Technologies

Wuchang’s Commander Honglan Is a Nightmare. Here’s How to Beat Her

Don’t get discouraged by this tough boss fight — follow these tips to win.

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.

Technologies

Galaxy Z TriFold vs. Huawei Mate XT: One Is the Most Versatile Phone I’ve Ever Used

Samsung’s Galaxy Z TriFold and Huawei’s Mate XT, part of a new category of phones called «trifolds,» offer diverging experiences when it comes to using them.

Huawei introduced the world’s first «trifold» phone, the Mate XT Ultimate, last year and launched it outside of China in February 2025. Despite only actually folding in two places, the phone was called a trifold because its 10.2-inch display divides into three sections.

I’ve been using it on and off since February and I liked the Mate XT so much that it made me skeptical about the Galaxy Z TriFold‘s design when Samsung first showcased it at the APEC CEO Summit in October. But after trying Samsung’s first trifold for myself, during a brief hands-on test at a Samsung store in Dubai, I changed my mind.

As foldable phone sales are expected to rise 30% year over year in 2026, according to analysts at IDC, it’s important for both Samsung and Huawei to find their own hook for customers. Each of these foldable phones has their place in the market and offers a different appeal. One is a tablet that folds into a phone, while the other is a three-in-one and the most versatile smartphone I’ve ever used. One of them has «Z TriFold» in its name but the other actually folds in a «Z» shape.

Here’s how the newly-launched Samsung trifold phone compares to the Huawei Mate XT Ultimate — the phone that pioneered this category.

Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold vs. Huawei Mate XT design

Both the Galaxy Z TriFold and Mate XT have large screens that divide into three panels (hence the name) and have two hinges to connect them. And yet, they’re vastly different.

The Huawei trifold phone has a single screen that folds in a Z shape to allow for three different forms. You can use it as a phone (fully folded), a mini-tablet (half-open), as well as a wide-screen tablet (fully opened). I’ve mostly used the Mate XT either in mini-tablet mode (one fold) or fully unfolded. And I found myself using it in phone mode (fully closed) only when I made calls.

In comparison, the Galaxy Z TriFold folds in a U shape as both panels fold inwards. You can only use it fully folded as a phone or fully opened as a wide-screen tablet, without the added ability to use it as a mini tablet.

Samsung’s Z Trifold uses two different-sized hinges and three panels of varying thickness, allowing the device’s flaps to fold on top of one another. The left hinge is like the one on the Fold 7 and comparatively tighter than the right hinge (the wider one), which springs open after you push it to a certain angle. On the back of the phone is a second display that occupies the «middle» section to use when the phone is fully closed.

When fully folded, its lowermost panel has a protruding edge, giving it a solid lip to grab onto while unfolding. It’s a nice addition to the flat-sided design, which doesn’t leave much space between panels. I found it easier to unfold than its sibling, the flat-sided Galaxy Z Fold 7.

The Huawei Mate XT has curved sides and a single screen, but because of that Z shape, it gives you three ways to use it. The right hinge unfolds like the Galaxy Z TriFold — you pull it out — but you don’t need to unfold the other side. With just one panel unfolded, it becomes a usable mini-tablet.

You can unfold the third section, at the back of the left panel, to open it fully and use it as a wide-screen tablet. Because it uses a single flexible screen, part of the soft folding display is always exposed to the elements when the device is folded shut in phone mode. So far, I haven’t noticed any scratches on the display but it is definitely less protected than Samsung’s inner screen. However, Huawei bundles a case with an extended lip to protect the always-exposed right side of the screen.

Both of these trifold phones have minimal screen creases but Samsung’s Galaxy Z TriFold feels better when I run my finger over the folding parts. While Huawei’s creases are deeper, they don’t bother me in day-to-day use. The creases on both phones are visible under direct artificial light and at an extreme angle.

The Huawei Mate XT is slimmer than the Galaxy Z TriFold. It’s just 3.6mm thick at its thinnest part when fully unfolded and 12.8mm when folded. In comparison, the Samsung phone is 3.9mm thick at its thinnest part and goes up to 12.9mm when fully unfolded. At 309 grams, the Z TriFold is also slightly heavier than the 298g Mate XT.

