carnifex boss warhammer 40k space marine 2
Screenshot by Destructoid

How to defeat the Carnifex boss in Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2

Keep your distance.

As you explore the Forge World of Avarax for the first time in Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2, you’ll find yourself face to face with one of the mightiest warriors among the Tyranid’s ranks: The Carnifex. This monster is no joke and will put you down if you’re not fast.

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The Carnifex boss fight pops up almost out of nowhere in Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2. You’ve just located the information you seek, but then this hulking monster decides to hop out and ruin your day. while not a tricky enemy to fight, it’s incredibly powerful and will rip you to shreds if you don’t know what you’re doing. It took me a couple of tries to take it out, but with my help, you should be able to take it down in one go.

How to defeat the Carnifex boss in Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2

carnifex on fire in warhammer 40k space marine 2
Screenshot by Destructoid

The key to beating the Carnifex in Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 is keeping your distance. Each time you see the red indicator appear, dodge backward and be ready to do it again because the Carnifex will attack again immediately. For this reason, it’s better to use ranged weapons to attack it from afar while your teammates distract it with damage from other directions.

Frag Grenades and Krak Grenades deal a decent chunk of damage without needing to close any distance. You’ll need to use whatever you start the fight with and pick up any Grenades you can find in the arena. While there aren’t many resources about, there will be a few somewhere.

Smaller Tyranids are going to invade this fight as you work your way through each chunk of the Carnifex’s health. They’re an inconvenience for sure, but also an opportunity to top up armor. See if you can time a few good parries to restore your armor and gain some extra defense against the boss.

carnifex shooting in warhammer 40k space marine 2
Screenshot by Destructoid

Once you’ve worked the Carnifex down to its last chunk of health, it will focus entirely on you and hammer you with melee and ranged attacks. It’s at this point that I lost my first attempt at killing it. You need to be prepared for the incoming attacks and get back as much as possible while also slamming it with bullets and blasts from shotguns, rifles, and pistols.

Once the monster has taken enough damage, you can trigger an execution that’s incredibly satisfying. That’s the end of the fight, and you’ll be able to move on to the next section of the mission, where you finally uncover the data you’ve been searching for.


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Author
Image of Jamie Moorcroft-Sharp
Jamie Moorcroft-Sharp
Jamie is a Staff Writer on Destructoid who has been playing video games for the better part of the last three decades. He adores indie titles with unique and interesting mechanics and stories, but is also a sucker for big name franchises, especially if they happen to lean into the horror genre.