Chang Hong, the Thunder Spear is a two-phase boss encountered in Pangzhen, near the Ancestral Shrine Square.
The fight starts as a traditional spear duel on foot, but Phase Two changes the encounter completely when Chang Hong mounts an armored horse and becomes Chang Hong, the Thunder Lancer.
He is not one of the most complicated bosses mechanically, but both phases punish sloppy defense very hard. His spear strings are fast, his Lightning attacks can build Paralysis, and the mounted phase gives him excellent control over both mid and long range.
As with other multi-phase bosses, once you defeat Phase One, dying during Phase Two will restart you directly from Phase Two instead of forcing you to repeat the entire encounter.
This guide was written and tested on Hellwalker difficulty.
Boss Mechanics Phase 1
Phase One is a fairly straightforward spear duel, but Chang Hong's pressure can become dangerous if you let his Lightning attacks build too much Paralysis.
Most of his normal strings are parryable, and several end in very clear Red or Blue opportunities.
Spear Rushes
Chang Hong frequently uses fast spear rushes to close distance.
These attacks are not particularly difficult to read once you understand the rhythm, but he can repeat them quickly enough that missing one parry can cause the rest of the string to hit you as well.
Do not immediately attack after the first thrust. Wait until you are sure the full string has ended, then punish the recovery.
Lightning Buff and Paralysis
One of the most important mechanics in Phase One is his Lightning buff.
Chang Hong can raise his spear and call Lightning down onto himself, temporarily empowering his attacks. While the buff is active, getting hit builds your Paralysis meter. If the meter fills, you can become completely immobilized for several seconds, giving Chang Hong a free punish.
When you see him begin the Lightning animation, do not greed for damage.
Create distance and wait for the most dangerous part of the buff to pass. If your Paralysis meter is already high, prioritize avoiding attacks until it drops rather than trying to trade with him.
This mechanic is what makes Phase One much more dangerous than his normal spear strings would suggest.
Spinning Spear Charge
Chang Hong also has a spinning charge where he rotates the spear before rushing toward you.
The sequence itself is not particularly dangerous once learned, but the final hit becomes a Red Flash attack, giving you one of the cleanest punish opportunities in the phase.
Focus on surviving the lead-up, then react to the Red Flash rather than trying to interrupt him halfway through the string.
Phase 1 Strategy
Phase One is mostly about staying calm and managing Paralysis.
His regular spear pressure is manageable if you maintain your parry rhythm. The fight becomes much harder when you start eating Lightning-enhanced attacks and allow the Paralysis meter to build.
Play patiently whenever his spear becomes empowered, then become more aggressive once the buff has faded.
The easiest damage windows usually come from his Red Flash finisher and successful Blue counters.
Boss Mechanics Phase 2
After Phase One, Chang Hong mounts an armored horse and becomes Chang Hong, the Thunder Lancer.
This completely changes the spacing of the fight. Instead of standing directly in front of you and pressuring with spear strings, he now spends much more time circling the arena, charging from range, and combining mounted thrusts with Lightning attacks.
Mounted Charges
His most common attack is a straightforward mounted lance charge.
Chang Hong accelerates toward you and thrusts with the lance as he passes.
The timing is fairly generous once you recognize the starting distance, making this one of the easier attacks to parry or avoid in Phase Two.
Do not chase the horse after every pass.
Let him circle back toward you and focus on reacting to the next charge instead of wasting Stamina trying to keep up.
Ranged Lightning
Chang Hong can also call down Lightning strikes from range while mounted.
Keep moving laterally whenever he begins the animation. These attacks are much easier to avoid if you maintain movement rather than trying to react from a standstill.
Just like Phase One, Lightning can contribute to Paralysis, so do not ignore repeated hits even if the individual damage does not seem especially threatening.
Horse Kick
One of the most dangerous attacks happens if you stay directly behind the horse.
Chang Hong can turn the horse around and use a powerful rear kick, dealing heavy damage and potentially disrupting your vision.
If the horse turns its rear toward you, move away immediately rather than trying to squeeze in another attack.
This is one of the easiest ways to take unnecessary damage in Phase Two.
Vision-Blocking Attacks
Chang Hong can also use attacks that partially obscure your vision.
These are not especially dangerous by themselves, but they make the follow-up thrusts much harder to read.
Do not chase him while your vision is obscured.
Create some distance, wait until you can clearly see the boss again, then re-engage.
Phase 2 Strategy
Phase Two is more about spacing than raw aggression.
Let Chang Hong come to you.
His mounted thrusts are predictable, his Lightning attacks are easier to avoid while moving, and trying to constantly chase the horse usually creates more problems than it solves.
Stay away from the horse's rear, maintain enough Stamina to dodge a charge, and punish the clear recovery windows after his longer mounted attacks.
If you die here, remember that the game checkpoints you at Phase Two, so you can practice the mounted fight without repeating the spear duel.
General Strategy
Chang Hong is not mechanically overwhelming, but he punishes poor discipline.
In Phase One, focus on clean spear parries and managing your Paralysis meter whenever he empowers himself with Lightning.
In Phase Two, stop chasing him and let the mounted attacks come to you. The fight becomes much easier once you treat it as a spacing battle rather than trying to force constant melee pressure.
