The Barren Swamp in Lies of P is basically where your patience goes to die. If you’ve made it this far, you already know Neowiz doesn’t play fair, but Chapter IX is a special kind of nightmare. It’s a toxic, sludge-filled graveyard of puppets and carcasses that forces you to juggle status effects while dodging literal artillery fire. Most players treat it as a sprint to the boss, but if you do that, you’re missing some of the best gear in the game. Honestly, the swamp is less of a level and more of a test of how well you've mastered the game's movement quirks and elemental resistances.
It sucks. It’s green. It’s smelly.
But you have to get through it.
The first thing you’ll notice when you step into the Lies of P Barren Swamp is that the floor wants you dead. It’s not just the enemies; it’s the Corruption. If you stand in that muck for more than a few seconds, your health starts ticking away. This isn't like the poison in Dark Souls where you can kind of ignore it and chug an Estus. In Lies of P, Corruption is aggressive. It eats through your HP and ruins your day. You’ll want to pack as many Purification Ampoules as your belt can hold. Trust me on this one.
Why the Barren Swamp is the Game's Biggest Difficulty Spike
People talk about the King of Puppets as the "wall," but the swamp is the "grinder." It’s the first time the game throws massive, open-area environmental hazards at you while simultaneously sniping you from across the map. You’ve got these massive towers—the cannons—shooting at you the moment you step into the light. It’s frantic. You’re trying to find solid ground to keep your Corruption meter from filling up, and then boom, a fireball lands on your head.
The level design here is purposely deceptive. You see a shiny item on a hill? There’s probably a Disruption-dealing dog or a shovel-wielding puppet waiting to push you back into the filth.
The Cannon Problem
Those cannons aren't just there for atmosphere. They are a mechanical gate. Most people try to roll through the shots, but the timing is tight. You’re better off hugging the right-side cliffs and finding the ladder up to the first tower. Taking out the puppet operating the cannon makes the entire central hub of the swamp actually manageable. If you don't do this, the boss fight later feels like a mercy killing.
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Dealing with the Puppets of the Future
Remember those giant, stomping robot guys from earlier in the game? The ones in the Venigni Works? Well, there are two of them here. Together. In the same pit. In the middle of the swamp water. It’s a nightmare scenario if you’re a melee-only build. You can technically skip them, but they drop Quartz. You need Quartz. Everyone needs Quartz for the P-Organ upgrades.
The trick is pulling them one by one. If you aggro both, you might as well just use the Moonphase Pocket Watch and teleport back to the Stargazer. It’s not worth the stress. Also, use the small patches of dry land. Fight them like a matador—stay on the grass, bait the stomp, and then dive back in for a few hits.
The Owl Doctor and the Weird Lore Beats
Tucked away in a small shack is the Owl Doctor. He’s one of the "Stalkers," and he’s clearly lost his mind. This is one of those encounters that makes the world of Krat feel lived-in and miserable. He’s not a mandatory fight, but he’s a great example of the game’s "combat puzzle" design. He’s fast. Like, really fast. He uses a dagger and throws things, making him a perfect practice dummy for your parry timing before you hit the main boss of the area.
Why is he in a swamp? He’s obsessed with the cure, or the lack of one. If you kill him, you get his mask. It’s a cool mask, honestly. But the fight teaches you something important: in the Lies of P Barren Swamp, your biggest threat isn't always the giant monsters. Sometimes it’s a guy with a knife in a dark room.
Gear You Actually Need for This Zone
If you’re still rocking the same gear you had in the Cathedral, you’re going to get shredded. The swamp enemies are mostly "Carcass" types or Puppets, meaning they have different weaknesses.
- Fire is your best friend. The Flamberge Legion Arm or a weapon buffed with Fire Abrasives will melt the organic enemies here.
- Electric Blitz for the Big Guys. If you’re going after the Puppets of the Future, switch to an electric coil or the Mjolnir head.
- The Blue Guardianship Ring. You should have found this by now. It helps with the weight load, which is crucial because you need heavy-duty frames to survive the physical hits in this zone.
