Understanding Abus Stones and Character Unlocking

To unlock new characters in Hyperlight Breaker, you’ll need a special currency known as the Abus Stone. This resource is earned by defeating Crown Bosses. When accessing the teleporter, select “Pursue” and navigate to the character selection screen. Initially, the first character unlock requires one Abus Stone, while subsequent characters require more.

Finding and Activating Crown Bosses

On the map, Crown Bosses are marked with unique icons. However, before you can challenge them, you must fill their Prism slots by collecting Prism Keys. These are obtained in two ways:

1. Defeating high-tier Prism enemies (marked with yellow diamonds on the map).
2. Clearing secret bunkers, which require keys found in lootable chests. Inside, you must defeat multiple enemies and claim the Prism at the end.

Once all Prisms are filled for a Crown Boss, they become available for battle.

Preparing for Crown Boss Battles

Crown Bosses are extremely difficult, so preparation is key. Follow these steps before engaging:

• Gather Weapons and Gear: Explore the map and loot dead bodies, supply caches, and vendors.
• Farm Bright Blood: Earn Bright Blood by defeating enemies and breaking objects. This currency is needed for upgrades.
• Upgrade Weapons & Gear: Unlock vendors using Chips (found in overgrowth chests). Invest in Affinity Upgrades to enhance weapons. Each upgrade requires Golden Rations, obtained from bunkers or completing Cycles.
• Weapon Choice: Opt for Blue Rarity or higher weapons and upgrade them to Level 5 before fighting a Crown Boss.
• Equip Useful Items: The Falcon Drone is highly recommended due to its quick refresh rate and strong damage output.
• Hollow Bites: Collect and equip Hollow Bites that complement your playstyle, such as critical damage or healing effects.

Crown Boss Fight Strategies

Wolf Boss Strategy

The Wolf Boss primarily uses melee and area-based attacks:

• Opening Attack: A circle-based slamming attack. This attack is nearly unavoidable, so the best counter is to parry it.
• Basic Melee Attacks: Initially performs two slashes; once below 50% HP, he will attack three times.
• Jump & Shockwave Attack: After losing some health, he jumps away and creates a shockwave upon landing. Get close to him before he lands, as jumping over the shockwave is easier from nearby.
• Final Phase Attack: Once severely weakened, the boss releases energy projectiles across the map. Maintain distance to avoid getting hit.

Scorpion Knight Boss Strategy

The Scorpion Knight Boss has four main attacks:

1. Fireball Barrage: Shoots a fireball that splits into multiple homing projectiles upon impact. Avoid the initial fireball and stay mobile to dodge the fragments.
2. Tornado Attack: Summons two tracking tornadoes that disrupt movement.
3. Ground Slam: A wide-area attack marked by a red circle on the ground. Dodge out of the circle before impact.
4. Super Punch: A delayed but powerful melee punch. Watch for the pink X indicator and time your dodge carefully.

The real challenge in this fight is the additional enemies that continuously spawn. Prioritize eliminating them before focusing on the boss.

Completing the Cycle and Unlocking Characters

After defeating a Crown Boss, you’ll receive one Abus Stone. You can either continue fighting other bosses to earn more or return to the hub. If you complete the cycle, you’ll be prompted to enter The Abyss, though this feature is currently unavailable in Early Access.

Once you have an Abus Stone, head to the teleporter, select Pursue, and navigate to the character unlock screen. The first new character costs one Abus Stone, while additional characters will require more.

Conclusion

Unlocking new characters in Hyperlight Breaker requires careful planning, patience, and strong preparation. Focus on leveling up weapons, upgrading vendors, and gathering powerful gear before attempting Crown Bosses. With the right strategy, you’ll be able to defeat bosses efficiently and expand your roster of characters for even greater gameplay variety.