Heismay is one of the most intriguing characters in Metaphor: ReFantazio. Not only is Heismay a follower you can unlock, but he’s also an enemy you should take down first.
However, Heismay is anything but a typical enemy, as he employs clones of himself in combat. This article teaches you how to recognize Heismay's clone tactics and defeat him effectively in battle.
How To Spot the Real Heismay in Metaphor: ReFantazio
You can find Heismay during the Old Castle Town Kidnapper quest, which is located in the Giant Sandworm’s Nest.
When up against Heismay, his signature trick is creating three clones of himself. The clones appear identical, but there’s a foolproof method to spot the real Heismay—just find the one that casts a shadow.
The impostors will not have shadows underneath them, so focus on spotting the shadowed Heismay in each round.
His position changes every time he summons new clones, so it’s important to keep checking their shadows each time. Attacking the fake ones will waste your turn and give Heismay more Press Turn icons.
How To Beat the Real Heismay in Metaphor: ReFantazio
Once you spot the real Heismay, use strong single-target attacks to hit him directly.
Avoid multi-target attacks, as they will not land on Heismay or his clones. Attacking the real one causes his clones to vanish for that round, limiting his chances to strike back.
If you leave the clones on the field, Heismay gains extra turns to attack you. Regarding strategy, Heismay doesn’t have specific weaknesses or resistances, meaning you can use any strong abilities or Archetype moves available.
He has a few cunning tactics, including Sand Throw, which reduces your hit and evasion rates. He also combines Dark Sword with Slash attacks to inflict physical damage. The fight also takes place in two phases.
After the first encounter, Heismay will escape, and you will have to investigate his hideout (which is located near the nest area) before facing him again.
Look for clues in his tent or the surrounding environment to trigger the next phase of the quest. Once you have enough clues, you can take on Heismay again in the second phase of the fight.
In the second phase, Heismay introduces a Forget status effect that prevents you from using your skills. To handle this, bring a healer equipped with Patra or use a Notebook of Remembrance to remove status ailments.
He also brings additional debuffs, like lowering your team’s agility. Still, the core tactic remains the same: identify the real Heismay by his shadow and hit him quickly to remove the clones.
Repeat the cycle until you finally overpower him.
What clues have you found most helpful when investigating Heismay's hideout? Comment down below!