falls
   down, though it is very hard to do though.
 If you hang around close to him while he is on the floor he will
   sometimes knock you over!
 I have heard that in the American version Fatman places the two
   different types of bombs, well he doesn't do that in this one. Can
   it be that a European-Extreme boss is not as hard as an extreme one!?
   Surely not! (UPDATE - It turns out that Fatman does not use both
                types of bombs, just the one. Phew! Thanks to Captriker)
 Even if you kill Fatman the battle will not end until all of his bombs
   have been defused, this can be a real piss off!
 Fatman will never plant more than 5 bombs at a time and the timer will
   never be more than 40 seconds.


   ALLY ADVICE:

 COLONEL

 "Raiden as you can see, Fatman is wearing a blast suit. You can do
  very little damage through the suit. Use the first person view to
  go for the head. The blast suit can't protect him from the impact
  of the shot itself. A series of rapid fire will knock him
  off-balance and create an opportunity for attack. Use it."

 "Select a weapon and switch to first person view with the R1 button.
  You can now execute a first person view attack with the weapon
  button. In first person view, you'll specifically be able to target
  the head, feet and other strategic areas. You can also aim your
  strike in directions not available from the regular point of view:
  overhead, straight down and so on."

 "Fatman will plant C4's, then activate the timer. Once the timer is
  online, the countdown begins. Detonation takes place at the zero
  count. If that happens, the mission fails. When you see him push
  the timer button, use the coolant spray to freeze the C4 before the
  countdown ends. "

 "You can also anticipate Fatman's course and plant a claymore in his
  path."

 "Raiden, your completely defenseless while hanging. If he manages to
  knock you off that ledge you wouldn't survive the fall. Keep that in
  mind."

 "Bombs are not the only weapon Fatman has. He is also carrying a
  machine pistol, and he'll use it if you offer yourself up as a
  target. Stay hidden!"

 "Fatman is wearing a blast suit. It is worn when disarming explosives,
  and protects its wearer from the blast, heat and shards, essentially
  it resembles a bulletproof vest, made out of special material. The
  front of the head and body are guarded by a laminated ballistic
  insert. The back, too, is guarded with a protector to ease the impact
  on the spine from a fall after the blast. Attacks to his torso will
  likely have little effect. At first it might look to be cumbersome
  but in fact it is made to be extremely flexible...so as not to hinder
  bomb disposal. One could even do apparatus gymnastics like the pommel
  horse or parallel bars in it. The problem is that it is poorly
  ventilated, and having it on for long periods of time runs the risk of
  leaving its wearer mildly overheated. However the suit is equipped
  with a cooling system like a space suit -- in which the coolant is run
  through inner-suit tubes. He will not likely overheat the suit. With
  those configurations, however, the total weight of the suit should
  exceed fifty kilograms. That's too heavy for skating around. An impact
  might easily make him lose his balance and he'll fall down. Shooting a
  part of the suit with a gun will do minimal damage at best. Aim for
  the exposed areas of his head. If he falls down, when he tries to get
  up is your best chance."

 "Fatman carries a Glock 18, a fully-automatic version of the Glock 17
  pistol. It can fire twenty 9mm bullets per second. Getting caught in
  its line of fire is extremely dangerous."
 "Weren't machine pistols originally used for VIP security assignments,
  though? In order to stop terrorists?"
 "Correct. As portable weapons with major firepower. That he would have
  such a gun and use it only with one hand...Don't forget, he's a member
  of Dead Cell."
 "..."
 "What's more, he walks around wearing that suit. He must have a lot of
  faith in his own strength. Don't engage him in a fire fight from the
  front. Attack him when he reloads."

 "The countdown timer will tell you how long there is to go. When the
  count goes to zero, the C4 will blow and we will be finished. Defuse
  the bombs before that can happen."

 "There's a long lag between the time he falls down to the point where
  he manages to get up. His guard will be completely down. Push the
  advantage and go for a head shot."


   EVALUATION:

 This is the second time I have defeated Fatman on European-Extreme and
 this time he was much easier, I have kept the hardness at eight though
 because that was how hard he was for my first time. The problem with
 this battle is the bombs, if you just get one in the wrong place and
 you take to long to find it your dead no matter how hard you try to
 make up lost time. Also if Fatman doesn't come your way while skating
 around its hard to catch up with him, it all depends. Next up, the
 Harrier!


   CONTRIBUTED STRATEGIES

 Just wanted to add a trick for fatman battle. If you are crawling when you
 hit him in his head, he will often stay still and say "try dodging this"
 and fire at you and miss. You can then hit his head again! It works several
 times. Rarely do you get it but it is worth it!!! I found this trick and I
 wouldn't have been able to beat him without it. THIS BOSS IS HORRIBLE!!
    - Contributed by Julien Colomb


###########################################################################


3.4 HARRIER

                     "Your tougher than I thought!"
                             "What the -- !?"

 The harrier. By many people it is viewed as a very hard boss indeed. By me,
 its a joke as long as you follow the instructions exactly. Piloted by Vamp
 with  Solidus in the back moaning about everything, this can be an Angel of
 Death. It flies around and has enough fire power and ammunition to blow up
 a small army. However this time it is not dealing with a small army, its
 dealing with "Fox Hounds" best man, Raiden.

   FIGHT SYNOPSIS:

      Weapon of Choice: Stinger
    Brief attack cycle: Fly-By, Circle, Bomb Drop, Circle, Homing Missile,
                        Gatling Gun, repeat.
              Hardness: 7/10
            Defeat Act: Another great cut scene, RAY shoots out of the
                        water and catches it in its mouth, classic!


   BACKGROUND:

 This is the American version of the original, British Harrier. The
 American Harrier has two seats while the British has one. It was the first
 fighter jet capable of a vertical take-off thanks to the rotatable thrusters
 called, "Harrier Jump Jet Thrusters". It can fire homing missiles and drop
 bombs from above. It is one of the most maneuverable aircraft to date. It
 was most likely made in some factory in America.


   LOCATION AWARENESS:

 You will have to use every piece of this area at one time or another, so
 make sure you know where everything is. You are on the Shell 1 - 2
 connecting bridge. You are standing on the top floor, there is another one
 beneath you. You can move around this top floor at the beginning with ease,
 there is a square hole in the center which you can drop down to gain access
 to the second floor. Another way to get to the second floor is to go down
 the stairs to the left. Around the outside of this section are railings
 that you can hang off and drop down from if you want...to your death.
 There are two cylindrical like things sticking out of the floor, these can
 be used as poor cover. The bottom floor hosts two block like structures.
 These can be used for very good cover. At the start there is a stinger
 right in front of you and some ammo behind, more ammo will be dropped by
 Snake who is flying around in the Kasatka. You cannot escape this area
 thanks to two large fires blocking the top and bottom exits, no invisible
 "barriers" this time. When the Harrier drops its bombs the top half of the
 top floor will be gone, this provides you with the easiest way to access
 the bottom floor.


