Most people looking up how to beat el impoluto are stuck on one specific moment rather than the whole encounter, so the phases below are split accordingly.
Greed is what ends most attempts here, not the damage output. If you are short on time, the first section alone is usually enough. Learn the tell for the heavy attack first; everything else can be reacted to.
The short answer
The encounter is built around one punishing phase; prepare specifically for that phase and the rest is manageable.
Before you start the attempt
Give the first attempt an honest try before deciding the method does not work. Resources spent in the first phase are resources you will badly want later. People often blame the game when the actual cause is a setting they changed weeks ago. Nothing below requires mods, paid tools or an account on some sketchy site.
Most advice on this topic assumes you already know half the answer, which is exactly the problem. Anything marked optional really is optional, so skip it without guilt. If something here stops matching what you see on screen, the game has probably changed a value in an update.
Phase by phase
If something here stops matching what you see on screen, the game has probably changed a value in an update. Most advice on this topic assumes you already know half the answer, which is exactly the problem. There is a fast way and a safe way, and they are not the same thing.
- Check the version you are running before following any step-by-step advice.
- Back up your save if the game gives you the option.
- Write down what you changed, so you can undo it if the result gets worse.
- Test one change at a time instead of five at once.
- Restart fully after a change rather than trusting a quick reload.
- Keep a spare loadout for the attempts that go badly.
Cleaning up the run
Most advice on this topic assumes you already know half the answer, which is exactly the problem. Nothing below requires mods, paid tools or an account on some sketchy site. If something here stops matching what you see on screen, the game has probably changed a value in an update. The difference between a smooth run and a frustrating one usually comes down to preparation, not skill.
Give the first attempt an honest try before deciding the method does not work. The difference between a smooth run and a frustrating one usually comes down to preparation, not skill. The community figured most of this out through repetition, and the pattern has held up well.
Mistakes worth avoiding
- Changing several settings at once, then having no idea which one helped.
- Following a guide written for an older version and assuming nothing moved.
- Trusting a video thumbnail over the actual patch notes.
- Skipping the preparation step because it looks boring, then repeating the hard part four times.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a cheese strategy?
There is usually one, and it usually gets patched. The route above keeps working because it relies on the encounter design rather than a bug.
Can this be done at a lower level?
Yes, and people do it regularly. It takes longer and leaves less room for mistakes, but nothing about the encounter requires overleveling.
Does this still work after the latest update?
It did at the time of writing. If a step no longer matches, the underlying idea normally still applies even when a menu has moved.
Bookmark this if you expect to look up how to beat el impoluto again after the next update.