Halberd War Puppet Fight: Moveset, Attacks and Tips in Phantom Blade Zero

Quick answer: At the Mirage Estate, a Halberd War Puppet watches over the pond before the Opera House. Block or parry its individual attacks, retreat beyond halberd reach when it spins, and stay mobile.

Halberd War Puppet at a glance

This solitary fighter is a tall, pale puppet with visible joints, armed with a long halberd ending in a crescent blade. Its health appears in a short bar above it; there is no boss meter at the bottom of the screen.

Halberd War Puppet lunging with a long halberd thrust in Phantom Blade Zero

The arena is a shallow pond of lily pads and floating lanterns in front of the Opera House. You can wade straight across it.
The Opera House steps are along one side; small wooden pavilions, each with a deck, stand in the water.
The Opera House bell is housed in a pavilion beside the pond, roughly 30 m from the puppet.
Fog walls seal the area once the fight starts and stay up until it ends.

It holds its position near the Opera House steps while you stay back. Move to within about 13 m and the fight begins, preventing you from passing along the paths continuing from the Opera House.

Where to find the Halberd War Puppet

Rest at the Opera House bell. This refills your healing gourd before the fight, and it becomes your respawn point if you lose.

From the bell pavilion, wade through the pond toward the Opera House. The water is shallow, so you can cross directly without looking for a path.

Wading through the lantern pond toward the Opera House in Phantom Blade Zero

Cross the pond toward the Opera House steps, where the puppet is waiting. When you draw near, it descends into the water to engage you.

Halberd War Puppet waiting on the Opera House steps in Phantom Blade Zero

Halberd War Puppet moveset and attacks

Everything this puppet does is built around reach. The names below describe what each attack looks like; they aren’t in-game labels.

Attack	What it does	How to respond
Long thrust	Lunges with the halberd at full length	Guard or parry
Wide sweeps	Broad horizontal swings with long reach	Guard or parry
Full-circle spin	Spins the halberd all the way around its body	Leave halberd range
Rising swing	Upward arc that knocks you down	Get up fast
Leaping strike	Jumps and drives the halberd down	Keep moving until it lands

The thrust closes a big gap in a single step, so distance alone won’t keep you safe. The sweeps carry across open water and even reach up onto a pavilion deck, which makes standing at a deck’s edge a mistake.

Halberd War Puppet sweep reaching a pavilion deck in Phantom Blade Zero

For the spin, the puppet plants its legs wide first. The halberd then sweeps a full circle and leaves a ring of wind over the water, hitting on every side, both up close and out at halberd range. Right after a spin, it can launch into the leaping strike and flatten you.

Halberd War Puppet full-circle halberd spin over the pond in Phantom Blade Zero

Orange sparks signal a parried strike, but the opening is brief. The puppet quickly recovers, plants its halberd, and can go straight into the spin.

Parrying a Halberd War Puppet swing in Phantom Blade Zero

Tips for fighting the Halberd War Puppet

Start the fight from the Opera House bell with a full healing gourd. You’ll need every charge.

Keep the fight in the open water, away from the pavilion decks. The decks don’t block the halberd, so they give you nothing except less room to move.

Block or parry each individual thrust and sweep; orange sparks indicate that your parry connected.

Look for the puppet to spread its feet into a wide stance, particularly after a parry. When it does, move beyond halberd range instead of attacking.

Keep moving as soon as the spin finishes. The leaping strike often follows straight away, and you want to be clear of it until it lands.

Halberd War Puppet leaping strike after its spin in Phantom Blade Zero

Rise promptly after the upward swing, and heal before you’re in serious danger. On Wayfarer, the encounter can exceed three minutes.

Halberd War Puppet rising swing knocking the player down in Phantom Blade Zero

The fog barriers remain in place throughout the fight. If you lose, you return to the Opera House bell, and the puppet’s health is fully restored for your next attempt.