   BASIC STRATAGIES:

  - You can get three to four hits on the Harrier before it can even pull
 away. You do this buy quickly getting the stinger and equipping it.
 Straight ahead you should see the Harrier slowly descending before it
 flies off. Immediately fire at it, you can get three or four shots in!
  - When the Harrier is circling try and keep a lock on it at ALL times. You
 can get quite a few hits in like this. Just constantly keep the Harrier in
 the green square and you shouldn't have a problem. If you lose it you lose
 the lock and the missile misses.
  - When the camera changes its perspective get to the second floor and find
    cover.
  - When the Harrier flies off into the distance you can get a shot in as
 soon as you get a lock and still have enough time to dodge the missiles.
  - When the Harrier is doing a fly-by missile attack use the noise of the
 approaching Harrier to figure out when to roll, you should always dodge
 them as long as you time it right.
  - When the cut scene starts showing the Harrier dropping the cluster bombs
 skip it by pressing Start and hang over the edge of the bridge by using the
 rails. You ALWAYS dodge them this way and he NEVER does it twice.
  - When the camera changes and the Harrier starts hovering it is going to do
 one of two things, it will use its Gatling gun or it will use its missiles.
 In the case of the Missiles stand about half-way on the stairs, the missiles
 CANNOT hit you. It is a very small area that you have to stand in so it may
 take a couple of tries to find it.
  - When the Harrier fails to kill you with its silo of missiles, it is open
 to several shots, capitalize on its failed attack.
  - When the Harrier uses its Gatling gun you should get worried. Its this
 damn things rate of fire and its inaccuracy that make it so effective. Two
 hits and your gone. Get straight down to the bottom floor and hide behind the
 top metal box. Keep moving so you are always on the other side of the gun
 fire. Occasionally a shot will leap over your cover and hit you in the head,
 one hit taken, you can't afford another. Try your best to avoid this if you
 think it helps to crouch do it but it can be difficult getting back up when
 the Harrier fires from another direction.
  - When you hear a beeping don't confuse it with that of the Stingers. This
 is a homing missile noise, get to the second floor and crouch behind the
 metal crate. Hope for the best as occasionally it hits you, there is no
 second chance given from this missile.


   QUICK WALKTHROUGH:

 This battle can be difficult at times but I don't think it is the hardest.
 Immediately get the stinger, equip it and blast three or four shots at the
 Harrier that is directly in front of you. It will fly off into the distance.
 Keep your eye open for the reflection, lock on and shoot again. Roll to
 dodge the missiles and run to the left side of the bridge. The Harrier will
 now circle around a few times, try your best to fire missiles and keep a
 lock on the Harrier, a few hits here will help a lot. When the cut scene
 starts showing the Harrier dropping cluster bombs quickly hang over the
 right hand ledge. Get back up after the bombs have landed and it will circle
 once more, you might get another lucky shot in so try it. It will most
 likely go off into the distance. Position yourself near the stairway
 entrance and look for the flash, shoot it and listen, if you hear a beeping
 its a homing missile. Quickly run down the stairs and crouch so that you
 are in line, but a distance away from the metal crate closest to the stairs.
 You should dodge it. Come on! Get back up those stairs it's not over yet
 Raiden, it's not over yet! The camera should change its perspective, get on
 the stairs and go about halfway down. If you are in the right position you
 should dodge all the missiles without moving once. When the missiles have
 stopped get up and blast a few shots into the stunned Harrier, punish it
 for its mistake! Now it's time for the Harriers revenge, the perspective
 will change again, but it's not the easy missiles, its the Gatling Gun!
 This damn thing will have you restarting time after time if you are not
 careful. Roll down the stairs or use the hole created by the cluster bombs
 to reach the first metal crate that you used before. Look at where the
 bullets are coming from, make sure you are on the opposite side of it with
 the metal crate between you. Duck if you want but be ready to get up when
 it moves, this lasts for a long time but IF you survive it will do a random
 attack of either the Gatling gun, the homing missile or the missile silo.
 If you can avoid all of that then you have this fight sorted! One word of
 advice, finish it off quickly your really don't want to go through the
 Gatling Gun bit again, do you?


   DO:

 Keep an eye on the radar at all times never be in the situation where
   you don't know which direction it is coming from.
 Be aware of the attack cycle of the Harrier.
 Skip the mini cut scene showing the cluster bombs by pressing start.
 Make sure you dodge all the Missiles, one hit, Instant Kill.
 Face the direction of the Harrier at all times.


   DO NOT:

 Bother with any other weapon other than the Stinger.
 Be afraid to stand still when the Harrier is circling, it can't hit you.
 Try to avoid the fly-by missiles by running, it can be harder to dodge
   them this way, roll.
 Be concerned with the Kasatka, it has never even been hit with me.
 Get caught by the Gatling Gun.
 Confuse the missile fly-by with the Homing Missile attack, they look
   the same but if you mistake them it will be almost certain death.


   POINTS OF INTEREST:

 Vamp is a very skilled guy, it takes years to master fighter-jets and
   he has done it, as well as become a "magician" with knives, found the
   skill to walk on water and run up vertical walls, what a guy!
 If you don't skip the cut scene where the Harrier is dropping cluster
   bombs it can be really hard to dodge them in time.
 I know Otacon is not exactly a Marine but you would have thought that
   he would have the common sense to stay out of the line of fire!
 I think the Gatling gun is one of the hardest attacks to avoid, add
   that to the fact that he only uses it when he is weak and this
   weapon has a great potential to become very annoying!
 The only camera angle problem I EVER encountered throughout this game
   was the damn Gatling gun bit. It's okay as long as it is shooting
   from the right but if it starts to attack from the left then you are
   pretty much dead. The angle of the camera is coming from the very end
   of the second floor and you can't see if you are in line with the crate.
   That is a real problem, especially on this hardness!


   ALLY ADVICE:

 COLONEL

 "Raiden, handguns and machine guns can't stand up to fighter jets. Use
  the stinger missiles instead."

 "Don't panic, even if you lose sight of the Harrier. Look at your radar.
  The radar has been modified to show where the Harrier is. Use the radar
  and locate the Harriers position."

 "Don't start scurrying about even after the Harrier has flown away and
  is no longer in eyesight. When the Harrier is pointed in your direction...
  it should flash for a moment when it reflects the sun. Don't miss that
  flash. Locate it as early as possible and hit it with a stinger. If you
  delay you'll be attacked."

 "Both wings are outfitted with an air-to-surface rocket pod. The rockets
  aren't guided so moving should get you out of their way. Watch out for
  the blast, though."

 "That Harrier 2 is equipped with cluster bombs. Each bomb is full of
  bomblets -- a combined munitions weapon. A cluster bomb has a huge
  effective range -- there is no way to avoid one of the upper level of a
  connecting bridge. Escape by going to the lower level."

 "The Harriers exhaust is extremely hot. You cannot afford to get enveloped
  in it. When the Harrier draws near run down to the lower level."

 "The Harrier is outfitted with IR flares, a countermeasure that burns in
  mid-air -- with magnesium to deceive infrared homing missiles. Shooting
  the flare will draw any launched Stinger Missiles towards the flare."

