Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty has many unique and challenging boss fights; they are not only test players’ control over their weapons but also their ability to accurately dodge and parry incoming attacks. General of Man Zhang Liang is one of them. His relentless aggression, mixed with his massive health pool, makes him the biggest hurdle players will face in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, and one that can only be overcome with patience and perseverance. Luckily, there are several strategies you can use to defeat him in the game without much hassle. Let’s take a look!
Zhang Liang has two phases with different sets of moves and attacks, which adds to the complexity of the fight. But his first phase shouldn’t prove too much trouble. If you want a couple of free hits, immediately sprint toward him at the beginning of the fight as he slams down his mace/club weapon, and even use a Martial Arts attack if you’re feeling confident. After each of his attacks (should you successfully deflect), you’ll have a brief window in which you can perform a normal Spirit attack combo that can keep him stunlocked for brief periods of time, and if it is rapidly repeated, you can whittle his health down quickly.
In the next phase, you’ll always have a brief moment of respite to heal, as Zhang Liao will always start with a sweep of his demonic arm that will never have the range to hit you from your starting position. This phase is all about patience and attrition, even more so than the first phase. Zhang will perform similar moves but often double up, requiring multiple deflects in a row that has altered timing.
Zhang will use Critical Blow attacks far more freely in this phase, and that’s a good thing because it only takes one successful deflection of a Critical Blow from him, to stagger him with Spirit Disruption and allow you to perform a Fatal Strike whilst he is defenseless. The color of the lock-on marker will change to indicate if you are at the proper distance to perform a Fatal Strike.
Once you get Zhang in his second form to around 50% health, you will be prompted to Summon a Divine Beast, available once the Divine Beast Gauge is full. Hit the prompts to trigger a cutscene where a Divine Beast emerges and carries Zhang into the air, defeating him and ending the fight.
In addition, here are some tips to help you in your battle against Zhang Liang:
Don’t rush through the first level: Take your time to fully explore the level, and find all the flagpoles, hidden weapons, and armor chests in the level to boost yourself before going toe-to-toe with Zhang Liang.
Training deviations on simple mobs: Zhang Liang’s attacks can only be countered with a well-timed deflection, so it’s imperative that you master the game’s parry mechanic.
Level up to level 10: If you’re fighting Zhang Liang, you can take the time to level up your skill a bit to get your character up to level 10. And the best route to farm Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty Genuine Qi is between the three flagpoles and the optional encounter with Changgui.
Raise your morale rating to at least 20: Increasing your morale rank will give you a defensive boost and increase your survivability. You can grind morale by killing enemies within the level.
Use the martial arts of your weapons: It’s important to note that Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty heavily emphasizes aggression, so playing defensively may not result in defeating the bosses in the game.
While Zhang Liang can be an intimidating boss in the early game, once you get familiar with these tips, defeating him becomes a lot easier in the game.