Parrying has become almost anecessity in modern video games, adding a layer of depth and skill to combat. Yet, when you fire upEnder Magnolia: Bloom in the Mistand play for a couple of hours, you may’t help but notice its absence. To some extent, it makes sense since Lilac, the game’s protagonist, is not really a fighter. She’s what’s known as an Attuner, capable of harnessing the power of Homunculi to fight by her side.
Just when it seems like dodging is your only option, the game introduces the ability to parry enemy attacks with a powerful counter. Known as the Shackled Beast’s Counter, this ability drops as a reward after defeating a certain boss a few hours into the main story. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to obtaining the Shackled Beast’s Counter ability inEnder Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist.
Obtaining Shackled Beast’s Counter (Parry Ability) in Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist
To get your hands on the Shackled Beast’s Counter ability, you’ll need to defeat the Shackled Beast boss inEnder Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist. This formidable foe serves as the main boss of the Tethered Steeple region, and defeating him is necessary to progress through the main story. It can be either the third main boss fight or the fourth, depending on where you go after defeatingYolvan, the Black-Winger Huntsmanin Old City - Lower Steeple.
The closest Respite to the Shackled Beast boss is Forest Barrier - Entrance. While this boss doesn’t have two distinct phases like Yolvan, he deals significantly more damage with each hit, forcing you to play a lot more defensively. His attack pattern is also quite aggressive compared to anything you faced up to this point.
How to Beat Shackled Beast in Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist
While the Shackled Beast hits like a truck,beating him isn’t too difficultas his move set is relatively simple. Once you learn his attack patterns, staying behind him and dodging most of his hits becomes easier.
Shackled Beast’s Main Attacks
By the time you reach the Shackled Beast, you should have at least three Homunculi Abilities in your arsenal. If you’ve explored the Magicite Mine before coming to Tethered Steeples, you should also have Muninn unlocked.
For this fight, we recommend switching Nola’s weapon to Vanquisher. Lito’s Glacial Fist is also a good choice for the fight as it can inflict the Freeze status effect on the boss.
The strategy for the Shackled Beast fight is to try and stay behind the boss as much as possible. When he starts the Chain Swing Attack, back away quickly. Use Lito’s Glacial Fist to get some damage in, and if the boss throws out the chain, dodge quickly to avoid taking damage.
The Chain Slam attack shouldn’t be a concern if you stay on the boss’s backside. When the Shackled Beast starts charging towards you, use Double Jump and Dash to the other side to avoid taking a hit.
The Summon Chain attack is also pretty easy to avoid. As soon as the boss jumps towards the center of the arena, run to the edge of the screen to not get caught by it. You can dash towards the boss in the end to get a few hits at that point.
How Does the Shackled Beast’s Counter Work
Like all other Homunculi Abilities, players must equip the Shackled Beast’s Counter from a Respite to use it. The ability has three variations:
Benumbed Howl doesn’t deal any Break Damage but has the largest AOE.
The Shackled Beast’s Counter is the first parry ability that players will find inEnder Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist. However, as you progress further into the game, you’ll find Grimoires, which allow you to purchase Carapace items from the Craftory. Once you pick up a couple of Grimoire,fast travel back to the Old City Marketto see the new shop inventory. These items can also nullify enemy attacks once equipped but don’t deal as much counter damage as the Shackled Beast’s Counter.