 "Harriers are equipped with Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air missiles --
  commonly known as AMRAAM. This is a type of active homing missile that
  uses a built-in radar guidance system -- for a "Fire and Forget"
  capability. The accuracy is quite high. Electronic interference is
  probably the only way to evade it. Use the chaff to disrupt the missile's
  guidance system."

 "When the harrier is hovering near the connecting bridge, the RGB6 should
  also be effective."


   EVALUATION:

 The Harrier is a good boss and I think it would be one of my favorites if
 it were not for that Gatling Gun, its real hard. But I guess that is why
 they call it European-Extreme. Which fool is challenging us next? Oh...it's
 Vamp...


   CONTRIBUTED STRATEGIES

 When he starts using the machine gun go to the bottom floor and run around
 in a box, you should avoid the gun.
    - Contributed by Senna.

 When he drops the cluster bombs you can avoid them by going to the bottom
 floor.
    - Contributed by Senna.

 I found a very effective way to avoid the missiles. After he uses his machine
 gun, or when you know that he is using this attack, arm your Stingers and
 look at the right hand side. If you see the Harrier flying in, when you hear
 the missiles or Solidus, then hide behind the pillar on the top floor, on the
 left hand side, if you don't see it flying in then hide behind the pillar on
 the top floor, on the right hand side. The missiles should smash into the
 pillar and leave you unharmed. If you are quick then you should never get hit
 by the homing missiles.
    - Contributed by Fergus Reid

 I've come up with a great thing on the gatling gun part when you're facing the
 harrier. All I do is to stand in the opposite direction of the bullets direction
 (by the metal crate on the bottom floor), and use the box. You can't get hit in
 the head this way and you can move around in a good pace.
    - Contributed by Linus Oskarsson


###########################################################################


3.5 VAMP

                   "Unfortunately, Hell had no vacancies..."
                   "I died once already. I can't die twice."

 Again, another hard boss. Born in Romania, a wizard with knives with the
 ability to walk on water and to get up after being shot in the head you
 just KNOW this is not going to be easy, well on European-Extreme he
 certainly isn't. Even the light is your enemy in this battle!

   FIGHT SYNOPSIS:

      Weapon of Choice: SOCOM, C4, Claymore Mines, RGB6
    Brief attack cycle: Dive, Jump, Knife, Dive, Jump, Knife, Shadow Pin,
                        Psycho
              Hardness: 7/10
            Defeat Act: Falling into a pool of his own blood, kinda cool.


   BACKGROUND:

 Vamp was born in Romania. He became a wizard with knives as well as
 becoming a wizard with other things like running up vertical walls
 and across oceans. He is a member of Dead Cell and regards Fortune,
 who he calls "Queen" with the highest respect. According to Snake he is
 Bi-Sexual. He has developed a taste for blood, one of the reasons he is
 called vamp, he can also pilot a Harrier very effectively.


   LOCATION AWARENESS:

 You are in the water purification room in the Shell 2 Core. This room
 has a very simple layout. It is a big square room. In the center is a </pre><pre id="faqspan-2">
 square hole that leads to water. Around the outside of this square is
 the only area that you can access. There is no danger that you can fall
 off as long as you don't purposefully run through the gap of the inner
 square. In 3 of the corners there is some ammo. At the bottom left
 corner is some SOCOM ammo, at the top left corner is some M9 ammo and
 at the top right corner is some M4 ammo. There are two doors in the room,
 the one that you came through and one directly in front of you. Near
 this door is some RGB6 ammo. Both doors are disabled, like always there
 is no escape. There is a second floor to this room, it is a copy of the
 area that you walk on, only a floor higher. Only vamp can get up here
 and he uses this place to throw knives at you. There are 4 lights along
 the sides of this room, covering the majority of your movement area with
 light. There are two places though that are in shadow. This is about
 midway on both sides of the square hole.


   BASIC STRATAGIES:

  - When he is standing in front of you, you can use the Stinger to get a
 few shots in. Some people have been almost able to kill him by doing this
 but I am not very good at it, besides my strategies work well enough
 without this bug. To get more hits in you are supposed to aim near his
 feet, again this hasn't helped me.
  - The first time he jumps up he is pretty slow you can shoot the knife he
 throws and hit him as well, he does this one more time and throws a lot of
 them, dodge this easily. He then claps his hands and you can hit him again.
 That is a total of 4 hits (hitting him once at the very beginning) and he
 has had once attack cycle.
  - Place a C4 or Claymore to the right on the section that you mainly stand
 on. When Vamp jumps up to your level and begins to run at you wait until he
 is standing on the C4 and detonate it, you have saved yourself from certain
 death and caused quite a bit of damage to him. Repeat this as many times as
 you need to, he falls for it every time.
  - You can replace the C4 with Claymore mines if you run out, although you
 have to be careful that you do not set these off yourself.
  - When Vamp starts throwing knives at you for the second time and onwards
 he is much faster, don't try and shoot him or deflect the knives. However
 when he has finished his whirlwind knife attack he will still clap, you can
 shoot him easily then.
  - Just because Vamp is in the water doesn't mean he is safe. You can
 through grenades in the water or shoot rockets but all this does is take
 away his oxygen and that doesn't do much. But if you see him you can shoot
 him with the SOCOM to get another hit in, every hit counts!
  - When he is throwing his knifes if you don't think you can avoid it a good
 roll will get you out of trouble.
  - Vamp will eventually start throwing 3 knives in rapid succession, you can
 easily avoid them all by crouching!
  - When vamp begins using the Shadow Knife stay in the shadows at all costs!
  - Towards the end when Vamp goes crazy if you find him hard to hit with the
 RGB6 then an easier way would be to use the stinger, this makes it much
 easier to hit him and you should only need to do that twice.


   QUICK WALKTHROUGH:

 The vamp battle, I can do this without being hit once, and so can you. You
 can only be hit twice before you die anyway. Okay pull out your SOCOM and
 shoot him in his head, he will bend backwards and let out a groan if you hit
 him right. Every time he does this you have hit him in the weak spot and it
 will do extra damage! He will dive into the water. Take a few shots at him
 to cause a little damage, every little helps. When he comes out of the water
 he will jump up to one side of the second floor section. You can either wait
 until he stops or shoot him while he is on the move. Remember aim for the
 head if you can. When you hit him he will throw a knife at you. DON'T try
 and dodge it, you have no time, you have to shoot it - it is not very hard.
 He will then jump to the opposite side of the room. Repeat what you just did.
 Then he will do the whirlwind knife attack, easy enough to dodge. He will
 pause to clap, shoot him in the head. Again he will jump into the water.
 This time don't try and hit him, plant a C4 to the right of where you started.
 Vamp will jump out of the water and come for you, guess what you are going to
 use the C4 for? Correct! Blow Vamp away as soon as he steps on it, saving you
 and causing a decent amount of damage! Vamp will go in the water and out again.
 He will be back to throwing knives, don't try and do what you did the first
 time, he is to quick. Dodge and when he is finished he will clap again, you
 can easily get him them. Always plant another C4 to your right when you use
 the one before it on Vamp. Whenever Vamp runs at you blow him away. Keep
 doing this until you have wiped out about half his life. Now this is where
 it gets tricky - concentrate! Run into the shadows on either side of the water
 pool. Stay here no matter what. This time place a C4 just above you, Vamp
 will still run into these. The reason you have to stay in the shadow is
 because Vamp will use the Shadow knife which pins you to the floor, you
 don't want that. You can still dodge his knife attacks by running around but
 make sure you are in that shadow next to the C4 when he next dives out of the
 water. Keep doing this until he only has enough health to last two or three
 more hits. It's Psycho time! Vamp goes crazy and will jump 3 or four times
 very quickly before trying to knife you. He will throw three knifes in quick
 succession. Here comes the clever bit, Vamp always goes for the head, when
 you hear him throwing the three knifes, duck. All the knifes will miss you.
 Now you have to be good with the controls here. Go into first person view
 and get out the RGB6, nothing else will work since Vamp is always in red
 now. Always face vamp, you can duck in first person view, so duck when he
 throws his knives. Try your best to hit him with the RGB6, its a little tricky
 but far from impossible, if you find it to hard then use the stinger. You will
 eventually hit him, two or three hits will see Vamp off.


