Another Crab’s Treasure: How to beat Nephro, Captain of the Guard boss

The first boss in Another Crab’s Treasure is Nephro, Captain of the Guard. Despite being the first boss you encounter, this guy can be a real pain. If you are having trouble, I’m here to help. 

Here’s how to beat Nephro, Captain of the Guard in Another Crab’s Treasure.

How to beat Nephro in Another Crab’s Treasure

You can use two methods to beat Nephro in Another Crab’s Treasure: the safe way and the risky way.

Beating Nephro the safe way

To beat Nephro, the safest and most likely intended way is to use your Shell to block his attacks. The boss fight starts when you equip your first Soda Can Shell. The fight is basically a tutorial to prepare you for the rest of the game.

The idea is to block Nephro’s attack by hiding in your Shell. Blocking reduces all damage you take but decreases your Shell’s energy. To win the fight, hide in your Shell whenever Nephro tries to hit you and attack him immediately afterward. I am able to get three or four hits after every attack.

The only attack you can’t dodge with the Shell is his charging lunge attack. When Nephro raises his forelegs (getting ready for a charge), dodge to the side. Otherwise, Nephro can lock you in an attack that can easily kill you. 

When it comes to taking hits with your Shell, it takes about three to four hits from Nephro to break your Shell. Fortunately, this is where Another Crab’s Treasure’s unique mechanic comes in. When your Shell breaks, you can simply grab another one. Around five Soda Cans are ready to be used as Shells for the fight. You likely won’t need more than two or three.

Otherwise, this fight is pretty simple. Wait for Nephro’s attack, hide in your Shell to block, attack Nephro, dodge the charging attack,  and change Shells when needed. 

Beating Nephro the slightly risky way

If you want to save your Shell, you can win this fight by dodging all of Nephro’s attacks. This method is risky because dodging takes a bit of practice. Don’t get me wrong; dodging works, but there is a slight delay compared to other Souls games. If you can get used to the delay, you can easily dodge all of Nephro’s attacks by rolling to the side.

The problem is if you get hit. For a first boss, Nephro hits like a truck. If you take direct damage from him at such an early level, he can destroy half your health. Worst of all, if you get hit by his charging lunge, you’ll likely die right away. 

While dodging his attacks to the side is a viable strategy, it’s much safer to hide in your Shell and take a hit. 

Don’t forget you can heal just like in other Souls games.

There you have it. Dodge Nephro’s attacks, attack him when he’s done, and leave your Shell almost intact. Now go and beat up Nephro because I’m sure you’re sick of his Crab by now.