Updated: Idea for a Tough, Memorable Act 4 Main Boss (with constructive criticism on current bosses)

Name: Animus [an-uh-muhs]

His name is Latin for “temper” (usually in a hostile sense,) “animosity, soul, mind, courage, desire, anger...”

Note: Animus would say certain quotes indicating what powerful attacks he will perform next, that which is the player's cue to move away.

ANIMUS, FORM 1:

Melee: Animus’ regular attacks (with some extended range.)

Stomp: Briefly stuns and damages players within range.

Spectral Throw (modified) Many signature, smaller versions of Animus’ Ax are thrown everywhere at players.

Mark of Animus: The armor of players briefly becomes heavier, significantly slowing them down.

Forked Slam: Animus performs a slamming Ax attack that sends out four wide streaks of shocking force toward players (with the ability to knock back players.)

It would look something like this http://lvlt.bioware.cdn.ea.com/bioware/u/f/eagames/bioware/dragonage2/announce/concept-03-o.jpg (except 4 wider waves at once)

Ax Charge: Animus charges through players with his Ax.

Leaping Slam: Animus leaps forward with his Ax, then slams the ground (followed by a dust cloud,) dealing heavy damage to players.

Wraeclasts Wrath! (a power-up) Moving outward, Animus emits a powerful electrical sphere from his body that deals lightning damage to nearby players. Animus is also granted 20% more physical damage to his melee attacks.

Sweeping Spin: Animus performs a fast ‘one-time around’ spinning Ax attack that deals damage to multiple players. If the attack misses and players are considerably close by, they will be knocked back and briefly stunned due to a ‘close call’ experience.’ (Omit the second half of this if it’s not possible to code.)

The second half of that just said means players need to be well away from this attack.

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ANIMUS, FORM 2 (not much different, but he’s enameled in heavier armor)

Melee: Animus’ regular attacks (with some extended range.)

Teleporting Face Kick: Animus performs a knee first, upward kick to the face, dealing damage and knocking back players.

Piercing Chains (Spell) Raises a lethal thicket of chains up out of the floor, dealing massive damage to players in a very large area.

Greater Fire Traps (without delay & uninterruptible) Animus throws greater Fire Traps while running that have no delay, and cannot be interrupted.

Off My Heels! Increases Animus’ movement speed by 40%. This would be useful to use while Animus throws his greater Fire Traps at players.

Fire Wave (Spell) Animus slams his foot to the ground, whereupon causing a high-rising, fast-moving fire wave bending outward in a line of sight toward players in its wake.

Skeleton Frost Walls (modified): Animus summons destructible skeleton ice walls to ward off players, notably melee players.

Animus’ Servant: Summons 1 powerful beast to fight by Animus’ side.

Ax Barrage: Countless small-sized axes emerge from the ground damaging players in a large area, they are raised up high, then come spiraling down from the sky dealing great damage to players in a large area.

Just before this attack is performed, Animus briefly stands in place, raises his arm & fist to the sky (axes coming up from the ground,) then quickly he brings his arm & fist down (axes spiraling down to the ground, damaging players in an area.)

Think of Ax Barrage like a 5x cooler version of Firestorm coming up from the ground, then back down, except it's axes, not fire balls.

Animus would be a fast-hitting, fast-moving, column-smashing, ax-wielding boss who interacts with his surroundings, occasionally teleports, duplicates himself, and has the ability to occasionally use devastating spells with his left hand when briefly standing in place during battle.

When using his gigantic ax, he would switch between one-handedly swinging his ax at players, and two-handedly swinging his ax at players. When running around normally, he carries his ax with two hands. When upping his running speed (boosted by a spell,) he carries his ax with only one hand.

Note: If Animus were to be a main boss, perhaps he could also include quotes regarding PoE's storyline.

"Give me an Ax handle long enough to thrust through the ground, and I will move the world of Wraeclast!"

"Haha, what have we here, a fool and his fear?"

"Ah, I love the ringing sound of battle through the bloody scars in my Ax!"

"Spoils from the bravest dead enameled in the steels of war,
like you, will be forged to my Ax like a great many before!"

"My Ax is hacks!" (followed by a strong attack)

"Ax my Ax a question, and the answer will be death!"

"For good or bad, your tracks won't matter when met with death by my Ax!"

"You're not bad for a dustmite!"

"I got a joke..." (laughter ensues) "What? That was the joke!" (greater laughter follows)

"One by one, I Ax away the faces of fears, those faces of no longer heres."

""O' well" goes well, until "O' well" goes to Hell! Then you die."

"I'm feeling Axy!" (followed by another very powerful attack)

"Like you I was good, until I smiled at all the things I could!"

"Haha, you're more forsaken than death forsakes a rotting corpse!"

"I have an itch, that which is you; arm your fears with 10,000 spears
and I shall scratch you off!"

"Fool, don't kill me! I'll laugh because it happened." (said at 10% health, followed by evil laughter upon death)

"You want me dead, don't you?!"

followed by...

"Did I Ax you?!" (SLAM! the ground, a player's face, or whatever it is)

"What's the matter?"

4 seconds later...

"I axed you a question!" (BAM! against the ground, a player's face, or whatever it is)

Words that define Animus are:

1. Importance (at least, somewhat, storyline-wise [optional or IF possible])
1. Intimidating (in appearance)
2. Clever / Adroit (in attitude and appearance)
3. Daring
4. Deep-voiced (example at 2:37 of this video regarding the voice only http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tki5y2Llyp8)
5. Unpredictable (during battle)
6. Destructive / Imperiling (during battle)
7. Mysterious (in personality/character)
8. Interactive (specifically with surroundings [IF possible])
9. Smug (to a degree in attitude)
10. Impulsive / Desperate (notably when low on life by performing devastating attacks)
11. Worthy of many a whoa! (time and time again during and well after battle)
12. Envied (at least, somewhat, after the battle)
13. Memorable (well after the battle)

Those are 13 qualities that truly define a boss, especially a main boss. In this case, this is what specifically defines a type of boss I am hoping will come to PoE, at least, a boss close to the type of boss I am describing.

In short, the things current PoE bosses lack is anything they don't have within the 13 listed qualities in the Boss Qualities spoiler above.

The overall criticism here is current bosses in PoE already have some of the qualities in the 13 listed qualities within the spoiler above, but that's all they have. They really don't leave players in complete awe on a scale of 1 to 10 when it comes to bosses, especially main bosses.

The bosses in PoE now have a "Yeah, you're dead, thank you for the gear!" feel about them and nothing more. There needs to be a boss that makes things more exciting, and leaves a lasting impression on all players well after the battle is over.

Piety, if any current boss (I'm sure others agree,) is the only boss that comes close to what makes a boss a boss, but she still misses the mark in some areas.

So before it's too late, please make bosses more exciting in Act 4 and onward, especially any newly emerging main bosses.

Conclusively, I hope something (if anything) is taken away from this OP since the bosses in acts 1, 2 and 3 are already the way they are. I would like to see better bosses in Act 4, and beyond.