Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater/Bosses

The following is a list of helpful strategies to defeat the bosses in Metal Gear Solid 3. It is by no means complete, and some of the tactics shown may not work in some skill levels.

Ocelot Unit - Rassvet
The first place you have to fight the Ocelot Unit is during Operation Snake Eater, in the crumbling building in Rassvet (the place where you found Sokolov in the Virtuous Mission). Depending on difficulty, there are between seven and ten guys advancing on your position, and you have to kill, tranquilize, or knock out all of them before you can advance. This strategy is for Hard (ten guards).


 * Recommended equipment: M1911A1, Mk.22, WP Grenades, Scope.
 * Start by immediately hitting Triangle to open the trap door and crawl into the basement. There is an opening in the wall with a cover over it, and there are two soldiers patrolling just outside. Cap the left one in the head with the .45, and the other guy will either run off or crouch. Kill him too, but wait for him to stop moving first, so it'll be easier to aim. Don't get too close to the vent cover either, or Snake won't be able to shoot.
 * If you were fast enough, turn 180 and you should see the legs of a bunch of guards ready to step into the building. Get out your tranq gun and shoot all the legs you see. They'll all say "Huh?" and walk around a bit, then collapse a few moments later. Even if you didn't tranq all the guards, the other remaining guards will completely ignore their fallen comrades, and they will never try to wake them up.
 * Head through the crawlspace until you reach the south-eastern opening (there is no cover, and there should be a patch of grass just right of it). Stay a couple feet inside and use your scope to look for a guard standing near the southeast fence. Aim directly at his head with the binoculars, then unequip it and quickly hold R1 to go into free-look mode so your angle doesn't reset. Get either pistol out and fire a shot without touching the stick. Providing he didn't move his head, you should have scored a direct kill-shot (or tranq shot).
 * Head north through the crawlspace and you'll find a hole in the wall. If you head northwest from that hole, you'll get the Zombie facepaint and a good hiding place. Make sure you're crawling (and for good measure, select a good camo - Leaf/Woodland ought to work, or if you're playing Subsistence, Flecktarn/Woodland). Put your scope on, and watch for the guard on the roof to walk up to either corner. Use the same trick as above to pump a tranq round into his head. (You can try and kill him too, but his head isn't very exposed, to you may just end up wounding him - and he'll spot you more easily, which is bad).
 * Now that he's down, go around the building to the east and climb the ladder. Since you killed the two guards on patrol there from the vents, nobody should be able to spot you.
 * From here, put on Squares/Splitter camo, and crawl to the edge of the building. Look around and see if you can find more guards. If you missed any while pumping tranq rounds into their feet, the last couple should be wandering around the building and they'll be easily visible here. (This is made somewhat easier with Subsistence's swiveling camera, but first-person view will work as well if you use the peek function.)
 * The last two guards are patrolling south of the building. Crawl south in the grass, with Leaf/Woodland (or Flecktarn/Woodland) and use the Scope to snipe them with either pistol. The second of the two is a bit further west. Keep to the tall grass and you should be able to get him.
 * Once all the guards are dead, head northeast to the gates to trigger the cinema and the battle is over.

Ocelot - Bolshaya Past Crevice
Here is the first time you actually get to face off against Ocelot. He's packing a pair of Colt revolvers and he's got the skills to use them.


 * Recommended equipment: Mk.22, M1911A1, AK-47.
 * Try shooting down the hornet's nests on Ocelot's side of the ravine. He'll have to stop to swat the hornets down, which gets you a free shot - but don't use it unless you're near the end of the battle, because Ocelot will do the same to you (and unlike him, you have no way of defending yourself against the hornets).
 * Pull out a pistol (either one works) and wait for a while without shooting. Ocelot will challenge you to a quick-draw duel, but you don't need to actually participate - you can seize the moment to grab a free shot.
 * There are a couple snakes crawling around on your side of the ravine. Tranqulize them and throw them at Ocelot to distract him.
 * If you've unlocked the Colt Single-Action Army from a previous play-through, go into First-Person view and start spinning the gun around (right stick). Ocelot will try to one-up you by juggling his guns, which will get you yet another free shot.
 * While Ocelot is reloading (it usually takes a while, considering he's got two guns) or otherwise taking cover, use grenades to flush him out or score some extra damage (any kind will do). WP Grenades work best.

