Wuchang Fallen Feathers: How to beat Commander Honglan

Here’s how to Shimmer and use Skyborn Might against Honglan

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Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/505 Games

Stuck on Commander Honglan in Wuchang Fallen Feathers? The first wall that most players will face in Wuchang Fallen Feathers is the notorious Commander Honglan, who challenges you in the Lotus Pond of the Tang Palace complex and represents a massive difficulty spike. While there are tricky bosses prior to Honglan, the commander is the first to demand precise mastery of the game’s mechanics.

I am by no means a truly skilled Soulslike aficionado, but I’m not terrible either. Nevertheless, it still took me about two hours to beat Commander Honglan my first time around, and new players are likely to face similar stuggles. In this guide, I’ll dive into how to beat Commander Honglan in Wuchang Fallen Feathers , revealing the best tactics that worked for me, including a complete list of my equipment.

How to beat Commander Honglan in Wuchang Fallen Feathers

To beat Commander Honglan, I used a Level 27 magic build that didn’t involve attacking her directly. Instead, I learned to consistently dodge her blows and fire back with a ranged spell , which some might consider spamming and a cheap victory. (To which I say - all’s fair in a Soulslike, especially one that ramps up the difficulty so dramatically with a boss like this!)

Equip a One-Handed Sword

If you want to follow in my footsteps, equip a One-Handed Sword that passively generates Skyborn Might via the Biding Time skill. The Astral Blade is my preferred One-Handed Sword in this scenario, due to its impressive elevated spell damage. However, you can also use Darkfrost’s Edge , which boasts a useful weapon skill called Evasive Maneuver.

Evasive Maneuver is very helpful if you’re not great at dodging - when activated right before an enemy is about to hit you, it basically grants a 5-second auto-dodge buff as long as you’ve spent Skyborn Might. The more attacks you avoid while this buff is active, the more Skyborn Might you get back. You can think of this skill as a “training wheels” dodge of sorts, letting you be a bit sloppy with your timing while still getting the reward of Skyborn Might stacks. However, the downside is your spell attack damage won’t be as strong.

Shimmer and build Skyborn Might

With your One-Handed Sword handy, you’re going to have to practice using Shimmer (AKA dodge) on all of Honglan’s attacks. This is easier said than done, and you should prepare to Shimmer as soon as the fight begins , because she’ll dash at you with a lunge from the getgo.

Be aware of the arena as you circle around Commander Honglan and dodge her attacks. The worst thing you can do here is get backed into a corner without room to Shimmer. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/505 Games

All of Honglan’s attacks hit hard and are fast, and she usually delivers three or more attacks in a row . The margin of error is small for avoiding them, so until you learn her moveset, this fight is going to take some practice. That said, all of this dodging will consistently generate Skyborn Might, and when you combine this with Biding Time, you’ll almost always have Skyborn Might stacks at your disposal.

Finally, when Honglan backs away to give you a brief breather, unleash a reliable spell for damage . The safest time to do this is when she’s raised her leg for a stomp and you’re out of range, or when she’s busy circling you. Rinse and repeat until Honglan’s dead. She’ll switch up her attacks in the second half of the fight, becoming even faster as she throws daggers and slashes waves of air at you, but if you keep practicing your Shimmer, you can dodge everything.

Use Burning Flames or Infernal Flames

In my playthrough, the spell that worked best against Honglan was Burning Flames (obtained by defeating a solo bird-masked foe in Doomwillow Beach), thanks to its reliable damage and the fact that it also makes Wuchang jump backwards, which is handy in a fight that requires constant dodging. You can see exactly how well it worked in the video below:

No direct attacks, just roasting her at every possible opportunity. It works!Watch on YouTube

If you don’t have Burning Flames, Infernal Flames (obtained by defeating the fire-breathing foe in the village courtyard near the Shu Sanctum) also works, though it’ll leave you stationary for a little longer, and potentially open to her attacks.

