So, you’ve finally made it to the snowy peaks of the Astral Mountains. You’re likely shivering, your stamina is draining faster than a punctured water skin, and looming over the horizon is that massive, neon-lit monolith: the Pal Genetic Research Unit Tower. It’s intimidating. Honestly, it should be. While the other towers in Palworld feel like standard boss gates, this one feels like a statement. It’s the unofficial "endgame" wall that separates the casual explorers from the players who actually understand how to min-max their team composition.
Victor and Shadowbeak are waiting inside. They aren’t interested in a fair fight.
If you’ve spent any time in the community forums or Discord, you know the reputation of this place. It’s not just about the level cap. It’s about the sheer jump in mechanical difficulty. You can’t just roll in with a high-level fire type and hope for the best like you did at the Rayne Syndicate Tower. The Pal Genetic Research Unit Tower represents the pinnacle of PALOS research—lore-wise, it’s where the most unethical experiments happen, and gameplay-wise, it’s where your mistakes finally catch up to you.
The Absolute Unit: Understanding Victor and Shadowbeak
Victor is the head of the PAL Genetic Research Unit, and he’s essentially the final boss of the current tower circuit. He rides Shadowbeak, a Dark-type Pal that looks like it walked straight out of a gothic nightmare.
Here is the problem. Shadowbeak has a massive health pool—we’re talking over 200,000 HP. But it’s not just the health. It’s the "Divine Disaster" move. If you’ve seen those purple orbs and light beams filling your screen, you know exactly how fast your health bar can vanish. This move tracks. It punishes greed. If you try to squeeze in one extra shot with your Assault Rifle instead of dodging, you’re done.
Shadowbeak is a Dark type. This means you need Dragon types. But wait—there’s a catch. Many of the best Dragon types in the game, like Jetragon, are also susceptible to some of the secondary coverage moves Victor likes to throw out. It’s a balancing act. You aren’t just fighting a Pal; you’re fighting a curated AI loadout designed to exploit your reliance on legendary mounts.
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Why everyone fails their first attempt
Most players walk into the Pal Genetic Research Unit Tower at level 45 or 48 thinking they’re ready. They aren’t. The timer is your biggest enemy here. Ten minutes sounds like a lot until you realize you’re chipping away at a boss that takes reduced damage from almost everything that isn't a headshot or a weak-point hit.
- Underestimating Defense: You need the Cold Weather Refined Metal Armor at a minimum, but Palmetal is better.
- Poor Pal Pathing: The arena is large, but Shadowbeak moves fast. If your Pals are stuck behind a pillar, they aren't doing DPS.
- Ammo Scarcity: If you aren't bringing 500+ rounds of Assault Rifle ammo or a Rocket Launcher, you're basically throwing pebbles at a tank.
The Lore You Probably Missed
The Pal Genetic Research Unit Tower isn't just a boss arena; it’s a narrative graveyard. If you’ve been collecting the logs scattered around the Astral Mountains, the story of Victor becomes much darker. This isn't just a guy who likes Dark Pals. He’s obsessed with the "perfect" lifeform.
The tower itself is filled with lab equipment and vats. It’s a stark contrast to the makeshift camps of the Free Pal Alliance or the ruggedness of the Rayne Syndicate. This is high-tech cruelty. Shadowbeak is widely theorized—and supported by in-game descriptions—to be a product of these very experiments. It’s a "synthetic" Pal in spirit, if not in literal classification. When you fight him, you’re fighting the culmination of all the Pal Souls you’ve seen sacrificed throughout your journey.
It’s kinda poetic, in a messed-up way. You spend the whole game capturing and breeding, and then you face the guy who took that logic to its absolute, horrifying extreme.
Strategy: How to Actually Win
Don't go in there without a plan. Seriously.
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First, let’s talk about Jormuntide Ignis or Jetragon. While Dragon moves are the play, you need to be cycling your Pals. The moment Shadowbeak winds up for Divine Disaster, swap your Pal out. This "Pal-swapping" invulnerability frame is the only way to keep your team alive for the full ten minutes.
Secondly, use the environment. There are pillars. They break line of sight. They stop the orb projectiles. Use them.
The "Rocket" Meta
Honestly? If you’re struggling with the timer, you need the Rocket Launcher. It’s expensive to craft. The ammo is a nightmare to farm. But the stagger effect is undeniable. Every time you knock Shadowbeak back, you’re buying yourself three seconds of breathing room. In the Pal Genetic Research Unit Tower, three seconds is the difference between a successful run and a long trek back from the respawn point.
Recommended Team Composition
- Jetragon: For the pure Dragon-type DPS.
- Chillet (High Star): If you can breed a 4-star Chillet, its partner skill adds Dragon damage to your attacks while mounted. This is a game-changer for your player-character DPS.
- Gobfin (Multiple): Keep these in your party for the passive attack buff. They don't even need to fight.
- A healer: Lovander or Teafant (if you're brave) can help, but honestly, at this level, if you're taking hits, you're already losing.
The Astral Mountains Environment
Getting to the tower is half the battle. You’re dealing with sub-zero temperatures. If your armor breaks mid-climb, you’re dead before you even see the front door. I’ve seen so many players lose their gear because they didn't bring an undershirt or a heater Pal.
The surrounding area is also home to some of the best endgame Pals. While you're in the neighborhood of the Pal Genetic Research Unit Tower, keep an eye out for Frostallion nearby. It’s a legendary encounter that is arguably harder than the tower itself, but having a Frostallion on your side makes the rest of the game a breeze.
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Final Insights and Next Steps
The Pal Genetic Research Unit Tower is the ultimate test of your mastery over Palworld's systems. It’s where the "survival" aspect and the "monster battler" aspect collide. If you can beat Victor, you’ve essentially "beaten" the current progression of the game's challenge.
Your Action Plan:
- Level Up to 50: Don't even try it at 45 unless you're a glutton for punishment. The level scaling in Palworld is steep; those five levels represent a massive jump in hidden defense stats.
- Farm Legendary Schematics: Go hunt the Alpha bosses (like Blazamut or Suzaku) to find the Legendary Assault Rifle or Pump-Action Shotgun schematics. You need the raw damage.
- Breed for Passives: A Shadowbeak with "Musclehead," "Ferocious," and "Legend" is a beast, but your Dragon counter-picks need "Divine Dragon" or "Vanguard" to truly shine.
- Stockpile Pal Metal Ingots: You’re going to break gear. Have a backup set of armor and at least two weapons ready to go.
Once you’ve cleared the tower, the snowy peaks feel a little less lonely. You’ve conquered the pinnacle of PALOS research. Now, all that’s left is to perfect your base, finish the Paldeck, and wait for whatever nightmare the developers cook up next.
Stay warm up there. You're gonna need it.