Colossus XIII

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Colossus XIII
Thy next foe is...The vast desert lands...A giant trail drifts through the sky...Thou art not alone.
Profile
Developer Nickname	The Snake
Height	Wingspan: 200 feet (61 meters)
Length	557 feet (169.8 meters)
Gameplay
Time Attack goals (Normal/ Hard)	12:00/13:00 (Original, PS3) 12:00/10:15 (PS4)
Agro	Yes
Sigils	Normal: 3 major Hard: 3 major

Phalanx is the nickname given to the thirteenth colossus, located in the middle of a large desert at quadrant E6. Despite its massive appearance, it is completely docile and will in no way deliberately assault Wander.

By far the largest colossus in the game, Phalanx is over twice the length of Hydrus or Dirge. To put Phalanx's sheer size into perspective, each of its wings are over 60ft long, with the rear-half of Phalanx's back matching the width of a four-lane highway.

However, despite this, Phalanx is also the most peaceful of all the colossi that Wander fights. It does not try to attack him regardless of what he does. It does not even pay him any mind unless Wander climbs onto its back.

Path to the colossus

See also: Map for this path

Video - Path to Phalanx

Shadow of the Colossus - 13th Colossus 1 2

Phalanx is located in a great desert to the southwest of the Shrine of Worship. Proceed south past the mountain where Valus dwelt until the Southern Plains have been reached. Turn west and continue until the terrain turns into a desert. Cross the platform to awaken Phalanx. Another way is that the player can proceed to the west and through the Autumn Forest to come out to the desert quicker and closer to the platform.

Walkthrough

Video - Battle with Phalanx

Shadow of the Colossus - 13th Colossus 2 2

Unlike Avion, which keeps airborne by flapping its massive wings, Phalanx uses its small wings to merely steer itself. Its gigantic bulk is kept aloft by three series of gas bladders located at its front, middle, and posterior.

Phalanx will remain airborne, circling its desert home, until Wander brings it down. Aim the bow at one of the gas bladders and pull back until the charge meter is completely filled, which will ensure that the arrow flies faster at the target. Lead the target very slightly and release the arrow. If a sac is hit, it will deflate and turn a dim color. Once all three have been pierced, Phalanx will no longer be able to remain high in the sky and will swoop down low to the ground. Even at its slowest, Phalanx is still far too fast to reach on foot. Agro is required in order to chase it down.

Its four front wings will be lowered such that they skim the surface of the desert. Ride up next to one and jump off of Agro's back. The ridges in the wings can be climbed like a wall. Eventually, Phalanx will recover and rise back into the air so Wander can jump the gap over onto its back and then run along the length of its body until reaching a raised dorsal ridge. There are three located along its length, and there is a sigil located under each. Stab the sigil with fully-charged sword strikes.

During this time, Phalanx will try to shake the nuisance off its back. It will squirm whenever the sigil is struck, perform a barrel roll, and even dive into the desert when these two moves fail to dislodge Wander. The signal that the third is about to occur is when the flap closes down upon the sigil. When Phalanx dives into the desert sands, simply jump off to reduce the amount of damage taken.

After a moment, Phalanx will burst from the sand, its gas bladders healed. Repeat the procedure until Phalanx is brought down for good.

Time Attack times (Normal, Hard): 12:00, 13:00

Time Attack times in PS4 Remaster (Normal, Hard): 12:00, 10:15

Weakspots

Location	Percentage of health
	Normal	Hard
On top, under the front fin	33%
On top, under the middle fin	33%
On top, under the back fin	33%
Gas bladders (3)	Used in climbing

