Facing Cloudtreading Deer, the Yaoguai Chief at Deer Sight Forest (the Foothills area, Chapter 6) in Black Myth: Wukong, is certainly a challenge that demands thorough preparation and good reflexes from the player. The highlight and also the crux of the difficulty in this fight lies in two completely distinct combat phases: from the unpredictable attacks combining Frost and Wind in the first phase, to the sudden shift to an extremely dangerous and more aggressive state using Blood/Poison in the later phase. Quickly adapting to this change is the key factor. This guide will go straight into providing detailed strategies and the most effective practical tips to help you confidently overcome Cloudtreading Deer.
How to Find Cloudtreading Deer
Before diving into the challenging battle with Cloudtreading Deer, thorough preparation will largely determine your success. Do not skip the following steps:
From the nearest Shrine in the Foothills, named the Deer Sight Forest Shrine, head straight forward towards the area with distinctive red-leaved trees and occasional lightning strikes hitting the ground. You will see Cloudtreading Deer waiting under a large tree in the middle of the clearing with lightning. Simply approach boldly, and the fight will automatically begin.
Recommended Loadout
Body-Warming Powder: This item is used to resist and mitigate the Frostbite effect from the numerous Frost-based attacks of the boss in the first phase. Proactively use it when you see the Frostbite status bar nearing full; don’t wait until you are afflicted by the effect.
Antimiasma Powder: Similarly, this is the counter to the Poison effect from the blood pools and Poison-based attacks in Phase 2. This phase will become extremely difficult if you continuously lose health due to poison, so have this antidote powder ready.
Wind Tamer: If you have unlocked and equipped Wind Tamer, it will be an extremely powerful trump card, especially in Phase 1. Activating it will help completely clear the troublesome Tornadoes, significantly reducing defensive pressure. In Phase 2, it can also be used to Stun the boss momentarily. The more thorough your preparation, the more advantages and confidence you will have when facing Cloudtreading Deer head-on.
Cloudtreading Deer Boss Fight and Guide
The fight against Cloudtreading Deer is divided into 2 very distinct phases. Phase 1 is a battle involving Frost, Wind, and the boss’s tendency to maintain distance. Phase 2 involves a complete switch to Blood and Poison, increased aggression, and added assistance from the unexpected ally Zhu Bajie.
Phase 1: Frost & Storm
In this opening phase, Cloudtreading Deer has a clear tendency to keep its distance from you. It will continuously use ranged attacks and Frost/Wind abilities, while also being quite agile, frequently leaping backward when you try to close in.
Main Attacks (And Detailed Counters):
Sweeping Horns: The boss performs a wide, arcing horn sweep directly in front of it. The telltale sign is it slightly tilting its head to one side before attacking.
How to dodge: The simplest and most effective way is to back away from the sweep’s range or actively dodge backward or to its side.
Frost Slam: One of the signature moves. The boss lifts its front two legs high into the air, holds this pose for about 1-2 seconds, then slams them down hard. This slam creates one or more rings of ice waves spreading across the ground as an AOE (Area of Effect).
How to dodge: The tell for this move is very clear. Time your jump as the ice wave approaches to completely avoid damage. Alternatively, with precise timing, you can use Pillar Stance to absorb or avoid the ground damage. Right after the boss finishes this animation is a good opportunity for you to rush in and attack.
Hind Leg Kick: If you move and stand directly behind Cloudtreading Deer for too long, it will unleash a quick and unexpected hind leg kick.
How to dodge: The advice is to always move flexibly around the boss, avoiding standing still in the area behind it for too long.
Tornado Summon: This is considered one of the most annoying and dangerous skills in Phase 1. The boss creates multiple small Tornadoes that move randomly or in a specific pattern within the combat area, dealing continuous damage upon contact and severely hindering your movement and visibility.
Effective countermeasures:
Optimal solution: If you have equipped Wind Tamer, activate it immediately when you see the boss preparing or having just cast the tornadoes. Wind Tamer will instantly clear all Tornadoes.
Safe alternative (without Wind Tamer): The best way is to proactively run far away from the central area with the tornadoes. Patiently wait for them to dissipate or move to the edges before trying to re-engage the boss. Absolutely do not try to fight while standing amidst a forest of Tornadoes.
Leap and Slam: The boss performs a leap into the air, moves a short distance mid-air (“cloud stepping”), then slams down hard, creating ice waves similar to the Frost Slam.
How to dodge: Observe its trajectory and landing spot to proactively move away or prepare to jump over the ice wave as it hits the ground.
Overall Strategy for Phase 1:
- Apply constant pressure: Don’t let the boss comfortably maintain distance. Proactively close in using Cloudstep or normal movement. Use the Immobilize skill if possible to pin it down, creating attack opportunities.
- Manage Frostbite: Always keep an eye on your Frostbite status bar. Use Body-Warming Powder before the bar fills to avoid reduced movement speed and health loss.
