The short answer. Stay off his centre line, let the hammer commit, punish the recovery. What makes him interesting is not the damage - it is that his weapon rearranges the level.
| Full name | Wan Jun |
| Where | Chapter 1, part of an optional questline |
| Type | Heavy melee; sledgehammer, wide arcs, slow recovery |
| Drops | Bashpole - a Phantom Edge that smashes weakened walls and floors |
| Also | Reported to appear alongside Red Wraith in some encounters |
The shape of the fight
Coppermaul is a commitment boss. Every one of his swings tells you where it is going, takes a long time to arrive, and leaves him open for a long time afterwards. That is the entire trade: he gives you readable information in exchange for hitting like a falling building.
The trap is that readable feels safe. It is not. A single mistimed dodge into a second swing of the same combo will take most of your health, and a blocked overhead will wreck your Sha-Chi. Readable does not mean forgiving on a bad input.
The hammer, not the man
His attacks break the environment - weakened floors and walls come apart under the sledgehammer. Two consequences follow, and they matter more than his damage numbers:
- The arena changes during the fight. Ground you were using to circle him may not be there in a minute.
- Destruction is a telegraph. If he is aiming at a breakable surface, you know the arc before it lands.
Practically: fight him in open space, not in a corner or beside a breakable wall. Give yourself room to step out of the arc rather than around it.
How to beat him
- Never stand directly in front. His arcs cover a wide front; his flanks do not.
- Dodge through, not away. Backing up keeps you inside the second swing. Stepping past his shoulder ends the combo.
- Punish the recovery, not the wind-up. The wind-up is bait for an early hit that will get you hit.
- Do not block the overhead. Even if it does not break your guard, the Sha-Chi cost leaves you with nothing for the follow-up.
- Save your heavy attacks for after a parry. That is when his meter is lowest and your damage is safest.
Weapon choice. This is a good fight for a fast weapon rather than a heavy one. You are not trying to out-damage him in single exchanges - you are trying to get in and out repeatedly without eating an arc. If your preferred weapon is slow, this is exactly the matchup where swapping is the correct answer.
What he drops, and why it matters beyond the fight
The Bashpole is a sledgehammer-style Phantom Edge. In combat it does solid area damage. Outside combat it is a key: it breaks weakened floors and walls, which opens routes that are otherwise sealed.
That makes him more than an optional encounter. If you skipped him and later find yourself staring at a cracked wall you cannot do anything about, this is the fight you missed.
Questions people actually ask
Is Coppermaul a main story boss?
No. The director confirmed that publicly shown encounters including Coppermaul belong to an optional questline.
What does Coppermaul drop?
The Bashpole, a sledgehammer Phantom Edge that can smash weakened walls and floors to open hidden routes.
Should I block or dodge his overhead?
Dodge. Blocking drains a large amount of Sha-Chi and usually leaves you unable to defend against the rest of the combo.