Palworld: How to Beat Hard Mode Marcus and Faleris at the PIDF Tower

The Hard Mode version of Marcus and Faleris turns the familiar PIDF Tower fight into a true endgame wall. Faleris is still a Fire-type boss weak to Water, but the pair now sits at Level 78 with a 520,500 HP pool, throws Electric attacks on top of its usual flame spam, and drops backup soldiers into the arena the moment the fight begins. Clearing it cleanly comes down to maxed Water Pals, weak-point damage, and disciplined dodging.

Quick answer: Arrive around Level 80 with fully upgraded Water Pals such as Neptilius, wipe out the four PIDF soldiers first, then stack Soak and weak-point buffs while pouring Water damage into the boss and sidestepping every AoE Fire skill.

Hard Mode Marcus and Faleris stats and rewards

This is the same boss you fought earlier in the tower run, only scaled far higher. Faleris keeps its Fire typing and Water weakness, so the core matchup does not change even as the numbers balloon. You unlock the Hard Mode encounter after defeating Auri and Shaolong.

Detail	Info
Boss	Marcus and Faleris
HP	520,500
Level	78
Weakness	Water
Unlock	Defeat Auri and Shaolong
Extra enemies	PIDF Rifleman x2, PIDF Elite x2
Location	PIDF Tower, Desiccated Desert (556, 336)

Marcus Tower Overworld Location — The PIDF Tower sits in the Desiccated Desert at coordinates 556, 336.

The first clear guarantees the Marcus Hat, a Legendary-rarity headpiece. Beyond that, the fight has two chase rewards worth farming: two separate Legendary Ancient Armor schematics, each at a 5 percent drop chance.

Reward	Chance
Marcus Hat	Guaranteed on 1st clear
Legendary Heat-Resistant Ancient Armor Schematic	5%
Legendary Cold-Resistant Ancient Armor Schematic	5%
Carrying Lotus (L)	Drop
Training Crystal	Drop

Prepare your Pals before you enter

Because this is an endgame boss, half-built Pals will not survive. Your active attackers need to hit a strict baseline before they can trade with a Level 78 target.

Requirement	Minimum
Level	80
Pal Soul upgrades	HP +20, Atk +20, Def +20
Trust level	7 or higher
Condense rank	4 stars
State	Awakened

Water Pals do double duty here. They exploit the Fire weakness and resist Faleris’s flame attacks, letting them stay on the field far longer than a neutral attacker.

Pal	Why it works
Neptilius	Top pick. Can be mounted to fire its Active Skills manually, and Thalassonic Laser hits hard and lands multiple times.
Finsider	Its Partner Skill changes your weapon element to Water and adds a 50% Attack boost. Best in a player-damage build.
Jormuntide	Boosts both Pal and player damage against targets afflicted with Soak. A solid alternative active attacker.

Team setups that carry the fight

Two team structures reliably close out the fight. One leans on Pal damage with a swap rotation, the other builds around your own gun and weak-point hits.

Quick-swap Neptilius team (Pal damage)

Run two copies of Neptilius as active attackers, each carrying Serenity, Lunker, Immortality, and Diamond Body. Mount the first Neptilius, unload every Active Skill, then dismount so the AI keeps casting. Once its skills are on cooldown, switch to the second Neptilius and repeat. As long as your player HP is managed and Neptilius stats are maxed, the loop rarely fails. Use the Megaboost Gun to power up your Pal and save ammo when farming.

Support Pal	Role
Jormuntide	Amplifies damage taken by targets afflicted with Soak, for both you and your Pal.
Orserk	Raises the active Pal’s Attack and Defense by 150% while a Drone Launcher keeps firing.
Silvegis	Improves your shield and shield regeneration for survivability.

Finsider Plasma Rifle team (player damage)

Activate Finsider’s Partner Skill to switch your weapon to Water and gain the Attack boost, then aim the Plasma Rifle at Marcus or Faleris’s head for weak-point damage. Stack that with the weak-point buffs from your support Pals. This build needs player Attack investment through Accessories and stat allocation to pay off. Stay away from the center of the pillars, since Axel can charge them into an electric fence that stuns you and your Pal.

