What to know
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Expect wide, hard-hitting melee strings; staying calm and dodging late is safer than panic-rolling.
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Play around stagger: build it safely, then cash out with your finisher when Rhodagn is fully staggered.
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Save burst and long animations for the end of his combos, not during his openings that can chain into more punches.
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If you keep getting clipped, tighten your camera discipline and fight at “just outside fist range,” stepping in only to punish.
Rhodagn the Bonekrushing Fist is a heavy melee boss encounter in Arknights: Endfield that revolves around surviving close-range pressure, reading big wind-ups, and punishing long recoveries when his swings whiff. The encounter is a straightforward “learn the tells, don’t overcommit” duel-style boss.
| Topic | Quick guidance |
|---|---|
| Win condition | Survive the pressure cycle, build stagger safely, then use the finisher when he’s fully staggered. |
| Biggest threat | Getting trapped in front of him during multi-hit fist strings. |
| Safest range | Slightly outside melee, stepping in only after a whiff/recovery. |
| Best punish moments | After long, committed swings and slam-style moves shown in boss-fight footage. |
| Common failure | Overcommitting to long skill animations before confirming his combo is over. |
The fight is less about “DPS racing” and more about controlling distance and tempo, because his kit is designed to punish greedy melee time and sloppy positioning. Rhodagn pressures up close, but he also gives clear recovery windows after committed swings if you bait and sidestep properly.
How to prepare before you pull
You don’t need a hyper-specific “one comp” solution to beat Rhodagn, but you do want tools that let you play cleanly: reliable damage during short windows, defensive options for mistakes, and a plan to trigger stagger and capitalize on it. Operator kits in Endfield commonly include basic attack sequences and a finisher that becomes available when the enemy is fully staggered, so planning around stagger is central to the fight flow.
Team planning checklist
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Bring at least one operator whose damage comes out fast (short animations) so you can punish without getting hit mid-swing.
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Bring at least one source of steady, safe damage (ranged pressure or low-commitment skills) so you’re not forced to stand in his face.
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Reserve your biggest burst for a confirmed opening (end of combo) or for stagger/finisher windows.
Where this fight happens
Rhodagn’s boss fight is encountered during the quest “Fort Showdown,” and is tied to that objective in your progression.
How to beat Rhodagn step by step
Here’s how you can beat Rhodagn, one step at a time:
Step 1: Open by scouting his first combo
At the start, don’t blow skills immediately—watch his first approach and let him show you his pace. Use quick pokes to test distance, then disengage to learn how long his recovery is after committed swings.
Step 2: Stand just outside fist range and bait swings
Hold a distance where he will still choose a punch/swing, but it will barely miss if you sidestep. The goal is to make him spend time attacking empty space so you can punish the recovery rather than “trading” into his fists.
Step 3: Dodge late, not early
When his wind-up starts, wait a fraction longer than feels comfortable and dodge around the hit at the last moment. Late dodges keep you from wasting your i-frames too soon and getting clipped by the tail end of wide swings.
Step 4: Punish only the true endings
Your best punish is after you visually confirm the combo ended (clear pause, posture reset, or long recovery). Put your heavier skills here, not after the first hit, because early “punishes” can get interrupted by follow-up hits.
Step 5: Build stagger deliberately
Chip safely to build stagger—prioritize uptime that doesn’t risk eating a full combo. Once Rhodagn is fully staggered, use the finisher mechanic (available when the enemy is fully staggered) to convert that setup into big value.
Step 6: Reset after every exchange
After each punish, reposition and re-center the camera instead of chasing him. The fight footage style is consistent with bosses that punish tunnel vision: you win by repeating clean exchanges, not by forcing extended melee time.
Step 7: Close the fight with disciplined burst windows
In the later portion of the fight, keep the same rules: burst only after a confirmed opening or during stagger/finisher windows. If you stay consistent, Rhodagn’s damage stops feeling “unfair” because most hits come from impatience, not unavoidable patterns.
Mistakes that usually cause wipes
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Healing in front of him instead of after a confirmed combo end.
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Dodging backward repeatedly, which can keep you inside the arc of his follow-through hits shown in boss footage.
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Trying to “out-DPS” the pressure rather than playing for stagger into finisher value.
If you treat Rhodagn like a spacing-and-punish fight, he becomes consistent: bait the committed swings, dodge late, punish the recovery, and convert stagger into your finisher. The most reliable clears follow that exact rhythm—measured neutral, short punishes, and no greedy skill usage before confirming the opening.
