Hua, the Deadly Betrothed is among the first optional bosses in Phantom Blade Zero, located beneath the Sha-Chi Tower in the Weeping Creek Valley, though defeating her is required if you wish to find a Flesh Lily for Yu’er.
The trickiest aspect of this battle lies in dodging Hua’s spider lilies, but here are several tips to bring her down, along with a video above of a successful run using these strategies:
- Avoid her lilies and stay mobile: Three kinds of lily appear in this fight:
- Those that bloom at set intervals and when she attacks, before exploding.
- Those that patrol the arena and detonate once they converge in a single spot.
- White lilies she launches that home in on you and stun you, allowing her to follow up with a red grab attack. These are the most dangerous, particularly because she teleports to strike you after firing them. Create some distance and either dodge or block them once you’re certain she isn’t attacking.
- Learn to counter her red grabs: This is Hua’s deadliest move—when she flashes red, seizes you, and deals heavy damage with a decapitating slash. If you’re struggling to react in time, remember that red attacks are parried with the right bumper, blue attacks with the left, though you can simply press both if that’s less confusing. Hua also appears to attempt a grab if you’re clipped by her red flying lilies, so stay alert.
- Use the Dread Axe to extend your damage phase: After stunning Hua, you’ll be able to damage her safely for a while, but you can stretch that window a little by charging the Dread Axe Phantom Edge to its first level toward the end (until it turns blue), as this knocks her over.
- Prepare yourself: I recommend upgrading a weapon to Level 5 to unlock its ability. I used Jagged Steel (though bleed doesn’t work on her), so use whatever’s comfortable. Remember you can buy more upgrade materials from the outpost merchant. Also, make sure to upgrade your healing art and grab the Focus Pill medicine from the chest up the hill to the left (just after The Axemaster’s Holding Cell bell). You’ll have to use the axe to smash open the way.
- Remember the fundamentals: You can attack with X without it costing stamina, but when you stun her, you should use Y combos instead for extra damage. When your weapon is charged, remember to use LT to perform a special combo. Also, parry her attacks as much as possible, as this will retain your stamina for attacking, dodging, and blocking.
- Dodge her stamina draining attacks: She’ll occasionally perform a downwards slam where she gives off a smoky black aura—this means her next attack will drain all your stamina, so it’s better to dodge, especially as it summons a bunch of lilies which explode afterwards. Dodging, in general, is very useful in this fight.
It can be a tricky fight early on, but she doesn’t have all that many combos, and her blue parriable attacks are quite predictable, coming at the end of her four hit sequence. The real key to this fight is making sure you don’t get hit by the lilies by making space and being mindful of the arena, while also countering her deadly red grab attacks.
Once you beat her, you’ll get the Scarlet Wraithblade weapon, which can also summon exploding lilies.
Phantom Blade Zero tips: Conquer the Wulin
Phantom Blade Zero Flesh Lily: Find Yu’er’s flower
Phantom Blade Zero Zhang’s treasures: Every relic
Phantom Blade Zero Mandate Camp Key: Get inside
Phantom Blade Zero Illusory Pipa: Repair the lute
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