The environmental resistance parts are non-negotiable here. Equip the cartridge that gives the highest Corruption resistance. It sounds like a small thing, but it gives you an extra 3-4 seconds of standing in the muck, which is often the difference between getting a backstab and dying to a status effect.
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The Puppet-Devouring Green Monster: A Reality Check
This is it. The big one. The boss of the Lies of P Barren Swamp.
Honestly? This boss is a jerk. It has two phases, and they require two completely different mindsets. Phase one is the "Beast" phase. It charges, it tunnels underground, and it pukes decay everywhere. You have to play this like a traditional soulslike—dodge the charges, stay to the side, and don't get greedy. If you see it start to dig, run. Just run in a circle.
Then Phase two happens.
The beast jumps into a pile of puppet scrap and basically becomes a faster, angrier version of the Scrapped Watchman from the start of the game. It’s a brilliant, if frustrating, call-back. It uses the same attack patterns as the first major boss but with the added reach and speed of the swamp monster.
You have to parry here. You can’t just dodge Phase two. The swipes are too wide, and the combos are too long. If you haven't mastered the Perfect Guard yet, the Green Monster is where the game forces you to learn. Or where you quit. Don't quit. Use the Specter if you have to—there’s no shame in using a Star Gazer summon to draw aggro while you wail on its back with a fire-infused wrench.
Quick Tactics for the Green Monster:
- Phase 1: Use Fire. Watch for the "crab walk" attack. When it stands on its hind legs, get ready to dodge left.
- Phase 2: Switch to Electric Blitz if you can. It’s now part puppet. The overhead slams are the best time to get a Perfect Guard and break its posture.
- The Charge: In both phases, it has a red-flash (Fury) charge. You cannot dodge this effectively. You either have to be far enough away that it misses, or you have to time that Perfect Guard perfectly. If you miss the parry, it’s usually an instant death or close to it.
Hidden Secrets in the Muck
Don't leave the swamp as soon as the boss is dead. There’s a guy named Alidoro (the treasure hunter) who moves around, and his questline is tied deeply to the boss souls you’re collecting. Also, check the ravines. There are several Trinity Rooms and side paths that lead to weapon upgrade materials like Dark Moon Moonstones.
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There’s also a broken puppet near the Stargazer. He wants to learn about human emotions. It’s a weirdly touching side quest in the middle of a literal dumpster fire of a level. Show him the gestures you’ve learned (like "Clap" or "Sadness") to get some rare rewards. It’s a nice break from the constant threat of being dissolved by acid.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Run
To get through this area without losing your mind, follow this specific order of operations. First, sprint to the right and disable the tower cannons; the level becomes 50% easier once the artillery stops. Second, ignore the dual Puppets of the Future until you have cleared the surrounding smaller enemies—fighting them while being poked by trash mobs is a recipe for a broken controller. Third, prioritize the "Carrier’s Talisman" if you find your weight limit is hovering near 70%, as the swamp requires high mobility to avoid the Corruption pools. Finally, save your "Fable Arts" for the second phase of the boss fight; the first phase is a test of endurance, but the second phase is a race against your own health bar.
Stock up on Attribute Purification Ampoules from Polendina back at the Hotel before you even step foot in the ravine. You’ll thank me when you aren't watching your weapon durability vanish due to Decay mid-fight.
Next Steps:
Once you've cleared the Green Monster, take his soul back to Alidoro immediately. You can trade it for the Two-Dragon Sword, which is widely considered one of the best technique weapons in the game due to its unique heavy-attack parry. After that, prepare yourself—the game doesn't get any easier from here, as you're heading straight into the collapsed streets of Krat.
Focus on upgrading your P-Organ to include "Link Dodge" if you haven't already. The terrain in the next few chapters is just as vertical and treacherous as the swamp, and you'll need the extra frames of invincibility to survive the elite enemies waiting in the ruins. Keep your fire gear handy; the Carcass enemies aren't going away just yet.