Should I Deflect Guardian Ape? A Comprehensive Guide to Sekiro’s Savage Beast
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The simple answer is a resounding yes, you should deflect Guardian Ape attacks whenever possible in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. While some attacks are better dodged or jumped over, consistently deflecting most of the Guardian Ape’s arsenal is crucial for building his posture (and thus, breaking it for a Vital Strike), surviving the fight, and ultimately, emerging victorious. This is especially true in his first phase.
Understanding the Guardian Ape: A Beast of Two Halves
The Guardian Ape fight is a notorious skill check in Sekiro. It’s a multi-stage battle that forces players to adapt to wildly different fighting styles. The fight is divided into two distinct phases, each demanding a unique approach:
Phase 1: The Wild Ape
The first phase sees the Guardian Ape as a frenzied, aggressive beast. He relies on sweeping attacks, perilous unblockable slams, and a projectile attack (his… waste). He’s highly mobile and unpredictable, making it easy to panic and resort to constant dodging. However, consistent deflecting is key to success in this phase.
Phase 2: The Headless Ape
After you land the deathblow on the Guardian Ape, he… gets back up. His second phase sees him wielding his own severed head as a makeshift weapon. This phase is much more deliberate and methodical, focused on wide-swinging sword attacks. While deflecting is still important, the strategy shifts slightly to focus on timing your deflects to create openings for attack.
Why Deflecting the Guardian Ape is Crucial
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Posture Damage: Deflecting attacks, especially consecutive attacks, builds up an enemy’s posture gauge much faster than simply blocking. The Guardian Ape is no exception. Deflecting his flailing combos will quickly raise his posture, allowing you to eventually break it for a devastating Vital Strike. This is the primary method for inflicting significant damage in both phases.
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Reduced Health Damage: Even if you can successfully block his attacks, they will still chip away at your health. Deflecting negates this damage, allowing you to conserve your Healing Gourds for when you truly need them. Especially during the Ape’s wild combos in phase 1, attempting to block will likely result in your guard breaking and leaving you vulnerable.
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Opportunity Creation: Some of the Guardian Ape’s attacks leave him vulnerable after you deflect them. By mastering the timing, you can create windows of opportunity to land a few strikes and further build up his posture. A prime example is deflecting his perilous leaping slam. Successfully deflecting it will leave him briefly stunned on the ground.
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Mastering the Combat System: Sekiro is fundamentally about mastering the deflect mechanic. The Guardian Ape fight is an excellent training ground for this. By forcing you to learn attack patterns and react accordingly, it helps you develop the core skills necessary to succeed in later, more challenging fights. This is not a game where you can dodge your way to victory; deflecting is essential.
When to Deflect and When to Dodge
While deflecting should be your primary strategy, there are certain attacks that are better dodged or jumped over:
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Perilous Attacks (Red Kanji): The Guardian Ape has a few perilous attacks that cannot be blocked and must be avoided. The most common is his perilous sweep in Phase 2, which requires a jump. Another one is when the ape will grab you when you’re too far.
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The Waste Toss: In phase 1, the Ape will sometimes crouch down and throw, well, waste, at you. This is a ranged attack, and trying to deflect it is generally impractical. It’s much easier to dodge to the side.
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The Ground Pound (Phase 1): When the Ape jumps high into the air and slams the ground, you can deflect it (and should!), but it’s also easy enough to time a jump right before he lands to avoid the shockwave. You can even hit him in mid-air if you time it perfectly.
Mastering the Timing
The key to successfully deflecting the Guardian Ape is learning the timing of his attacks. This requires practice and observation. Pay close attention to his animations and the timing of his swings. Don’t mash the block button; instead, press it just before the attack connects.
A helpful tip is to practice deflecting his attacks repeatedly until you become comfortable with the timing. Don’t be afraid to die; death is a learning experience in Sekiro. Experiment and find the rhythm that works for you.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are 15 frequently asked questions about fighting the Guardian Ape in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice:
1. What’s the best Combat Art to use against the Guardian Ape?
The Ichimonji Double is an excellent choice. It deals significant posture damage and reduces your own posture recovery, allowing you to be more aggressive in deflecting.
2. Are there any Prosthetic Tools particularly effective against him?
The Loaded Spear can be used to pull the centipede out of the Ape’s neck after his posture is broken in phase 1, dealing significant health damage. In phase 2, the Umbrella (Suzaku or Phoenix’s Lilac) is very helpful for blocking his terror-inducing screams.
3. How do I deal with his Terror scream in Phase 2?
Use the Phoenix’s Lilac Umbrella prosthetic tool to completely negate the Terror buildup. You can also use a Pacifying Agent, but the Umbrella is more reliable.
4. Should I try to heal during the fight?
Healing opportunities are limited. The best time to heal is after successfully deflecting his perilous leaping slam in Phase 1, or after he finishes a long combo in Phase 2.
5. Is there a good way to farm Spirit Emblems before this fight?
Yes, the Outskirts Wall – Gate Path is a good location to farm Spirit Emblems from the soldiers there.
6. What stats should I prioritize before tackling the Guardian Ape?
Prioritize Attack Power and Vitality. Increasing your Vitality allows you to withstand more hits, while increasing your Attack Power allows you to deal more damage when you get an opening.
7. What is the best way to deal with the Brown Apes that are summoned in the Ape Duo fight?
Focus on defeating the smaller brown ape first with high damaging techniques and firecrackers, as it’s much easier to deal with than the Headless Ape. Using Firecrackers can help stun the brown ape and make it easier to defeat quickly.
8. Should I use Divine Confetti during the fight?
No, Divine Confetti is not effective against the Guardian Ape, as he is not an apparition-type enemy. Save it for other fights where it will have a greater impact.
9. Is it worth trying to stealth attack the Guardian Ape before the fight?
No, you cannot stealth attack the Guardian Ape. He will immediately detect you.
10. How do I avoid his unblockable grab?
The best way to avoid his grab is to maintain a good distance and dodge to the side when he lunges.
11. Can I use the Sabimaru to poison the Guardian Ape?
While you can attempt to poison him, it’s not particularly effective. The poison buildup is slow, and there are better uses for your Spirit Emblems.
12. What’s the best way to learn his attack patterns?
Practice! Dedicate a few attempts to simply observing his movements and learning the timing of his attacks without focusing on dealing damage.
13. Should I use consumables like Ako’s Sugar or Gokan’s Sugar?
Ako’s Sugar is a decent choice to boost your damage output during openings. Gokan’s Sugar can help reduce posture damage taken when blocking, but prioritizing deflection is still more effective.
14. What happens if I die during the second phase?
You will be returned to the Sculptor’s Idol and have to fight both phases of the Guardian Ape again.
15. Is the Guardian Ape optional?
No, the Guardian Ape is a mandatory boss fight and must be defeated to progress the story.
Conclusion
The Guardian Ape is a challenging but rewarding boss fight in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. By mastering the art of deflection, understanding his attack patterns, and utilizing the right tools and techniques, you can overcome this fearsome foe and continue your journey. Remember, deflecting is key! Good luck, Sekiro!