Cerberus Boss Guide (Mechanics, Tips, and Tricks)

Cerberus was once the faithful protector guarding the exit of the Temple of Styx. Unfortunately, there are no Satyr Sacks anywhere to be found! Melinoë's only option is to battle her family's loyal companion in order to free him from the influence of the Titan of Time.

In this guide, we'll break down every one of the Infernal Cerberus's attacks and give you the best tips to evade them. Learn to recognize the startup animations, memorize the dodge method for every move, and you'll have no trouble making it out of the Fields of Mourning.

• Stay behind Cerberus. None of his attacks hit behind him, so you'll always be safe.
• Equip The Swift Runner (XI) because you're going to need to Sprint through Cerberus.
• Sprint to safe areas whenever he uses any of his eruption attacks. Be patient, and wait for a clear opening before rushing in to attack.

Positioning and Distance

Cerberus is very hard to beat if you stand in front of him. His Rapid Spitfire is very difficult to avoid if you are far away from him. Therefore, the best strategy is to stay close, and rotate behind him as often as possible. Nearly every one of his attacks can be dodged by dashing behind him.

Dash Discipline

Cerberus's attacks hit hard, but are slow. As long as you have Dash available, you should have no problem evading his moves. Don't dash early, or dash needlessly. Every hit is punishing, and you're going to want to take as much health as possible into the final region.

Vow of Frenzy

After you've unlocked the Oath of the Unseen, you'll be able to invoke the Vows. Vow of Frenzy increases move and attack speed of all foes, including Guardians. Even at Rank 2, all the same tips will still apply, and you can dodge all of Cerberus' attacks using the same methods. The only difference is that you will have less time to react and tighter windows to dodge.

Paw Slam

When he raises one hand in the air and flashes white, he's about to slam that same arm down. When it hits the ground, it creates a large AoE damaging circle. The optimal way to dodge this attack is to dodge straight through Cerberus.

Double Paw Slam

Slams two paws down. Same as the single paw slam, try to dash through Cerberus. If you don't have time, dash directly away from him to avoid the increased AoE.

Phase 1 Floor Eruptions

The floor is lava on this one. The easiest method to evade is run to an area that is not lit up.

You can safely stand on the red ground until the moment of explosion. