The first part of the Anime Vanguards Extermination Event introduces one of the toughest encounters yet: Mahoraga in Rift and Raid Act 4. If you’ve jumped into the event expecting a standard boss fight, you’ve probably noticed things go wrong very quickly.
The biggest reason is Mahoraga’s adaptation mechanic. A team that easily clears earlier stages can suddenly struggle if you aren’t paying attention to how the boss changes during the fight.
Here’s a breakdown of how the mechanic works, which units perform well, and a useful Monarch trick that can make Act 4 much easier.
Anime Vanguards Rift & Raid Act 4 Guide – Beat Mahoraga
Mahoraga’s main gimmick is its adaptation ability.
Instead of adapting randomly, it adapts to the element of the unit that attacked it most recently.
This means your unit selection matters much more than raw damage. If you’re constantly hitting the boss with the same element or with damage-over-time effects, you’ll make the fight much harder than it needs to be.
Managing which unit lands the last attack is one of the keys to defeating the boss consistently.
Best Units for Mahoraga
Since adaptation depends on the most recent attack, units with fast SPA (Seconds Per Attack) are especially valuable.
Some recommended options include:
- Rimu
- Sakuya
Among these, Rimu stands out as one of the better choices because relatively few units use the Holy element, making adaptation easier to control throughout the fight.
Avoid Damage-over-Time Units
One mistake many players make is bringing units that constantly apply damage-over-time (DoT).
Units like Sukuna can repeatedly trigger Mahoraga’s adaptation because their lingering damage continues hitting the boss even when you’re focusing on other units.
For that reason, it’s generally better to avoid DoT-focused teams during this encounter unless you’re specifically building around the mechanic.
Prioritize Low-Hit Burst Units
Instead of units that hit dozens of times every second, focus on characters that deal powerful attacks with fewer individual hits.
Examples include:
- Gojo
- Mana
These units make Mahoraga’s adaptation much easier to manage while still dealing excellent damage.
Best Team Strategy for Act 4
One important restriction in Act 4 is that only one unit can receive the Monarch effect under normal circumstances.
Because of this, your team should be built around a single hyper-carry instead of spreading resources across multiple DPS characters.
A strong setup is:
- One primary damage dealer (such as Fain)
- Several support and damage buff units
- Fast attackers to help control adaptation
This allows your main carry to deal the majority of the damage while your support units improve overall performance.
Monarch Trick for Two Monarch Units
One of the most interesting discoveries from the community is a trick that temporarily allows two Monarch units.
The process works like this:
- Place Gojo before your secondary damage dealer.
- Ensure your second unit doesn’t initially receive Monarch.
- Swap to Gojo.
- Sell Gojo.
- Place Gojo again.
If performed correctly, Gojo can gain a free Monarch, allowing you to effectively have two Monarch-enhanced units during the stage.
While this may be changed in a future update, it’s currently a useful strategy for increasing your overall damage output.
Best Cards to Use
Card selection also plays a major role during the event.
The two cards worth prioritizing are:
Full Stack
This card removes Mahoraga’s adaptation effect, making the boss much easier to damage consistently.
If you have the opportunity to pick it, it’s usually one of the strongest choices available.
Sequential
Sequential grants a free Monarch, giving your team a significant power boost without using your normal Monarch allocation.
It’s another high-priority card that can noticeably improve your run.
Tips for Clearing Act 4
To improve your chances of clearing the stage:
- Use fast-SPA units to better control adaptation.
- Avoid heavy damage-over-time teams.
- Focus on a single hyper-carry instead of multiple DPS units.
- Choose Full Stack whenever possible.
- Pick Sequential for an additional Monarch boost.
- Take advantage of the Gojo Monarch trick while it’s still available.
Following these strategies makes Mahoraga much more manageable, especially on higher difficulties.
Mahoraga is easily one of the more unique bosses introduced in Anime Vanguards thanks to its adaptation mechanic. Instead of relying purely on damage, the fight rewards players who carefully manage their team composition and understand how adaptation works.
Building around fast attackers, avoiding unnecessary DoT damage, and using powerful cards like Full Stack and Sequential can dramatically increase your chances of success. If you’re still struggling with Rift and Raid Act 4, making a few adjustments to your lineup may be all you need to finally bring Mahoraga down.