Ethan Winters spends most of his time in Resident Evil 7 fighting off the advances of the Baker family – most notably Jack and Marguerite Baker. Both heads of the household are as cruel as they are terrifying, stopping at nothing to rip Ethan into pieces. This being Resident Evil, however, Ethan eventually builds the means to fight back. Before players know it, they’re fighting the Bakers head-on, even earning little victories in the process. But they never last.
After defeating Marguerite in the Old House for the first time, players will finally be able to unlock the Crow door and make it into the Altar. Unfortunately, the Crow Key is just one part of the puzzle. Yet another roadblock poses itself in the form of a scale that can only be weighed down with the Lantern Marguerite is always carrying. When Ethan makes his way back to the pit Marguerite melted in, however, she’s already back to life and rushes away on all fours while holding her Lantern.
Whereas the first boss fight with Marguerite is a solid contender for the easiest battle in the game, Mutated Marguerite is one of Resident Evil 7’s standout enemies. As much a puzzle battle as she is a war of attrition, Mutated Marguerite forces players on the offensive if they want the Lantern.
Greenhouse Blues
After Marguerite runs away with the Lantern at the sight of Ethan, players are meant to descend into the pit and chase after her. The path will eventually lead outdoors, bringing Ethan face to face with the Greenhouse. While the Greenhouse itself has no enemies inside (neither does the Old Yard), Mutated Marguerite is inside and the Greenhouse does serve as the entire boss arena.
The front door on the ground level is locked so walk on up the stairs to the second floor. Jump down the hole in the floor to descend down to the first floor of the Greenhouse. Be very careful not to walk up the stairs before familiarizing yourself with the Greenhouse. Mutated Marguerite will use the entire house to her advantage, so it pays to know where everything is. More importantly, there are items to plunder and Spiders to burn.
Inventory Prep
As mentioned, Mutated Marguerite is no pushover and heading into the Greenhouse unprepared is a recipe for disaster. While there’s more than enough Shotgun and Handgun ammo inside the Greenhouse itself to give Ethan a fighting chance, you’re going to want to bring every weapon in the Item Box (except for the Grenade Launcher, which is best saved for later into the gamer).
It helps to have repaired the Broken Shotgun beforehand as well, but the Broken Handgun makes do if paired with Enhanced Handgun Ammo (made by combining Strong Chem Fluid with Gunpowder). Make sure to have at least 3 First Aid Med on hand for quick healing and the Burner. Fire actually does extra damage to Mutated Marguerite, giving the flamethrower quite a bit of use in the fight. Don’t count on using the knife much and avoid using the Grenade Launcher unless you’re truly desperate (in which case, you’ll just wish you had more ammo later).
Mutated Marguerite
Once you’ve burned all the Spiders on the first floor, open all the doors, and prep up that inventory, head up the stairs to be immediately ambushed by Marguerite. The key to defeating Mutated Marguerite is learning her movement pattern, keeping hot on her trail, and using the right weapons for the right situations.
Marguerite will attack Ethan if she notices him walking by her, but she actually spends most of the fight trying to run away and hide. If Marguerite starts moaning, that means she’s giving birth to a nest of bugs which will swarm Ethan – making it very easy to die if you happen to walk by one while Margurite’s nearby. Always pursue her and try to interrupt Marguerite when she’s giving birth.
Use the Burner to kill any flying bugs while also burning nests. The Burner can also be used to quickly stun Marguerite, allowing you to shoot her weak point (the groin) with either the Shotgun or Enhanced Handgun ammo. Marguerite will move about both floors of the Greenhouse, but there are enough ladders, staircases, and holes in the wall where you can always get to her quickly. Keep on the offensive, guard when appropriate, and don’t miss an opportunity to attack.
Once killed, Marguerite will drop the Lantern. Head on back to the Altar in the Old House, place the Lantern on the scale, and the door will open. The D-Series Arm lies in wait and Resident Evil 7 inches closer to its conclusion.