Are you having a hard time with the first boss of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty? Zhang Liang can seem quite tough to beginners, but there are ways to make him far less intimidating. In many ways, Zhang Liang acts as a test to see if players are up for the task of completing the game. So, here are some tips for facing the first boss in the demo and the full game.
Preparing for the First Boss of Wo Long
Before you fight Zhang Liang, you’ll want to make sure you’re ready. Of course, you can still beat him without preparation if you are skilled enough, but for most players, facing the first boss without any preparation is going to make the fight more frustrating than it needs to be. Here are some things you should check before facing Zhang Liang.
Morale Rank: If your Morale Rank is low, you’ll want to change that. A great way of doing so is by increasing your Fortitude Rank. This allows you to retain more of your Morale Rank when you die. You can increase your Fortitude Rank to its maximum by finding all the Battle Flags and Marker Flags in the level. This is important if you want to take less damage from the first boss of Wo Long.
Player Stats: You’ll want to spend as much Genuine Qi as you have earned. You can do this by stopping by a Battle Flag and leveling up by investing in one of the Five Phases. This also unlocks Wizardry Spells, which might prove useful against Zhang Liang. You might also want to equip the armor you have picked up during the level for better protection.
Zhang Liang’s First Phase
This is the phase that many players can get past, but it doesn’t hurt to give some tips anyways. Unless you are familiar enough with Liang’s animations, you don’t want to play too defensively here. Your Ring Pommel Sabre should be fast enough to interrupt his initial attack animations as long you strike with a light attack. If you don’t feel like it’s safe enough to do that though, deflect his initial attack animation instead and follow up with a light attack.
After you launch a string of light attacks, you may want to use a wizardry spell to start inflicting a status effect. For example, following up with the Wizardry Spell “Blasting Flare” may eventually make Liang burn. This will make the fight go by a bit quicker. Be careful not to mash too much, as he can punish this with a Critical Blow (the glowing red attacks). However, if you can deflect these and keep up the pressure, you will beat this phase in no time.
Zhang Liang’s Second Phase
Now, this is the part that can get some people stuck on Wo Long’s first boss for a long amount of time. You may feel intimidated by his new beastly form and range of attack, but don’t let that get to you too much. The worst thing you can do during this phase is panic, and avoiding that plays a major role in succeeding here. Otherwise, you will waste too much of your precious Spirit Gauge and be left vulnerable.
While Liang’s second phase can attack you from a wide range, his animations are generally telegraphed well in advance, giving you a lot of time to prepare. Instead of trying to deflect everything, you may want to block and focus on deflecting his Critical Blows. Be careful though, by blocking, you will need to keep an eye on your Spirit Gauge. If it’s starting to get low, see if you can get in a few light attacks or deflect attacks you are comfortable with.
Thankfully, you don’t have to empty Zhang Liang’s health bar. Once your Divine Beast Gauge is full, activate it by pressing the heavy attack and deflect buttons together. A cutscene will then play and end the fight. That’s it! You have now beaten the first boss in Wo Long! I can’t promise you’ll beat him on your next try, but hopefully, victory feels more within reach now.
If you need more help with Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, be sure to check out our other guides!
