Conquering Happiness Hands in Persona 4 Golden: A Guide
Happiness Hands are formidable foes in Persona 4 Golden, randomly appearing in dungeons and springing from chests. Each encounter presents a tougher challenge than the last, making them some of the game's most difficult early enemies. Despite their difficulty, defeating them yields substantial XP, making the battle worthwhile. This guide focuses on overcoming Happiness Hands in Yukiko's Castle, early in the game.
Happiness Hand Weaknesses and Strategies
Happiness Hands boast strong elemental resistances. The key to victory lies in exploiting their weakness to physical attacks. While Almighty attacks are effective against Golden Hands later in the game, they're unavailable early on. Happiness Hands inflict minimal damage and sometimes remain idle, but they flee at the first opportunity. A weakness exploit or critical hit will trigger their escape. Focus on defeating one at a time if multiple appear; taking down even one before they flee is a significant achievement.
Defeating Happiness Hands: A Step-by-Step Approach
The most crucial element in defeating Happiness Hands is fusing Orobas. Orobas possesses the invaluable skill, Hysterical Slap, which strikes twice and has a chance to inflict the Rage status effect. A Raged Happiness Hand will continuously use its basic attack, preventing its escape. You can fuse Orobas using the following Persona combinations:
- Apsaras + Forneus
- Apsaras + Slime
Before engaging, ensure your party is fully healed. Concentrate solely on physical attacks, prioritizing HP-costing moves and avoiding other actions. Assign the following attacks:
- Yosuke: Sonic Punch
- Chie: Skull Cracker
- Protagonist: Hysterical Slap
Repeat this attack cycle until victory. Early-game success relies heavily on luck due to limited options. However, defeating a Happiness Hand provides significant experience at low levels.
Crucial Note: If you down a Happiness Hand, refrain from using an all-out attack unless you're certain of a kill. Otherwise, it will recover and escape.