Tips & tricks

• Regardless of the difficulty setting, the player can, with a bit of skill and good timing, destroy two if not all three of the sigils located on Phalanx in a single run. To do so one must simply puncture the gas bladders like normal and climb the wing swiftly using fully charged jumps, then do the following:
  1. Once at the top of the still lowered wing, stand and jump onto Phalanx's back prior to it regenerating its gas bladders and lifting/straightening its wings. Without hesitation, run over to the first weakpoint, fully charge the stab, and do away with it using one or two of those stabs. Then begin running back towards the next one.
  2. Phalanx will shudder in pain and begin to sway left and right as Wander runs, a warning that it will perform a barrel roll in an endeavor to drop him off. Resist the urge to hold on until Phalanx rolls fully. (Note that Wander will begin to drop at the moment where the player must grab on.)
  3. If done successfully, Wander will remain atop Phalanx and can quickly finish the run to the second sigil. Fully charge and rid Phalanx of this weak point as done with the first, and once again, be quick about running towards the last one, repeating the whole "hold on while it rolls" technique.
  4. If done fast enough, Wander will be able to reach and destroy the third sigil prior to the flap covering it, thus triggering the cinematic death of Phalanx. If not, Phalanx will dive into the sand, and then the player must waste a lot more time getting back on Phalanx and reaching the tail.
• Alternatively, if Wander remains under the large flap which covers the second sigil just prior to the dive, the flap will protect Wander from the sand, and he will remain on Phalanx for the duration of the dive, cutting a significant amount of time required to kill the colossus.
• Utilize the environment. Unlike some colossi, Phalanx is in a wide, generally flat expanse of sandy terrain complete with windswept sand and sunlight reflecting rather brightly. This is useful since Wander's sword gathers light and focuses it in the general direction of a colossus' sigils. This is most useful against Phalanx because it not only eliminates all the glare, but, when Phalanx is underground, can be used to track the colossus down. Riding after Phalanx, the player will note that eventually Agro will be able to stand just over the point where the sword focuses the light.
  1. Also, while not as accurate as the sword, holding down the trigger will make Wander automatically look at the colossus. This is useful because the player can still move and use the bow while still looking directly at Phalanx.
  2. Back up. Phalanx will eventually burst out of this spot, notably damaging Wander if he is struck, but also revealing the freshly reformed air bladders. Practically at eye level and moving at their slowest, this is the perfect time to simply puncture them one after the other. The result is that Phalanx will drop its wings as soon as it is out of the ground, removing the need to chase it and compensating for any previously lost time.

Music

• While Phalanx flies around the desert, "Silence" plays. If Wander falls off of Phalanx at any point while its wings are up, "Silence" will play when he hits the ground. It will also resume playing when Phalanx manages to protect its sigils and is about to burrow underground again.
• After shooting all three gas bladders and lowering the front wings to the ground, "In Awe of the Power" starts to play and continues to play while Phalanx's wings remain down.
• Once Phalanx raises its wings back up and Wander has climbed up onto its back, "Counterattack" plays.

Trivia

• Phalanx is the third of three limbless, serpentine colossi the player faces over the course of the game, the other two being Dirge and Hydrus.
• Phalanx is one of the two colossi that can fly.
• Phalanx is the only colossus that will never attack Wander or Agro, making it the most serene of all the colossi. Interestingly, the second most peaceful colossus is the only other one that can fly, Avion.
• Along with Dirge, Phalanx is the only colossus that can be called subterranean, as they both burrow beneath sand.
• Phalanx is the longest of all the colossi.
• Phalanx is one of the three colossi that require the player to use Agro in order to defeat it, and one of only five that Agro is actually capable of reaching.
• Phalanx is the only colossus that is able to conceal and protect its major sigils by covering it with a folding flap of skin.
• Phalanx is probably the most popular colossus among fans due in part to its sheer size and beauty whilst in flight, but also for the thrill of chasing it down while riding Agro and traveling along Phalanx's back while it's flying.
• Phalanx has possibly the most unique vocal sounds of all the colossi; while it makes the usual deep bellowing sounds that all the colossi make, during its introductory and death sequences, it makes an unusual high-pitched wailing sound.
• Phalanx has the longest death sequence of all the colossi; it lasts roughly 26 seconds.
• Phalanx has three eyes: One on its right side and two on its left. This can be seen clearly in the screenshots below.
• Phalanx is one of only two colossi who has three major sigils in Normal Mode. Avion is the other. Hydrus and Malus each have three minor sigils, but not three major.
• If the player is in the right spot and and the arrow is aimed in the correct spot, the screen will show Phalanx bursting out of the ground. Unfortunately, it can only be seen for one frame.
• There is a theory that Phalanx is bound to its arena by the various stone structures nearby.
• Phalanx's Hard Time Attack goal is the biggest change among all the other Hard Time Attack goals, with a decrease of 2 minutes and 45 seconds.

Gallery

Phalanx 1.jpg

Image of Phalanx taken from the official artbook.

Wander chasing Phalanx, almost ready to jump.

Wander on Phalanx's back mid-flight.

Wander chasing down Phalanx.

Phalanx erupting from the sand.

Wander hanging onto Phalanx's front right wing.

Left side of Phalanx's head. Notice the two eyes.

Wander near a major sigil; notice the flap of skin.

Early development screenshot of Phalanx.

Early development screenshot of Wander on top of Phalanx's wing.

Sketches of early Phalanx prototypes.

Size chart of Phalanx.