Facing Dao Lord in Where Winds Meet for the first time can feel brutal – constant pressure, huge damage, and a chaotic second phase where he splits into clones.
The good news: once you understand his Qi, knockdown windows, and how to control phase 2, this fight becomes very manageable and even farmable.
Who Is Dao Lord & Why This Fight Is Hard
Dao Lord is a campaign boss you encounter during the Unbound Cavern segment of the main story in the Kaifeng City area (Chapter 2: Accident). Once you clear that chapter, you can refight his campaign version in Kaifeng.
What makes Dao Lord tough:
- He deals very high damage per hit and strings attacks back-to-back with short downtime.
- Many of his moves inflict blindness, making it hard to track follow-ups.
- Phase 2 splits him into three versions that share the arena, each with its own attack pattern and Qi bar.
If you’re stuck, it’s usually because:
- You’re ignoring his Qi bar and trying to face-tank with raw DPS.
- You’re too close in phase 1 and eating blind sweeps.
- You’re not using parries and bow shots correctly in phase 2.
This guide will fix all three.
How Knockdowns Work in Where Winds Meet (Qi & Exhausted State)
To consistently knock down Dao Lord, you must understand Qi and the Exhausted state:
- Every enemy has a Health bar and a Qi bar (stagger bar).
- When an enemy’s Qi bar hits zero, they become Exhausted – stunned and open to a huge-damage Execution finisher.
- The fastest way to shred Qi is:
- Perfect parries on red-glow attacks.
- High Qi-damage skills (Inner Ways, certain weapon skills, and companions that specialize in stagger).
When you say “how to knock down Dao Lord,” you’re basically asking:
How do I break his Qi bar and force the Exhausted/Execution window as often as possible?
We’ll center the strategy around that.
Recommended Setup Before Fighting Dao Lord
1. Suggested Difficulty & Practice
- Play on Recommended or Story while learning his patterns. Difficulty only changes damage/parry tightness, not rewards, so lowering it while learning is fine.
- Turn on Assist Deflection / Parry Assist if you struggle with timing – this slows time and adds prompts, limited by charges.
2. Best Companion for Dao Lord
Bring Yuan Jin’gang:
- He uses a bow and deals huge Qi damage from range, frequently staggering enemies.
- He can cancel many of Dao Lord’s combos and even quickly exhaust the three mini-bosses in phase 2, giving you free Execute windows.
- Your job is to hold aggro so Dao Lord focuses you, not Yuan.
3. Weapons & Playstyle
Dao Lord’s documented weakness is Stonesplit.
Strong options:
- Ranged main weapons
- Vernal Umbrella – strong ranged pressure; its charged light attack lets you hover and attack from the air, dodging many melee attacks.
- Panacea Fan – another safe ranged option for chunking health without getting blinded.
- Bow (secondary)
- Critical in phase 2 when clones burrow and pop up – bow shots can hit them mid-air and even cancel some underground projectile patterns.
4. Inner Ways & Qi-Focused Setup
Look for:
- Inner Ways / passives that:
- Increase Qi damage.
- Boost stagger on parries or counterattacks.
- Provide damage reduction vs bosses (e.g., Rock-type “toughness” / “solid” passives).
Goal: you want every perfect parry and strong hit to chew through Dao Lord’s Qi and set up knockdowns.
Dao Lord Moveset Overview (Phase 1 & Phase 2)
Phase 1 – Claws, Spins & Blindness
Key moves in phase 1:
- Spinning Slam – he grabs the ground, spins four times, then slams, creating a blind AoE.
- Claw Flurry – five quick claw hits with a delayed final strike that blinds.
- Blinding Sweep – four sweeps with blindness on hit.
- Triple Knife Throw – three waves of projectiles in a cone, repeated up to three times.
- Dark Slam – fast rush + huge AoE slam.
- Right–Left Claw / Dark Cross – lunging claw combos that blind on hit.
- Threefold Claw Combo – ground slams into a delayed uppercut that can knock you down.
- Shallow Grab – golden-glow grab that can’t be parried, only dodged.
Almost all of these except Shallow Grab can be parried if you time them correctly.
Phase 2 – Hammer, Dagger & Hook Clones
In phase 2, Dao Lord splits into three versions:
- Hammer Dao Lord – twin hammers, big red-glow slam.
- Dagger Dao Lord – rush-and-thrust style.
- Hook Dao Lord – spinning and uppercut slashes.
Important phase 2 attacks:
- Hammer Slam (red) – jump + ground slam. Perfect parryable for big Qi damage.
- Dagger Thrust (red) – rushing thrust. Also perfect parryable.
- Hookblade Combo – spinning slash into double uppercut.
- Digging Maneuver – all three burrow underground, circle below, then leap out to throw projectiles. Bow shots can hit them and even cancel parts of the pattern.
Each clone has its own Qi bar and can be exhausted and executed independently, giving you multiple knockdown windows if you manage the fight well.
Phase 1 Strategy – Safe Ranged Damage & Early Knockdowns
1. Positioning: Mid Range, Not Melee Hug
Stay at mid range:
- Too close → you eat blind sweeps and uppercuts.
