Bashpole.

Bashpole is an iron mace with a golden melon-shaped head atop a pole taller than any man; Wan Jun carried it until it turned into a Phantom Edge for Soul.

Nearly all its mass is concentrated in the iron head, and the design cares about where that head comes down instead of how quickly it arrives. The swing starts at the hips and the drop relies on sheer weight, so the weapon suits breaking guards and punishing a boss in a gap, not routine attacking.

A second use lies in exploring. Bashpole shatters brittle floors and fissures in the ground, so every region you revisit contains a handful of places it can open up: shortcuts, concealed staircases and chests of materials. As a Phantom Edge, it can be compared with the other edges you pick up, for example the Dread Axe and the Iron Gauntlets.

Because Phantom Blade Zero has no published 0–100 bars for stats, this page gives the weapon's numbers as they stand at level 1.

These numbers are taken from values the game itself lists for level 1; they were not confirmed through play.

Before you start:

• Beat Wan Jun, the Coppermaul

1. Go to the Mandate Encampment and battle Wan Jun, the Coppermaul.
2. The Bashpole is given as a prize for beating him.
3. Later, revisit earlier zones and smash the floors it can open, like the one by the Battlefield Ruins Bell that drops to a staircase.

Bashpole starts with two basic moves, one named Groundbreaker, and gains further ones as you upgrade it.

Heavenfall Strike from the sky

The weapon is best known for a jump that sends you and its head crashing onto the target, with the point of impact doing the wounding. The game names an aerial slam that hits an enemy a Heavenfall Strike. Since the wind-up is easy to spot, wait until the enemy finishes its string of attacks.

Smashing floors while travelling

Rotten boards and thin crusts unable to bear weight break apart under it, and the weapon need not be equipped for this. In the Mandate Encampment that clears the descent from the Battlefield Ruins Bell and from the Main Encampment Gate Bell. A crack close to Young Master Lan's Hideout Bell in the Village of Lu conceals a chest containing a material.

Spinning and perks

Enemies surrounding Soul are hit by a spin that reduces their defences, covering more ground than the Dread Axe's lone heavy blow. Levelling teaches Skyfall Bash at level 5, Seismic Impact at level 15 and Follow-Through at level 25, together with Forceful Interrupt at levels 10, 20 and 30, where each rank makes it better.

Strengths

• Its spin applies guard-break pressure to a number of shield-bearers close by, not just a lone target.
• Fragile floors and cracked earth break under it while it is unequipped, so routes open in areas you have already cleared.
• A clear gap becomes a crushing hit thanks to the slam from above.

Weaknesses

• Committing to its heavier strikes leaves you vulnerable to enemies that move fast.
• Because the slam's preparation is plain to see, using it with no gap gives weak returns.

Best used for

• Clusters of foes, particularly shielded ones.
• Gaps in boss fights once a chain of attacks finishes.
• Revisiting areas with breakable floors and fissures.