- Prioritize dodging dangerous attacks: Especially the tornadoes and AOE attacks like Frost Slam. Safety first.
- Attack windows: Make full use of the brief moments right after the boss finishes a major attack, such as after a Frost Slam or while it’s performing the tornado summon animation (if you are confident you can dodge).
- Conserve Focus (Mana): This is extremely important. Try to limit the use of high-Focus cost skills during this phase. Use basic attacks and low-cost skills to gradually chip away at the boss’s health. You will desperately need Focus for the much harder Phase 2. Practical experience shows that patience, focusing on dodging, and slowly whittling down health are key in Phase 1.
Quick Tips for Phase 1:
- Wind Tamer is an extremely valuable tool to completely neutralize the tornado mechanic. Use it strategically when the boss uses this move.
- Don’t get too greedy with dealing damage. This phase should focus on learning the boss’s attack patterns and conserving health and resources for the next phase.
Phase 2: Blood Poison & Chaos
When you successfully deplete Cloudtreading Deer‘s first health bar, a short cutscene will play. Blood from its wounds will pour out, staining parts of the combat area red. Immediately after, the boss’s health bar will fully refill, marking the start of Phase 2. A special feature is that the ally Zhu Bajie will appear and fight alongside you.
During this phase, Cloudtreading Deer becomes significantly more aggressive and unpredictable. Its physical attacks may become faster and more dangerous. The main element of this phase shifts entirely to Blood/Poison, completely replacing the previous Frost/Wind.
New Attacks (And Detailed Counters):
Blood Pools: This is the core mechanic of Phase 2. The boss continuously creates large red pools of blood on the ground where it stands or moves through. Standing in these pools will rapidly increase your Poison status bar and inflict poison damage over time (DOT).
How to counter: Constantly watching the ground is crucial for survival. Avoid these blood pools at all costs. An effective tactic is to try and bait the boss to move out of the pools to create a “cleaner,” safer combat area for yourself.
Blood Projectiles: The boss can shoot multiple small blood projectiles that fly into the air and then dive straight towards you.
How to dodge: These projectiles may have slight homing capabilities. The best way to dodge is to sprint or perform continuous dodges sideways when you see them start to descend.
Enhanced physical attacks: Physical attacks like horn sweeps and slams might be enhanced in speed or come with additional effects; be more vigilant than in Phase 1.
Overall Strategy for Phase 2:
- Managing Poison is priority #1: Use Antimiasma Powder as soon as the poison status bar is nearly full or you’ve just been poisoned. Absolutely avoid prolonged engagement while standing in poison pools.
- Utilize Zhu Bajie‘s support: Zhu Bajie not only deals supplementary damage but can also draw the boss’s attention (hold aggro) for a period. Take advantage of moments when the boss is attacking Zhu Bajie to heal, use items, or attack more safely from the boss’s rear or flank.
- Unleash saved resources: Now is the time to use the high-Focus cost skills you conserved from Phase 1. High-damage skills, crowd control, or self-buffs are all very useful for ending this phase quicker.
- Attack intelligently: Although the boss is more aggressive, it sometimes leaves larger openings after long attack strings. Patiently observe, wait for opportunities, and attack during safe windows, especially when you have baited it out of the poison pools.
- Wind Tamer (if uses remain): Can still be effective in this phase. Activating Wind Tamer can stun the boss momentarily, creating a valuable opportunity for a burst attack or simply giving you time to recover.
Quick Tips for Phase 2:
- The ground is now your biggest enemy. Always keep an eye on the location of forming and spreading poison pools.
- Don’t rely entirely on Zhu Bajie. He can also be defeated or lose the ability to draw aggro. Always maintain the initiative.
- This phase demands patience and excellent spatial awareness. Don’t panic when the screen might be obscured by annoying blood poison effects. Stay calm and focus on dodging.
Overcoming this challenging Phase 2 requires intense focus and flexible situation handling. Good luck, and successfully defeat Cloudtreading Deer!
After overcoming the arduous battle and successfully defeating Cloudtreading Deer, your efforts will be handsomely rewarded. That reward is the Lotus Silk Cloudtreaders – A Mythical quality piece of equipment.
To defeat Cloudtreading Deer in Black Myth: Wukong, the key lies in thorough preparation with anti-Frost/Poison items (Body-Warming Powder, Antimiasma Powder), understanding the differences between the two combat phases to effectively manage Frostbite/Poison effects and Focus. Fight patiently and flexibly, know when to attack and defend, leverage Zhu Bajie‘s support in Phase 2, and pay special attention to the poison-covered ground. Failing a few times against this tough Yaoguai Chief is normal; view it as a learning opportunity, because the extremely valuable Lotus Silk Cloudtreaders reward awaits you. Good luck, and may you succeed soon!