Cursed Coach

The Cursed Coach is an Unversed that is found in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. It is one of the bosses at Castle of Dreams and Mirage Arena.

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
Due to Lady Tremaine's jealousy, this Unversed spawns and attacks Cinderella and the Grand Duke. This occurs after it is discovered that Cinderella's foot fit the glass slipper, so the Grand Duke, being close at hand to see it, escapes the Cursed Coach and manages to warn Aqua of its presence. Aqua rushes to Cinderella's rescue, and Lady Tremaine and her two daughters meet their end, as they are incinerated by one of the bombs released by the Unversed that were raining down from the sky. Aqua then staves off the Cursed Coach, allowing Cinderella to escape.

Design
The Cursed Coach is a large Unversed that resembles a warped version of the pumpkin carriage from Cinderella. Its main body is a large, dark orange pumpkin with a wide, crooked mouth with thin, white lips and teeth. It has large, black markings on it that seem to be its eyes at first glance, but the Unversed's actual, red eyes are on the small, grey stem of the pumpkin. The pumpkin has two thorny, pale yellow tentacles on the sides of its body that are tipped with pale, yellow and blue flowers. Four black, thorny vines curl into large "wheels" underneath the pumpkin. Both the Cursed Coach's false eyes and its actual eyes are set in sorrowful expressions and the Unversed emblem is displayed below its mouth.

The Cursed Coach's name is a clear reference to its warped appearance. The coach is somewhat similar to the deformed pumpkin carriage from Cinderella III: A Twist in Time, which Lady Tremaine used to send Cinderella away from the palace, while Anastasia, disguised as Cinderella, married the Prince.

Strategy
The battle against the Cursed Coach, as it is one of the earliest boss fights in the game, is designed to test the player's knowledge of Aqua's strengths and weaknesses. It is important to remember that Aqua favors magic over physical strength or speed. This means all abilities equipped to her should be magic-based for maximum damage. Aqua also will have access to Shotlocks, D-Links, and Command Styles, so be sure to use the extra power these special abilities grant wisely.

At the start of the battle, immediately Lock-On and close the gap between Aqua and the Unversed boss by using a fast-paced, long-ranged attack such as Reflect Blitz, as this attack can hit three times in one use, able to deal a surprisingly great amount of damage. The player should then convert to a hit-and-run strategy as with most bosses, utilizing Aqua's magical prowess to conquer the boss instead of physical might (magic will also allow Aqua to stay slightly out of the boss's attack range, preventing most damage while still hitting the Unversed). The Cursed Coach will attempt to escape Aqua by wheeling around the battlefield just out of attack range, so keep on it with a chain of Wheel Rolls.

If the Cursed Coach begins to leap around the battlefield, it will create shockwaves each time it lands. These shockwaves have a relatively short range, but they deal damage when coming into contact with Aqua, thus they should be dodged with Wheel Roll or even defended against with Reflect. If one chooses to use a well-timed Reflect, a counter technique can then be utilized as a combo to damage the boss, such as Revenge Blitz. After taking enough damage, the Cursed Coach will be stunned. The player can then use the command "Turnover", which will cause Aqua to flip the boss onto its back and dropping much-needed HP balls amongst other small rewards. This is the time to utilize physical attacks, especially those given an extra boost in strength by Command Styles like Spellweaver. The player should use caution, however, as the Unversed will quickly gain its senses and begin flailing about wildly while shining in a dark aura in hopes of damaging Aqua. Stay out of attack range and dodge with Wheel Roll.

As the Cursed Coach's HP dwindles, it will open its large maw and attempt to suck Aqua in. This attack can be avoided if Aqua remains behind the Cursed Coach, but if she is captured, rapidly tap to escape. Physical attacks can be used here if one is cautious. Should the Unversed boss being to spin around the battlefield, simply Wheel Roll to dodge. When the Cursed Coach levitates above the ground, it will use its most deadly attack, one that consists of it shooting numerous bombs at Aqua. Chain several Wheel Rolls together to avoid the boss, and do not attempt any offensive maneuvers whatsoever. Should the Cursed Coach spawn the lesser Thorn Bite Unversed to distract Aqua, avoid them and remain focused on the boss, as defeating the Thorn Bites is only optional and does not provide a worthwhile reward. So long as the player heals when necessary and utilizes all special powers granted by Command Styles and the like, defeating the Cursed Coach will not be difficult.

Wheel of Misfortune
The Cursed Coach returns at the Mirage Arena, fought in the Wheel of Misfortune round. Serving as the final boss after several waves of Unversed have been defeated, the Cursed Coach will utilize the same attacks as in its first battle with Aqua; the same strategies can be utilized to defeat it this time. The only differences in this battle will be the Unversed boss's greatly increased HP amount, the possible presence of any friends if the player selects co-op mode, and the increased power of the player's attacks. Should the player choose to face the Cursed Coach as Terra or Ventus, they merely must change strategies to one that suits a particular character's strengths and weaknesses (recall that Terra favors brute strength, Aqua her magic, and Ventus speed). Due to the player's greatly increased power and any help the player may get from friends, the Cursed Coach will be quite easy to defeat, clearing the Wheel of Misfortune event.

Villains' Vendetta
The Cursed Coach makes a last stand in the Villain's Vendetta round. The same strategies utilized in past battles can be used to defeat it this time. The player should make sure that their character is at a relatively high level, having his or her most powerful abilities equipped. This will not only ensure that maximum damage is dealt to boss, but also that the player's character takes as little damage as possible. As always, remember Terra, Aqua, and Ventus's different fighting styles, make use of Command Styles and the like, and be sure to heal if necessary.