The Lion Dance Grandmaster's Final Dance is the second phase of the Lion Dance Grandmaster encounter in the Lion Dance Hall Depths.
The fight starts against Flame, the Mask-Bound Lion Dance Grandmaster, who fights inside the full lion costume and uses large chained attacks, fire breath, charges, and leaps. Once Phase 1 is defeated, Flame exits the costume and enters the much more unusual Final Dance phase.
This is one of the more mechanically distinct boss fights in the game. Phase One is mostly about spacing and surviving long-range fire and chain pressure, while Phase Two introduces rising fire pillars, summoned lion dancers, ranged fireballs, and a unique execution mechanic.
As with other multi-phase bosses, defeating Phase One creates a checkpoint. If you die during the Final Dance, you restart directly from Phase Two rather than repeating the first phase.
This guide was written and tested on Hellwalker difficulty.
Boss Mechanics Phase 1
Phase One is mainly about dealing with the huge effective range of the lion costume.
Even though Flame looks slow, the size of the costume and the reach of his attacks let him control a large part of the arena. He also deals heavy Fire and Burn pressure, so trying to block everything is a bad idea.
Fire Stream
One of Flame's most dangerous attacks is the long fire stream from the lion's mouth.
Do not try to block it.
The attack hits repeatedly and can quickly break your guard while continuing to deal damage through it. The safest response is to dash sideways and keep moving until the stream ends.
This is one of those attacks where trying to be greedy will usually cost you much more than simply giving up the punish window.
Fireball and Fire Column
At range, Flame can spit a single fireball toward you or cause a pillar of fire to erupt from the ground.
Both are much easier to deal with if you stay mobile.
The fireball can be sidestepped as it leaves his mouth, while the fire column mostly punishes standing still at range. If Flame creates distance, do not stop moving just because he is no longer directly attacking you in melee.
Leaping Slam
Flame can launch the entire lion costume into the air before crashing down on your position.
This attack is easy to recognize once you know the animation. Dodge away from the landing point as soon as he leaves the ground, then move back in during the recovery.
It is one of the cleaner punish windows in Phase One.
Charge
Flame can also lower the lion head and rush forward.
Do not try to outrun this by moving straight backward. The charge covers too much ground.
Dodge sideways once the rush begins, then punish after he passes.
Phase 1 Strategy
The main rule for Phase One is to respect his range.
His attacks are large and visually chaotic, but most of them are slow enough to read once you stop trying to constantly pressure him.
Stay mobile during fire attacks, dodge sideways against the charge, and take your damage after the leaping slam or other long recovery animations.
The fight becomes much easier once you stop treating the lion costume like a normal melee opponent.
Boss Mechanics Phase 2
Once Phase One ends, Flame exits the costume and fights on foot while carrying the spiked lion head.
This phase is much more chaotic and introduces the main gimmick of the encounter: rising fire pillars and summoned lion dancers.
Spiked Head Attacks
Flame can use the lion head like a heavy weapon, including a low forward thrust and wide sweeping attacks.
The forward thrust covers more distance than it looks like, so sidestepping is safer than backing away.
The wide sweep controls a lot of space around him, so do not try to trade through it. Dodge through or move outside the arc, then punish after the swing finishes.
Leaping Attacks
He can also jump high into the air and descend directly onto you.
Track him while he is airborne and dodge as he comes down.
Do not dodge immediately when he jumps, since the actual impact is delayed.
Rising Fire Pillars
The biggest Phase Two mechanic begins when burning wooden pillars rise throughout the arena and Flame jumps onto them.
Once he is above you, normal melee attacks are no longer useful. Trying to swing at him from below just wastes time and keeps you standing among burning terrain.
Move into open ground and focus on the summoned enemies instead.
Lion Dance Minions
Several lion-dance disciples appear while Flame remains on the pillars.
Your job is to clear them rather than trying to attack Flame directly.
Most can be defeated normally, but the final Ho-Ho works differently. Once it reaches roughly a quarter HP, normal attacks stop reducing its health.
At that point, move close and use the Execute prompt.
Executing the final minion ends the sequence and forces Flame back down into the arena.
That execution is the key mechanic of the phase, so do not keep hitting the last Ho-Ho once its health stops moving.
Fireballs From the Pillars
While above you, Flame can also fire projectiles across the pillar field.
Keep moving while dealing with the summoned enemies and avoid standing in one place for too long.
The minions are your main objective, but the boss is still actively pressuring you from above, which is what makes this section feel so chaotic.
Phase 2 Strategy
Phase Two is much easier once you understand that it alternates between two different states.
When Flame is on the ground, treat him like a normal boss and punish his spiked-head attacks.
When he jumps onto the pillars, stop thinking about boss DPS entirely.
Focus on:
avoiding fire, clearing the lion dancers, and executing the final Ho-Ho.
Once the last minion is executed, Flame returns to the ground and the fight becomes straightforward again.
The biggest mistake is wasting time underneath the pillars trying to attack him directly.
General Strategy
Recommended Preparation
If you have Flameward, this is a very good fight to use it.
Both phases contain a large amount of Fire damage and Burn buildup, so reducing both makes mistakes much less punishing.
A faster weapon can also help during Phase 2, since you want to remove the summoned lion dancers quickly before Flame's ranged pressure becomes overwhelming.
General Strategy
The Lion Dance Grandmaster is a fight about recognizing when you are actually supposed to attack the boss.
In Phase One, play around his huge range and punish his longer recoveries.
In Phase Two, fight normally while he is on the ground, but immediately shift focus to the lion dancers once the pillar mechanic begins.
Do not waste time hitting the final Ho-Ho once its health stops decreasing. Execute it, force Flame back down, and return to normal combat.
Once you understand that loop, the Final Dance becomes much less chaotic than it first appears.
