Elemental Strategy: Chilla

Chilla combines long-range precision with a good short-range strike that knocks enemies onto his spiky back which can then be used as a club, thrown at enemies, or hurled into walls or hazards. Chilla is also the only Elemental Warrior that can climb ice walls—an ability you’ll use frequently throughout the game.

Though not the fastest or most agile Elemental Warrior, Chilla is extremely effective both in close combat and at range. His standard Aim/Ice Spike attack has the longest range of any attack, and is the most precise attack of all the Elemental Warriors. Aimed properly against an opponent with a lot of hit points (or even opponents impervious to the Ice Spike, like Armor Trolls), you can quickly and repeatedly hit them with Ice Spike and rapidly achieve Warrior Focus.

It takes some time to activate Aim and use an Ice Spike, however, so be sure you’re free from distractions or large groups of attacking enemies when you use these abilities. Practice switching in and out of the Aim (left trigger) ability quickly, and don't let yourself get surrounded by enemies. Even in Warrior Focus, an unnoticed Troll or a swarm of Trolls can still hurt you.

Expert Tip: If you’re stuck or can’t figure out how to get somewhere, look closely for climbable walls. They are sometimes difficult to see. Look for opportunities to destroy chains with an Ice Spike—especially useful for dropping chandeliers or other suspended items on enemies.

Chilla’s other main attack is a melee strike that can hit up to three enemies simultaneously (if they are close enough together) and knock them onto his back, where they can then be used as clubs, spears, or simply tossed over a cliff. Generally, using them as spears or hurling them into hazards is the best tactic. You’ll score lots of Brutal Bonuses, or even Frenzy Bonuses if you manage to hurl an enemy into another and send them both flying off a ledge or into a hazard. Once again, it’s important to practice quickly switching into and out of Aim—Aim (left trigger), throw your enemies (right trigger), then exit Aim (left trigger). Then use your SpikeBack (right trigger) attack to round up more “ammunition.”

Upgrade to Chilla’s Spike Storm as soon as possible, followed by Spirit Up. The Spike Storm gives Chilla an excellent attack for stunning all the enemies around him, making them easy targets for the SpikeBack attack. It’s the perfect combination for gathering up ammunition and scoring tons of quick Brutal Bonuses. After getting Spike Storm, take either Slam Hammer or Deep Chill (in whatever order suits your play style) both of which give Chilla an attack that is good for scoring Brutal Bonuses. (Even then, we still mostly used Chilla’s Aim/Throw attack for disposing of enemies and scoring lots of Brutal Bonuses.)