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Depending on the route players take, Nephro, Captain of the Guard, is the very first boss players will encounter in Another Crab's Treasure. As the first real test of skill in the game, players will be tested on the key aspects of combat in any Soulslike: dodging and timing.
Players will be directed towards Nephro by the two guards manning the gate at Duchess Magista's castle. To gain entry, and thereby the next clue to the location of Kril's home shell, players will need to find and beat Nephro.
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Nephro Boss Location
Nephro is located in the empty ocean directly east of the castle entrance. Facing the palace guards, turn right and follow along the castle wall until you see a clearing with a knocked-over vending machine. Walk up to the vending machine and interact with the coin mechanism. Five empty soda cans will be ejected. Kril can use these cans as shells. Pick one randomly (they all have the same stats), and try to leave. A cutscene will play out, showing Nephro charging towards Kril, ready to kill.
Players will find another boss, the Royal Shellsplitter , directly south of Nephro.
Nephro Attack Patterns
Nephro has five possible attacks he can use during this fight.
Nephro, Captain of the Guard Moves | |
|---|---|
Sword Swing | Swings the sword in a very wide arc, dealing massive damage on hit. Can be blocked. |
Claw Swing | Swings the left claw in a wide arc, dealing damage. This attack only happens if Nephro can't reach Kril using the sword swing. Has shorter reach than the sword but is less telegraphed. Can be blocked. |
Lance Charge | Holds the swords in front of himself and charges forward, dealing damage in an area, ready to impale Kril on swordpoint. Nephro always telegraphs the attack, kicking up his front legs in preparation for the charge. |
Back Kick | If Kril tries to avoid the other attacks by hiding behind Nephro, the crab kicks out its hind legs, shoving Kril backward and dealing damage. Can be blocked. |
Claw Grab | Tries to grab Kril using the left claw. If caught, Kril is dragged face-first along the sand, dealing massive damage. Cannot be blocked. |
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How to Beat Nephro in Another Crab's Treasure
The Nephro boss fight doubles as a tutorial for using shells in Another Crab's Treasure. You'll be given five identical shells right at the start of the fight, and you can switch between them freely at any point. There is no penalty or time limit for switching shells. The game wants you to do it whenever your current shell's health gets low.
Players will not be able to use the Shell spell 'Fizzle' during this fight. This is an Umami ability that unlocks a bit later in the game.
The main function of Shells in this fight is to block attacks. Use the block key bind before an attack hits; the shell's durability will tank all the damage. For the first half of the fight, this simple mechanic nullifies all of Nephro's attacks.
However, when Nephro's HP falls to roughly 50%, he starts using the Claw Grab attack. This is an aggro attack, meaning it cannot be blocked. Kril needs to dodge to avoid it. When Nephro starts using this attack, dodging becomes the priority.
Nephro has a lot of health, and the fight can take a while if you play it safely. To make it end quickly, try to capsize Nephro by filling up the stagger meter. This is the yellow line below the boss's health bar. It fills up as players attack and goes down when Nephro gets out of range. If filled, players will need to land a charged attack on Nephro to capsize him, rendering him vulnerable and unable to move for a short time.
Upon defeating Nephro, Kril will gain 750 Microplastics. A Moon Snail will also appear on the battlefield. Remember to use it to level up a couple of stats before leaving.
Another Crab's Treasure
- Platform(s)
- PC , PS5 , Nintendo Switch , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S
- Released
- April 25, 2024
- Developer(s)
- Aggro Crab
- Genre(s)
- Adventure , Soulslike , RPG
