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To the far left side of the Ancient Laboratory is where I believe gods are forged. It’s here that many Minä meet their first true test of godhood. Defeating The High Alchemist isn’t just a boss fight, it’s like a rite of passage. For some, it’s the moment a god run begins. For others, it’s where the dream dies in a pool of slime. If you’re struggling with this boss or need tactical insight, the Wiki's got you covered: The High Alchemist and how to defeat it.
What truly matters, though, is not the boss. All that power and he's proud of a few basic automations that all do the same thing. What matters is what lies within him: the Greek Letter Spells; Upon death he drops a randomized selection of 4 spells from a pool of the 8 greek letter spells that rewrite the rules of the game.
This is where Mina stops being a mere pupil of the raw experience, and becomes like a researcher with the funding and is allowed to make mistakes (as long as you don't go too far of course... you'll know when you get there). Together with the spells, the key he drops and it's secrets solidify the idea of defeating the boss as a shift from being a mere subject of the world to becoming it's governor (imo).
These spells don't deal damage or just offer utility. They unlock paradigm shifts. The main, most basic and rule-bending applications are:
Infinite Charges on Limited Spells:
Since the Greek spells copy other spells in Minas wands, you can indefinitely copy and cast spells that would otherwise run out. A Black Hole with one charge? Copy it forever and never lose a charge. A healing bolt with none left? Cast it anyway. This is where practical immortality begins.
Mana Cost Reduction:
Spells like Mu can copy multiple other spells, often with heavy mana tolls, and cast them all at the cost of just one. Think Gamma copying Mu and Mu copying as many projectile modifiers as you can shove in your wand all applied at 40 mana, the cost of Gamma. The really nice projectile modifier, Personal Gravitational Field, alone drains 120 mana, you can add it to the list; all still at the cost of the same Gamma. All the effects, none of the cost.
And when paired with Wand Refresh, the synergy reaches absurd heights. Spells, mana, charges, all no longer limiting factors, but mere ingredients in your sandbox of divinity.
These spells enable wands that look like this, of course some of the spells here are unlocked in other places. Also some of the spells here are just being stored btw.
The High Alchemist resides just beneath the surface and slightly west of the starting area, making this encounter one of the earliest opportunities to tap into godlike power that rewrites the natural laws of Noita's sandbox. It is here that the knower to be dies and in their place, a knower is born. Ready to reshape the world to the way they see fit, the only question is... do they know enough?
Next article: Messing With Noitas code Ingame: Because it Lets You
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