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Black Myth: Wukongtakes you on a journey as the Destined One, battling countless bosses on your way to your destiny. Among these bosses, there are mandatory ones that you must defeat to progress through the main story.
Tiger Vanguard is one of the mandatory bosses that you will encounter in Chapter 2. It is one of the most challenging bosses to deal with and uses a varied set of attacks that keep the Destined One on their toes. It might take a few tries to fully understand the boss' moveset.
Where To Find The Tiger Vanguard
The Tiger Vanguard can be found inside the Crouching Tiger Temple in Chapter 2. From theTemple Entrance Shrine, walk straight up the stairs to reach this boss. After defeating the Second Prince of Flowing Sands, you have to go through the Valley of Despair.
As you progress through the Valley of Despair, you willencounter a crackthat you can pass through, and it will lead you to theCrouching Tiger Temple.
Tiger Vanguard Attacks
Tiger Vanguard is a difficult boss because he hits hard and has a huge variety of different attacks. However, most of his attacks follow a simple pattern. Once you’ve figured out how to dodge and recognize each attack, you can easily defeat him.
How To Avoid
Jumping Smash
As you enter the fight, the boss willjump into the air and attack youas he smashes the ground on landing. The boss may also use this attack later on in the fight.
This attack is slow and easy toavoid by dodging, even if your timing is slightly off.
Melee Combo
Tiger Vanguardthrows two punches, and then a slightly delayed low sweep. The boss will jump away after using the low sweep, making it difficult to punish.
Focus ondodging the entire combo. The low sweep is slightly delayed but has a short range. Don’t attempt to recklessly punish after dodging the combo.
Horizontal Slash
The boss may unleash asingle horizontal slashwith his sword at close range.
This attack is easy to avoid bydodging in any direction.
Roar And Smash
Tiger Vanguard may get on all fours, andunleash a roar. The boss willfollow it up with a single punch.
Predicting the roar is difficult, but if you see the boss getting on all fours, be wary of this attack. It can be avoided by dodging at the correct time. The follow-up punch isvery linear and slow, so you may easily avoid it bydodging or simply moving out of the way.
Sword Slash Combo
At close range, Tiger Vanguard may unleash a 4-hit combo with his sword. The first attack is aquick kick into two quick slashes, while the final slash is very delayed and can be challenging to avoid. The boss may also follow up with another3-hit sword combo, where all three strikes are done in quick succession.
Whenever the boss has the sword in his hand, be ready for this offense. The final hit is difficult to avoid due to the delay. Be wary while attacking once you successfully dodge the final hit, because of thefollow-up combo. All slashes can be avoided bydodging in any direction.
Stance Combo
The boss may assume a martial arts stance, and rush at you for a4-hit combo. The initial strike isjust a kick, followed by two punches. The boss will then jump into the air and smash the ground with his fist to finish the combo.
This attack is easy to predict. As soon as you see Tiger Vanguard assume the stance, be ready for this. you’re able to easily avoid theentire combo by dodging. The final hit is slow and can be easily avoided even if your dodge timing is off.
Hit And Ground Smash
It is a2-hit combo. The boss may throw a fist, and then smash the ground with his other fist.
Both attacks are slow andeasy to avoid by dodging. You can also avoid the second hit bysprinting awayfrom the boss.
Tackle Into Smash
Tiger Vanguard may do ashort tacklein your direction, and then jump into the air to throw alanding smashwith his fist.
You’ll likely only get hit by this tackle if you’re too near the boss. The tackle itself doesn’t deal as much damage. you may avoid it bycreating some distancefrom the boss ordodging backwards. The second hit is slow and is similar to all the jumping smashes the boss throws at you.
Quick Slash
The boss assumes a stance with his sword and throws an exceptionally quick slash in theDestined One’s direction. It is along-range attackand can reach you from quite far away instantly.
This attack is extremely difficult to avoid if you’re further away from the boss. You have tododge exactly when the boss swings his sword, regardless of how far he is. Tiger Vanguard may also use this attack at close range.
Rock Solid
Tiger Vanguard getson all fours and turns into stone. If you attack him during this form, you’ll stagger a little. The boss may also follow it up with a single punch after getting out of this form.
Even if you hit the boss during this form, you’re able to still avoid the follow-up. If you manage to stop yourself from attacking while the boss is in his stone form, you can unleasha charged heavy attack, andit will hit the boss, and may also knock him out of the stone form.
Rock Solid (Teleportation)
Tiger Vanguard will turn into stone as usual, but this time, he’ll speak something and disappear for a short while. He will appear somewhere else in the arena, andlaunch a quick attack in your direction. It deals a ton of damage and the boss is guaranteed to use this move once after you’ve depleted half his HP.
The trick to avoiding this move is to wait for the boss to appear again. Just as you see him reappear,press dodge and you’ll avoid this attack. Be wary that once you’ve avoided this attack, the boss will likely follow it up with aQuick Slash.
Blood Tornado
When he has the sword in his hand, Tiger Vanguard may summon atornado of blood. The boss may also throw multiple tornadoes in your direction.
These tornadoes will follow you, so you have tododge forwardjust when they are about to hit you. Once they pass you, they will disappear.
Blood Slashes
The boss usually uses this attack right after throwing blood tornadoes in your direction. The attack consists ofthree slashes, that launch ranged projectiles in your direction.
These attacks are very linear, you’re able to easily avoid all of these attacks bydodging forward repeatedly.
How To Defeat Tiger Vanguard
Defeating Tiger Vanguard requires you to be abit patient with your attacks. If you’re equipping the best possible armor and weapon that you can craft right now, you’ll easily be able to withstand a lot of hits, but you won’t be able to defeat the boss by relying on that alone and will have to focus on dodging correctly by learning the patterns of his attacks.
Immobilization spellis going to be your best friend in this fight. The spell will hold Tiger Vanguard in one place so that you can deal enough damage. Avoid casting Immobilization while the boss is jumping around as he’ll freeze midair, and you won’t be able to attack him properly.
Using the Pluck of Many spell is also an option, but due to the high mana cost, it isn’t recommended. You can cast the Immobilization spell multiple times for the same amount of mana.
Rewards For Defeating Tiger Vanguard
Defeating Tiger Vanguard rewards the player with the Key Item,Keeness of Tiger, alongside the Rock Solid spell. If you’ve also defeated the Stone Vanguard boss, you’ll be able to progress the story by interacting with thesmall statue in Tiger Vanguard’s boss arena. Doing so will open the way to the Yellow Wind Sage, the final boss of Chapter 2.
