Paper Mario: The Origami King’s boss fights introduce a twist on the game’s spinning ring-based combat. In every fight against a Boss or a Vellumental, like this fight against the Water Vellumental in Chestnut Valley, you’ll have to chart a path for Mario from the outside ring in and land on an attack action.
Every boss fight in Paper Mario: The Origami King has rules that you’ll learn over the course of your turns. Not knowing them means you’ll waste turns and open yourself to more damage.
In this Paper Mario: The Origami King guide, we’ll let you know the rules to the Water Vellumental fight in Chestnut Valley so you don’t have to learn them the hard way, and then we’ll give you step-by-step guides to defeating it.
Water Vellumental boss fight strategy
The trick to this fight is figuring out which attacks work in what order, and then finding out how to avoid the Water Vellumental’s most powerful attack.
Whenever it’s flying, you’ll need to use boot attacks, and when it’s on the ground, you’ll want to use your hammer. This works even better when you can string them both together with a blue Extra Attack tile.
- Always try to pick up an extra attack, and then combine a boot attack followed by a hammer attack.
- You can’t hit with your hammer or an Earth Vellumental Magic Circle attack if the Water Vellumental is flying.
- Over the first few rounds, the Water Vellumental will be charging up a Big Wave attack that will just about kill you with one hit. When that attack is coming, you’ll need to use an Earth Vellumental Magic Circle to get Mario out of harm’s way.
- The Water Vellumental will summon Spouts — watery mini-tornadoes — that will wipe away all tiles in a straight line outward from the center. You’ll need to keep an eye on these to make sure your path stays intact.
- The Water Vellumental is immune to 1,000-Fold Arm Magic Circle attacks for almost all of the fight. The only time it’s vulnerable to this attack is the round after a Big Wave.
This isn’t a clean or fast fight. You’re going to have to deal with the Water Vellumental’s attacks throughout, but if you’re careful to avoid the Big Wave, you can chip away its health with just boot and hammer attacks.
Water Vellumental boss fight step-by-step
Knowing what to do and managing to do it are sometimes two different things in Paper Mario: The Origami King. Below, we’ll go step-by-step through this fight.
Turn 1
For the first few turns, our goal is going to be to pick up an extra attack, and land two hits each turn.
- Spin the innermost ring three segments counterclockwise.
- Spin the second ring from the center one segment counterclockwise.
- Spin the third ring from the center two segments counterclockwise.
- On this turn, you’ll hit an envelope for a hit, turn on the Magic Circles, pick up an extra attack, and finally land on an attack tile.
- Chose your best boots for the first attack, and your best hammer for the second.
- The Water Vellumental will hit you with a Wing Ding attack.
Turn 2
With the Water Vellumental on the ground, you can hit it with an Earth Vellumental Magic Circle attack, or two hammer attacks. Two hammer attacks deal slightly more damage.
You’ll also be dealing with the Spouts this turn.
- Spin the outermost ring four segments clockwise.
- Spin the third ring in two segments counterclockwise.
- Spin the innermost ring four segments clockwise.
- This time, you’ll make a big loop around the arena, and finish with an extra attack.
- Choose your best hammer for both attacks.
- You’ll get hit with a Wing Ding again, and the Water Vellumental will take to the air.
Turn 3
Once again, we’re going to do a boot attack followed by a hammer attack.
- Spin the outermost ring one segment clockwise.
- Spin the third ring in three segments clockwise.
- Spin the innermost ring five segments counterclockwise.
- Pick your best boots for your first attack, and your best hammer for your second.
- You’ll get hit with one more Wing Ding attack, and the Water Vellumental will be ready to unleash its Big Wave attack next turn.
Turn 4
The Water Vellumental’s Big Wave is a devastating attack. We’re not going to deal any damage this turn, but we will pick up some healing and avoid all damage from the Big Wave.
- Spin the outermost ring four segments clockwise.
- Spin the second ring in four segments clockwise.
- Burn your third move by hitting A twice.
- You’ll pick up a heart on your way to the Earth Vellumental Magic Circle. Activate it, and you’ll ride out the Big Wave without taking any damage.
Turn 5
With the Water Vellumental exhausted, you can finally use a 1,000-Fold Arms Magic Circle attack to deal some real damage.
- Switch to slide mode, and move the ON switch down to the outside ring.
- Spin the outermost ring one segment clockwise.
- Spin the third ring in one segment counterclockwise.
- This will send you to the right, over the ON switch, and land you on a Magic Cirlce.
- Activate the 1,000-Fold Arms attack, and Rush Mode! until you’re out of hits.
- The Water Vellumental won’t counterattack this turn.
Turn 6
The Water Vellumental’s health should be pretty low by this point. Another boot-and-hammer combo will finish it off.
- Spin the third ring in five segments counterclockwise.
- Spin the innermost ring one segment clockwise.
- Burn your third move.
- Select your boots for your first attack, and your hammer for the second.