Honkai: Star Rail players have discovered crucial information about an Elite Enemy hiding in plain sight.
According to Reddit user RedFlag_fr’s post on the r/HonkaiStarRail subreddit, they noticed that the number of punches the Abundance Sprite: Malefic Ape can do can be counted using the flower ornament attached to its back. The post mentioned that whenever it uses the move “Wrathful Roar,” its flower ornament fully glows, with each lit petal equating to a punch from the Malefic Ape.
Honkai: Star Rail fans may recall that the Malefic Ape’s “Wrathful Roar” provides him with three stacks of “Gusto” and marks one of the player’s characters for Monitoring. If any character uses their skill, they will become the Monitored Target. The Malefic Ape will exclusively attack that character during its turn until another character uses their skill, taking the “Monitored” status away from the previous target to the new one.
A fully lit ornament (all three petals lit) means that the Malefic Ape can execute three punches, while two lit petals mean it can do two, and so on. This tracking method is a boon for Honkai: Star Rail players fighting against the Malefic Ape for the first time and for players returning to defeat him for his drops.
Interestingly, despite the ornament being in full view, many Honkai: Star Rail players seem to track the Malefic Ape’s possible number of attacks mentally, which can be a poor reference during the heat of battle. Those who couldn’t track the Malefic Ape’s punches properly often found fighting it difficult; some even failed to defeat it at all.
Interestingly enough, other Honkai: Star Rail Players mentioned in the comments section that they don’t need to count the Malefic Ape’s punches as they have certain characters that mitigate or nullify the damage it gives. For instance, having the Trailblazer use its skill when they’re using their Preservation version allows them to take the Malefic Ape’s attention, allowing the player’s other three team members to damage it without any risk of retaliation.
Additionally, having healers like Fu Xuan, Bailu, and Luocha allows them to take the punishment the Malefic Ape inflicts comfortably, even without tracking how many punches it can still do. Having characters that deal large amounts of damage at one time, like Blade, Jingliu, and Seele, shortens the fight (or makes it easier) if built correctly.
Regardless, Honkai: Star Rail, HoYoverse’s latest game after Genshin Impact, is about situational awareness and how to find and capitalize on an enemy’s opening. Having a visual aid in the form of lit petals behind the Malefic Ape can help players know what to expect from an Elite Enemy.