Cyclops

Cyclops is an enemy in Dragon's Dogma

The "Cyclops" is a one-eyed monster possessing a huge body and fearsome tusks. Fully grown cyclopes reach a height of twenty to twenty-five feet, and as a result of their large size they are prone to sloth and apathy. However, cyclopes can be inspired to ferocious action when they are angered, so act with caution in their presence.  

Overview
Cyclopes’ preferred methods of attack are primitive and unsophisticated, but devastating in their sheer force. Mainly resorting to their natural brute strength, some individuals have also been seen to employ a club as a weapon. Cyclopes are woefully unequipped when it comes to intelligence and that is why they are often found enslaved by humans or other creatures. The secret society Salvation is known to prefer using cyclopes in their attacks, thanks to the creatures’ resemblance to the group’s symbolic icon: the Remaining Eye.

They can be surprisingly docile and will quickly take a liking to any who provide them with sustenance—but if a cyclops is hungry or angered, you will see its true brutality.

The appetite of a cyclops is voracious and they have been known to capture and eat goblins. However, goblins have also managed to enslave many cyclopes by feeding them. They view the cyclopes as useful bodyguards, and the cyclopes see the goblins as convenient masters that keep them fed.

General Info
*Post Game Notice Board Quest

Item Drops (Cyclops)
*Post-Game Only

Pawn Bestiary Knowledge
The techniques from the Strategy scrolls can be learned by either using said scroll or if performed by the Arisen in front of the pawn.
 * Cyclops Tactics - Specific techniques on how to defeat cyclopes.
 * Cyclops Strategy Vol. 1 - A strong hit to the arm holding the club/cudgel will make it drop the weapon.
 * Cyclops Strategy Vol. 2 - Breaking off the tusk by attacking the head will grant knowledge. Pawns will yell "Pick up any tusks broken loose."
 * Strike the eye. It is the weakest spot.
 * Weak to Lightning.
 * Use Lightning to stun. Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen Screenshot CycLeg.jpg
 * Armored Cyclops - Climb its back and make it reach for you, then jump off before it can grab you. This will make it remove its own helmet. Also works on the Condemned Gorecyclops (although its helm can be removed much more easily via attacks).
 * Climb on its leg to throw it off balance. The cyclops must do a specific animation of it standing on one leg for knowledge to be triggered. Once done Pawns will yell "It cannot move with one upon its leg!"

In addition to witnessing these techniques, it is necessary for Pawns to participate in killing 50 Cyclopes either with their own Arisen or while travelling with others.

Tactics (Offensive)

 * Weak against Lightning enchanted weapons (like the Crescending Roar mace, Caladbolg sword or Galvanic Razors) and Lightning based magic like Levin, Brontide, and Fulmination. Cyclops take 180% or 1.8 times more damage from the Thunder element.
 * Vulnerable to all debilitations including Torpor, Poison, Blind, Tarred in Oil, Burning/On fire.
 * Vulnerable to Lowered Strength. Use the Dragon's Roost shield to reduce their physical attack damage by 30%.
 * Vulnerable to Lowered Defense. Throw a Skull or use Sapfire Daggers to lower its defense by 40%.
 * Use a Rusted weapon to inflict both Torpor (slow) and Poisoned simultaneously. The higher the enhancement of the Rusted weapon, the higher the chance it will debilitate with each strike. The danger of the Cyclops' rampage is thus nullified and makes climbing easier.
 * Use an Aneled weapon to inflict both Blind and Tarred in Oil simultaneously. The higher the enhancement of an Aneled weapon, the higher chance it will debilitate with each strike.  Tarring makes it easier to catch fire.
 * To increase the chance of successful debilitation, use multi-strike skills like Fivefold/Tenfold Flurry, Thousand Kisses, Brain Splitter, Corkscrew Arrow, Sheltered Assault, Cymbal Onslaught, or Great Windmill.
 * A Cyclops can be disarmed by inflicting enough damage to the hand that's holding a weapon, or by stunning the Cyclops (Lightning based spell like High Levin works extremely well). Performing a perfect block when it attacks with its cudgel is equally effective.
 * Helmet removal: At the start of the fight, climb up its back and jump or release when it tries to grab you. If you position yourself correctly a bit below the neck on its back, jumping or releasing is not necessary.
 * It may also remove its helmet if it receives enough cumulative fire damage (the helmet possibly gets too hot for the Cyclops to tolerate).
 * Armor removal: Blunt weapons like hammers and shields can strip off its armors quicker than swords and daggers. Alternately, one can throw items such as Rocks or Bricks and explosive items like a Explosive Barrel or Throwblast at the Cyclops.
 * All vocations: Its legs are usually heavily armored to deflect strikes, so climb up the back and hack away (Dire Gouge and Thousand Kisses work best). Use the climbing augments Adhesion (for grip), Opportunism (+30% attack) and Arm Strength (for climbing stamina). Wearing Gloves of Might add even MORE grip and climbing speed.
 * Assassins: Masterful Kill and Clairvoyance can be used to counter the Cyclops' club swing, but the Arisen is likely to bounce off the leg armor (without suffering any damage from the club swing).
 * Magic Archers: Ricochet Hunter is very effective due to its thunder elemental damage and has a chance of stunning the Cyclops. Equip a staff and use High Brontide or High Levin.
 * Mystic Knights: Great Cannon can be extremely effective at stripping a Cyclops of its armor. Equip a staff and use High Brontide or High Levin; using a Thunder-based Riposte and/or Trance is very effective.
 * Mages : High Comestion is effective against Cyclops, but lightning-based spells are the most damaging. Mages can use Levin/High Levin or Brontide/High Brontide very effectively against them.
 * Sorcerers: Cyclopes are extremely vulnerable to Thundershock.  Use Levin/High Levin, Brontide/High Brontide and/or cast Fulmination/High Fulmination to course Thunder damage through the climbing members of your party.

Tactics (Defensive)

 * The primary general defensive strategy in Dragon's Dogma is to first eliminate all lesser, distracting enemies before engaging the biggest threat. From the start, shoot down the flying creatures, sniper the magic users from afar, chase down the wolf packs, etc before tackling the huge behemoths. Pawns generally focus on the largest threat and get picked apart by the support enemies which distract or debilitate them. So even if the Arisen has to run all the way up and down the map to accomplish this objective, KILL THE SUPPORT ENEMIES FIRST, THEN TACKLE THE BIGGEST THREAT LAST.


 * If climbing the monster and it reaches up to grab you, Instant Reset can be used as an emergency dismount to avoid being grabbed and eaten. The Arisen may even re-grab a lower part of the body on the way down and climb right back up.
 * Engage the Cyclops from long range or from high ground to avoid its club attacks and stomps.
 * Warning: Attacking the Cyclops' eye (its weakest spot) will enrage the creature, causing it to rampage around swinging its weapon blindly. Despite the haphazard nature of this strategy, it can be extremely effective as long as the Arisen prepares to evade the oncoming rampage.
 * If a Cyclops' eye takes enough damage, the creature will occasionally hold it pain. This gives the Arisen more time to attack, though it shields the Cyclops' weak spot.

Trivia

 * Oddly, the Arisen may randomly be rewarded with TWO Mishappen Eye drops from a ONE eyed Cyclops.
 * Ophis, the female bandit leader, keeps a pet Cyclops that the Arisen can feed in order to gain Ophis's Badge of Amity (see under 'Cyclops Care' -> Ophis).