The Minotaur is no doubt one of the toughest enemy encounters in Barony. It can show up multiple times during your playthrough, even if you’ve already killed it before, so let’s go over everything you need to know to survive the encounter.
What You’ll Read Here
How the Barony Minotaur Works and How to Disable It
You shouldn’t see the Minotaur, aka the Baron’s right-hand little creature, as a boss. A normal boss is something you prepare for and defeat.
The Minotaur, however, is designed to make you keep moving. If you stay on a floor too long, it appears and starts chasing you. Right off the bat, if you find the pressure unfun, you can disable it in the game settings which allows you to explore without the need to rush anything. Good news if you’re an achievement hunter, this doesn’t affect achievements.
Many of you thirsty gamers may finish Floor One and head down to Floor Two, only to get surprised when the Minotaur spawns and kicks the living hell out of you.
Like the time I got one-shotted by the Minotaur on Floor 2 right after I cleared Floor 1. Learned the hard way to watch for his icon and rush to the exit. If the ZAP Brigade appears, I stay far back to avoid friendly fire and let them take him down.
If you don’t find that appealing, then I’m afraid I have to tell you not to rush straight to Floor Three, because that isn’t much safer either, since it can spawn there too. The best approach is to leave the floor before the Minotaur appears.
The icon warns you right at the beginning, but it doesn’t spawn on every floor. When you see the symbol, your top priority is to find the exit. Only explore areas you can reach quickly near the exit, because the Minotaur always spawns back in the starting room.
Minotaur Labyrinth Spawn Times and Locations
When the Minotaur icon appears at the start of a level, it’ll spawn in the starting room after about two and a half minutes, which is way too soon. The second it appears anxiety kicks in.
On the Mines and the Sand Labyrinth as well as all the floors after Hamlet, it takes something like three and a half minutes instead, which is a bit more acceptable but harsh nevertheless.
Once the unholy creature spawns, it immediately charges toward the nearest player like a stray dog. On those floors, a Daedalus Shrine also appears to give you a fighting chance at escaping, which is a plus in my opinion.
Minotaur Loot Drops and Late-Game Encounters
There’s a 50% chance for the Minotaur to appear on the second and third floors of each zone. Keep in mind that it always spawns inside the Minotaur Maze. Two Minotaurs also spawn after you defeat Baphomet on the final floor of Hell. When the beast is finally slain, it drops the following goodies: Flawless Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby, or Diamond.
The Minotaur can go berserk and smash through walls and the ceiling. Again, like all bosses, this tall freak is immune to charm, paralysis, plus even sleep. However, slowing effects such as a Cold or Slow spell can bring its Flash-level speed down to something much more manageable.
If you’ve defeated Baron Herx personally or through Baphomet first, the Minotaur grows significantly stronger in Act 2.
How to Kill the Minotaur: The ZAP Brigade Strategy
There’s also a 20% chance of the ZAP Brigade appearing on a Minotaur floor. They wait to engage the creature and most of the time they can defeat it if they draw the Minotaur’s attention. Remember that the Brigadiers are human and they’ll attack unfriendly monster races.
If the Brigade appears, stay well back to avoid friendly fire, especially as a monster race. Ranged players can take care of the Minotaur in no time. Melee players need about 44 armor class, which means you just don’t get one-shotted into oblivion, not that you can tank the damage from the monster. Mind that early attempts are nearly impossible; wait until later floors when you’re better prepared.
So in short, if you’d like to make the Minotaur your little toy, pay attention to that warning icon and always head for the exit first. Not to mention take advantage of the ZAP Brigade when and if they show up. Last but not least, only fight when you’re geared up for it.
