FF7 Remake

How to Beat Specimen H0512 | Boss Fight Guide (Normal & Hard)

SpecimenH0512.png

This is a guide to beating the Boss Specimen H0512 in the game Final Fantasy 7 Remake (FF7R). This article explains Specimen H0512's attack patterns, weaknesses, and tips and strategies for defeating it on both Normal and Hard Mode.

Specimen H0512 Stats and Information

Basic Information

Specimen H0512
Specimen H0512 Enemy Icon
Species Movement Type
Artificial Life Grounded Boss

Description

A monster created by Shinra's R&D Division. Highly adaptable, it evolves during battle, where it exhibits extraordinary offensive and restorative capabilities.

Assess (Tips)

Tactical data not available.

Specimen H0512 Stats

Easy Normal Hard
HP 23338 42432 61308
Attack 233※1 391※2
Magic Attack 184 301
Defense 183 268
Magic Defense 233 342

Specimen H0512 Weaknesses & Resistances

Weakness / Status Ailments -
Lesser Resistances Lightning
Greater Resistances -
Immunities Poison, Slow, Proportional Damage
Absorbed Elements -

How to Stagger Specimen H0512

Stagger Rates

PhysicalIcon.pngMelee
PhysicalIcon.pngRanged
MagicIcon.pngMagic
FireIcon.pngFire
×1 ×1 ×1 ×1
IceIcon.pngIce
LightningIcon.pngLightning
WindIcon.pngWind
-
×1 ×1 ×1 -

Stagger Length

Stagger Length 10 seconds

Specimen H0512 Abilities

Rake
Noxious Expulsion
Seize
Regrowth

Rewards

Easy/Normal Hard
Gil 1300 2250
AP 10 30
Exp 1300 4500
Items Dropped Talisman (100%)
Rare Items Dropped -
Steal Timeworn Talisman (12%)

Learnable Enemy Skills

No Enemy Skills can be learned from Specimen H0512.

List of Enemy Skills

Specimen H0512 Boss Fight Guide

Specimen H0512 Abilities and Attack Patterns

Name Element Blockable? Knockdown? Status
physical.pngSweep
- Yes Yes -
Swings its larger claw left to right.
physical.pngRake
- Yes Yes -
Charges and swings out with its smaller claw. During phases 2 and 3 will charge towards further away targets.
physical.pngSeize
- No Yes -
Grabs a target with its right claw and binds them for 3 seconds before hurling them into the ground and creating a shockwave. Allies can be freed by dealing damage equal to 2% of its total HP or hitting it with abilities.
Regrowth
- - - -
Regrows its left claw.
magical.pngNoxious Expulsion
Phase 1.jpg
- No No
poison.png (120 sec)
Sprays a purple mist in front of itself (spreads further on Hard mode) from its left claw that causes poison.
magical.pngMako Expulsion
Phase 2.jpg Phase 3.jpg
- No No
poison.png (120 sec)
slow.png (15 sec)
Sprays Mako out of its left claw. H0512-OPT α caught in this will change into H0512-OPT β. The Mako can spread in front of Specimen H0512 or around the arena in phase 3. It will linger for 10 seconds.
Regurgitate
Phase 2.jpg Phase 3.jpg
- - - -
Summons 5 H0512-OPT α in phase 2 and 5 H0512-OPT β in phase 3.

*Status Effects and Ailments Guide

Best Characters for This Boss

Available Characters

Cloud IconCloud Barret IconBarret Tifa IconTifa

Best Characters and Equipment

Cloud should serve as the main attacker, countering attacks like Rend with Punisher Mode. Don't try to dodge away from attacks, as you won't be able to make it out of the way in time. Counter its attacks and bring the heat after you've Staggered it.

