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I finally managed to beat the second boss in Homura Hime, the action game by Crimson Dusk—so while the memory’s still fresh, I figured I’d write a quick early-game guide.

Just so you know where I’m coming from:
It took me an hour and a half to beat the first boss.

Homura Hime, Guides

Yeah. I’m that bad at action games.

So this guide is written with one goal:

“Even if you suck at action games, just do this and you’ll probably survive the early game!!”

If you’re stuck, hopefully this helps.

Alright, let’s get into it!!


The Five Golden Rules
  • Spam Parries. Seriously, just mash it. Hold the button for Blessed Shots. Don’t overthink it.
  • Buy the 8000 Konpeito combo early for easy damage boost
  • Smash every box and jar you see
  • Losing has no penalty—learn by dying
  • Practice combos in the Training Grounds early on

Spam Parries and You’ll Somehow Live

One of Homura Hime’s core mechanics is Parries.

If you time it right:

  • You negate damage
  • You massively charge your skills
  • You stagger enemies for a free opening

It’s all upside.

BUT.

As someone who panics under pressure, I kept trying to time it perfectly… and just ate hits over and over.

Then, after repeatedly getting destroyed, I realized:

“Wait… what if I just mash the Parry button?”

Turns out?

It works.

  • Multi-enemy fights → manageable
  • Boss combo attacks → mostly survivable

The only things that don’t work well with mashing:

  • Attacks with yellow warning zones
  • Delayed rhythm attacks (like the last hit of boss combos)

Other than that?
Spam away. Your heart rate will thank you.

Parry vs Sprint (Don’t Overthink It)

Here’s a simple rule that worked for me:

  • Yellow warning / projectile spam → Sprint
  • Everything else → Parry

Why?

Because hitboxes are slightly wider than they look.
Dodging feels right, but still gets you clipped.

So yeah—it might not look stylish, but:

When in doubt, mash Parry.


You Can Parry Mid-Combo (And Keep the Combo!)

This is huge.

Even if you Parry or Sprint mid-combo,
your combo doesn’t reset.

Example with the Fire Wheel Dual combo (YXXX):

You can do:

  • Y → Sprint → X → Parry → X → Parry → X

…and still finish the full combo.

Which means:

Mash Parries → sneak in combo inputs → repeat

And suddenly, you’re doing solid damage safely.


Just Hold the Blessed Shots Button

Blessed Shots are required to break Blue Miasma Shields.

But managing:

  • attacking
  • Blessed Shots powers
  • enemy attacks

…all at once?

Homura Hime, Danmaku

Yeah, no thanks.

So after many, many failed attempts, I had another realization:

“What if I just… hold the button?”

And yep. That works too.

Here’s why:

  • When Blessed Shots powers hits zero → it auto-recharges
  • When full again → shooting auto-resumes
  • You can switch targets with the right stick

So all you really need to care about is:

“Am I locked onto the correct enemy?”

Everything else?

Hold the button and run around.

No Blessed Shots powers management. No timing stress.

It just works.


First Purchase: Go for the Fire Wheel Dual Combo

Your first upgrade should absolutely be the Fie Wheel Dual.

Why?

  • Easy inputs
  • High damage
  • Strong stagger
  • Works vs single targets and groups
  • Relatively safe during execution

In a game where enemies constantly pressure you:

Faster kills = less damage taken

Especially in boss fights, where long battles drain your focus.

So yeah—buy this first. No question.


Break Every Box and Jar

No joke:

Most of your upgrade currency comes from boxes and jars.

Ignore them, and your progression slows to a crawl.

So:

  • Attack them
  • Roll into them

Just destroy everything.


Infinite Currency Farming (Yes, Really)

You can farm Konpeito infinitely with a simple trick:

  • Game over → instant retry on the spot
  • No penalty → you keep all your currency
  • Boxes/jars respawn with loot

So:

Farm → die → repeat

Do this near an area with lots of containers, and you’ve got infinite resources.


Learn Enemy Attacks by Losing

Enemies in Homura Hime are:

Aggressive, but patterned

So instead of trying to play perfectly:

  • What attack comes after this motion?
  • Which attacks can’t be parried?
  • Where is safe to Sprint?
  • When is it safe to attack?

Learn through repetition.

And since there’s no penalty:

You’re supposed to lose.

Early game especially, you’re just getting used to controls anyway.

So don’t hesitate.


Use the Training Ground

Homura Hime, Training Ground

After progressing a bit, you unlock the Training Ground at the shrine entrance.

Here, you can:

  • Fight enemies endlessly
  • Toggle their behavior
  • Make them invincible
  • Choose enemy types

And best of all:

No penalties for losing

Perfect for:

  • Testing combos
  • Practicing inputs
  • Preparing for the next stage

Even a little practice helps—you’ll start using combos subconsciously later.


Final Thoughts

Writing this made me realize something:

Homura Hime is extremely beginner-friendly…
while also trying very hard to kill you.

So don’t stress.

Throw yourself into the fight, learn through repetition, and you’ll get there.


So, enjoy your gaming life!!
And thanks for reading all the way to the end!

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