The Hunt Boss Guide: Carriage Fight & Sixfold Scythe
Survive The Hunt in Phantom Blade Zero: the cramped carriage fight, kusarigama parry timing, the half-health cutscene, and the harder Sixfold Scythe rematch.
The Hunt is Phantom Blade Zero's second boss and its first unfair-feeling one. The fight takes place inside a moving carriage, which removes the usual dodge space and turns every missed parry into a wall collision. The good news: the encounter ends at roughly half health with a story cutscene, so you only need to survive the opening pressure.
The Hunt returns later as The Hunt, Sixfold Scythe with an expanded moveset and a full health bar. This guide covers both versions.
Do not backstep. Bank into the carriage walls, parry the kusarigama flurry, and dodge the red finisher. The first fight ends automatically at about 50% HP; the rematch is a full duel with longer chains.
First encounter: the carriage
| Detail | Answer |
|---|---|
| Region | Prologue, carriage route to Pangzhen |
| Type | Mandatory story boss |
| Fight length | Ends at roughly half HP |
| Drops | None |
| Arena problem | Very limited dodge space |
The carriage is the real boss. R1 sends Soul backward by default, and the wall stops the animation early, leaving you in the hitbox. Use directional dodges along the carriage instead of neutral backsteps, or parry rather than dodge when the attack is blue.
Attack table
| Attack | Tell | Answer | Punish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kusarigama flurry | Rapid chain swings ending in a QTE prompt | Parry the chain, then press the prompted Triangle input | The QTE is the punish |
| Hanging slashes | The chain hooks upward, then chops down | Dodge to the side, not backward | One light attack |
| Kusarigama combo | A three-hit sequence with a red finisher | Parry the first two, dodge the red | One heavy attack if space allows |
The flurry is the scripted moment. When the QTE prompt appears, press Triangle. Missing it does not instantly kill you, but it extends the fight and costs medicine. The prompt is generous; do not mash early.
How to survive the carriage
- Fight from the centre. The middle of the carriage gives you a half-step in every direction; the corners do not.
- Parry the first hit of every string. The Hunt's opener is almost always blue. A successful parry interrupts the rest more often than a dodge.
- Save Phantom Edge charges for the second half. The fight ends at 50%, so there is no value in dumping both charges in the first ten seconds.
- Do not chase. He moves along the carriage; let him return to you.
The fight ends with a cutscene at roughly half health. You do not need to empty the bar, and there is no drop, so do not risk a death for a damage window you do not need.
Second encounter: The Hunt, Sixfold Scythe
The rematch is a full boss fight. The arena is wider, but the moveset is longer and the scythe gains multi-hit strings that punish a single parry.
| Attack | Tell | Answer | Punish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sixfold chain | A long kusarigama sequence with mixed blue and red hits | Parry blue, dodge red, reset between hits | One light attack after the final red |
| Spinning scythe | A wide horizontal revolution | Dodge through the arc or parry the first pass | One heavy attack |
| Hook and pull | The chain snaps toward your waist | Dodge sideways; do not block | Two light attacks |
| Aerial slam | He leaps and drives the scythe down | Dodge late, then punish the crater recovery | Full Triangle string |
The sixfold chain is the check. It is not one parry; it is a rhythm of three or four inputs. Count the blue hits out loud and make the last input a dodge if the blade flashes red.
Rematch strategy
- Stay at mid-range. Too close and the chain has no travel time; too far and he closes with the hook.
- Punish the aerial slam. It is the most telegraphed move and the longest recovery.
- Use the wider arena. Unlike the carriage, you can directional dodge around him. Circle toward his weapon side, not away from it.
- Break the guard with Triangle. The Hunt blocks between strings; a Sha-Chi combo opens the guard faster than light attacks.
- Bring a ranged Phantom Edge. Feather Bow or Flying Dagger covers the gap while the chain is extended.
What the fight is teaching
The carriage version teaches space management; the rematch teaches string parsing. Both are core skills for the rest of the game. If the chain feels unreadable, the problem is usually that you are watching the weapon head instead of The Hunt's shoulder. The shoulder starts moving before the chain does.
FAQ
How do you beat The Hunt in the carriage?
Stay in the centre, parry the first blue hit of each string, dodge the red finisher, and hit the QTE prompt. The fight ends at roughly half HP.
Does The Hunt drop anything?
No. Neither the carriage fight nor the Sixfold Scythe rematch drops a weapon or Phantom Edge.
How much health does The Hunt have?
The carriage encounter ends at about 50% health by script. The Sixfold Scythe rematch uses a full boss bar.
Why do I keep hitting the carriage wall?
Neutral R1 backsteps into the wall and cancels the dodge early. Use directional dodges along the carriage, or parry instead.
Is The Hunt optional?
No. The carriage encounter is part of the prologue, and the Sixfold Scythe rematch is part of the Weeping Creek Valley route.
Where to go next
Sources and further reading
Official reference: Phantom Blade Zero — S-GAME's official game site.
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