Greetings everyone, Emerald-Armed Mantis is a mandatory Yaoguai Chief that must be defeated in Chapter 6 of Black Myth: Wukong to continue the main story. What’s special is that the battle takes place right inside the stomach of Zhu Bajie, in a cramped space, and is clearly divided into 2 distinct phases (different boss states with changing movesets). This guide will get straight to the point, showing you how to find, prepare for, and effectively fight this troublesome mantis, emphasizing important tips and details.
How to Find Emerald-Armed Mantis
To be able to face Emerald-Armed Mantis, you first need to defeat 3 other Yaoguai Chiefs in Chapter 6:
- Feng-Tail General
- Gold Armored Rhino
- Cloudtreading Deer
Note: All three must be defeated for the Emerald-Armed Mantis area to actually activate for you to enter the fight.
After fulfilling the above condition, head to the Foothills area in Chapter 6. Find the distinctive yellow/orange tree located in the middle of an area with water, near where you previously encountered Feng-Tail General and Water-Wood Beast. This area is also known as the Mantis-Catching Swamp. The clearest sign is that once you meet the conditions, a light mist will appear around the base of this tree, and if you look closely, you’ll see sparkling green specks.
Approach the tree, and a cutscene with Zhu Bajie will play. However, to actually start the fight, you need to proactively talk to Zhu Bajie after that cutscene; he will ‘invite’ you into his stomach to deal with the mantis.
An important detail to remember: If you unfortunately fall in this battle, you will respawn right near where Zhu Bajie stands. Nearby, there is also a Shrine named Mantis-Catching Swamp Shrine. To re-enter the fight, simply talk to Zhu Bajie again.
Recommended Loadout
Before jumping into Zhu Bajie‘s stomach, double-check your equipment and skills. This battle takes place in a special watery environment, but there isn’t much specific gear mentioned to counter this environment, so prioritize an Armor Set that balances offense and defense, or whichever set you feel most confident dodging and counter-attacking with.
More important is the selection of suitable Spells and Transformations. Here are some extremely useful suggestions for this matchup:
- Immobilize: Almost mandatory, especially for Phase 2 when Emerald-Armed Mantis becomes extremely fast and unpredictable. Use this spell to “freeze” it and create opportunities to unleash damage.
- Plantain Fan (a type of Vessel): Due to the very cramped combat arena, the Plantain Fan is incredibly powerful. You can use it to continuously push back, corner the mantis against the wall, and even potentially stun-lock it with good timing.
- Red Tides (Transformation into a fire damage form): Emerald-Armed Mantis seems quite susceptible to burn damage. This transformation helps you gradually wear down the boss’s health while still being able to move and attack.
- A Pluck of Many (Spell creating clones): Perfectly complements the cornering strategy with the Plantain Fan. When the boss is pinned down, summon clones to gang up on it, maximizing damage output in a short time.
Ensure you have these skills equipped and enough Focus before starting the battle.
Emerald-Armed Mantis Boss Fight and Guide
Upon entering Zhu Bajie‘s stomach, you’ll find the combat space quite cramped and submerged in digestive fluids/water. This might make your dodge feel slightly more sluggish than usual. However, you can turn this disadvantage into an advantage by utilizing the narrow space to corner the boss with the Plantain Fan as mentioned earlier.
Phase 1 (100% – Approximately 70%/75% HP – Health Points)
In the initial phase, Emerald-Armed Mantis moves relatively slowly, executes short combos, and deals moderate damage.
Attacks to Watch For:
- Strong Stab with Both Claws into the Ground: This is a golden opportunity to attack! After this move, the boss will be momentarily stuck as its claws are embedded in the ground. Dodge this attack and counter immediately.
- Single or consecutive slashes with one claw.
- Spinning attacks.
- (Minor detail) Beware of the Tail Whip if you stand too close behind it.
Phase 1 Strategy:
- Focus on dodging or parrying if you’re confident.
- Mainly attack after the boss performs the Strong Stab with Both Claws.
- Key Tip: Conserve Focus, Spells, and uses of Vessels like the Plantain Fan for Phase 2. This phase is relatively easy; try to use basic attacks and exploit openings to save resources for the harder part.
Phase Transition (When HP reaches around 70%/75%)
You’ll see a short cutscene. Emerald-Armed Mantis will sharpen its claws, then dip them into the digestive fluids, turning them bright red (possibly a Blood Magic effect). This is the sign the boss has “powered up,” preparing to get serious.
Phase 2 (Below 70%/75% HP – End)
Everything changes completely. The boss becomes significantly faster, moves extremely erratically, constantly tumbling around the area. Combos are also longer, stronger, and have greater reach than before.
New/Upgraded Attacks to Watch For:
- Extremely fast, multi-hit combo slashes with the red claws.
- Spinning slash attacks with a wider radius.
- (Minor detail) Wide sweeping attacks are now harder to dodge due to slower movement in the water.
Phase 2 Strategy:
- Prioritize dodging above all else! Use perfect dodges if possible to avoid damage from the long combos.
- As soon as you see the boss start moving erratically, use Immobilize to lock it down, creating precious opportunities to attack or heal.
- Cornering Strategy (Stunlock): This is where the Plantain Fan shines. Proactively use the fan to push the boss against the wall. When it’s held by the wind current, quickly activate A Pluck of Many to summon clones. You and your clones attacking together will inflict massive damage while the boss cannot effectively retaliate.
- If you don’t prefer the above strategy or need more sustained damage, use the Red Tides transformation to slowly burn the boss’s health down.
- Take advantage of the brief pauses between the boss’s frantic combos to get in quick attacks and then retreat.
- Be patient and highly focused during this phase. Use the tools you have wisely, especially Immobilize and Plantain Fan, and you will defeat it.
After Emerald-Armed Mantis is defeated, it will drop the Dian-Cui Loong-Soaring Bracers – this is a Mythical grade equipment reward, a very powerful arm piece.
After defeating Emerald-Armed Mantis, you will automatically exit Zhu Bajie‘s stomach. The next main objective is to follow him up the mountain. However, before moving on, remember that this Foothills area still contains optional bosses like Son of Stones and Giant Shigandang waiting for you to discover if you want to hunt for more loot and challenge yourself further.