How to Beat Dusk the Puppeteer in Phantom Blade Zero - Boss Guide

Overview and Preparation

Dusk the Puppeteer is a challenging boss in Phantom Blade Zero known for his constant spawning of puppets, annoying movesets, and a tense phase where you must fight two targets at once. Proper preparation with the right gear and abilities will make this encounter much more manageable.

Recommended Gear and Setup

• Main Weapon: Bronze sword. This weapon is chosen for its combo potential. Note that you cannot parry with the bronze sword, requiring you to rely on holding down the guard button and watching out for red attacks. If your play style relies heavily on constant parrying, you should switch to a weapon that feels more comfortable for you.
• Secondary Weapon: Any weapon of your choice, provided at least one of your weapons is upgraded as much as possible.
• Special Equipment: Phantom Edge (iron gauntlets). These are especially useful later in the encounter when dealing with two targets simultaneously and handling shielded puppets.

Recommended Ability Tree

Make sure to unlock the note called Blood Remedy in your ability tree. This crucial skill allows you to recover medicine after defeating the boss's puppets.

Phase One: Initial Puppets and Guard Breaking

When the encounter begins, Dusk the Puppeteer will summon his first wave of minions.

1. Clear the Puppets First: Focus your attacks on taking down the weaker puppets initially, then shift your attention to the larger ones.
2. Watch the Grab: Pay close attention to the big lady puppet's grab attack, and try to execute perfect dodges against her strikes.
3. Break the Boss's Guard: Once all the initial puppets are cleared, turn your focus entirely to Dusk the Puppeteer. Break his guard to open him up for damage.
4. Learn His Moves: The boss has a limited moveset during this opening phase. Keep a sharp eye out for his dangerous red attack and watch out for the giant hand, which deals a significant amount of damage.

Phase Two: Second Puppet Wave

Following the initial damage phase, the boss will summon a second wave of minions to disrupt you.

1. Eliminate Quickly: Start taking down this second wave of puppets as quickly as possible. Do not panic if you take some damage during the chaos.
2. Handle Shielded Enemies: If you encounter a shielded puppet that gives you trouble, switch to your iron gauntlets (Phantom Edge) to deal with it effectively.

Phase Three: The Duplicate and Final Strategy

The most important and chaotic part of the fight occurs when Dusk summons a duplicate of himself, forcing you to fight two enemies at once.

1. Target the Copy, Not the Original: Focus your damage entirely on the summoned copy rather than the original boss. The original takes significantly less damage, whereas the summoned copy goes down much faster.
2. Identify the Red Aura: Look closely for the red aura to distinguish the copy from the original.
3. Adapt to Position Switches: Keep in mind that the boss and his duplicate will switch places during the battle. Continuously check for the red aura to stay focused on the correct target.
4. Manage Hazards: While pressuring the copy, remain ready to block and execute perfect dodges. You must also watch out for incoming hazards, including the giant hand and a circle of puppet hands rising from underground.
5. Finish the Fight: Maintain your focus and keep attacking the copy whenever openings arise. Once the copy goes down, the fight is effectively over, and the original boss will be instantly deleted.

Strategy Tips

• Don't Get Overwhelmed: There is a lot happening on screen during the dual-boss phase, so do not worry if it takes you a few attempts to get accustomed to the flow of combat.
• Use Openings Wisely: Capitalize on windows of opportunity to deal heavy damage to the correct target while avoiding environmental and puppet hazards.
• Adapt Your Loadout: If the bronze sword's lack of parrying clashes with your reflex-heavy play style, swap it out for a weapon that supports parrying.

Frequently Asked Questions

What weapon should I use against Dusk the Puppeteer?

The bronze sword is recommended for its strong combos, though you must rely on guarding and dodging rather than parrying. You can use any preferred secondary weapon, but ensure at least one weapon is fully upgraded.

How do I handle the boss when he summons a duplicate?

Focus your attacks exclusively on the summoned copy, which is identified by a red aura and takes damage much faster than the original boss. Ignore the original until the copy is defeated.

Which ability node is essential for this fight?

The Blood Remedy node in the ability tree is crucial because it allows you to recover medicine after defeating the boss's summoned puppets.

Source: This guide is based on the video "How to Beat Dusk the Puppeteer | Phantom Blade Zero" by FIDISTI — watch the original video.