   DO:

 Keep moving when he is throwing knives.
 Take note of which of the four sides he is on.
 Try and take a few shots at him while he is in the water.
 Try and aim for the scars on his body or his head, it causes more damage.
 Keep out of the light when he starts throwing the Shadow Knives.
 Use C4 over Claymores, they do not restrict your movement.


   DO NOT:

 Try to swim, you will drown.
 Take out any of the lights.
 Place more than one claymore, you cutting yourself off from potential safe
   zones.
 Use the M4 or the AKS-74U, they are two hard to aim with.
 Try to shoot him with normal weapons when he is red, only a explosive weapon
   will damage him in this state.
 Stand near the planted C4, for two reasons, one you may accidently blow
   yourself up, and two Vamp will probably jump over it and will avoid the
   explosion completely.


   POINTS OF INTEREST:

 If you shoot all the lights so Vamp can't use the shadow knife he goes
   psycho and is MUCH harder to kill, I prefer to risk the shadow knife,
   besides I got a tactic that easily defeats him when he uses that.
 If you only shoot one of the lights he will still go psycho.
 Vamp will always aim for your head.
 It is very hard to hit him if you use auto-aim as he can see where you are
   going to move thanks to your muscle movement.
 Vamp was based on a Flamenco Dancer!
 You were actually supposed to fight a man that could turn into a dragon
   when he went into the water here, unfortunately he got removed.
 In case you didn't know Transylvania is in Romania, the home of Dracul
   and his son, Dracula.
 You can actually see Vamp during the ending sequence with Snake talking
   to Raiden but I have yet to see him, though it is mentioned on the
   official site, www.konamijpn.com


   ALLY ADVICE:

 COLONEL

 "Vamp seems to be anticipating the trajectory of your shots from the minute
  movements of your muscles. There is no such thing as the perfect system,
  though. There must be a way to throw him off an land a shot."

 "Remember what Vamp said: that Life Reaction Tank is a death trap. Make sure
  you don't fall in there accidently."

 "You can shoot down the knives Vamp throws. Aim at them in First Person View."

 "Raiden, don't use the target locking function -- he'll be able to read your
  trajectory. Aim from the First Person View instead, and fire off a barrage
  with the automatic if necessary."

 SNAKE

 "It looks like he's anticipating the incoming bullets trajectory from the
  movement of your muscles. Relax though -- he doesn't have you all figured
  out. Raiden, don't use the target locking function. Vamp will anticipate
  your trajectory if you do, and you'll never manage to land a shot."

 "Be careful, Raiden. You're a dead man if you fall into that Life Reaction
  Tank."
 "That's right. The Life Reaction Tank cleanses polluted water with
  microorganisms. These organisms are activated by pumping them with large
  volumes of oxygen. As a result, the waters specific gravity is extremely
  light, making it impossible to remain afloat. Once you fall in, you'll
  never come up."


   EVALUATION:

 At first I found Vamp to be incredibly hard, I remember thinking to myself
 that I will never defeat him, but them I remembered I had said that with
 every other boss. Like all the ones before it's just a question of getting
 the right strategies and they will fall quickly. I find Vamp really easy
 now and so should you. The C4 or Claymore mines are defiantly the key to
 this battle. Who's next? Oh the most time-consuming battle in the game, say
 hello to at least 25 Metal Gear RAYs, all with the ability for a one shot
 kill!


   CONTRIBUTED STRATEGIES

 You just have to be hanging anywhere, wait for the sucker, get up and punch
 and kick him. Do it enough times. Don't worry about the knife, just jump in
 at the right time. Even in European Extreme he's stupid.
    - Afonso Borges

 When vamp starts his multiple knife spin and is invulnerable, dodge as soon
 as possible and stay in the clear. As he continues his move, equip the
 stinger and wait until JUST after he finishes throwing the last knife. open
 a barrage of stinger fire when he would normally do his little 'clap'.
 Surprisingly, he waits there while you hit him over and over. For each time
 you do this, you'll be able to get at least 4 stingers in him before he jumps
 back into the water, taking about 1/4 of his life away while at it.
    - Schroeder

 I read your strategy for vamp, and, man, I think what I did was by far easiest
 (sorry if i sound modest, it's not my goal). I shoot at him with the RGB6 each
 time he stopped throwing knives from above (I can even hit him 3 times before
 he comes back at our level or in the water) and then when he jumps out of the
 water, I lie down on the ground, then he says something like "yeah", and I don't
 know why, but he stops running, and he just walks very, very slowly towards me
 (like he feels pity for me or something), so what I do is I move on the ground
 until i have space to turn arround and see him right in front of me, he's still
 walking slowly, I have a lot of time to pick up my RGB6, or even the nikita if
 I'm out of ammo, and shoot him. It is very easy, I dont get hit until the end,
 when he has got only a few inches of his life left, then he goes mad, so I run
 up to the top corner on the right, I pick up the 2 sets of M4 ammo, and I
 aim at him in first person view. I shoot shoot with the M4 until I hit him,
 and when he throws off his knife, I just get down on my knee's, then I start
 looking again... it is really as simple as it sounds, and it seems to me to
 be easier than what you are advising.
    - Mik Mikael


###########################################################################


3.6 METAL GEAR RAY's

                                  "Rooooooar!"
                                   "Yeoooow!"

 My favorite boss battle. Despite this battle being the longest I only gave
 up once, I just find it very addicting. In MGS1 Snake struggled to take on
 Metal Gear Rex, now Raiden had to take on numerous Metal Gear RAYs.  The
 first Anti-Metal Gear and these are no disappointment, however equipped
 with your stinger and trusting that you have the right moves you should be
 seeing these "State of the Art" creations limping off into the distance.

   FIGHT SYNOPSIS:

    Weapon of Choice: Stinger
  Brief attack cycle: Jump to you, Machine Gun, Missile, Limp away, Repeat
                      many, many times.
            Hardness: 8/10
          Defeat Act: I think Solidus taking out 3 of them has to be one of
                      the best cut scenes in the game!


