Cheese Strategies: Defeating The First Boss Quickly

Video games often feature boss battles, which are challenging encounters with powerful foes. Some games allow players to cheese these encounters, or exploit in-game mechanics to make the fight easier. For example, in Valheim, players can use the environment to their advantage, such as running in circles around obstacles to prevent the boss from attacking. In Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, players can equip certain weapons and abilities to make the first boss battle easier. In Elden Ring, players can use the environment or specific items to cheese boss battles, such as luring the Fire Giant onto a rocky hill so that he falls to his death.

'Cheese' Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty Zhang Liang boss with the White Wooden Cudgel

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is a challenging game that demands a good grasp of its combat mechanics. The first boss, Zhang Liang, is particularly difficult and can be a huge hurdle for new players. However, with the right strategy, it is possible to cheese Zhang Liang and defeat him with relative ease. Here is a detailed guide on how to do it:

Requirements:

Before attempting to cheese Zhang Liang, it is crucial to ensure you have the following:

• Inner Breath Spell: This Wood Phase Spell increases the accumulation of the Divine Beast Gauge for a certain duration. It requires you to be at Wood Virtue level 4 or higher and costs 730 Spirit.
• White Wooden Cudgel: This simple-looking staff is essential for the fight. It can be found in the same mission as the boss, "Village of Calamity." The drop is random, so you may need to farm the Leader beside the Battle Flag or other enemies in the mission.
• Morale Level 25: Reaching this level will make the fight easier. You can increase your Morale Level by fighting and farming more enemies in the mission.
• Understanding of Deflection and Fatal Strike: Perfect deflection will lead to a Fatal Strike, which is crucial for this strategy.

Phase One:

Once you have the above requirements in place, follow these steps for phase one of the boss fight:

• As soon as the fight begins, run straight behind Zhang Liang.
• Start hitting him with Light Attacks repeatedly until he starts blocking your attacks.
• Use a single Spirit Attack to break his guard, allowing you to stun-lock him.
• Immediately after the Spirit Attack, use the Martial Arts ability (holding R1/RB and pressing Square/X) to keep him stuck in the stun lock.
• Repeat this process for the rest of phase one, and Zhang Liang will quickly transition into the next phase.

Phase Two:

In the second phase, you can quickly finish off Zhang Liang by following these steps:

• Activate the Inner Breath spell at the start of the phase.
• Stay away from Zhang Liang and bait him into using his long-range critical attack, where he sends his tentacle arm toward you.
• Deflect his demonic arm strike, which will fill up your Divine Beast gauge completely.
• Perform a Fatal Attack after the deflection to end the phase instantly using the Divine Beast attack (press Y+B or Triangle+Circle).

And that's it! With this strategy, you can cheese Zhang Liang and overcome what is considered one of the most challenging opening boss fights in recent memory. Good luck, and enjoy the rest of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty!

Use the Inner Breath ability to increase the Divine Beast Gauge accumulation rate

In Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, Inner Breath is a positive status effect that increases the rate of accumulation of the Divine Beast Gauge. This can be particularly useful in battle, as the Divine Beast Gauge Gain can be embedded into chest armour, leg guards, melee weapons, arm guards, and head armour.

The Inner Breath status effect can be activated through the use of Wizardry Spells, specifically Wood Phase Spells. The effect will increase the accumulation of the Divine Beast Gauge for a certain period of time. It is important to note that the Inner Breath status effect will be cured if the affected character is hit by a Toxin attack.

Players can embed the Divine Beast Gauge Gain effect into their equipment by interacting with Zhu Xia, the Blacksmith found at the Hidden Village. The rarity of the embedded item will determine the bonus provided, with rarer items providing better bonuses. For example, a common item will provide a +1.7% bonus, while a legendary item will provide a +3.0% bonus.

By utilising the Inner Breath ability, players can increase the rate of accumulation of their Divine Beast Gauge, enhancing their performance in battle and giving them an advantage over their opponents.