Cloud Icon.jpegCloud Role: Attacker
Weapon: Mythril Saber
Armor: Cog Bangle
Accessory: Otherworldly Crystal
Tifa Icon.jpegTifa Role: Support
Weapon: Purple Pain
Armor: Gothic Bangle
Accessory: Mythical Amulet
Barret Icon.jpegBarret Role: Tank & Long-Range Attacker
Weapon: EKG Cannon
Armor: Sorcerer's Armlet
Accessory: Healing Carcanet

Focus on attacking its left claw and continue attacking it until it is staggered then let out your most damaging attacks. Increase the stagger damage by using Cloud's Infinity's End and Tifa's True Strike.

Best Materia for Cloud

The number of slots in your Weapon may vary depending on your Weapon Level.

Weapon (5 Slots)
Armor (3 Slots)
Summon

Best Materia for Tifa

Weapon (4 Slots)
Armor (3 Slots)
Summon

Best Materia for Barret

Weapon (5 Slots)
Armor (3 Slots)
Summon

Since Cloud is your main attacker for this battle, you'll need to have him deal with the status effects from Mako Expulsion and Noxious Expulsion, which is why the Warding materias are paired with Poison and Time materias. You can also cast Haste from the Time materia to himself so he can unleash punishing abilities in quick succession. Remember to focus your attacks on the claw first.

Tifa will be your support this time. Cast Barrier to Cloud as soon as possible to make him endure more attacks from Specimen H0512. The First Strike materia will help you cast it sooner. If an ally needs healing, fill half of her ATB Gauge then use ATB Boost to completely fill it, then cast Cure. If her Magic Attack is high, Cure or Cura should be enough to restore a significant amount of HP. If you use another ability other than Barrier and Cure, the boost from Skill Master will be triggered, increasing your ATB gauge.

Your long range support Barret should be able to deal more damage with the Synergy and Elemental materias while you use Cloud. You can also pair these materias with Ice if it has a higher level than your Fire materia. Cast Silence on H0512-OPTs if their magic attacks are bothering you.

If you have the chance to summon, you can pick either Ifrit and focus the summon skills on Specimen H0512 or Fat Chocobo to deal with the H0512-OPts at the same time. You cannot summon Leviathan in this fight since the battle area does not have enough space.

Specimen H0512 Attack Phases

Phase 1

Phase Point Summary
1 Specimen H0512 will be surrounded by five H0512-OPTs. It will use all of its attacks from the start of the battle.

Phase 2

Phase Point Summary
1 All the defeated H0512-OPTs will be regenerated. They will start to use Apoptosis, in which they will Self-Destruct and deal moderate damage to anything nearby.

Tips & Strategies for Beating Specimen H0512

Strategy Checklist
(Click to jump)





Use Punisher Mode's Auto-Counter

Auto-counter.jpg

As Specimen H0512 mostly uses melee attacks with its Claws, most of its attacks can be countered using the Auto-Counter feature of Cloud's Punisher Mode. When it readies an attack like Rend, hold R1 to block, and Cloud will strike back with gusto.

Aim for the Claws

Cripple.png

Specimen H0512 mostly attacks using its two massive Claws, and its Abilities like Rend and Seize are reliant on them. By crippling both of these, you can render it largely unable to attack. On the other hand, keep in mind that crippling the claws will add to the Focus Gauge, but not automatically cause Staggering.

It's not necessary to attack the Claws to finish the fight, but like many other bosses with multiple targets, doing so will make the battle go much more smoothly.

Cast Silence on H0512-OPTs

Blizzard.png

Unlike other fights with multiple opponents such as Enigmatic Spectre, there's no need to take out the smaller foes to deal damage to the main opponent. By Silencing them, you can leave them unable to use Magic attacks like Fire and Blizzard, and render them inert during the battle.

Increase Defense with Barrier

If you've Silenced the H0512-OPTs, you won't have much to deal with in the way of Magic, so you'll mostly only have to worry about physical attacks. Set up Barrier on Cloud, so that he can continue wailing on Specimen H0512 while taking reduced damage from its hits.