   BACKGROUND:

 The Metal Gear RAYs, created as a Prototype Metal Gear by the U.S. Marines
 and then stolen by Revolver Ocelot for Solidus Snake. 2 Years later it went
 into mass production and was used to protect Metal Gear Arsenal, the ultimate
 Metal Gear. Ironic that something that was created to destroy Metal Gears
 would end up protecting them. Primarily an amphibious Metal Gear, it sucks
 up water and fires it out at high pressure from its mouth. Capable of firing
 cluster bombs and missiles this is a worthy addition to the Metal Gear types.


   LOCATION AWARENESS:

 You are in Arsenal Gears umm, Rectum, it's not a pretty site. You are facing
 three metal gears, remember an entire squadron of the U.S. Marines couldn't
 take one of these on. That is not the worst part, look into the distance,
 there are many more RAYs waiting for you. You are on a Hexagonal platform,
 you can't fall off. The platform itself has digital information all around
 it, electronic wires and numbers are all over it. I don't know how Raiden
 even go here, there are no visible entrances or exits. There are Stinger
 ammo packs all around the platform and even though you can't fall off,
 water is all around you, the RAYs use this to move about. There is plenty
 of room to dodge, no place to run away.


   BASIC STRATAGIES:

  - To get extra damage instead of aiming for the head go for the leg first,
 it will open its mouth and you can cause extra damage by attacking it then.
  - You can severely damage the first three metal gears before they can even
 get a shot off at you. Shoot the central one in the leg and then the head.
 Do the same with the one of the right and then the left. Repeat this again
 but when you return to the central one to hit it a third time run backwards
 because it is about to jump at you.
  - When one of the RAYs is limping off don't pause, fire at the RAYs around
 the outside, try to get them in the head if you can, this stuns them and also
 damages them.
  - When you hit a RAY in the head and it is momentarily stunned attack one of
 the Metal Gears around the platform, even if it is just a leg shot. This will
 cause them to stop and screech. This stops them from pestering you with
 missile attacks and gives you more time to focus on the main Metal Gear RAY.
  - Roll to avoid the two homing missiles that RAY shoots out of its knees.
  - If RAY uses its water jet roll to one side, don't try to run away while
 in line with it. It WILL catch you.
  - You can actually fire at the legs before you get a lock on, as the RAY
 is recovering from the head attack. Just aim at the leg and fire, if you
 time it right you can finish off a RAY before it can even attack.
  - When the ray is spraying water out of its mouth you can get a head
 shot in without aiming for the leg first.
  - Even though you can't fall off the edge stay away from it, if a RAY
 near you jumps up you are going to be trapped with missiles raining down
 on you and the water jet after you, not a good situation.



   QUICK WALKTHROUGH:

 This battle takes a LONG time, don't take any chances. The only way that
 the RAYs can really beat you is for you to make a mistake. When you start
 off the RAYs will do a roar of superiority. Take this opportunity to
 show them whose boss. Shoot the central ray in the leg and then the head.
 Then do the one to the right, followed by the left. Repeat this once. When
 you get back to the central RAY shoot it in the leg and head and then
 un equip the Stinger and run back, RAY is coming to see you up close. A
 single head shot will finish this one and while it is limping off
 try and get a leg-head shot in on the other two damaged RAYs. Finish
 these off like the first one and every time you get a head shot try and
 attack the ones walking around, it damages them and gives you more time.
 If the RAY does a water attack it means your getting to close, back up.
 Roll to the side to avoid this. When RAY uses the machine gun fire just
 roll or run away from it. The missiles use the tell tale beeping and
 as long as you are on the move they will miss, just don't change
 direction when running from them. The only real attack is the homing
 missiles, the best way is to roll but they can be tricky, one hit
 will kill you so be careful. I don't know how many you have to fight
 (I was too busy concentrating on fighting them one at a time to do so)
 but there are a lot. Have patience and this battle won't be to hard.


   DO:

 Listen for the beeping noise.
 Take your time.
 Keep your distance from the main RAY, otherwise it will attack you with
   water jet, this can be difficult to avoid.
 Make sure you can tell the difference between the Stinger noise and the
   missile noise.
 Keep firing all the time at any target even if it is a leg.


   DO NOT:

 Stand still for very long.
 Worry about ammo, there is always more near you.
 Take a chance.
 Change direction when you are running from the missiles.
 Mess around with chaff grenades, they didn't help me.


   POINTS OF INTEREST:

 A lot of people moaned (especially Raiden Haters) how Raiden could take
 on all those Metal Gear RAYs when Snake had a tough time dealing with
 one Rex. Well you have to remember that these are designed to take out
 other Metal Gears. They don't have nuclear bombs and their weaponry is
 only really effective against slow moving targets. They were not
 created to take out human targets. Plus these are being controlled by
 an A.I. not an offspring from the project, "Les Enfants Terribles".
 Well that is my opinion anyway. For the majority of the time the other
 RAYs will just walk around so don't worry, however when they decide to
 shoot it can really mess up your flow of destruction. If you have the
 choice to either shoot the knee before a lock-on or attack another RAY,
 attack the other RAY.


   ALLY ADVICE:

 OTACON

 "Raiden, aim for the RAY's head section with the Stinger missiles."

 "The mass-production Metal Gear is unmanned. It's probably under the
  control of GW, the Arsenal Gear AI. A chaff attack should cause
  electronic interference and confuse RAY for a moment. Use the
  opportunity to fire a Stinger into it."

 "Use the sword to deflect RAY's machine gun fire."

 "You can't move while you're aiming with the stinger. But hitting the
  R2 button will let you do a quick change of weapons. If you see RAY
  getting ready to attack, use the quick change to deselect the Stinger
  and get the hell out of there."

 "Approach RAY with extreme caution. There's no way you'll survive
  being stepped on. Even if you managed to get out of the way you'd
  probably get knocked off your feet by the impact. You'd be wide
  open to an attack. However, if you drop and roll at just the right
  time, you should be able to get away without losing your footing."

 "RAY's missile targeting system doesn't seem to be very effective with
  targets within a close range. You could try going in really close."

 "For a last-ditch evasion from an attacking RAY, try dropping and
  rolling. A well-timed roll could come in handy."

 "Mass-production RAY models were designed to flank Arsenal Gear.
  Their system probably isn't equipped to take on human opponents, and
  the scale of their movements should be larger and clumsier than
  yours. Keep moving and you will have your chance, don't give up!"

 "Raiden, watch out for RAY's guided missiles. They have HEAT
  warheads -- designed for anti-tank or anti-warship purposes, so it's
  probably not intended for anti-personnel use, but you still won't
  survive a direct assault. It's probably equipped with an image-guided
  tracking head. The guidance system is quite advanced. But it's not
  designed as an anti-personnel weapon, so you should be able to
  jam it with some chaff. You should also be able to evade it if you
  keep moving. Dodge by rolling."

 "RAY shoots a jet of super-pressurized water from its mouth.
  Fundamentally, it's a hydro-cutter, but the power is on a completely
  different scale. The moment RAY opens its mouth is your chance to
  attack. Shooting a Stinger into RAY's mouth should inflict some real
  damage."

