Phantom Blade Zero: How to Get the Bashpole Phantom Edge

TL;DR

The Bashpole is a Destruction-type Phantom Edge obtained in Mandate Encampment.
Defeat Wan Jun, the Coppermaul, near the Main Encampment Gate bell to get it.
To reach Mandate Encampment, you first need the Outer Gate Key — found by defeating Gu Wanyue, the Wailing Wraith, in Pangzhen.
The Bashpole smashes weakened floors and walls to open hidden paths and treasure rooms.
It also has high shield-breaking power in combat and deals AoE shockwave damage.
Its Soul Temper material is Pigeon Feed, found in Weeping Creek Valley after you own the Bashpole.

If you’ve been eyeing those cracked floorboards in Crimson Forest and wondering when you’d get the tool to break through them, the Bashpole is the answer. It’s one of the most useful Phantom Edges in the game — not just for combat, but for reopening old areas you couldn’t fully explore before. Here’s exactly how to get it.

Table of Contents

What Is the Bashpole in Phantom Blade Zero?

The Bashpole is a sledgehammer-type Phantom Edge that Wan Jun, the Coppermaul, carries in Mandate Encampment. Once you defeat him, it’s permanently added to Soul’s arsenal at no extra cost.

In combat, it’s a heavy, slow-swinging weapon that deals area-of-effect shockwave damage on impact. It has strong shield-breaking power, making it useful against any enemy that likes to turtle up behind a guard. All Bashpole attacks also carry super armor, so you won’t get interrupted mid-swing — you can power through enemy attacks during the wind-up.

Outside of combat, it’s an exploration key. The Bashpole can smash through weakened floors and crumbling walls marked on the map — surfaces that no other Phantom Edge can touch. This opens up hidden rooms, secret paths, and treasure caches across multiple regions, including ones you passed through long before you owned it.

The game’s item description says it plainly: “A melon-shaped hammerhead, capable of shattering stone, cracking the earth, and crushing enemies with ground-shaking force. It has high shield-breaking power.”

Where to Get the Bashpole – Mandate Encampment

The Bashpole is the reward for defeating Wan Jun, the Coppermaul, a boss found in the Mandate Encampment — the fifth major region of Phantom Blade Zero. The fight takes place near the Main Encampment Gate bell.

Mandate Encampment opens up around halfway through the Pangzhen chapter. You can’t enter it directly from the map — you need to unlock it first. Here’s how that works.

How to Get the Bashpole Phantom Edge 1

How to Unlock Mandate Encampment

Step 1 – Reach Pangzhen

You need to be in Pangzhen, the fourth region. Get there by following the main story through the Village of Lu and descending into the village well. Pangzhen opens on the other side.

Step 2 – Progress to the Pond of Fading Song Bell

Keep pushing through Pangzhen’s main campaign path. You’ll pass Myst’s Tavern along the way — this is also where you unlock Soul Temper, which matters for the Bashpole later. Continue beyond Myst’s Tavern until you reach the Pond of Fading Song bell. The boss you need is just past this checkpoint.

Step 3 – Defeat Gu Wanyue, the Wailing Wraith

Just past the Pond of Fading Song bell is Gu Wanyue, the Wailing Wraith. This is a required boss — you can’t skip it. Defeating Gu Wanyue opens access to the well in the area. Drop into it after the fight and collect the Mandate Encampment Outer Gate Key from the cellar below.

Step 4 – Open the Mandate Encampment Gate

Fast-travel to the Mandate Encampment Outer Gate bell in Village of Lu. Approach the locked gate with the Outer Gate Key in your inventory and interact with it. The gate opens and you’re in.

One important note: the Mandate Encampment Outer Gate Key and the Mandate Valley Gate Key are two different items. The Valley Gate Key opens a separate gate further inside the encampment — don’t confuse them. You need the Outer Gate Key to get in at all.

For more detail on this step, see our guide on unlocking gates and key items in Phantom Blade Zero.

How to Find and Defeat Wan Jun, the Coppermaul

Once inside Mandate Encampment, follow the main route through the region. You’ll pass through the Sunset Path and continue forward — the route will eventually lead you to the Main Encampment Gate area, where Wan Jun waits.

Wan Jun is a large, hammer-wielding boss. He hits slow but hard, and his attacks carry heavy impact. A few things to keep in mind:

Watch for his ground slam patterns — there’s a clear pause before each one that gives you a window to dodge and punish.
Weapons with quick attacks work well here. Getting in a few hits and backing out is more reliable than trying to tank his strikes.
Use your Sha-Chi when it’s built up — boss fights are exactly the situation that Power Surges are designed for.

Defeating Wan Jun rewards you with the Bashpole Phantom Edge automatically. It goes straight into your arsenal. The Main Encampment Gate bell also appears in the arena right after the fight, giving you a save and rest point.

If you want a deeper look at boss encounters in the game, check our all bosses guide.

Bashpole Moves and Controls

Once equipped, the Bashpole uses your Phantom Edges button (R2 on PS5):

Hold R2 (ground) — swing the sledgehammer and finish with a ground slam, dealing shockwave AoE damage to nearby enemies. Costs 1 Remnant Spark.
Tap R2 (airborne) — slam into the ground from above, dealing shockwave AoE damage to all enemies in the impact zone.
Exploration — destroys weakened floors and walls when used near them. You don’t even need to have it equipped to use it on environmental surfaces — just owning it is enough.

The super armor on all attacks is genuinely useful. You can commit to a swing without worrying about being knocked out of it.

What Can the Bashpole Break? – Exploration Uses

After getting the Bashpole, the map will start marking Bashpole-destructible surfaces in green in areas you’ve already visited. This is your cue to go back and explore.

Surfaces the Bashpole can destroy include:

Weakened floors — plank-covered floors that drop you into underground areas, hidden rooms, and secret paths
Crumbling walls — damaged walls hiding treasure caches, shortcuts, and collectibles

Some key examples you can revisit immediately after getting the Bashpole:

Crimson Forest — those cracked floorboards you spotted earlier? Go back and smash through them.
Mandate Encampment itself — from the Battlefield Ruins bell, use the Bashpole on the floor nearby to find a hidden Phantom Remedy medicine down the stairs.
Weeping Creek Valley — there’s a weakened wall near the Long Pillar that hides the Pigeon Feed item (more on that below).

The map tracks which Bashpole spots are cleared and which aren’t, so it’s easy to sweep up anything you missed.

Bashpole Soul Temper – Pigeon Feed Location

The Bashpole has a Soul Temper upgrade tied to a unique material called Pigeon Feed. Soul Temper is unlocked through Myst in her tavern in Pangzhen — you’ll have already visited her on the way to getting the Outer Gate Key.

To find the Pigeon Feed for the Bashpole’s Soul Temper:

Return to Weeping Creek Valley after obtaining the Bashpole.
Find the weakened wall near the Long Pillar in that region — the Bashpole can now smash it open.
The Pigeon Feed item is inside.

Bring the Pigeon Feed to Myst along with 5,000 Remnant Dust to apply the Soul Temper to your Bashpole. Unlike regular upgrades, Soul Temper is permanent and cannot be reversed, so make sure you’re committed to the weapon before using it. For a full breakdown of how the upgrade system works, see our weapon upgrade guide.

More Phantom Blade Zero Guides

If you’re working through your Phantom Edge collection, these guides cover others you might be missing:

Phantom Blade Zero is available on PlayStation 5, Steam, and Epic Games Store. Official site: pbz.s-game.com.