Tunic: How to defeat the Heir

Tunic's ultimate obstacle — or at least its final combat challenge — is The Heir, and she isn't going to make it easy for you. This monster is a two-phased harsh gauntlet that will put all you've learned about Tunic's combat, weapons, and items to the test. To take her down, you'll need to spend all of your resources, but it's definitely doable. Here's how to do it.

If you battle the Heir for the first time, you're unlikely to last more than a few seconds before she takes you out. Don't panic; this will give you a chance to claim the honors and level up your character before attempting it again. Before you return to the arena for round two, you'll want to stock up on everything you can, so pay a visit to the merchant while you can. Consider purchasing some stamina-restoring herbs to help you regulate your stamina.

In terms of gear, the Hourglass will be your most valuable ally in this battle. Giving oneself a wider window to react to her tells can be the difference between success and failure while dealing with the Heir. The Magic Dagger and Ice Bombs are also useful because the Heir can be frozen for a short period of time to give you some breathing room.

The Magic Rod is less effective because she can easily avoid the bullets, and while the Magic Orb will bring you closer to her, it will not interrupt her strikes, making it a risky tactic. Don't forget to pack some berries to replenish your MP.

When it comes to accessories, the Orange and Cyan Peril Rings will improve your attack and defense, respectively, when your health drops to dangerous levels. Consider wearing the Anklet, which does a little amount of damage when you roll (or flash step, if you're using the laurels) into an adversary.

Equip the Inverted Ash accessory to turn all of your health potions into magic-restoring potions instead if you're prepared to take a chance. This means you won't be able to heal (you can with other items, but inventory management in the middle of combat isn't encouraged), but you might be able to keep the Hourglass on the entire fight, giving you the advantage you need to evade incoming blows.

The Heir has a large arsenal of maneuvers at his disposal, all of which are bad news for you. She can move rapidly and will regularly charge at you and slash you with her sword, leaving a trail of energy in her wake. This can sometimes turn into a three-strike combination, which you can avoid with proper timing. However, keep in mind that the final slash is a little later than you might imagine.

She can also use a variety of ranged and area-of-effect attacks. She has the ability to call a quick rain of energy bolts, as well as stab the ground to cause a ring of energy to emanate from her or three energy trails to shoot out in a wedge. On top of that, she has the ability to cause three energy rings to fan out from the arena's edge and overlap, forcing you to dash to avoid being hit. Finally, she may unleash three energy blasts at you like a gun, similar to the Garden Knight.

This is a difficult battle, but the key is to avoid becoming greedy, as is customary in Souls games. You'll want to run in when an opportunity presents itself — usually shortly after an attack — land a few hits, and then retreat to safety. Keep an eye on your stamina because if it's exhausted, you'll take 1.5 times as much damage. Remember that you can unlock the target lock button to allow your stamina to replenish more quickly. If you have any bombs in your inventory, they will cause some damage, but you will not be caught in the blast. You'll ultimately whittle down her health if you're patient and cautious.

However, the battle is far from over. Once her health bar is down, the Heir will regain her strength and return for a second, far more hazardous phase. In this stage, attack patterns are similar but more violent, with the extra fear of being drained of your maximum HP if you come into touch with her blade or the tracks of corruption left by some hits. She may now summon five overlapping energy rings and shoot out six corrupted energy trails in a star pattern, for example, and her attacks will often have extra hits.

The Hourglass really shines as a tool in this situation. Things can get a little out of hand if she summons her longer, more intense energy rain while performing one of her other enhanced attacks. Slowing downtime will allow you to find a safe place in the arena. Otherwise, stick to the same strategy: don't get too comfortable, get a few hits in before backing off, and use bombs and ice attacks as needed.

It's a brutal fight, but once you figure out her attack patterns and the best way to approach the fight, you'll finally beat her and be able to relax while watching the end credits roll. Now all that's left is to figure out what's going on.