Conquering Happiness Hands in Persona 4 Golden: A Guide
Happiness Hands, formidable foes in Persona 4 Golden, randomly appear in dungeons, both in the overworld and lurking within chests. Each encounter presents a progressively challenging fight, making them some of the toughest enemies early on. Despite their difficulty, defeating them yields substantial XP, making the effort worthwhile. This guide focuses on overcoming Happiness Hands in Yukiko's Castle, a particularly early-game challenge.
Happiness Hand Weaknesses and Strategies
Happiness Hands exhibit significant resistance to elemental attacks. The key to victory lies in exploiting their vulnerability to physical attacks. While Almighty attacks are effective against Golden Hands later in the game, they're unavailable at this stage. Happiness Hands inflict minimal damage, often idling, but they flee at the first opportunity. A weakness exploit or critical hit guarantees their escape. Prioritize targeting a single Happiness Hand if multiple appear; defeating even one before they flee is a significant achievement.
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's dual strikes and low chance of inflicting Rage on the enemy are crucial. A Raged Happiness Hand will continuously use its basic attack, preventing escape. Orobas can be fused using:
- Apsaras + Forneus
- Apsaras + Slime
Before engaging, ensure your party is fully healed. Concentrate solely on physical attacks, avoiding any actions that consume MP. Utilize the following:
- Yosuke: Sonic Punch
- Chie: Skull Cracker
- Protagonist: Hysterical Slap
Repeat this cycle until victory. Early-game success relies heavily on luck due to limited options, but defeating a Happiness Hand provides significant experience gains 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 revive and escape.
