Wo Long Zhang Rang boss guide: How to defeat the shadow clones

Zhang Rang is one of the most unique bosses in Wo Long, and also one of the easiest to get wrong.

He summons a room full of shadow clones to confuse you and your allies, while he and the rest of his buddies hurl a barrage of magical projectiles your way - some of which home in with a ridiculous amount of tracking - in a most infuriating and frustrating manner.

Seriously, the bombardment of lightning bolts that follow your character around are extremely annoying, right?

However, once you know his secret cheese strategy, Zhang Rang is actually one of the easiest bosses in Wo Long - it’s just because the best course of action runs counter to how similar fights in other video games play out that a lot of players struggle.

Here’s how to defeat Zhang Rang with ease!

Remember: Zhang Rang is a “gimmick boss”

A few of these pop up throughout Wo Long, but at heart Zhang Rang is what Souls-like players often refer to as a “gimmick boss”. This means he’s more of a set piece than a traditional boss fight that overtly tests your skills in combat.

If you approach it at face value, one of the most difficult parts of this Zhang Rang fight is how the crowd of enemies messes with your lock-on. This should be a clue that there’s no point fighting fair and to look for another solution.

Defeat all of Zhang Rang's clones with two well-timed Spirit Attacks to shrink his Spirit Bar

In most video games where you face multiple clones of the same enemy, your job is to identify the real one and focus your attention on them. To defeat Zhang Rang in Wo Long, the easiest solution is to defeat all of his clones first, then stagger the wizard’s Spirit Gauge easily once he’s vulnerable.

As you destroy each one of his shadow clones, Zhang Rang’s overall Spirit Gauge drastically reduces - to the point where once all of his friends are defeated you can score a critical hit after just a quick flurry of attacks.

If you approach each clone individually, you can rush them down with just a couple of Spirit Attacks (press Triangle or Y) each. Mowing down the ranks of wizard clones also helps to stem the tide of overpowered A-o-E magic they fling at you from all angles.

Get some help from a couple of meat shields

When taking on Zhang Rang, be sure to summon the help of a couple of allies by using Tiger Seals at a Battle Flag under the “Reinforcements” tab of the menu.

This isn’t necessarily to deal meaningful damage to the boss, but more to draw aggro and attention away from yourself as you set about the task of defeating the clones one-by-one.

Then, once the real Zhang Rang is isolated by himself, your allies can keep him stun-locked while you line up a couple of final Spirit Attacks to score an easy critical hit.

Repeat this process just a couple of times, and Zhang Rang will fall to a crushing defeat of his own!

For more help with the demon-infested battlefields of this twisted version of Three Kingdoms China, check out our Wo Long Walkthrough in progress, as well as these 16 Wo Long tips for both beginners and advanced players alike.