Jing Ye the Bandit is one of the more difficult bosses to defeat in Phantom Blade Zero. Jing Ye begins the battle by being mounted on his horse and dismounting himself to fight you using his spiked shield. The difficulty of the battle is caused mainly by the fact that if you strike his shield, it will hit you too, which makes the latter part of the battle harder. Here’s how you can defeat Jing Ye the Outlaw in Phantom Blade Zero.
Best Build For Jing Ye The Outlaw
Before taking on Jing Ye, you need to prepare a set of weapons capable of causing blood loss damage and breaking shields. One of the most efficient weapons in this encounter is Jagged Steel because of its ability to cause blood loss and interruptions. Try to enhance this weapon to at least level five before starting the fight, since this will allow you to land a heavy attack that will deal additional damage and inflict blood loss.
The second weapon you need to use during this encounter is the Scarlet Wraith Blade, since this weapon has great shield-breaking potential and may be helpful when the Dread Axe is unable to do this alone. The Hunter’s Chainsickle will also be useful for closing the gap.
In terms of accessories, it is recommended to use the Reflex Device, as it will make the process of parrying and dodging much easier. What is particularly important is the fact that the Shield Breaker Talisman will protect you from the damage done by spiked shields and will assist you in breaking them faster. It is also possible to use the Ancient Armour Fragment for better protection, or the Cavalry Bane as an additional source of damage when Jing Ye is on his horse.
How To Beat Jing Ye The Outlaw
First Phase: Fighting Jing Ye on Horseback
In the first stage of the battle, Jing Ye will be mounted on a horse and use different attacks. His attacks are unpredictable; hence, refrain from attacking right away, since blocking and dodging will help you understand when you can attack.
Whenever you notice a red flash, you should either dodge or counter the attack to strike some blows on him. The blue flashes by Jing Ye can be parried for you to damage him. If you do not know how to parry his attacks correctly, then the safest method would be to dodge. In addition, Jing Ye will use red thread attacks that can make you lose blood. Although you can block such attacks, the better option would be to dodge since a failed block can also cost you blood.
It would be good if you could stay close to Jing Ye as much as possible. It would minimise the number of times he attacks using his long-range strikes and throws his spiked shield. Moreover, you should block his strikes to gradually break down his guard. Once he breaks his guard, Jing Ye falls to the ground and stops his attacks temporarily. During this phase, you have an opportunity to deliver powerful hits to him. At this point, you should switch your sword to Jagged Steel.
Among other attacks that you should pay attention to, there is one in which Jing Ye touches the ground with his sword and creates a cloud of dust. The cloud makes you blind; therefore, you should run away as soon as you notice this animation. Once the dust clears out, you can approach him. However, the primary objective at this stage is to conserve your healing potions and Phantom Edge charges. You will require them when Jing Ye dismounts from his horse.
Second Phase: How to Break Jing Ye’s Shield
When Jing Ye hits around 60% health, he dismounts from the horse and fights on foot. From there onwards, things get tough because he has a spiked shield which, whenever you hit it, will also cause damage to you. Therefore, you have to refrain from hitting the shield with your normal weapon again and again.
The best way to damage the shield is through the Dread Axe because when you charge it, the attack has dual hits and can deal about half of the shield’s health. Just wait for another chance and destroy his shield in one strike.
If you find it difficult to find an opening that is safe, then you can always rely on the Dread Axe without waiting to charge it. You will be able to stagger Jing Ye with your first strike, thus allowing yourself some room to chip away at his shield. Continue doing this whenever he attacks until his shield is broken. In case the shield’s health is low, you can change to the Scarlet Wraith Blade in order to break it. Ensure that you have the Shield Breaker Talisman equipped here.
Second Phase: How to Avoid Jing Ye’s Attacks
Once off his mount, Jing Ye becomes very offensive and begins mixing multiple types of attacks in one combo. He can perform sweep strikes, overhead attacks, punches and kicks all in one combo. Also, black flash attacks may be executed by him during combos; therefore, be prepared to dodge during combos, even when blocking his normal attacks.
Red and blue flash attacks from Jing Ye are most likely to follow after combos. One can identify them by kicking his weapon upwards with his leg. Whenever Jing Ye performs such a move, be prepared for a red or blue flash attack since the former is used more frequently than the latter; hence, you can be prepared to dodge unless you identify the latter flash attack. If you identify the blue flash attack, then you should parry it to cause a guard break.
Jing Ye has another move where he dashes on the ground and forms a dust cloud, after which he comes out of the dust cloud in a black flash attack. Make sure you dodge the jump and get ready for a blue flash attack immediately after that jump. But in some cases, he may follow the jump with his normal combo. Be wary of what Jing Ye does.
You can also create some distance during this phase to encourage Jing Ye to use his jumping attacks. These are generally easier to avoid than his longer combos. Just be prepared to dodge his red thread attacks when you’re farther away. In no time, you can quickly bring down Jing Ye, striking this boss off the list in Phantom Blade Zero.