 "Metal Gear RAY was originally designed by the Marines as a
  countermeasure -- against other Metal Gear Variations. But the mass-
  produced model is not only based on the Marines' design. It's been
  redesigned to guard Arsenal Gear. Now it protects another Metal Gear
  ... I head all of this from Emma. It seems that the mass-production
  model Metal Gear RAYs -- have cooperative engagement capability, with
  the GW as the primary control system. Several RAYs can connect with
  Arsenal Gear and mutually exchange data. Within this unified domain,
  all RAYs can cooperatively manage threats through notification,
  pursuit, and interception -- all in a lifelike manner. All for one
  and one for all. There's no weak spot. When protected by a pack of
  RAYs, Arsenal Gear can move without cruisers or destroyers as
  escorts."

 "The engine system for Metal Gear RAY appears to be outfitted with
  artificial muscle tissue. The artificial muscle consists of
  actuators that resemble human muscle tissue. It's made of a
  macromolecular fibre that conducts electricity. This system is
  different from ordinary engines -- based on mechanical activators
  and oil pressure. It's capable of many different kinds of movement
  using a single kind of engine. In other words it is capable of
  performing a complex series of motions smoothly and effortlessly.
  RAY's movements are both quick and precise. Be careful!"

 "RAY's Armour is made of a state-of-the-art ceramic-titanium
  alloy. A network of simple sensor arrays stretches around the body,
  including conductive nanotubes that connect the surface and
  interior of the armour. When the condition of the armour changes,
  self-diagnostic systems located throughout the armour -- detect
  and respond to this change, like a network of autonomic reflex
  nerves. This acts as a damage control response system, performing
  functions -- such as shutting down a damaged section or rerouting
  signals through auxiliary circuits. At the same time any holes or
  tears in the armour are repaired to some degree -- by a kind of
  "nanopaste" that's secreted automatically from the valves near
  the damaged area. The nanopaste almost makes RAY seem like it's
  bleeding. You probably won't be able to pierce RAYs armour with
  the weapons you are carrying. You will have to aim for the head
  where the armour is relatively thin. Aim for the head using
  stinger missiles."


   EVALUATION:

 Going through this a second time I took the hardness down from 8 to 7.
 However I soon realized why I had put an 8. It is so easy to make a
 mistake or get caught in the wrong place or have the RAYs constantly
 firing at you with the missiles. This really is a hard battle and
 they are the main reasons why, in my opinion this is the second
 hardest battle in the game, second only to Fatman.


   CONTRIBUTED STRATEGIES

 This works 90% of the time, get one of the bastards into the center
 with you and throw a chaff grenade, wait for him to use his water
 cannon and side step it, aim and fire. You save yourself one stinger
 and do max damage!
    - Contributed by Senna

 I have some problems with the Metal Gear RAY's, but my strategy is to get
 close to the RAY when it's preparing an attack then do a leg-head attack.
 It then has some trouble attacking me and I can shoot others when it's
 leaving the area. Do this and repeat. My record number of kills using
 this strategy before making a mistake is 10.
    - Contributed by Zeiram Wokaydo

 I found the easiest way to avoid their attacks is to stay to the edge of
 the arena.
    - Contributed by MGS2 fanatic

 I completed European Extreme a little over a week ago and I was
 careful to count the amount of Rays. There are exactly 20. If you
 kill Ray A01E to Ray D05E you don't have to destroy any of the E01E
 Rays as the battle ends after 20 Rays have been destroyed.
    - Contributed by Fergus Reid

 I listened carefully to the Codec calls and unless Olga or/and Snake
 is/are lying about saying that there are 25 Rays then they are mistaken.
 This is because 20 Rays are destroyed by you, 1 is used by Ocelot and
 3 are destroyed by Solidus. Amounting to 24 Rays.
    - Contributed by Fergus Reid

 The ray count is not a mistake. In the tanker episode the Ray that
 Ocelot/Liquid uses IS the 25th Ray unless he kept the same one for two
 years (highly unlikely).
    - Contributed by MGS2 fanatic


###########################################################################


3.7 SOLIDUS SNAKE CHOKE HOLD

                              "Urghhhhhh!"
                        "I'll squeeze it out of him!"

 Originally not included in the "boss" guide because I didn't class this as
 a boss but now I realise that it is something that this sort of guide
 should deal with as it is extremely difficult on European Extreme.

   FIGHT SYNOPSIS:

    Weapon of Choice: Turbo Controller
  Brief attack cycle: Grab hold of Raidens throat.
            Hardness: 9/10
          Defeat Act: He isn't defeated, although the scene after this
                      section is well worth the pain that your wrist will
                      be in.


   BACKGROUND

 The tentacles from Solidus' suit are very effective weapons. Not only
 are they used to sweep you off your feet, hold you steady so your head
 can be blown off but they also provide a very good choking system. We
 must thank the mech (or character, sorry I don't know which one)
 designer which designed Solidus' suit on a model from Policenauts (please
 correct me if I'm wrong).


   LOCATION AWARENESS

 On top of Metal Gear Aresnal in the middle of the ocean heading for a
 collision with Federal Hall. Straight in front of you is Solidus and
 behind you is Fortune keeping a close eye on the hand-cuffed Solid
 Snake. To the right you can just make out Ocelot standing in front of
 one of the few remaining RAY's.


   BASIC STRATEGIES

  - Hit the triangle button as hard as you can, as fast as you can.


   QUICK WALKTHROUGH

 On Euro-Extreme the hold lasts for 1 minute (thanks to DJLuNaTiC and friend
 for timing this). This is a very long time considering the speed at which
 your health goes down. I am now ashamed to admit that I used a turbo
 controller to beat him on extreme :(. I am sorry but I am just not good
 enough and all the praise in the world to those who really did it without
 any other means that using their fingers, it really is THAT hard. Instead
 of the usual walkthrough I am going to put in several ways that I know of
 beating this guy, different methods work for different people, try them
 all and you are sure to beat him eventually, I hope.

  - The Turbo Controller, if you can live with yourself for using it and
 are one of the lucky people to actually have one then this is a sure way
 to beat him.

  - The spoon method. Get a spoon and quickly rub it across the triangle
 button with its curved side.

  - The normal, non-cheating way. If you can do this then you are VERY good
 at those kind of things.

  - Alternating method. Get some friends around and when you get tired give
 it to them.

 They are the only few that I know, other methods that are contributed by
 people will be in the section below.


   DO:

 Keep trying.
 Make sure you don't break your wrist.


   DO NOT:

 Smash your controller unless you have a replacement :).
 Tire you hand out.


   POINTS OF INTEREST

 Aparently looking at the moon slows down the rate of the health reduction,
   I have no idea if this is true or not, anyone know?


   ALLY ADVICE

 Not even your "allies" want to give you any advice for this mission, well
 to be honest you can't access your Codec at all during this section of
 the game so you couldn't hear any advice even if there was any to give.