The Huawei trifold phone feels more premium than the Galaxy Z TriFold — probably because of its faux leather back, curved sides and gold accents. Samsung’s foldable has a carbon-fiber finish, which feels durable but not as premium.

The Mate XT has an IPX8 rating, while the Galaxy Z TriFold is rated IP48 for dust and water resistance. The «4» in IP48 means it’s protected against dust particles measuring over 1mm but not against everyday dust and pocket lint. Neither of these phones is truly dust-proof, but both are rated for water resistance, just like a standard smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold vs. Huawei Mate XT displays

The Galaxy Z TriFold has two screens: a Galaxy Z Fold 7-like 6.5-inch AMOLED screen with a 120Hz variable refresh rate and a 422ppi pixel density. It unfolds to a 10-inch tablet-sized screen with a 120Hz dynamic refresh rate with a lower 269ppi pixel density.

The Huawei Mate XT has a single 10.2-inch OLED screen with a 90Hz refresh rate and 382ppi pixel density. It has a lower refresh rate but a higher resolution and slimmer bezels. You can use it as a 6.4-inch phone, a 7.9-inch mini-tablet or a 10.2-inch widescreen tablet which makes it a more versatile design than Samsung’s trifold phone. The Mate XT’s display when folded down into «cover screen» has a wider aspect ratio with slimmer bezels than the TriFold’s cover display.

I haven’t watched videos on the Galaxy Z TriFold, but I assume the experience would be better on the Huawei since the main screen has a wider aspect ratio (when fully unfolded). It has less letterboxing (thick borders on top and bottom) than the Galaxy Z TriFold, which provides a slightly narrower aspect ratio when fully unfolded. However, it could be better for multitasking, especially when running three apps side by side, but I’ll need more time with the Samsung phone to come to a conclusion.

Galaxy Z TriFold vs. Huawei Mate XT performance and battery

The Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip, the same processor that powers its other 2025 flagship smartphones including the OnePlus 15. The chip is tuned for efficiency and I expect it to handle multitasking on a standalone DeX with ease. The TriFold also comes with 16GB of RAM and 512GB or 1TB of storage.

In contrast, the Huawei Mate XT runs on an in-house Kirin 9010 chip and is paired with 16GB of RAM and 512GB or 1TB of storage. It runs EMUI 14.2 operating system on global variants, which doesn’t have preinstalled Google apps. Despite the ban on US companies working with Huawei — including Google, the company behind Android — there are workarounds for installing the Play Store. You won’t encounter these kinds of hurdles on the Galaxy Z Trifold.

The Samsung trifold phone runs on One UI 8, based on Android 16. You get fast animations, smooth multitasking, a multitude of customization options and a better overall experience. The Galaxy Z TriFold will also get seven years of OS and security updates.

Both phones pack a 5,600-mAh battery but it remains to be seen how they fare against each other. I haven’t pushed the Mate XT to its limits and it delivers an entire day of use on a single charge. When I need to top up the battery, I use the bundled 66-watt charger or use wireless charging at up to 55 watts. The Galaxy Z TriFold supports 45-watt fast charging and Qi wireless charging.

Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold vs. Huawei Mate XT cameras

Both phones have three rear cameras that are identical to those found in the Galaxy Z Fold 7. The Galaxy Z TriFold has:

a 200-megapixel main camera with optical image stabilization (OIS) and a f/1.7 aperture
a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera with a 120-degree field of view
a 10-megapixel 3x optical zoom telephoto camera with OIS and support for 30x digital zoom
two 10-megapixel front-facing cameras — one inside the cover display and the other inside the folding screen

In comparison, the Huawei Mate XT has:

a 50-megapixel main camera with OIS and a variable aperture (f/1.4 — f/4.0)
a 12-megapixel 5.5x optical zoom telephoto camera with OIS
a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera with a 120-degree field of view
a 8-megapixel selfie shooter

Based on my experience with the Fold 7, you can expect vibrant colors, good dynamic range and balanced processing in low-light photos on the Samsung trifold phone. Images from the Huawei tend to have an over-processed look and it doesn’t do well with certain skin tones. But the Mate XT captures better portraits than my Fold 7. I’ll be able to test the photography chops from both phones once I have the Galaxy Z TriFold.

