Thomas Richards is Windrose’s first real test – a coastal jungle boss that exposes whether you’ve learned the game’s stamina and poise combat or are still swinging blind. Walk in underprepared and his heavy combos and bomb tosses will end your run quickly; come stocked with the right gear, buffs and patience, the fight becomes a lesson in timing and poise management. This guide breaks down what to bring, how his moves telegraph and the concrete tactics that turn his stagger window into a quick, decisive win.
Essential Skills
A perfect counter is something you must master, because a perfect counter is going to break the enemy’s poise which is indicated by the shield icons below the enemy name. And when the enemy’s poise is depleted, the enemy will get staggered and you’ll have a brief moment to launch a barrage of attacks and deal as much damage as possible. And also dodging is essential where some attacks cannot be parried, below you’ll find a detailed breakdown of Thomas Richards moveset.
Thomas Richards Full Moveset Breakdown
Thomas fights like a tank – slow moving with short, tightly chained attack followed by a short break. You can counter his chained attacks, they’re only 2 quick swings which you can perfectly counter if timed correctly resulting in poise damage.
Heavy Attack
Sometimes, Thomas will do a heavy attack that you cannot parry and it will be indicated by a red sign like shown in the above image. Dodge 2 times before he lands his attack, I say 2 times because sometimes a single dodge isn’t perfect and you can still get hit by his heavy attack’s AOE.
The Grab Attack
During my playthrough, he performed the grab attack only once where he tries to grab you and when he does, he slams you on the ground. I prefer dodging sideways and 2 times just to be safe.
Grenade Shower
Thomas uses a skill where he throws grenades at you, and when he does that, dodge behind him, not sideways or towards your back so that you won’t get caught in the explosion radius.
Attack Window
Whenever the boss is staggered, you can hit him multiple times around 4 or 5 hits. You’ll also have a spur of moment where you can attack him once after he does his basic attack of 2 swings. I would recommend learning to perfect counters, because it will just make your fights easier.
Food Buffs
As you know, food in this game gives you buffs like strength, agility and health. Before you enter the arena make sure to consume 2 foods that are likely to increase your maximum health and also carry some healing potions.
Honestly, Thomas isn’t that hard for a boss, he’s just built like a tank and you won’t have much resources to upgrade your weapons to deal significant damage in the early game.
