Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is one of the best Soulslike games released this year. It’s also one of the cruelest, as players will be having a fun time with the game only to be smacked hard in the face by a punishing boss — in my case, it was the formidable  Commander Honglan who stopped me in my tracks.

Located at the Lotus Pond at the Place, Commander Honglan is Wuchang’s first real challenge and an obvious skill check by developer Leenzee Games. It’s evident that to proceed, players need to get to a certain skill level when fighting her, and if not, they’ll be in a lot of trouble, slamming themselves against this wall of a boss until they find a way forward. 

Here are some tips on how to defeat Commander Honglan in Wuchang. 

Make sure you’ve leveled up enough

First off, make sure you’re at the appropriate level to fight Commander Honglan. Yes, you can fight practically every boss at level 1 if you want to, but leave that to speedrunners. Ideally, you should have five Manna Vase charges so you have enough healing. Also, your weapons should be upgraded to plus-3 to be doing enough damage. 

You should also consider unlocking the Rapid Temperance node and either the Blight, Corruption or Poise Break Bone Needles, which she’s weak to. Blight and Corruption will slowly deplete her health, while Poise Break will cause a big chunk of damage when it builds up to 100%.

Try a different weapon 

I get it — up to now, you’ve probably used the axe or the war staff to run over enemies. Just forget about using the slow weapons on her. She’s just too tough. Your best bet is to switch up to the longsword because…

Counter, counter, counter

The Sword Counter is an unlockable ability in the longsword path of Wuchang’s skill tree, and it’s necessary for this fight. There’s even a message before jumping into the Lotus Pond mentioning deflecting attacks, which is the game’s version of parrying — but it’s not clear you need this specific skill unlocked to parry. 

With the Sword Counter, you’ll be able to deflect her sword attacks if you’ve timed it right. The window isn’t as tight as might be expected from a Souls game, so as long as you hit the Sword Counter button as soon as an attack starts, you’ll be able to deflect. If you unlock the variant nodes connected to Sword Counter, you’ll be able to land two free hits after the deflect. Take advantage of this because the parry as well as the attacks will contribute to Honglan’s Obliterate meter, allowing you to make a critical hit. 

Bring an extra heal or two

Nothing’s more frustrating than being one hit away from defeating a boss only to be out of health flasks. Make sure to bring in one extra consumable healing item equipped in a quick access slot, such as a Steamed Bunny Bun, Soulgrass or Cornucopia Elixir. Keep in mind, these items won’t auto-replenish, so use them as a last resort when you’re a hit or two away from taking her down. 

Prepare your equipment before jumping in

To get an advantage at the beginning of the fight, consider using some items at the start. You can use Temperance to start with an attack buff on your weapon, Lantern Fruit to reduce stamina costs for your dodges, and Soft Rush to increase your stamina recovery. 

Prepare your armor and equipment before heading into the fight, too. You should have two pendants to reduce the damage you receive and one pendant to increase your stamina recovery. Also, your armor should be focused on slash, stab and blunt resistance: her sword attacks impart slash and stab damage, and her kicks deal blunt. 

Buy the ward from the Panda

Outside the Shu Sanctum is a path that leads to a Panda. This bear is a merchant who wants only bamboo shoots. You can acquire these shoots from Bamboozlings, the little green creatures that quickly run away when you’re near. Attacking one of these creatures will drop a Bamboo Shoot for special items. 

One of those items is the Divine Ward spell. This will reduce the physical damage you receive, and because you’ll be dodging many of Honglan’s attacks, you’ll have plenty of Skyborn Might points available. Use this spell whenever you have a quick second to cast it because it’ll help in the fight. 

Watch her moves 

When fighting Honglan, here are the moves to focus on. 

Lunge attack: This is the first move she makes in the fight, and it’s easily counterable. Remember, after the deflect, just hit her for two attacks and don’t get greedy, or else you’ll run smack into her foot, which can’t be parried. 

Punch and kicks: Honglan has multiple martial arts attacks, including a big overhead stomp. Don’t try to counter these attacks or even be within arm’s length, because you’ll get hit. Just keep dodging. 

Dagger throw: If you’re far away, Honglan will throw out multiple daggers. These are easy to block or dodge. 

Wind slash: In the second phase of the fight, Honglan will proceed to attack with wind slashes that are either vertical or horizontal. It takes a little bit of practice, but the vertical ones are easily dodgeable — just move right or left. The horizontal slash, however, is tricky with the timing. You either need to dodge twice to the left or right, or dodge forward. Don’t try to dodge back. 

Quick lunge: Honglan has another very quick dash attack. Better to dodge than try to counter, because it’s so fast. 

Spinning sword attacks: She’ll also use two different spin attacks at different times. Though the first hit can be deflected, the follow-ups can’t, so it’s better to just dodge this attack. 

Leap attack: The attack where Honglan is the most open is the leap attack. She’ll jump in the air and come down with a powerful twin sword attack. Luckily, it’s easy to dodge. Time your dodge so you can avoid the attack, and then dash-run into her to make follow-up attacks. 

Commander Hoglan’s fighting in Wuchang can seem impossible at first, but with these tips, you can be successful. 

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is out now for $50 on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series consoles. Xbox Game Pass subscribers can play the game as part of their subscription.