How to beat Franz the Dejected Assailant in Code Vein 2

Code Vein 2 can feel like a cakewalk for the first hour or so, but you'll quickly hit a wall in the form of Franz the Dejected Assailant. Defeating Franz will change the past and unlock Noah as a companion in the present, so there's a lot on the line here.

If you're struggling with the Dejected Assailant like I was, these tips will help you take Franz down so you can continue the main story.

Franz the Dejected Assailant phase one

I'm just going to level with you here. Parrying makes this boss so much easier. I know parrying sounds scary when the game showers you in shields and other defensive tools, but equipping a Forma that lets you parry attacks is basically a must against the Dejected Assailant.

You can get one by talking to one of Jadwiga's Minions in MagMell next to the sparring arena.

Other than that, make sure Noah is out on the field with you. If you try to duel the Dejected Assailant one-on-one, you'll have a hard time finding safe openings to deal damage, but Noah can help draw aggro away from you.

Parry his dash attack: The Dejected Assailant is incredibly aggressive and will close the gap with a lightning-fast dash if you get too far. It's one of his easiest attacks to parry, so you can bait it out and force the boss into a bad spot.

Parry his melee attack: The main things to watch out for during this phase of the fight are the Dejected Assailant's melee combos. He'll swipe at you with his claws and swing his bayonet in a three-hit combo. The bayonet combo is the easiest to parry since it has clear telegraphs and long windups.

Dodge his ranged attack: If you get far enough away from the Dejected Assailant, he can also shoot you with magic-infused bullets. These have a brief delay before firing, so don't dodge as soon as you see them. You can avoid these by just sprinting to the side.

Use Idris's Conceit: To get through this phase, focus on learning the parry timing for the Dejected Assailant's bayonet combo and go all out once he's staggered. You can also get a ton of damage in while he's focused on Noah.

While he's attacking Noah, use your newly-unlocked Idris's Conceit battle axe Forma to deal massive damage. This Forma has a long windup and you'll be vulnerable during the attack, so only use it when the boss is distracted. It also applies Slow to all enemies in the attack radius, which can make it much easier to land hits on the Dejected Assailant.

Franz the Dejected Assailant phase two

Halfway through the fight, the boss will transform into Franz the Dejected Assailant to kick off phase two. Franz gets some deadly new tricks for this phase.

Counter his teleport: The most important thing to watch out for is his new teleportation attack. Franz will start to glow, then he'll teleport to your location and perform a three-hit combo ending in an AOE attack. The first hit after the teleport is a good one to parry!

Avoid his claw attack: Franz will also start to drag his claw on the ground before swinging it upward. This attack has a long windup and it's easy to dodge too early. Be patient and don't let him trip you up!

Dodge the lasers: Franz also gets a bunch of long-range beam attacks during this phase. His beams will sweep horizontally across the arena. Dodge through these to avoid damage. He can also launch purple waves directly at you, but you can dodge these just by sprinting to the side.

Avoid the immobilizing blast: Franz also gets a new projectile attack that can immobilize you. Avoid this one at all costs. He'll start to glow purple before he fires it, and you can dodge the slow-moving projectile with a sideways roll.

Other than that, Franz's second phase is just a more aggressive version of the first phase. Keep your cool and don't get greedy. Let him use Noah as a punching bag whenever you can.

Don't forget that Noah can revive you if you go down while he's on the field. He'll temporarily retreat afterward, but he'll come back after a few seconds. You can get revived this way as many times as needed. As long as you play it safe when Noah's gone, you'll have a safety net that you can use over and over.

Defeating the Dejected Assailant will unlock Franz's Blood Code and change the past so that Noah survives to the present day. You'll be able to summon him as a companion as you journey to defeat the five heroes scattered across the map.