- Too far → you get spammed by knife throws and have less time to react to rush attacks.
Use:
- Vernal Umbrella / Fan to poke.
- Bow only when Dao Lord is recovering from big moves or you’ve created distance.
2. How to Knock Dao Lord Down in Phase 1
You want to deplete his Qi bar quickly so you can force him into Exhausted state and perform an Execution:
- Identify red-glow attacks: Dark Cross, some claw lunges, and heavy slams often have a red glint on the wind-up.
- Perfect parry these red attacks: A perfect parry crushes his Qi and returns a damaging counter.
- Chain light attacks or Qi-heavy skills during the brief stagger.
- When he becomes Exhausted (Qi hits 0):
- Close in.
- Land a quick combo (or your strongest skill).
- Hit Execute before the window ends.
This sequence is effectively a knockdown cycle: break Qi → Exhausted → Execute → repeat.
3. Move-by-Move Tips
- Spinning Slam
Roll towards his spin on the third rotation and parry or dodge the final slam.
If you’re not confident, just keep distance and punish the long recovery with ranged hits. - Claw Flurry & Blinding Sweep
Count hits: 1–2–3–4… then delay; the last swing is slightly late.
Parry early hits, then prepare specifically for the delayed final hit. - Triple Knife Throw
Sidestep diagonally and close distance; the cone is narrow.
Dodging is safer than parrying. - Threefold Claw Combo
The final uppercut is the real threat. Roll to his side or parry at the apex.
If this move kills you often, dodge instead of parrying. - Shallow Grab (gold glow)
Never block or parry gold – these are unblockable.
Roll sideways just as his hand lunges.
Two or three Execution cycles typically end phase 1.
Phase 2 Strategy – Controlling Clones & Guaranteed Knockdowns
1. Target Priority
Recommended order:
- Dagger Dao Lord
- Hammer Dao Lord
- Hook Dao Lord
Keep your lock-on mostly on your current target but watch the others with the camera.
2. How to Knock Down Each Clone
- Focus on red-glow attacks: Hammer Slam and Dagger Thrust are red and perfect parryable.
- After a successful parry: immediately follow with light attacks or Qi-heavy skills.
- When their Qi bar empties: they become Exhausted.
- Move in, attack a few times, then Execute before the timer ends.
Execute each clone to reduce chaos on the field.
3. Handling the Digging Maneuver & Projectile Rain
When all three burrow underground:
- Run in a wide circle to avoid being surrounded.
- As they leap upward, switch to bow and shoot them mid-air.
- This damages them and disrupts some projectile patterns.
This window is also good for healing or repositioning.
4. Protecting Yuan Jin’gang
- Stay closer to the clones than Yuan is.
- If a clone turns toward Yuan, dash in and hit it to regain aggro.
- The longer Yuan survives, the more free Qi damage you get.
Specific “Knock Down Dao Lord” Gameplan (Step-by-Step)
Phase 1 Knockdown Loop
- Start at mid range with umbrella/fan.
- Wait for a red-glow heavy attack.
- Perfect parry → big Qi damage.
- Add 2–3 light attacks or a Qi-heavy skill.
- When Qi hits zero → he becomes Exhausted.
- Light combo → Execute.
Repeat until phase 1 ends.
Phase 2 Knockdown Loop (Clones)
- Lock Dagger clone first.
- Bait his red thrust → perfect parry → Qi damage.
- Short combo → Exhausted → Execute.
- Switch to Hammer clone and repeat.
- Clean up Hook clone last.
- Use bow during underground jumps.
Common Mistakes & How to Fix Them
1. “I Keep Getting One-Shot or Blinded”
- You’re too close in phase 1.
- Play mid range; only step in for parries on red attacks.
2. “I Can’t See Anything in Phase 2”
- You’re locked on to the wrong clone or standing in the center.
- Pick one target, circle the group, re-lock when needed.
3. “I Never Get Knockdown / Execution Prompts”
- You’re not dealing enough Qi damage.
- Prioritize parry timing and Qi-focused skills.
- Use Yuan Jin’gang for extra stagger.
Extra Tips if You’re Still Struggling
- Use Parry Assist on lower difficulty to learn timing, then switch it off later.
- Farm side content for Inner Ways and gear upgrades.
- Practice parries on easier enemies to build muscle memory.
FAQ – Dao Lord Boss Fight & Knockdown
Q1: Where do I fight Dao Lord?
Dao Lord appears during the Unbound Cavern campaign quest in Kaifeng City (Chapter 2: Accident). After finishing that segment, you can revisit his campaign version.
Q2: How do I consistently knock down Dao Lord?
Break his Qi bar by:
- Perfect parrying red-glow attacks
- Using Qi-focused Inner Ways
- Using Yuan Jin’gang for extra stagger
Once his Qi bar hits zero, he becomes Exhausted and you can Execute him.
Q3: What is the best build for Dao Lord?
A build that can:
- Stay safe at mid range (Umbrella, Fan)
- Use bow effectively
- Stack Qi damage and survivability
Parry → Qi break → Execute is the winning formula.