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Wuchang: Fallen Feathersis a fascinating soulslike that blends the slow, methodical combat of the classicDark Soulsseries with the fast-paced boss fights of modern soulslikes. From unfair gimmicks to immensely rewarding boss fights,Wuchanghas a myriad of ways to get the blood pumping.
And what better way to get you stressed than to fight yourself?Much like invaders in many soulsborne games,Wuchanghas a unique Inner Demon feature, which summons a hostile version of yourself that will spawn from where you died with afull Madness gauge.
10 Hardest Boss Fights In Gaming, Ranked
Bosses serve as tests of player skill, but some stand as much harder tests than others. Here are the hardest video game boss fights of all time.
Your Inner Demon haunts you throughout your playthrough, and what makes her scary is that she has the same skills as you doand uses them with deadly precision. All your fights against your Inner Demon culminate in abloody yet optional duelagainst the Nightmare Demon.
Here’s how you can defeat the Nightmare Demon once and for all.
Where To Find Nightmare Demon
Nightmare Demon is only available in Chapter 4, at Worship’s Rise in Ruins, after a point of no return.
The path to the Nightmare Demon is simple. From the Annalum, where some friendly NPCs—including He Youzai, Wu Gang, Tao Qing—have gathered, head down the hill and cross the plant bridge. You’ll encounter some Avian enemies and some Ming soldiers, though you may choose whether to engage them.
Past the Ming soldiers is a set of stairs that lead to a large gate, with a burning Shu Sanctum to your right. You’ll notice thatthis is the exact same spot where you fought theGluttonous Monstrosity.Head up the stairs and through the gate, and you’ll trigger the boss fight.
Preparations For Nightmare Demon
Here’s what I had the first time I fought the Nightmare Demon:
Lashing Whip
Fang Ling’s Hairpin
Fang Ling’s Wedding Dress
Fang Ling’s Bracelet
Fang Ling’s Silk Wraps
Jade Pendants
Gourd Pendant
Eagle Pendant
Tiger Pendant
Vorpal Blade
Echo of Dhutanga
Infernal Flames
Echo of Lu Bingzhang
Manna Vase
Temperance
Crimson Lantern Fruit
Bone Whistle
Temperance Needle
Notable Impetus Repository Perks
Sword Saint, Sword Counter, Windforce
The Nightmare Demon will be wielding three weapons, and will shift from Dual Blades, thenAxe, and then Longsword. As such, it’s best toprioritize wearing any armor that mitigates slashing and stabbing damage.
The above table featuresFang Ling’s outfit, which is a suboptimal armor set for this boss fight. I would recommendthe Centipede armor set from theBlightweaverfor Slash and Stab damage mitigation,or the default Pirate armor set for a more balanced damage mitigation.
The number of Inner Demons you defeat throughout your playthrough does not affect the Nightmare Demon boss fight.
When the Nightmare Demon starts switching weapons, this is when you’ll need to consider other damage types, as her weapon, Li Jiao’s Fang,can fire a cannonball that deals fire damage and causes a Burn status effect. She can also switch to the longsword and deal Feathering damage with some of her attacks, so armor that mitigates those will be helpful for the final stretch of the duel.
Ever since the fight againstCommander Honglan, I would recommend facing any weapon-wielding enemy with the longsword, with theSword Counter ability as the Discipline,as it will allow you to parry just about any attacks made by weapons. Not only that, but the parry window is surprisingly generous.
As I’ve highlighted in mySouth General guide,a longsword buildcan be incredibly powerful if you invest yourskill points into the right nodes,particularly the “Sword Counter” node and its two Variants, before dumping the remaining points intoAgility, Strength, and Weapon Mastery.
Endurance and Vitality are also useful points to spec into, as well as “Steel Resolve,” which gives you a stack of Skyborn Might on a successful parry when you have 50% or more Madness.
I always head into a boss fight with 100% Madness. It’s high-risk, high-reward, but in the end, the benefits outweigh the frustration of getting hit, as most nodes, including (but not limited to) Alacrity, Health Siphon, and Fury of the Skyborn, activate when at 50% or 90% Madness.
For my playthrough, I used the Lashing Whip as my weapon of choice, but that’s only because it has better stats than Cloudfrost’s Edge.Using Lashing Whip exclusively also allows me to more easily focus on parry timing and simple combos.
Focus on usingTemperance needlesthat give you a Strength of Agility boost, along with a Bone Needle that deals any elemental damage of your choosing, though in my experience, you don’t really need Temperance unless you’re really struggling with dealing damage.
The same goes withBenedictionsandJade Pendants. As highlighted in my build guide,focus on increasing as much physical attack as possible while maintaining survivability through healing and damage reduction.