Equip the right Impetus Repository nodes and gear

In order for this strategy to work, you need to maximise your spell damage, and I took as many One-Handed Sword Mastery nodes in the Impetus Repository as possible in order to amplify my Agility and Magic damage. I also invested in the Centipede Armor set, which can be obtained from Tao Qing after defeating the Blightweaver - Great Centipede boss; this reduces slashing and stab damage, which are Honglan’s two damage types.

If this is a far cry from your typical character build, know that respeccing is free in Wuchang Fallen Feathers , so there’s no reason you can’t switch to a One-Handed Sword build temporarily.

To reiterate, here’s a complete list of what I personally equipped in this fight:

• Weapon: Astral Blade +4 (or Darkfrost’s Edge +4)
• Armor: Centipede Armor Set
• Pendants: Jade Pendant, Luduan Pendant, Twin Infant Pendant
• Spells: Burning Flames, Infernal Flames
• Benedictions: Bu - Skyborn Ward, Ren - Skyborn Vigor, Wei - Skyborn Magic

Try Longsword deflecting or Dual Blade clashing

Those who can parry well should practice their Clash and Deflect skills with Honglan. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/505 Games

Perhaps you don’t want to cheese Commander Honglan with magic. If a direct approach is your thing, try digging into the Longsword or Dual Blades skill trees . The Longsword’s counter attack can deflect Honglan’s blows, letting you follow up with your own strikes. The Dual Blades, on the other hand, allow you to parry via Clash skills, and if you’re a natural at parrying when Honglan’s all up in your face, you might like this method of combat more.

Honestly, it’s fairly easy to build up Honglan’s Obliterate meter, after which you can slice into her for big damage. I simply struggled to consistently do so, as dodging has always been more of my skillset in Soulslikes rather than parrying. So if you’re able to defeat Honglan one-on-one via melee, bravo to you!

A hearty congratulations if you’ve read this far and beaten Commander Honglan! Wuchang Fallen Feathers contains many other tough bosses, so head over to our boss list for the complete rundown. We’ve also got a list of tips and tricks , as well as explainers on the Inner Demon and Madness and Red Mercury systems. Last but not least, our guide on how to transmog will ensure that you look cool while fighting Honglan, and if you’re in search of rare weapons and other items on your journey, why not see our guide on how to use Bamboo Shoots to appease a hidden merchant known as the Panda?

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

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All 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints and where to get them

These areas have the highest chance of giving you Blueprints

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Looking for more Arc Raiders Blueprints? It’s a special day when you find a Blueprint, as they’re among the most valuable items in Arc Raiders. If you find a Blueprint that you haven’t already found, then you must make sure you hold onto it at all costs, because Blueprints are the key to one of the most important and powerful systems of meta-progression in the game.

This guide aims to be the very best guide on Blueprints you can find, starting with a primer on what exactly they are and how they work in Arc Raiders, before delving into exactly where to get Blueprints and the very best farming spots for you to take in your search.

We’ll also go over how to get Blueprints from other unlikely activities, such as destroying Surveyors and completing specific quests. And you’ll also find the full list of all 75 Blueprints in Arc Raiders on this page (including the newest Blueprints added with the Cold Snap update , such as the Deadline Blueprint and Firework Box Blueprint), giving you all the information you need to expand your own crafting repertoire.

In this guide:

• What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?
• Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes
• Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders Blueprints obtained from quests Blueprints obtained from Trials Best Blueprint farming locations

What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?

Blueprints in Arc Raiders are special items which, if you manage to extract with them, you can expend to permanently unlock a new crafting recipe in your Workshop. If you manage to extract from a raid with an Anvil Blueprint, for example, you can unlock the ability to craft your very own Anvil Pistol, as many times as you like (as long as you have the crafting materials).

To use a Blueprint, simply open your Inventory while in the lobby, then right-click on the Blueprint and click “Learn And Consume” . This will permanently unlock the recipe for that item in your Workshop. As of the Stella Montis update, there are allegedly 75 different Blueprints to unlock - although only 68 are confirmed to be in the game so far. You can see all the Blueprints you’ve found and unlocked by going to the Workshop menu, and hitting “R” to bring up the Blueprint screen.

