Icarus is the brand new PVE survival game by RocketWerkz (DayZ), and it can be an extremely challenging experience. The extermination prospects are no exception, so here’s how to kill the Alpha Wolf boss with minimal pain.
Icarus is a game that encourages and rewards patience and strategy over anything else. Rushing into an unexplored area will often result in death (along with the associated penalties), so preparation is key to success. But even if you do that the game’s Alpha Wolf boss is likely to prove extremely problematic for new players.
The Alpha Wolf boss is the first boss you will come up against in Icarus. It is the key predator in the first Kill List: Extermination prospect/quest, meaning you probably won’t have unlocked too many advanced technologies or character talents.
This is of critical importance because the more technology you have at your disposal the less frustrating an experience killing the Alpha Wolf boss will be. However, if you’re like me, and were drawn to the exciting sounding quest name, you might well not be up to the task of taking on the beastly creature head-on.
And because of the punishing difficulty curve in Icarus, this can really impact your ability to have fun in the game. So in the interest of making sure players don’t rage quit Icarus, I’ve created this simple guide that will show you how to kill the Alpha Wolf boss in a relatively safe manner.
Preparation in Icarus
Preparation at the start of each prospect is key to success in Icarus. Do not, I repeat do not, rush off completely unarmed and underequipped in the direction of your first objective. If you do, the first wolf or bear you come across will in all likelihood signal your demise, and struggling back from an early setback will make the whole prospect more difficult.
So get to work gathering essential fiber, wood, stone, oxidite, and food (berries to start with). As soon as you can craft your tools – an axe, pickaxe, knife and a bow with some arrows should be your first priorities – make your way to the first objective; killing every animal you find along the way for meat, bone and fur.
I won’t go into the specifics of this process in too much depth, but a key pointer for hunting in Icarus is to shoot arrows at your target’s head from stealth. If you don’t manage to take down an animal in one shot then the process will become much harder (or dangerous if it’s an aggressive animal species). Specifically target wolves for their fur, finishing them off with your knife when they charge you.
Now as I was saying, craft a campfire and bedroll when it is necessary (before your meat spoils or a storm comes) and get to work accomplishing your tracking objectives. Before nightfall craft a small shelter (thatch is fine), cook your meat and lay down to rest. Pick these key items up in the morning and continue on your merry way to the next objective.
Repeat this process until you’re on the final part of the quest: discovering the Alpha Wolf boss and its den during night time. You are now ready to approach your first Icarus boss.
How to find and kill the Alpha Wolf boss (Kill List: Extermination)
Oddly, the developers of Icarus insist that you can only find the den of the Alpha Wolf boss at night, which makes this mission a bit tricky.
Once you’ve completed all the tracking objectives stock up an essential supplies and head to your most recent shelter. Wait until nightfall and look at your map. A small red circle should appear – this is the den of the Alpha Wolf boss. Rest in your bedroll until morning and collect up your campfire, bedroll and cooked meat supplies (you’ll need it for healing).
In the morning, make your way to the area where the red dot had appeared on your map. Set up a solid little shelter close by, but not right next to the den; you will likely be retreating to this shelter after coming face to face with the Alpha Wolf boss. Make sure to set the bedroll as your spawn point (hold F while looking at the bedroll).
To effectively do this next objective I recommend crafting a torch, and one or two ground-mounted torches with some fuel. Wait until nightfall and head to the red circle on your map, stopping in-between to place and light mounted torches if you have them. Continue to the Alpha Wolf boss with your torch lit.
Once you get in distance the quest should trigger, stating that you’ve discovered the den and must kill the predator. You can try, but fighting under nightfall in Icarus is dangerous and will probably result in a speedy death. Alternatively, run like a coward back to your shelter, killing any chasing wolves under the light of your mounted torches if needed. Rest until morning.
Once the sun has risen things will be much more simple (and less scary). Return to the den, which should now be marked on the map as a hand with a knife, with caution. There will likely be a few wolves about so take them out from a safe distance. It should be noted that jumping on top off tall rocks will make it very difficult for the wolves to reach you.
Now you should be able to see the Alpha Wolf boss in their den. You can either shoot them from a distance or charge them with a knife as they are seemingly unable to exit their den during the day – making them embarrassingly easy to dispatch. Occasionally, other wolves will come to their master’s aid, so retreat onto a rock and kill them with your bow if needed. Rinse and repeat.
I hope this guide has made finding and killing the Alpha Wolf boss a little less stressful for you than it was for me. Icarus is full of some really interesting gameplay mechanics and environmental storytelling, and it would be shame if players don’t get to experience that. So good luck on your future prospects, and be sure to remember the lessons you’ve just learned.
