How to Beat Red Rider

Red Rider is a boss in Shin Megami Tensei V (SMT 5). Read on to know the best strategies to use against Red Rider, Red Rider's weaknesses, best demons to use against Red Rider, and the best buffs to use to counter Red Rider, and the most effective strategies to use to beat Red Rider!

Red Rider Stats and Weaknesses

Recommended Level

Recommended Level	Location	Drops
47 (minimum) 50 (recomended)	Iwamotcho	Large Glory Crystal Health Balm Elec Sutra

Red Rider Stats

Red Rider Weaknesses and Resistances

Elemental Weaknesses and Resistances

Status Ailments Resistances

Red Rider Skill Proficiencies

Elemental

Other

Red Rider Skills

Best Demons to Use Against Red Rider

Demons With Thunder Immunity and No Weakness to Light

Red Rider will often use Thunder Reign every turn. Having Lightning immunity makes the battle way easier due to not taking any damage from Red Rider. Having no Light weakness is also vital due to the Power's White Dracostrike that Red Rider summons during the battle.

Focus on Physical Skils, Ice Skills, or Dark Skills

Red Rider is weak to ice while the Powers offers no resistance to it. When eliminating the Powers, using Dark skills is recommended to dispatch them faster. However, most Lightning resisant demons only have either lightning or physical skill so relying on heavy physical damae is also a good opion.

How to Beat Red Rider

Prioritize Taking out the Powers Count its Magatsuhi Charges and Prepare Accordingly Take the First and Second Phase Slowly Bring a Demon with Tarunda Bring a Demon with Me Patra Unleash Your Final Attack on Third Magatsuhi Charge

Prioritize Taking out the Powers

The Powers can cause extra trouble since they use Light attacks instead of thunder. Since we drafted a full thunder resistant comp, eliminating the Powers will drastically reduce Red Rider's DPS.

Count its Magatsuhi Charges and Prepare Accordingly

Red Rider's phases are divided into three. At the start of the battle, he will only use Thunder Reign and Normal Attacks. On its 2nd Magtsuhi Charge, it will summon Angels then it will start including Terror Blade in its attacks. On the third Magatsuhi Charge, Red Rider will go nuts then spam Zandyne every turn.

Rush the 3rd Phase to Overlap your team's weakness

Since most Demon resistan to Lightning are weak to Force, maximizing your DPS on the last Phase is crucial. Since the last phase occurs around 20% HP, this will be easy by using your own Magatsuhi Skill.

Take the First and Second Phase Slowly

Since the 1st and 2nd phase only consists of physical and lightning skils, taking the fight slowly and saving your resources along the way is highly recommended. Take out the Powers while ignoring Red Rider to win the fight.

Bring a Demon with Tarunda

Since you're blocking Thunder Reign, you might forego applying debuffs on Red Rider but doing so can put your team at a great risk on Phase 2. Red Rider's Terror Blade can easily eliminate Demons with low Vitality so not applying Tarunda on Red Rider can spell disaster for your team.

Bring a Demon with Me Patra

Aside fom Lightning and Physical skills, Red Rider can also inflict Confusion to all targets hit by Terror Blade (2nd phase) so having a demon that can cure AoE ailments are highly recommended.

Alternatively Just Cure Allies With Amrita Soda

If you don't wish to eat a skill slot/ demon slot just to have Me Patra, you can also just cure the ailment one by one via Amrita Soda. Make sure to learn the Knowledge of Tools to allow your demons to cure the Nahobino as well.

Unleash Your Final Attack on Third Magatsuhi Charge

At around 20% HP, Red Rider's attacks will solely consist of Zandyne. You can block it with Force Dampeners but the best scenario is to skip the whole phase and burst Red Rider down with Several Critical Strikes.

Battle Immdiately Ends If Red Rider Dies

Similar to how the game ends if the Nahobino dies, once you slay Red Rider, the battle immediately ends. This means that even if Red Rider summons alies before using its 3rd Charge, ignoring the other angels and funneling your damage on Red Rider 100% can end the fight immediately.

Shin Megami Tensei Related Guides

Boss Battle Guides | List of Bosses

All Boss Types

Related Boss Guides
Story Bosses	Optional Bosses
DLC Bosses

Story Bosses

Story Boss Guides
Hydra	Eligor
Nuwa	Lahmu (1st Fight)
Loup-garou	Fionn mac Cumhaill
Lahmu (2nd Fight)	Shohei Yakumo
Surt	Ishtar
Chernobog	Arioch
Abdiel	Odin
Zeus	Vasuki
Metatron	Tsukuyomi
Nuwa	Abdiel
Lucifer	Lucifer (Secret Ending)

Optional Bosses

Optional Boss Guides
Pazuzu	Anahita
King Frost	Thunderbird
Loki	Belphegor
Moloch	Amanozako
Camael	Abaddon
Arahabaki	Khonsu
Fionn mac Cumhaill (2nd Fight)	Baal
Huang Long	Asura and Mithras
Amon	Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel
Belial	Michael
Inanna	Danu
Maria	Khonsu Ra
Zeus (2nd Fight)	Shiva

Optional Mini-Bosses

Optional Boss Guides
Apsaras	Leanan Sidhe
Shiki-Ouji	Xuanwu
Jatayu	Kumbhanda
Quetzalcoatl	Baihu
The Kunitsukami	Futsunushi
Adramelech	Zaou-Gongen

Punishing Foes

Punishing Foes Guides
Oyamatsumi	Horus
Girimekhala	Hecatoncheires
Chimera	Seth
Bishamonten	Jikokuten
Koumokuten	Zouchouten
Garuda

DLC Bosses

DLC Boss Guides
Artemis	Cleopatra
Mephisto	Matador
Daisoujou	Hell Biker
White Rider	Red Rider
Black Rider	Pale Rider
Mother Harlot	Trumpeter
Demi-Fiend