The Pain - Chyomaya Peschera Cave
The first Cobra member you get to fight. Hope you brought the insect repellent.


 * Recommended equipment: M37, AK-47, M1911A1, Grenades, WP Grenades.
 * When The Pain dons his bee armor, there are two different ways of breaking it off of him. First is to throw grenades at him, but this is quite difficult to do.
 * The other method is simply firing two or three M37 rounds at him. Don't waste your shotgun ammo shooting him afterwards though, if you want to make things easier on yourself - once you shatter the bee armor, switch to your AK-47 or M1911A1 and peg him in the head a few times.
 * When he sends bees to harass you, dive into the water (walk off the edge of your platform while pressing X) and go deep down. Bees can't swim.
 * When The Pain calls for a grenade, you can shoot it down before it arrives at your platform. If you're fast enough, you can shoot it down while it's on his platform and blow him up.

The Fear - Graniny Gorki South
The second Cobra. He's got a crossbow, stealth camouflage (hey, I thought that wasn't supposed to be invented yet), and quite the snarky attitude.


 * Recommended equipment: M37, AK-47.
 * Don't waste your time in first-person view looking for him. Keep moving unless you want to get pegged by his crossbow.
 * Alternatively, using the FPV is fine as long as the Thermal Goggles are equipped. It's pretty easy to track his movements, but if you do lose him, by all means run like hell.
 * If you don't have it, you might consider getting a Dolby Pro Logic home theater system - it helps give you an edge being able to hear where he's going.
 * The M37 shotgun is the only weapon you will need for this fight. Unless you're playing the game in "I Like MGS1!" mode, remove everything else from your backpack to conserve stamina.
 * Run around the forest, watching out for the tripwires and pitfalls, and when The Fear lands on a nearby tree branch, face in his direction, aim, and fire your shotgun right at him. This does far more damage than sustained AK-47 or XM16E1 fire (though those two are good for hitting him over a long distance - forget about using the SVD, the aiming sensitivity is too slow).
 * Note: Camouflage does not work against The Fear. Even if your camo index is at 90%, he will still be able to pick you out clear as daylight and get a shot in at your back.
 * Listen to what he's saying to get a clue of what his next attack is.
 * When The Fear's stamina goes down to 2 bars, he'll start looking for food. Keep some dead food on hand for a while and let it rot for just this purpose. When The Fear says he's hungry, throw the rotten food to him, and he'll head straight for it, eat it, and promptly puke his guts out. This gets you a (relatively) free shot at him with the shotgun. This is also the easiest way to score a stamina kill on The Fear.
 * You can trigger the rope traps remotely by shooting them - any projectile weapon will do. Even the Mk.22 works.

The End - Sokrovenno South
A hundred-year-old sniper that would very much like to kill you. Big surprise.


 * Recommended equipment: Scope, SVD rifle, Mk.22, M1911A1.
 * This is the only boss (outside of Ocelot Unit) that camouflage works against. Leaf camo and Woodland facepaint typically works best, but some situations may require treebark instead. Keep your camo index above 80% and The End will not see you. (If you're playing Subsistence, Flecktarn camo works even better.)
 * If The End manages to spot you and fire off a shot, his position will be indicated on the map until he either exits the area or drops a flash bomb.
 * It is possible to sneak up behind him. In fact, it's necessary to do this if you want to get his Moss camo. To do so, hold him up and point your weapon at his head three times.
 * His bullets do not hurt you (much), but for every tranq dart stuck in your body, your stamina will go down twice as fast. Pull out the darts as soon as possible or else you'll end up wasting a lot of food.
 * Like The Fear, The End will occasionally have need of food - but this is not for a long while. I have not been able to confirm if rotten food works on him or not.
 * If you want to get The End's Mosin-Nagant tranq rifle, you have to knock him out. Sneak up on him and jab a couple of Mk.22 rounds into his skull. He might start running and drop a flash bomb, but turn away from the blast and you won't be blinded. Turn back around and you can get a few more shots while he's running away (if you're good enough).
 * A really easy way to win this battle: save your game and set the PS2's internal clock ahead a few years. The End will die of old age.