Here’s how the two foldable phones specs compare:

Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold specs vs. Huawei Mate XT Ultimate

	Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold	Huawei Mate XT Ultimate
Cover display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate	6.5-inch AMOLED, 2,520×1,080 pixels, 1-120 Hz refresh rate	none
Internal display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate	10.0 AMOLED, 2,160×1,584 pixels, 1-120 Hz refresh rate	10.2-inch AMOLED, 3,184×2,232 pixels, 90Hz refresh rate
Pixel density	Cover: 422 ppi; Internal display: 269 ppi	382 ppi
Dimensions (inches)	Open: 6.27×8.43×0.15 inches (leftmost panel) / 0.17 inches (center panel) / 0.16 inches (rightmost panel with the side button); Closed: 6.27×2.95×0.50 inches	Open: 6.17×8.62×0.14-0.19 inches; Half-open: 6.17×8.62×0.19-0.29 inches; Closed: 6.17×2.89×0.50 inches
Dimensions (millimeters)	Open: 159.2×214.1×3.9mm (leftmost panel) / 4.2mm (center panel) / 4.0mm (rightmost panel with the side button) Closed: 159.2×75.0x12.9mm	Open: 156.7x219x3.6-4.75mm; Half-open: 156.7x219x4.75-7.45mm; Closed: 156.7×73.5×12.8mm
Weight (grams, ounces)	309g (10.9 oz.)	298g (10.51 oz)
Mobile software	Android 16 with One UI 8	HarmonyOS 4.2 / EMUI 14.2
Cameras	200-megapixel (main), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (telephoto), 10-megapixel (cover screen, selfie)	50-megapixel (main), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 12-megapixel (periscope telephoto), 8-megapixel (front-facing)
Internal screen camera	10-megapixel	10-megapixel
Video capture	8K	4K
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy	Kirin 9010
RAM/storage	16GB + 512GB, 1TB	16GB + 512GB, 1TB
Expandable storage	No	No
Battery	5,600 mAh	5,600 mAh
Fingerprint sensor	Yes	Yes
Connector	USB-C	USB-C
Headphone jack	No	No
IP rating for dust and water resistance	IP48	None
Special features	45W wired charging speed, Qi wireless charging, Galaxy AI, NFC, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4	66W wired charging speed, 50W wireless charging, NFC, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Dec. 24, #927

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Dec. 24 #927

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle is kind of tough. Ooh, that purple category! Once again, you’ll need to look inside words for hidden words. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Cash out.

Green group hint: Chomp

Blue group hint: Walleye and salmon.

Purple group hint: Make a musical sound, with a twist.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Slang for money.

Green group: Masticate.

Blue group: Fish.

Purple group: Ways to vocalize musically plus a letter.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is slang for money. The four answers are bacon, bread, cheese and paper.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is masticate. The four answers are bite, champ, chew and munch.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is fish. The four answers are char, pollock, sole and tang.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ways to vocalize musically plus a letter. The four answers are hump (hum), rapt (rap), singe (sing) and whistler (whistle).

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Toughest Connections puzzles

We’ve made a note of some of the toughest Connections puzzles so far. Maybe they’ll help you see patterns in future puzzles.

#5: Included «things you can set,» such as mood, record, table and volleyball.

#4: Included «one in a dozen,» such as egg, juror, month and rose.

#3: Included «streets on screen,» such as Elm, Fear, Jump and Sesame.

#2: Included «power ___» such as nap, plant, Ranger and trip.

#1: Included «things that can run,» such as candidate, faucet, mascara and nose.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, Dec. 24

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Dec. 24.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? I’m Irish-American, but yet 6-Down, which involves Ireland, stumped me at first. Read on for all the answers.. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.