How to Beat Pale Rider: Pale Rider Weakness and Strategies

This is a guide to Pale Rider, a boss in Shin Megami Tensei III HD Remaster (SMT Nocturne) for the Nintendo Switch, Steam, and PS4. Read on to know how to beat Pale Rider, Pale Rider's weaknesses, and best strategies against this boss!

Pale Rider Articles
How to Beat Pale Rider	How to Fuse Pale Rider	Pale Rider Fiend Location

Pale Rider Pre-Battle Guide

Only Fought in the Maniax/Chronicles DLC

To fight Red Rider, you must have played the Maniax or Chronicles Version of the game. They're DLC content that adds new characters, several optional bosses, and a new dungeon required for a certain ending!

List of DLC and Pricing

Recommended Magatama	Djed Magatama
Recommended Level	65 or higher

Strengths and Weaknesses

Weaknesses

Weaknesses
None, but Phys Attacks can go a long way.

Pale Rider does not have any elemental weakness, however, using Phys Attacks is useful for dealing damage.

Strengths

Attacks	Almighty, Dark/Mind, Phys, Ice
Absorb	Last Resort
Void	Light, Dark, Ailments, Ice
Support	Dragon Eye, Call Evil

Pale Rider utilizes an attack called Pestilence which is a single-target Almighty instakill effective on targets afflicted with poison, a single-target Mind instakill attack called Eternal Rest that is effective on targets afflicted with Sleep, a multi-target Ice attack, and a multi-target Phys attack that afflicts Poison. We recommend bringing along demons that can block Ailment skills, Dark, Phys, and Ice attacks to effectively cut off Pale Rider's turns.

Pale Rider can absorb Last Resort, and void Light, Dark, Ailment, and Ice attacks, so never use these types of attacks as you'll only be wasting your turn.

Likewise, Pale Rider has Dragon Eye which grants its party four extra turns, and Call Evil which Pale Rider uses to summon Loa demons that mainly use Dark, Mind, and Almighty attacks.

Best Demons to Use Against Pale Rider

Best Demons to Use
Ara Mitama	Unicorn	Sarasvati
Kikuri-Hime	Pisaca	Matador
Daisoujou	Hell Biker	Red Rider
Odin	Amaterasu

How to Beat Pale Rider

Summon a Daisoujou that's at Least Lvl.55

Daisoujou can be your ultimate Support demon in this fight with its arsenal of recovery and buff skills and will be especially useful with its ability to absorb Mind attacks, effectively cutting off the enemies' turns.

How to Fuse Daisoujou

Focus Your Single-Target Attacks on Pale Rider

Pale Rider will summon two Loa's by its side, but ignore them and prioritize taking out Pale Rider first especially when using single-target attacks. Kill the strongest one first to keep this battle as short as possible.

No Resistance Against Phys Attacks Except for Last Resort

Pale Rider has no resistance against Phys Attacks except for Last Resort, so don't hesitate to use all other types of Phys attacks on it.

No Resistance Against Magic Attacks Except for Light, Dark, Ailments, Ice

Pale Rider can block Light, Dark, Ailments, and Ice attacks, but get comfortable using other elemental skills as Pale Rider cannot block or counter these.

Buff Your Attacks

Use a buff like Focus or Tarukaja before using a Phys attack. This allows you to maximize your Phys Attack's damage output in the short turns you get.

Use a buff like Makakaja before using a Magic skill. This allows you to maximize your Magic Attack's damage output in the short turns you get.

Debuff Your Enemies

Use Tarunda or War Cry to lower enemies' Phys/Magic Attacks. You will take less damage if you debuff their attacks. Use Rakunda to lower their defense, to make them more vulnerable to your attacks.

Alternatively, you can use Fog Breath or Sukunda as these debuffs will decrease their chance of dodging your attacks.

Raise Your Defense/Evasion Rate Against Pestilence and Eternal Rest

Pale Rider's Almighty attacks cannot be blocked or countered, however, you can defend yourself and your allies by raising your defense/evasion rate from its Almighty attacks.

Raise Your Defense/Evasion Rate Against Loa's Sleep / Poison Attacks

Once Loa afflicts you and your always with either Sleep or Poison, it could spell game-over to the unlucky ally on the receiving end of Pale Rider's Pestilence or Eternal Rest. Raising your party's defense/evasion rate is a sound decision to avoid this happening.

Immediately Cure Poison / Sleep Afflicted on Allies Whenever Possible

It is imperative to cure any ailment afflicted on an ally whenever you have the chance to avoid getting hit by an Instakill by Pale Rider. Pale Rider's Instakill attacks are 100% effective when an enemy has been afflicted with Ailments such as Poison and Sleep.

Use a Magic Mirror or Makarakarn to Repel All Foes' Magic Attacks

All Foes in this fight utilize Magic attacks, so we highly recommend using a Magic Mirror or activating Makarakarn to Repel all foes' Magic attacks to cut off their turns and, at the same time, reflecting the damage onto them.

You may obtain a Magic Mirror in Rag's Jewelry.

Rag's Jewelry Shop

Have At Least One Dedicated Healer in Your Party

Summon demons that have Dia, Media, or the skill's other variants, so your party can restore HP as you move along the battle. This will be ideal especially in situations wherein you have no available Recovery items on hand.

Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne Related Boss Guides

Boss Guides

Story Boss Guides

Story Bosses
Forneus	Specter
Thor	Berith
Ose	Kaiwan
Mizuchi	Moirae Sisters
Specter (2nd Encounter)	Girimekhala
Sakahagi	Specter (3rd Encounter)
Aciel	Skadi
Albion and Zoas	Gabriel, Raphael and Uriel
Futomimi	Mot
Mitra	Samael
Ahriman	Noah
Thor (2nd Encounter)	Baal
Lucifer	Kagutsuchi

Maniax / Chronicles Only Boss Guides

Matador	Daisojou
Dante	Hell Biker
White Rider	Red Rider
Black Rider	Pale Rider
Dante (2nd Encounter)	Mother Harlot
Trumpeter	Beelzebub
Metatron

Mini-Boss Guides

Troll	Orthrus
Yaksini	Eligor
Koppa Tengu and Incubus	Naga
Surt	Mada

Optional Bosses

Nekomata	Oni
Fuu-Ki	Kin-Ki
Sui-Ki	Ongyo-Ki
Black Frost