   EVAULUATION

 This is extremely hard and if it were not for the turbo controller I am
 sure that I would have not been able to get past it for a long time, I
 am rubbish at those kinds of things. However if it were impossible then
 Konami wouldn't have allowed it so it must be and people have said they
 have done it. I congratulate them and the people that don't have fast
 fingers and no turbo controller, you have my sympathies.


   CONTRIBUTED STRATEGIES

 We went into the garage and got a power drill, taped a rock to its side
 with a bit of slack so it went round and round, in turn, hammering it down
 on the triangle button.  After a many tries, it worked, and the controller
 was nearly in pieces (we used an old PS1 controller).
   - DJLuNaTiC and Friend

 I dunno about the Euro version, but in the USA version, holding the left
 analog stick to the extreme right or left will make the bar go down slower.
 Not very much slower, but a big help.
   - Contributed by G-Bomber

 Take somthing flat, (like break a free aol sample so its like 3times larger
 than the button) balance it and use 2 fingers to make it go faster.
   - Contributed by Cheapskater2001

 Yes, I did it, it is possible to get out of Solidus' choke, without using
 the turbo controller. I don't have one, and while waiting for somebody to
 give me one, I tried to do it with the regular controller, and it worked,
 I did it, I am just so proud of myself, I still can't believe I succeed...
 anyway, I'll tell you how I did it:
  *
 Weapon of Choice : Long and Tight Nail
 Position : Lie down, or get comfortable....
 Strategy : Turn the controller upside down, and simply slide your nail over
 the triangle button, from left to right, and right to left. You just have to
 do a very short and quick sliding move. This strategy saves you time and
 energy, because each move you do, you push the button once. If you just try
 by pushing simply on the triangle, you waste time while you pull off your
 finger from the dot. Plus, sliding is by far easier than pressing.....
  *
 That's it, this is how I did, it works if you can keep yourself calm. If you
 get stressed or if you crisp yourself too much, you can't beat the choke hold,
 this is probably the only joyful victory I had, compared to all the other
 ones... Now i am up to the final battle, I think I'll be all right.
   - Contributed by Mik Kaiser


###########################################################################


3.8 SOLIDUS SNAKE

           "Good work Jack, but this is where is gets interesting!"
                "And we will become -- the "Sons of Liberty!""

 In my opinion a good Nemesis but not on par with Liquid. That doesn't mean
 that he doesn't know how to handle a sword, he certainly does! You fight on
 top of Federal Hall and its to the death.

   FIGHT SYNOPSIS:

    Weapon of Choice: HF Blade
  Brief attack cycle: Attack combo, snake arms attack, remove snake arms,
                      charge at you.
            Hardness: 5/10
          Defeat Act: I think having your spine slashed in half would painful,
                      he deserved it, ha!


   BACKGROUND:

 Solidus, third brother and creation from the project "Les Enfants Terribles".
 "Neither Solid nor Liquid, a well balanced masterpiece." He was the one that
 killed Raiden's parents and then adopted him to turn him into a Child Soldier.
 He was the President of the United Sates and went under the name George Sears.
 He was also the one that setup the Shadow Moses incident and Ocelot is his most
 trusted man. Wearing armour that has the ability to enlarge enabling him to
 jump to great heights and move so fast he leaves fire at his feet, Solidus is
 more than combat worthy.


   LOCATION AWARENESS:

 Federal Hall, where the Patriots began and where the game ends. Arsenal Gear
 has trashed the building and you fall onto the roof. The fight only takes
 place on a small portion of the roof because Arsenal has smashed the rest.
 It is pretty much a square, on two of the sides Raiden can fall and hang
 off, on the other two sides Arsenal is blocking further access. The roof is
 slightly slanted and is covered in debris. That is basically all there is to
 this area.


   BASIC STRATAGIES:

  - The best way to hit Solidus for the first part is to let him come at you.
 wait until he is going to use one of the snake arms and then run to HIS left.
 You can get three hits in there sending him crashing to the floor.
  - When Solidus' uses the missiles go to the upper left corner of the building
 the missiles will never hit you there because that is the highest point on the
 roof and they will crash into it.
  - The only time Solidus can get you with the missiles is it he is right above
 the point where you normally hang, if this is the cast run up to him when you
 knock him over, he will jet off leaving the area. He will then use his missiles
 but you are safe because he is no longer in the right place.
  - When he throws off his snake arms get ready with the sword block, you can
 move while blocking so make sure you do that. Always face him, when he attacks
 you will block his moves, then counter attack.


   QUICK WALKTHROUGH:

 Solidus is really not that hard. Start off by allowing him to come at you.
 Wait for him to do one of his attacks that he needs to recover from and then
 got to his left and hit him three times. The will knock him on the floor.
 When you have done this three times get ready. He will fire missiles at you.
 These are very hard to dodge and if you get hit by them they will kill you
 in one. Hang off the top left corner of the bridge to always avoid them.
 From now on every time you knock him over he will counter attack with his
 missiles. After you get him down to just under half health he will throw
 off his snake arms. He goes a little crazy here constantly jetting around
 never staying in one place for more than a second. Use L1 to block, you
 can move around while doing this. Two things you need to know, don't move
 about too much and always face him. He will jet up to you and do an attack,
 you will block is and then you can counter attack. It really is that simple.
 He doesn't do anything knew from then on, keep counter attacking and soon
 you will defeat him, well done!


   DO:

 Keep your distance from Solidus'.
 Be careful not to step in the flames.
 Use the sword blocking for the second section.
 Try and keep Solidus' away from the top left section.


   DO NOT:

 Fall for the two swipe attack.
 Worry if you get caught in the snake grip and the oxygen meter comes up
   it lasts about 2 seconds.
 Stay near Solidus when you knock him over, he will jet off..
 Let Solidus trap you in a corner.
 Mistake the two arm snake swipe with the single arm snake swipe.
 Stand near the edge of the building during his second attack section, he
   can knock you off it you aren't carefull.


   POINTS OF INTEREST:

 The only other time Solidus will use the missiles other than when you
   knock him over is when he jumps up and tries to land on you, dodge
   him and get ready for the missiles.
 Like the Fatman battle Solidus can't fall off the edge, still the ending
   would look a little weird if you kick him off and the next minute you
   are fighting again.
 I suppose there is some sort of metaphorical link between the Patriots
   begging in federal hall and the game ending at federal hall. But,
   I'll be damned if I know.
 There is a lot of evidence that points to a scene being cut just before
   this part. That's unfortunate because I can imagine that it would be
   quite good, still Konami didn't want to upset a lot of people because
   of the content it contained.
 I don't know what Otacon was on when he said that the missiles have poor
   maneuverability but I have to disagree, they are really hard to dodge
   I have to use the hanging method.
 Solidus' having a blind spot to his left because of the eye patch shows
   just how much detail Hideo Kojima will use, I can't think on ANY game
   that makes you think of small things like that to use to your advantage.


   ALLY ADVICE:

 OTACON

 "Raiden, you don't have a lot going for you with just your bare hands.
  You have your own blade. Use it."

 "Watch out for Solidus' snake arms. If they catch you, shake yourself
  free by pressing the left analog stick -- or the buttons again and
  again."