While this build is more focused on swordplay, spells that you cast on yourself can be rather useful in a one-on-one fight with another human. Support and defensive spells like Divine Might and Divine Ward can ensure that you can hit hard as well as survive the Nightmare Demon’s attacks.
However, if you’re more partial to using spells, then I would suggest checking out theMagic build here.
If you’re having trouble reading his attacks and timing your dodges, I would also recommendone of the game’s most overpowered spells:Ethereal Form, which automatically makes you dodge, turns you invisible, and refunds a stack of Skyborn Might when an enemy attacks you. This dodge is essentially the Spell version of the Evasive Maneuver skill, which is intrinsic to theone-handed sword Darkfrost Edge.
You can find Ethereal Form in Zhenwu Temple, on a corpse near the two cannons on the left side of the temple, with Zhenwu Antechamber as the closest shrine.
Nightmare Demon Moveset
First Phase
The Nightmare Demon has the same exact moveset as you,the same Discipline and Weapon skills, and the ability to dodge and heal.
Unless otherwise stated, all of the Nightmare Demon’s attacks can be parried.
When you first begin your duel, she’ll use a pair of Dual Blades, specifically the Bandit Blades, which allow her toblock and parry your attacks and leave you exposed to her deadly combos.Her attacks will be fluid and quick, and can easily whittle your health down if you get caught by a long combo string.
As a unique boss that shares your moveset,we can easily and accurately label the names of the skills she uses, on top of her basic light combos. According to the info provided by the Impetus Repository, she can attack with the following skills while using the Dual Blades:
Second Phase
When at around half health, the Nightmare Demon will brandish an axe, specifically Li Jiao’s Fang, which you’re able to acquire after beatingBai Kru at Bai Mansion, and then speaking to the Boatman in Ferry Outlook.
She can use Discipline and Weapon skills in quick succession, so don’t expect her to play by your rules.
What makes Li Jiao’s Fang threatening is the ability to fire a powerful cannonball with the Draconic Bombard skill, which deals Fire damage and causes Burn buildup, dealing quite a lot of damage if you’re not careful.This attack cannot be parried.
As expected of a heavy weapon, the Nightmare Demon can use the axe to deal devastating damage. While it’s a slow weapon, getting caught in any of it is sure to stun you for a few seconds. Her basic light combo is particularly hard to
On top of the basic Axe light attacks, the Nightmare Demon can use the following skills:
Third Phase
When brought to a third of her health bar,the Nightmare Demon will briefly step back and switch to the longsword before drinking from her healing flask, bringingher back to half-health.
This is when things start to get serious. The boss likely uses the Serpent Fang, which allows her to use Feathering Windstrike, a powerful wave of energy that cuts through the air at blinding speeds.Her blade will glow purple and cannot be parried.
Here are the Discipline skills that she’ll be using, as well as her basic light and heavy attacks:
Surprisingly, she doesn’t use Sword Counter or Crescent Moon.
How To Beat Nightmare Demon
At this point, all the experience you’ve gained fighting your Inner Demon throughout your playthrough will pay off,as the Nightmare Demon works the same as every other Inner Demon encounter, except as a boss. She can be knocked down quite easily by heavy attacks, parries, and counterattacks, though she can get up just as quickly.
You’ll also notice that, unlike other human bosses, you’re able to’t use any Obliterate attacks when you stun her after filling up her Stagger meter or landing a heavy attack on her back. Instead, she’ll take a knee for a few moments before resuming her onslaught.
Parrying is the best strategy against the Nightmare Demon,and while aggression and confidence are helpful, you can play it safe by waiting for her to come to you, only parrying when you see her so much as twitch. Besides, parrying weapon attacks is incredibly satisfying.
Not only that, butknocking her down with a counterattack also buys you a couple of free attacks,all the while filling up your Skyborn Might stacks to use.
When in her Dual Blade phase, the Nightmare Demon’s attacks are a little bit harder to read, but she has a laughably short range.
On the other hand, her axe deals heavy damage and can launch projectiles, but they are slow and easy to read. Just watch out for her second attack of her basic combo, which is a quick thrust that can easily knock you off your rhythm.
When she draws her longsword, her attacks are a little harder to predict, as her Blink Kick and Feathering Windstrike cannot be parried.
Should you feel pressure from her attacks,it’s always best to cast Ethereal Form as your panic button,which can give you a moment to breathe and gain some distance so that you can heal.
Becausealmost every one of Nightmare Demon’s attacks can be parried,this boss fight is perhaps one of the easiest late-game boss fights inWuchang.