It’s possible to find duplicates of past Blueprints you’ve already unlocked. If you find these, then you can either sell them, or - if you like to play with friends - you can take it into a match and gift it to your friend so they can unlock that recipe for themselves. Another option is to keep hold of them until the time comes to donate them to the Expedition.

Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes

Below is the full list of all the Blueprints that are currently available to find in Arc Raiders, and the crafting recipe required for each item:

Note: The missing Blueprints in this list likely have not actually been added to the game at the time of writing, because none of the playerbase has managed to find any of them. As they are added to the game, I will update this page with the most relevant information so you know exactly how to get all 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints.

Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders

Below is a list of all containers, modifiers, and events which maximise your chances of finding Blueprints:

• Certain quests reward you with specific Blueprints .
• Completing Trials has a high chance of offering Blueprints as rewards.
• Surveyors have a decent chance of dropping Blueprints on death.
• High loot value areas tend to have a greater chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Night Raids and Storms may increase rare Blueprint spawn chances in containers.
• Containers with higher numbers of items may have a higher tendency to spawn Blueprints. As a result, Blue Gate (which has many “large” containers containing multiple items) may give you a higher chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Raider containers (Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, Medical Bags, Grenade Tubes) have increased Blueprint drop rates. As a result, the Uncovered Caches event gives you a high chance of finding Blueprints.
• Security Lockers have a higher than average chance of containing Blueprints.
• Certain Blueprints only seem to spawn under specific circumstances: Tempest Blueprint only spawns during Night Raid events. Vulcano Blueprint only spawns during Hidden Bunker events. Jupiter and Equaliser Blueprints only spawn during Harvester events.

Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, and other raider-oriented container types have a good chance of offering Blueprints. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints have a very low chance of spawning in any container in Arc Raiders, around 1-2% on average. However, there is a higher chance of finding Blueprints in particular container types. Specifically, you can find more Blueprints in Raider containers and security lockers.

Beyond this, if you’re looking for Blueprints you should focus on regions of the map which are marked as having particularly high-value loot. Areas such as the Control Tower in Dam Battlegrounds, the Arrival and Departure Buildings in Spaceport, and Pilgrim’s Peak in Blue Gate all have a better-than-average chance of spawning Blueprints somewhere amongst all their containers. Night Raids and Electromagnetic Storm events also increase the drop chances of certain Blueprints .

In addition to these containers, you can often loot Blueprints from destroyed Surveyors - the largest of the rolling ball ARC. Surveyors are more commonly found on the later maps - Spaceport and Blue Gate - and if one spawns in your match, you’ll likely see it by the blue laser beam that it casts into the sky while “surveying”.

Surveyors are quite well-armoured and will very speedily run away from you once it notices you, but if you can take one down then make sure you loot all its parts for a chance of obtaining certain unusual Blueprints.

Blueprints obtained from quests

One way in which you can get Blueprints is by completing certain quests for the vendors in Speranza. Some quests will reward you with a specific item Blueprint upon completion, so as long as you work through all the quests in Arc Raiders, you are guaranteed those Blueprints.

Here is the full list of all Blueprints you can get from quest rewards:

• Trigger Nade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Sparks Fly”.
• Lure Grenade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Greasing Her Palms”.
• Burletta Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Industrial Espionage”.
• Hullcracker Blueprint (and Launcher Ammo Blueprint): Rewarded after completing “The Major’s Footlocker”.

Alas, that’s only 4 Blueprints out of a total of 75 to unlock, so for the vast majority you will need to find them yourself during a raid. If you’re intent on farming Blueprints, then it’s best to equip yourself with cheap gear in case you lose it, but don’t use a free loadout because then you won’t get a safe pocket to stash any new Blueprint you find. No pain in Arc Raiders is sharper than failing to extract with a new Blueprint you’ve been after for a dozen hours already.