 "The missiles from the snake arms pack a punch, but they're low
  on maneuverability. You should be able to shake them as long as you
  don't stop moving. If you can't get rid of them, slice them with your
  sword."

 "Don't attack from the front -- his defenses are too good. Go around
  to the side or back to get him."

 "Don't stay in Solidus' range. It's too dangerous to try and take him
  head-on. Keep your distance. Your strategy should be to hit fast and
  move out."

 "Push the right analog stick in to strike out at Solidus from outside
  his range. Make sure your aim is good, though. If you miss, you'll be
  wide open for Solidus' counter strike."

 "Solidus uses an accelerator, so make sure you don't lose him. It you
  catch fire just do into a roll until the fire goes out."

 "Solidus has an eye patch on his left eye, so he should have a blind
  spot to his left. Maybe slipping into that spot will give you an
  advantage."

 "The power suit that Solidus is wearing is a state-of-the-art
  exoskeleton -- that makes use of artificial muscle tissue. It gives
  the person wearing it superhuman motor skill capabilities. It's the
  same technology used in RAY's engine system and the Tengu soldiers'
  combat suits. You skill suit uses a little bit of it, too. A number
  of sensors stretch between the surface and interior of the suit like
  a neural network. When these sensors detect and impact, the artificial
  muscle in the suit reacts instantaneously -- by automatically contracting
  and diffusing the damage. So you can't just chop him in half with
  your sword. Your suit uses the same technology. You could almost say
  that your suit, Solidus' suit, and Metal Gear RAY are like brothers..."


   EVALUATION:

 Solidus is the easiest boss on European-Extreme in my opinion. He was
 the only boss that I defeated without dying once on my second time
 through on European-Extreme. As long as you know how to avoid his
 missiles and can block with a sword he is really easy. Still that
 doesn't matter, the point is that you have defeated the last boss that
 is thrown at you on European-Extreme, well done, enjoy it! Be sure to
 catch Vamp in the crowd during the part with Rose, I still haven't
 caught him but the Konami site says he is there. He just doesn't
 stay down does he!?


   CONTRIBUTED STRAGIES

 For the Solidus fight, one problem I had was constantly catching on
 fire! So what I suggest is try equipping the B.D.U for a split second
 and then unequipping it quickly. The fire will then go out so you dont
 have to worry when Solidus charges.
    - Contributed by Vinesh Rajpaul

 As soon as you start go to the edge of the level and enter hanging mode,
 he will come close and try to use the double slash, on that precise moment
 climb up (it will make you invulnerable) when you are up you will have a
 free hit, repeat as necessary.
    - Contributed by HuntingPred & Cheapskater2001

 I thought I'd mention something about Solidus and his "hard to dodge missles"
 That to me would be his easiest attack to dodge. Otacon was right when he
 mentioned their lack of maneuverability. Maybe I'm crazy and this only works
 for me, but since the first time I ever fought Solidus I find if you roll
 IN TO the missles, you can dodge them easily. Yes that means as SOON as the
 animation begins, run toward Solidus and roll THROUGH THE MIDDLE of his
 missles, that's a free combo right there and makes him even easier.
    - Contributed by Genji Masamune


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                                4.0 FAQ
---------------------------------------------------------------------------


Here are some Frequently Asked Questions:


Q: How can you say that using the special items is cheating! I had to
  work hard to get the dog tags for them and I think of it as a reward.
  It's not cheating!
A: Well, first well done on getting the dog tags, I took me a long time
  to do it. But my opinion still holds. The special items are cheats,
  rewards given to you at the END of the game. If you beat a boss, say
  the Metal Gear RAYs with ease because you did not have to run and refill
  on ammo then you didn't fight them how the designers intended you to.
  You didn't complete it fairly, you cheated! I am sorry friend, but you
  still deserve some credit for getting all the dog tags, that is no easy
  task. Still you don't deserve the credit for completing European-Extreme
  and you won't be getting it from me.


Q: I can't beat (Boss_Name_Here) I followed you guide but I get beat
  every time!
A: I know how you feel, it IS frustrating but keep trying. Everything I
  know about the bosses is written here. I beat them all and the
  tactics and strategies I used are written here. Keep trying and don't
  give up, that's really all I can say.


Q: Why don't you have the second Vamp battle?
A: Well I don't really count that as a Boss battle. And why are you
  asking me about it? Don't tell me your stuck! Well okay, just for
  you here is the best strategy that I know for this battle.

   - Shoot his head.

  Did that solve the problem?


Q: Your information about the Harrier is all wrong! I have been in the
  army for years and I know what I am talking about. The Harrier
  uses state of the art fibre -
A: If I could just stop you there. I never said I was some military
  expert. I just put what little I knew about the Harrier down. If
  you have some better description of it then let me know.


Q: I think (Name_Of_Weapon_Here) works much better on (Boss_Name_Here)
  and also (Strategie_Here) works much better.
A: I would have to agree, my strategies are far from the best and if
  you have a better one then send them in, so everyone can know
  about them.


Q: WTF! How dare you nick my guide for (Boss_Name_Here)! It took me
  ages to work that out and you have gone ahead and nicked it! I
  will get you for this, I'll -
A: Sorry pal, but there are only a limited number of strategies for
  each boss and as amazing as it is, more than one person could work
  out the same strategy. The only thing in this FAQ that I did not
  work out for myself is the Stinger trick with Vamp, I don't know
  who made that so I couldn't give credit. If you send in an
  original strategy I will, of course give credit to you.


Q: Thanks to you this game has been wrecked! I just wanted some tips
  on how to defeat the Harrier and in the first few lines you say
  what happens when you destroy it! Thanks a lot!
A: Do the words "_SPOILERS BELOW_" mean anything to you?


Q: Do you think using the Radar is cheating?
A: No, I don't consider the radar as cheating. Admitedly it may make
  a few of the battles a little easier but not by much. After all
  your doing European-Extreme, you should use every bit of help you
  get.


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                          5.0 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------


Below are the people that have helped contibute to this guide through some
way or another, my thanks to all of them:

Senna
Fergus Reid
Zeiram Wokaydo
MGS2 fanatic
John Srensen
Solid Spirit
Entity
Lewis Hoad
Captriker9
Vinesh Rajpaul
DJLuNaTiC and Friend
Linus Oskarsson
HuntingPred
G-Bomber
Julien Colomb
Afonso Borges
Schroeder
Cheapskater2001
Mik Mikael
Mik Kaiser


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                          6.0 FINAL THOUGHTS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well that is pretty much the end of this FAQ. I hope you found it useful and
you should have no problem with any of the bosses now. If you did this with
no special items then well done, you have truly completed MGS2:SOL. If you
used special items then you haven't completed European-Extreme, you cheated
your way through! Get back on the game and do it properly! If you did it all
without special items, without a Radar and the option of "Game over if seen"
on, then congratulations! You have completed MGS2:SOL on the hardest
difficulties with the hardest modes it has to offer, you have shattered this
game, it now has nothing over you! I did it this way on my second time through,
just thought I would mention that :). Thanks for reading, and roll on MGS3!

 - A