Conquering Happiness Hands in Persona 4 Golden: A Comprehensive Guide
Golden Hands, formidable foes in Persona 4 Golden, randomly appear in dungeons, lurking in the overworld or springing from chests. Each encounter presents a progressively challenging battle, making them some of the game's toughest opponents. Despite their difficulty, defeating them yields substantial XP, making the challenge worthwhile. This guide focuses on overcoming Happiness Hands, the Golden Hands found in Yukiko's Castle, early in the game.
Happiness Hand Weaknesses and Strategies
Happiness Hands exhibit strong resistance to elemental attacks. The key to victory lies in exploiting their vulnerability to physical damage. While Almighty attacks are typically effective against Golden Hands, this strategy isn't viable early in the game. Happiness Hands inflict minimal damage and may even skip turns, but they'll flee at the first opportunity. A weakness exploit or critical hit will trigger their escape. When facing multiple Happiness Hands, prioritize targeting a single enemy to maximize your chances of success before they scatter.
Defeating Happiness Hands: A Step-by-Step Approach
The most effective strategy involves fusing Orobas, a Persona possessing the invaluable skill "Hysterical Slap." This skill delivers a double hit and has a chance to inflict the Rage status effect. A Raged Happiness Hand will continuously use its basic attack, preventing its escape. Orobas can be fused using the following Persona combinations:
- Apsaras + Forneus
- Apsaras + Slime
Before engaging, ensure your party is fully healed. Concentrate solely on physical attacks that consume HP, avoiding any other actions. Utilize Yosuke's Sonic Punch, Chie's Skull Cracker, and the Protagonist's Hysterical Slap repeatedly. Early-game success heavily relies on luck due to limited options, but defeating even a single Happiness Hand provides significant party level-ups.
Crucially, avoid using an All-Out Attack unless you're certain of a kill. Otherwise, the downed Happiness Hand will recover and flee.