Cast Haste to Remove Slow

MakoExpulsion.png

Specimen H0512's Mako Expulsion attack can inflict Slow on your party members. Be sure to get rid of Slow as soon as possible, so that you'll have enough ATB to cure the Poison effects and continue using Abilities and Magic. If you've got a Time Materia equipped, you'll be able to cast Haste on your party members to cancel out the effects of Slow.

How to Get the Time Materia

Watch out for Apoptosis

Apoptosis.png

In the second phase of the battle, the H0512-OPTs will begin to self-destruct, and can seriously hurt your party if you're not ready for it. Be sure to dodge out of the way when the Apoptosis Ability name appears over their heads.

That said, you can also acquire the Self-Destruct Enemy Skill from being hit by Apoptosis, so be sure to send in your character equipped with the Enemy Skill Materia to take at least one of these blows.

Specimen H0512: Hard Mode Guide

Best Characters and Equipment

Cloud Icon.jpegCloud Weapon: Hardedge
Armor: Force Bracelet
Accessory: Champion Belt
Tifa Icon.jpegTifa Weapon: Metal Knuckles
Armor: Force Bracelet
Accessory: Champion Belt
Barret Icon.jpegBarret Weapon: Light Machinge Gun
Armor: Chain Bangle
Accessory: Healing Carcanet

Best Materia to Use

The number of slots in your Weapon may vary depending on your Weapon Level.

Cloud

Weapon (6 Slots)
Armor (4 Slots)
Summon

Tifa

Weapon (6 Slots)
Armor (4 Slots)
Summon

Barret

Weapon (6 Slots)
Armor (4 Slots)
Summon
Strategy Checklist

Have Cleansing Equipped For Resist and Esuna

Having Cleansing equipped can be a huge help against Specimen H0512. It will constantly use its poison and slow attack. Casting Resist ASAP will make sure you will not have to worry about any of those attacks.

Equip Elemental Linked with Fire or Ice

Equipping Elemental linked with Fire or Ice can help with ignoring H0512-OPTs. At Lv.3 of Elemental, you can even purposely get hit to recover some health.

Boss Fight Related Articles

List of Boss Battles

Major Story Bosses

All Major Story Bosses
Chapter 1 Scorpion Sentinel
Chapter 4 Roche
Chapter 5 Crab Warden
Chapter 7 Airbuster
Chapter 8 Reno
Rude
Chapter 9 Hell House
Chapter 10 Abzu
Chapter 11 Ghoul
Eligor
Chapter 13 Failed Experiment
Chapter 14 Abzu (2nd Fight)
Chapter 15 The Valkyrie
Chapter 16 Specimen H0512
Chapter 17 Jenova Dreamweaver
Rufus
The Arsenal
Chapter 18 Motor Ball
Whisper Harbinger
Sephiroth

VR Mission Bosses

All VR Mission Bosses
Chapter 8 Shiva
Chapter 9 Fat Chocobo
Chapter 13 Leviathan
Secret Boss Bahamut
Superboss Pride and Joy Prototype

Story Sub-Bosses

All Story Sub-Bosses
Chapter 2 The Huntsman
Chapter 3 The Hoodlums
Chapter 4 Enigmatic Spectre
Chapter 12 Enigmatic Spectre
Chapter 17 M.O.T.H. Unit
Brain Pod
Swordipede

Monster Variants & Optional Sub-Bosses

All Monster Variants & Optional Sub-Bosses
Chapter 3 Doomrat
Cerulean Drake
Wrath Hound
Chapter 8 Hedgehog Pie King
Mark II Monodrive
Venomantis
Chromogger
Chapter 14 Rust Drake
Tonberry
Trypapolis
Type-0 Behemoth
Chapter 17 Malboro

Intergrade and INTERmission Bosses

Intergrade and INTERmission Bosses
Chapter 1 Levrikon
Gigantipede
Chapter 2 Scarlet & The Crimson Mare
Projector
Nero the Sable
Optional Ramuh
Weiss the Immaculate
Pride and Joy Mk. 0.5 (Top Secrets)

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