How to beat the Twin Archers without getting hit
The Twin Archers are the fifth boss and the one that ends most long runs. Two shooters, two directions, and no rest between shots. Here's a calm, repeatable way through.
First, understand the rhythm
The twins never shoot at the same time. They take turns: front, back, front, back. Each turn has three parts you can see:
- The twin stops moving and draws his bow.
- Red dots grow along the path of the shot. For the back twin, a red arrow also pulses on the left edge of the screen if he's out of view.
- He fires, and the other twin starts his turn a moment later.
That means you only ever deal with one shot at a time. The fight feels chaotic, but it's a strict back and forth. Say it in your head: front, back, front, back.
Step 1: take out the front twin
Start with the twin ahead of you. His arrows come from in front, where you can see everything, and a returned arrow flies back into the open sky toward him.
When he aims, draw a short line across the middle of his dots, leaning back toward him. The arrow bounces home. Because a boss twin counts as a boss, you want a clean hit: tilt a little more than you would for a normal archer, since he's higher up.
While the front twin is still up, block the back twin's shots simply. A short upright wall just behind the ninja's shoulders is enough. Don't try to return those yet.
Step 2: finish the back twin
Once the front twin falls, the back twin shoots more often. You have two good options:
- Return his arrows. Draw across his dots, tilted toward the left and up. His arrows are flatter and faster than normal, so a shallow tilt works best.
- Burn his plank. If you've unlocked fire ink, switch to it and draw a short stroke up to his plank. The plank catches fire and he drops out of the fight. Nothing else ends the fight faster.
Ink choice
Pen for the blocks, steel if you want faster, straighter returns, and fire for the plank trick. You can switch ink mid-fight with the buttons at the bottom left, or keys 1 to 5.
Five habits that prevent hits
- Never draw before the dots appear. The shot's angle depends on where he stands when he fires.
- Keep one ink drop in reserve. If you're empty when the next turn starts, you're relying on luck.
- Walls behind him go close. The back twin's shots come in low and shallow; a wall far behind gets overshot.
- Use slow time. Pressing the pen down slows everything, even mid-fight. Press, look, then draw.
- If a shield orb floats by, take it. A shield absorbs one hit, the perfect insurance for this fight.
Practise it
Level 30 in level mode is the Twin Archers fight on its own, and levels replay the same way every time. It's the best place to practise the rhythm before meeting them at 2,500 metres in a real run. Beating them earns the Two at once badge.