One of the best ways to get Blueprints is by hitting three stars on all five Trials every week. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints obtained from Trials

One of the very best ways to get Blueprints is as rewards for completing Trials in Arc Raiders. Trials are unlocked from Level 15 onwards, and allow you to earn rewards by focusing on certain tasks over the course of several raids. For example, one Trial might task you with dealing damage to Hornets, while another might challenge you to loot Supply Drops.

Trials refresh on a weekly basis, with a new week bringing five new Trials. Each Trial can offer up to three rewards after passing certain score milestones, and it’s possible to receive very high level loot from these reward crates - including Blueprints. So if you want to unlock as many Blueprints as possible, you should make a point of completing as many Trials as possible each week.

Best Blueprint farming locations

The very best way to get Blueprints is to frequent specific areas of the maps which combine high-tier loot pools with the right types of containers to search. Here are my recommendations for where to find Blueprints on every map, so you can always keep the search going for new crafting recipes to unlock.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Dam Battlegrounds

The best places to farm Blueprints on Dam Battlegrounds are the Control Tower, Power Generation Complex, Ruby Residence, and Pale Apartments . The first two regions, despite only being marked on the map as mid-tier loot, contain a phenomenal number of containers to loot. The Control Tower can also contain a couple of high-tier Security Lockers - though of course, you’ll need to have unlocked the Security Breach skill at the end of the Survival tree.

There’s also a lot of reporting amongst the playerbase that the Residential areas in the top-left of the map - Pale Apartments and Ruby Residence - give you a comparatively strong chance of finding Blueprints. Considering their size, there’s a high density of containers to loot in both locations, and they also have the benefit of being fairly out of the way. So you’re more likely to have all the containers to yourself.

Buried City

The best Blueprint farming locations on Buried City are the Santa Maria Houses, Grandioso Apartments, Town Hall, and the various buildings of the New District . Grandioso Apartments has a lower number of containers than the rest, but a high chance of spawning weapon cases - which have good Blueprint drop rates. The others are high-tier loot areas, with plenty of lootable containers - including Security Lockers.

Spaceport

The best places to find Blueprints on Spaceport are the Arrival and Departure Buildings, as well as Control Tower A6 and the Launch Towers . All these areas are labelled as high-value loot regions, and many of them are also very handily connected to one another by the Spaceport wall, which you can use to quickly run from one area to the next. At the tops of most of these buildings you’ll find at least one Security Locker, so this is an excellent farming route for players looking to find Blueprints.

The downside to looting Blueprints on Spaceport is that all these areas are hotly contested, particularly in Duos and Squads. You’ll need to be very focused and fast in order to complete the full farming route.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blue Gate

Blue Gate tends to have a good chance of dropping Blueprints, potentially because it generally has a high number of containers which can hold lots of items; so there’s a higher chance of a Blueprint spawning in each container. In my experience, the best Blueprint farming spots on Blue Gate are Pilgrim’s Peak, Raider’s Refuge, the Ancient Fort, and the Underground Complex beneath the Warehouse .

All of these areas contain a wealth of containers to loot. Raider’s Refuge has less to loot, but the majority of the containers in and around the Refuge are raider containers, which have a high chance of containing Blueprints - particularly during major events.

Stella Montis

On the whole, Stella Montis seems to have a very low drop rate for Blueprints (though a high chance of dropping other high-tier loot). If you do want to try farming Blueprints on this map, the best places to find Blueprints in Stella Montis are Medical Research, Assembly Workshop, and the Business Center . These areas have the highest density of containers to loot on the map.

In addition to this, the Western Tunnel has a few different Security Lockers to loot, so while there’s very little to loot elsewhere in this area of the map, it’s worth hitting those Security Lockers if you spawn there at the start of a match.

That wraps up this primer on how to get all the Blueprints in Arc Raiders as quickly as possible. With the Expedition system constantly resetting a large number of players’ Blueprints, it’s more important than ever to have the most up-to-date information on where to find all these Blueprints.

While you’re here, be sure to check out our Arc Raiders best guns tier list , as well as our primers on the best skills to unlock and all the different Field Depot locations on every map.

ARC Raiders

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

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