Spoiler‑light boss guide. Phantom is a secret Act‑1 encounter in Bilewater’s Exhaust Organ. Beating it unlocks Cross Stitch, a Silk Skill that adds a timed parry with an auto‑counter.
Summary
- Where: Bilewater — Exhaust Organ (top chamber), reached via Sinner’s Road → The Mist.
- Why fight: Unlocks Cross Stitch (parry Silk Skill) on victory.
- Optional: Serves as an alternate Act‑1 path; some routes enter Citadel by clearing Phantom after The Mist.
Location & Route
Act‑1 path (reliable):
- Progress to Sinner’s Road.
- Enter Bilewater → The Mist (looping maze).
- Solve The Mist by playing Needolin near white butterflies; follow their indicated exit each room. See the Mist walkthrough.
- Emerge at Exhaust Organ (Bilewater). Climb to the top chamber to trigger Phantom.
Tip: Exhaust Organ contains a bench on the left route and a flea after a shortcut; stabilize before learning attempts.
Recommended Loadouts
- Ability: Silkspear for safe mid‑range confirms between bursts.
- Tools: Warding Bell for protected heals; Fractured Mask for lethal‑save; Magnetite Dice for a chance to negate a mistake.
- Crest: Reaper Crest for wider arcs and consistent tags.
Moveset → Safe Counters
Key concepts
- Parry stance: Phantom holds the spear forward and will counter if you swing into it. Bait the stance, wait, then punish recovery.
- Hit windows: Brief idle frames after jump tosses and between dash strings—take 1–2 safe pokes only.
Patterns
- Jump → Diagonal spear toss: Step off line; tag recovery or throw startup.
- Dash string (3 pierces): Stay just off axis; punish the final pause.
- Toss → Chase: Slide under or hop over, then counter on the turn.
- Super jump slam: Wide warning beam, then an AoE slam—clear the lane, then take a quick punish.
- Parry → Counter combo: Only triggers if you feed the stance—don’t.
Strategy loop
- Play hit‑and‑run. Confirm single hits between patterns; reset quickly.
- Pogo sparingly. Only pogo during chase strings—never into a readied parry.
- Learn with insurance. Magnetite Dice smooths early runs by blanking a bad hit.
Reward — Cross Stitch (Parry)
- On victory, you receive Cross Stitch, a Silk Skill that wraps the needle in silk to parry and auto‑counter when timed with an incoming hit.
- Difference vs basic parry: Timed swing‑vs‑swing parries still exist (no Silk). Cross Stitch gives a safer stance with guaranteed counter on success (consumes Silk).
TL;DR Route
- Sinner’s Road → Bilewater → The Mist.
- Play Needolin by white butterflies; follow the direction they fly.
- Enter Exhaust Organ, grab bench, climb to top chamber, fight Phantom.
- Win → Cross Stitch unlocked.
Tips & FAQ
- Is Phantom required? No. It’s optional but unlocks parry and offers an alternate Act‑1 route to Citadel.
- Best heal windows? After jump toss or post‑dash idle; Warding Bell helps secure binds.
- Looping in The Mist? You chose a wrong door—use Needolin + butterflies to pick the correct exits.
Sources
- Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2IBH4VuMLo
- Game8 (location, rewards), Nintendo Life (Silk Skills/Cross Stitch), ScreenRant (Exhaust Organ bench/flea), TechRaptor (Mist navigation), community parry notes and Act‑1 alternate path reports.
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