Metal Gear Solid 4 Boss Strategy: Heaven Troopers

The very first boss fight in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is against the Heaven Troopers near the end of Act 1. These elite soldiers are more difficult to take down than the average ones you see wandering around the battlefields. Here are some tips to help you out.

The Bosses
Otherwise known as the Frogs (for their impressive jumping abilities), the Heaven Troopers are the personal bodyguards for Liquid Ocelot. Oddly enough, the troop only contains female members.

Hunting you in packs, their weapons of choice are the P90 and Stun Grenades. So it's best to avoid confronting them head on when they are more than two of them around. Keep in mind that they can also latch onto walls.

The Allies
Fortunately, Old Snake has the help of Rat Patrol Team 01 on his side. The four man team will assist you in fighting the Heaven Troopers by providing items to Old Snake, taking some of the Heaven Troopers' attention away from him and even taking down a portion of the troops themselves.

Make sure you stay close to Rat Patrol Team 01 or you could be overwhelmed pretty quickly. Don't worry if there are some Heaven Troopers left in the abandoned area, they will come after you and the team eventually.

The Arena
The Advent Palace has four floors. From the top, you have to make your way down to the basement. Each floor will have a set of Heaven Troopers to deal with before advancing to the floor below.

During the fight on the second floor, Johnny of Rat Patrol Team 01 will get knocked out. You will need to crouch down near him and press triangle to wake him up. Johnny is needed to advance to the bottom floor because only he can disable the infrared trap blocking your way. Make sure the area is clear before doing so, however, since the Heaven Troopers will come at you pretty quickly.

Weapons
Despite having more health, the Heaven Troopers can be defeated in one shot if you aim at their heads. Auto-firing guns works best since you can spray the bullets at their heads without worrying about accuracy.