Iron Imprisoner/Gameplay



The Iron Imprisoner is an Unversed that is found in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep and in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix. It is one of the bosses at Mirage Arena. When it is first fought, it is chained and imprisoned in a gibbet, but it gradually releases itself over the course of its battles.

Strategy
The Iron Imprisoner is one of the more powerful bosses in the game. Therefore, it is recommended the player be at a high level, and have the strongest Keyblade and Shotlock available at the time. For all four forms, the Once More and Second Chance abilities are recommended, particularly the latter two forms, which tend to chain their attacks. The strategies for each form are below.

Iron Imprisoner I
In its first form, it's chained and trapped in a gibbet. It attacks mainly by swinging the gibbet at you or spinning around like a fiery tornado. It can also entrap you in a cage or erupt out of the ground like a volcano. The best way to start the battle is to use your Shotlock to shave away at its HP bar, then attack normally. Beware when its HP is low. It shoots lasers from the bottom of its gibbet, dealing fire damage on impact. But overall, it is the easiest of the four forms. Merely dodge the lasers and attack.

Iron Imprisoner II
In its second form, nothing much has changed except for the fact it now uses its massive hammer to deal large damage. It can also spin with the hammer outstretched, dealing fire damage on contact. Otherwise, it retains all of its attacks from its first form. Simply dodge, attack, and use Shotlocks when possible.

Iron Imprisoner III
Its third form is the same as its previous two incarnations. With the only obvious difference that its legs are no longer bound in a gibbet. It is now faster than the other two forms, but it cannot shoot lasers. It retains its other moves so the strategy is the same. Shotlock commands are the most effective way to damage the Iron Imprisoner, and as a result the Damage Syphon ability is very useful.

While it will pause periodically, the window of attack is very small, and it is safer to use the time to heal or use a Shotlock. The only safe time to attack normally is after the Unversed summons its cage. Evading the cage is difficult unless the player is executing a finishing command or a Shotlock, however, if timed correctly, one can avoid the cage by attacking the Imprisoner with a combo, but it is preferable to simply attack and not attempt to dodge it.

Iron Imprisoner IV
The boss's final form, and its most powerful one yet. It retains its old moves with some new ones. The cage it traps you with is now on fire and will damage you on contact. It also has an attack where it sucks you in close before releasing a large explosion. During another new attack, it will possess the room, turning it red and causing the tiles to fly off and attack. The strategy for the third form is also effective here, and the boss can still be stunned by a successful Firaga or Sonic Blade.

However, because of the Iron Imprisoner IV's increased strength and ferocity, the player should be more cautious. When the boss possesses the stage, the player can either choose to stay in one place and block constantly to defend against the flying debris, or simply Dodge Roll, Cartwheel, or Slide around to evade damage. It would also be wise to equip a Vanish command, which can be bought in the medal store, as when the character is invisible, the Iron Imprisoner mostly avoids them, giving you a chance to heal or use a Shotlock.

Attacks

 * Gibbet Swing: (Iron Imprisoner I) Swings its gibbet at players.
 * Fire Tornado: Spins around while on fire.
 * Gibbet Laser: (Iron Imprisoner I, II) Shoots lasers from the bottom of the gibbet.
 * Hammer: (Iron Imprisoner II, III, IV) Repeatedly pounds players with it's hammer.
 * Cage: Entraps players in a flaming cage.
 * Eruption: Bursts out of the ground, attacking players from below.
 * Explosion: (Iron Imprisoner IV) Sucks players in, then causes a damaging explosion.
 * Possession: (Iron Imprisoner IV) Possesses the room, causing the tiles to fly off the wall and attack.