In the beautifully corrupted world ofEnotria: The Last Song, you’ll encounter twisted actors and corrupted performers.
One of the most disturbing figures is Zanni, the First Mask, a huge grotesque monster who once was the wise mentor of the city of Quinta.
Enotria: The Last Song Review
This Souls-like proves that FromSoft doesn’t have a monopoly on the sub-genre anymore.
Enotria: The Last Songoffers aunique souls-like experienceset in a captivating world inspired by the themes andcharacters of Commedia dell’Arte. Every location and boss in Jyamma Games' first game feels like a warped interpretation of the Italian theater arts.
For example,Zanni, the First Mask, is a boss character based on a character from Commedia dell’Artewho dates back to the 14th century. Although he is a prominent figure in the history of theater, he is portrayed as a crooked, monstrous beast in Enotria: The Last Song.
Zanni is one of the biggest bosses in the game. That’s whytaking him down can be challenging due to camera issues, a common problem in similar games that can hinder player navigation during fights.
However, proper equipment and build adjustments can help youbeat Zanni to unlock the Theater of the Masks huband advance through the game.
How To Prepare For Zanni, First Mask Boss Fight?
To prepare for Zanni the First Mask, it’s essential to wield a weapon with a long reach. Even if you’re not specifically aiming for a slow and pure damage build, weapons like theStage Ultragreatswordor Colossal Greaser can make a significant impact against bosses inEnotria, especially against Zanni.
Another strong option is theJuniper Sword, known for its speed and reliability throughout the game. It can be seen as a refined version ofDark Souls' Zweihander, as well.
If focusing on a heavier build with Ardore Power and Elemental Damage is more your style, there are somegreat early-game weaponsyou can find before facing Zanni that will give you a solid edge.
It’s essential tofight Zanni with at least a +3 weapon,though. Regardless of your chosen instrument of violence, it will be quite difficult to chip away at Zanni’s health with a lower-class weapon.
Before braving the Zanni boss fight, we also suggestupgrading your Armonia Flasks to at least level 3,by findingArmonia Amplifier. You can find one after completing theCombat Rift in the Lower Commons area of Quinta, guarded by tall spearmen.
The path to the Monastery of Maja and the Combat Rift in the tower near the School of Zanni will also reward two Armonia Amplifiers.
Zanni, The First Mask Moveset
Zanni, The First Mask combines some of the most challenging aspects of certain bosses in souls-like games -a huge size that can disrupt the camera and a series of crazy, unpredictable attacks. On top of those, Zanni’s grotesque body makes it difficult to determine the borders of his hitbox, as well.
It’s a good idea to prepare by reviewing his attacks and moveset.
How to Avoid?
Crawling And Hand Slamming
This is one of Zanni’s signature moves. He starts crawling towards a linear path while slamming his hands.Dodge and sprint away to rush towards his back and attack. You can also land a heavy attack if you manage to get behind his back fast.
Shockwave Slam
When his health is around 50%, Zanni jumps into the air and crashes into the ground by slamming his crooked body,sending a shockwave that leaves nowhere safe on the arena.Simply jump right before the shockwave reaches you.Do not attempt to dodge.
Casual Deadly Slamming
Zanni slams his hand into the ground. But he does leave a perfect parry opportunity right before his hand aligns with his smaller body.While parrying is possible but dodging is advised here.
Spear Swinging
Zanni swings his polearm three times, leaving a narrow window to perform a perfect parry. If you fail to parry the first two, dodge out of his way and use an Armonia Flask; as the third one would probably be lethal.
Angry Slamming
Zanni starts slamming his hands into the ground erratically, dealing decent damage if you are in front of him.It’s best to sprint away until he is done with this attack.Do not go far away as you can land a few hits as he recovers from the recent combo.
Vis Explosion
Zanni, the First Mask infuses his polearm with Vis and stabs it into the ground to unleash a small Vis explosion. When you see him gearing up, simply dodge backwards and do not attempt to parry.
Giant Hand Sweep
The corrupted arts teacher sweeps his massive hand to reach even the farthest parts of the arena. Although it’s possible to stay out of his hand’s range,it’s best to stay behind him as he is done with the sweep.
The Shockwave Slam
Zanni raises his hand and takes his sweet time before slamming it onto the ground, sending a deadly shockwave that covers the entire arena. Similar to the Shockwave Slam, simplyjump before the shockwave reaches you.
How To Beat Zanni, The First Mask?
Zanni is enormous and boasts incredibly lethal attacks that cover a vast area. He takes advantage of the notorious camera issues, making it challenging to land a hit and parry his upcoming attacks.
However, hisUnraveling Meter fills up quickly, enabling you to drain a substantial chunk of his health right from the start.
That’s where parrying comes into play, as it’s acore mechanic in Enotriathat helps you deal serious damage to minor enemies and bosses alike.
While it’s a critical mechanic, exercising yourparrying skills againstZanni won’t be that easy due to his massive size, inconsistent hitbox, anderratic hand and body slams.
Compared to the previous boss,Curtis, the Prince of Laughter, it’s quite difficult to perfectly parry Zanni’s attacks.
While a few spear-swinging attacks at the beginning of the fight are relatively easy to parry,the majority of Zanni’s attacks are best avoided by dodging.
In the first minutes of the boss fight, it’s best to stay in front of him to attempt a few perfect parries, though.
When Zanni starts crawling around the arena,it’s better to focus on dodging instead of parrying.Stay behind him most of the time to get chances for a few light attacks.Do not try landing heavy attacks,as he can quickly counter from the sides while you’re preparing for one.
Don’t count on the boss arena size to protect you, asZanni can quickly close the distance with his sudden crawling attack. But you can use this to your advantage by dodging away from his path and quickly following him to land a few hits.
If you’re mostly seeing the back of his legs, it means you’re partially safe from his crawling attack.
Zanni typically initiates the fight by swinging his spear around or crawling towards you. If it’s the former, keep in mind thatthose attacks are relatively easy to parry, which increases his Unraveling Meter early in the fight. However,parrying his other attacks stated above is not worth the risk as Zanni does not telegraph those moves enough.
This, of course, does not mean that you should be far from Zanni at all times.His long-reaching spear and wide-sweeping attacks cover the entire arena. So it’s best to stay near -but not too much- to avoid prompting those attacks.
When Zanni’s Unraveling Meter is full, take a few steps back andalign yourself with his human body to perform a finishing attack.Being too close to him while he is Unraveled may cause you to miss out on the finishing move.
Rewards For Beating Zanni, The First Mask
Beating Zanni will grant you a whopping30,190 Memoriaalongside a handful of quite useful items like Zanni’s aspect and guise. You will also get your hands on a polearm with a great Unraveling stat alongside a solid Vis damage.
One of the best rewards for beating Zanni, though, is the Guise of Zanni, as it grants extra Armonia flasks and serves as a great role for the second chapter, set in Falesia Magna. Here’s everything you will get for defeating Zanni, the First Mask.
Defeating Zanni, the First Mask will also unlock theTheatre of the MasksHub, whichunlocks the Merchantand includes the respec item,Severed Braid of the Maidenas a loot.
Enotria: The Last Song
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