Lure Elden Ring's Fire Giant onto a rocky hill and shoot him with ranged attacks

Defeating the Fire Giant in Elden Ring is no easy feat. Here are some tips for luring the Fire Giant onto a rocky hill and attacking him with ranged weapons:

Luring the Fire Giant:

• The Fire Giant is encountered at Flame Peak in the Mountaintops of the Giants.
• The Fire Giant's arena is a large snowfield with craggy, uneven terrain that slopes upward from the entrance.
• The Fire Giant begins the fight at the top of the slope, so you will need to lure him down to a lower elevation.
• One strategy is to use Torrent (your horse) to close the gap between you and the Fire Giant. Be cautious, as the Fire Giant has a devastating plate sweep attack that can kill Torrent and your character in a single blow.
• Another strategy is to focus your attacks on the Fire Giant's legs to reduce his mobility. This will make it easier to lure him onto the rocky hill.

Using Ranged Attacks:

• The Fire Giant is vulnerable to ranged attacks, especially during the second phase of the battle when he becomes less mobile.
• During the second phase, the Fire Giant's weak spots are his wrists and eye, which take 100% more damage.
• Ranged weapons such as bows or spells can be used to target these weak spots from a distance.
• Be cautious of the Fire Giant's fire attacks, including fireballs, fire orbs, and eruptions of flame. Use Torrent to dodge these attacks and stay at a distance.
• Summoning allies, such as the Mimic Tear or Black Knife Tiche, can also help distract the Fire Giant while you attack from a distance.

By combining these strategies, you can lure the Fire Giant onto a rocky hill and exploit his weak spots with ranged attacks to defeat him.

Infect Commander O'Neil with Scarlet Rot

Infecting Commander O'Neil with Scarlet Rot in Elden Ring can be done through a few methods. Here is a step-by-step guide:

• Location and Preparation: Commander O'Neil is located in the Swamp of Aeonia in eastern Caelid. This area is filled with Scarlet Rot, so come prepared with items to mitigate the status ailment, such as the "Flame, Cleanse Me" incantation or sacramental buds found by the Church of the Plague.
• Approach and Initial Attacks: If you approach from the south, you can get a few free attacks in before O'Neil notices your presence. He will then summon five spirits, including crossbowmen and sword-wielding enemies. Focus on taking out these enemies first, especially the crossbowmen, as they can attack from a distance.
• Countering O'Neil's Attacks: O'Neil has a variety of attacks, including standard spear swipes, thrusts, and an area-of-effect attack where he plants his halberd and creates a burst of wind. He also has a wider area-of-effect attack where he gathers winds around himself, which you should avoid by getting a safe distance away.
• Summoning Additional Spirits: When O'Neil's health drops below 50%, he will summon three large Exile Soldier spirits with greataxes. Try to draw them away from O'Neil and focus on taking them out before returning your attention to the boss.
• Ranged and Magic Strategy: If you are a ranged or magic user, you can keep your distance and chip away at O'Neil's health. Spells like Hoarfrost Stomp and Carian Slicer are effective. If you are on horseback, you can easily avoid his Rot Tornado, which is one of his deadliest attacks.
• Melee Strategy: For melee builds, hit-and-run tactics work well. Bait O'Neil to one side of the arena and then run back to attack his lackeys. Parry is also an effective strategy, as O'Neil's attacks are slow and can be easily parried.
• Infecting with Scarlet Rot: To infect Commander O'Neil with Scarlet Rot, you can utilise the environment. Lure him towards the Scarlet Rot explosions outside the arena, and he will take damage from the eruptions and subsequent Scarlet Rot buildup. This method may require you to aggro him first and then lead him towards the Scarlet Rot areas.

Poison the Draconic Tree Sentinel with the Poison Mist Incantation

Poisoning the Draconic Tree Sentinel with the Poison Mist Incantation is a reliable, yet cheesy tactic. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to do it:

Firstly, you will need to obtain the Poison Mist Incantation. This can be acquired by killing one of the Teardrop Scarabs at Castle Morne. You will also need to equip a Seal.

Next, you will want to sneak up directly behind the Draconic Tree Sentinel. You can do this by sneaking through the tree lines on either side of the gate it is guarding. Position yourself just behind the horse's tail, as close as possible without touching the Draconic Tree Sentinel or its horse.

Once you are in position, cast Poison Mist towards the horse's rear. The AI does not recognise this as an attack, so the sentinel will not move or attack. Re-cast the spell whenever the mist dissipates. Repeat this process until the sentinel dies. This will take around 10-15 minutes as the poison takes time to take effect.

If you are having trouble sneaking up behind the sentinel, you can distract it with an Ash summon, sneak into place, quit the game, and then reload. The sentinel will be de-alerted, and your spirit will have vanished, allowing you to set up for the mist cheese.

Frequently asked questions