Support Pal	Role
Jormuntide	Increases damage taken by Soak-afflicted targets for both player and Pal.
Penking Lux	Raises weak-point damage, boosting gun headshots and super-effective hits alike.
Cryolinx Terra	Boosts damage taken from continuous weak-point hits.
Solenne	Increases the player’s Attack by 80%.

Weapons, armor, and accessories

Keep a Drone Launcher active throughout the fight to maintain Orserk’s Attack and Defense buff. The Plasma Rifle works as your on-hand weapon for applying Pal Passive debuffs or as the main gun in a player-damage build.

Weapon	Lv.	Attack	Durability
Megaboost Gun	63	250	400
Mechanical Bow	67	20000	2000
Drone Launcher	77	200	6500
Plasma Rifle	78	1860	25000

For accessories, prioritize items that raise damage of the element the boss is weak to. The Dogen Emblem is the default pick because it lifts the Attack of both you and your active Pal.

Accessory	Effect
Dogen Emblem	Greatly raises your Attack and your active Pal’s Attack.
Lord of the Sea’s Baton	Raises your Pal’s Attack and significantly boosts Water damage.
Neptilius’s Talisman	Raises your Pal’s Defense and significantly boosts its Water damage.
Faleris Aqua Ring	Greatly reduces incoming Fire damage for your Pal and boosts its Water damage.

As an endgame enemy, this boss demands the highest-Defense gear you can equip. The full Ancient Armor set is the minimum, and any higher-tier upgrade you own goes on top of it.

Item	HP	Def	Added effect
Ancient Shield	N/A	2200	None
Ancient Helm	1200	500	Neutral Damage Reduction Lv.1 / Dragon Damage Reduction Lv.1
Lightweight Ancient Armor	2400	840	Cold Resistance Lv.2 / Heat Resistance Lv.2 / Max Carrying Capacity Lv.4

Food and healing to pack

Tower Bosses run on a time limit, so favor food that raises your damage output over defensive dishes. Broncherry Fried Noodles and Mammorest Curry both fit that goal. Bring healing and revival items too, so a big hit or a downed Pal does not end the run.

Type	Items
Damage food	Broncherry Fried Noodles, Mammorest Curry
Healing	High Quality Recovery Meds, Advanced Recovery Meds, Revival Potion

Fight strategy and what to dodge

Clear the four backup soldiers first. Two PIDF Rifleman and two PIDF Elite spawn at the start and will hound you if left alive, so take them out before turning to the boss.

Recall your Pal during Electric attacks. Faleris mixes Electric moves in with its Fire skills, and those hurt your Water attacker badly. Pull the Pal back whenever an Electric skill winds up.

Dodge the AoE Fire skills. Several of Faleris’s flame attacks cover wide areas and leave a burning zone for a few seconds. Prioritize dodging to avoid heavy damage and the Burn status, which drains your Shield or HP over time.

Focus weak-point damage. In a player-damage build, keep aiming at the weak point for the highest hits. Cryolinx Terra’s Partner Skill sharpens weak-point damage further and lets you burn the boss down fast.

Stack Orserk’s buff with drones. Pairing the Drone Launcher with Orserk’s Partner Skill builds up to 30 stacks quickly for a big Attack and Defense boost. Stay in range of the boss or the drones stop firing and the buff drops. Summon your drones before entering the tower so you can focus on damage and dodging inside.

Hard Mode Marcus and Faleris hits hard, but the fight is very winnable once your Water Pals are maxed, your buffs are stacking, and you are respecting the Fire telegraphs. Lean on the elemental matchup, keep the drones and Soak going, and the 520,500 HP bar falls faster than it looks. Land the first clear for a guaranteed Marcus Hat, then keep running it for a shot at those Legendary Ancient Armor schematics.