Ocelot Unit - Sokrovenno South
If you capped The End outside of the warehouse (while he was in his wheelchair) instead of waiting for the boss battle proper, you'll fight a squad of Ocelots instead. Just remember: silenced weapons whenever possible, and the guards will completely ignore tranquilized comrades.

The Fury - Groznyj Grad Underground Tunnel
Avoiding the obvious Apollo 13 jokes, this guy is an ex-astronaut with a flamethrower.


 * Recommended equipment: Knife. Yes, you read that right.
 * There's a lot of pillars to hide behind. When The Fury is about to flame you, move sideways. His flamethrower reaches a lot farther than should be physically possible.
 * Run up to him and use a five-hit knife combo. Run around to avoid his flamethrower, then repeat. The second time should rip his flame suit, causing him to take even more damage from your third and final attack. You will probably take some damage at this point, but he'll be weak enough that a quick stab will end him.

The Sorrow - ?
"Death is tragic, but life is miserable..." This guy is awesome. Awesome.


 * Recommended equipment: Revival Pill.
 * Walk to the end of the river, avoiding the ghosts of people you've killed. The Cobra Unit (The Pain, The Fear, The End, and The Fury) will be here regardless of whether you used the tranquilizer to defeat them or not, but if anyone else appears and you're going for a 0/0 run, you're screwed.
 * The Sorrow will also occasionally shoot a psi-blast at you. Stay on either edge of the river, and when he shoots you, start walking diagonally in the other direction.
 * At the end of the river, there is a skeleton. Touch it. You will die. Also, trying to swim to the end of the river will result in a ghost grabbing and drowning you.
 * Once dead, ponder how it's possible to die twice. Answer: It's not. Use the Revival Pill--but be quick about it, before the "TIME PARADOX" screen appears. The game will continue. If you walked to the end of the river, you'll find the Spirit Camo in your backpack when you get it back.
 * Uh...
 * That's it.

Colonel Volgin - Grozynj Grad Weapons Lab: Main Wing B1
10,000 Volts? Hah! 3A, one missile please! Oh wait, sorry, wrong game.


 * Recommended equipment: Anything, this is a pretty free-form battle.
 * Throwing a Russian Glowcap will temporarily absorb Volgin's lightning, and throwing a tree frog will distract him momentarily. Also, wearing the Raikov mask will make him think you're Ivan, giving you an opening but making him more agressive when he figures you out.
 * Quick way to beat him: Equip the Patriot (any automatic works, but the Patriot is best) and open fire. As long as you keep firing he won't be able to counter and his shield will go down shortly before he does.
 * Quicker way to beat him: Dodge his attacks till you get an opening. Shoot him in the back with the Mk22, then do a tactical reload while running in a small circle. Repeat.
 * Mad props to all who caught the reference.

The Shagohod - Groznyj Grad Rail Bridge
Big ass, balls-nasty tank. Insane sadist villain at the wheel. Your mission is clear.


 * Recommended equipment: RPG-7, SVD/Mosin Nagant.
 * First part (on bike): Shoot the damaged rear part on the midsection with the RPG-7. Shooting the treads makes this much easier.
 * Second part (on foot): Again, shoot the treads, then switch to the SVD/Mosin Nagant and shoot Volgin in the head a couple times.
 * Did I say balls-nasty? I lied.

The Boss - Rokovoj Bereg
Finally, the time has come to fight your former mentor. Can you defeat her?


 * Recommended equipment: Anything; again this is a very free-form battle.
 * As soon as the battle begins, equip some white camoflague (Snow works great) and facepaint (Snow or Oyama). This will allow you to blend in better with the white flowers.
 * Run from her if you can and use the sniper rifle when possible.
 * Once she has been knocked down, leave your position. She'll know where you are and begin using The Patriot against you.
 * Occasionally, she'll sprint towards Snake. Run to meet her and use CQC, which if done right will knock her to the ground. While she's stunned on the ground, fire at her using the M37.
 * Never have a weapon equipped when she comes after Snake. The Boss will dismantle it and you'll be forced to recover the parts.
 * Wearing the monkey mask will confuse her momentarily.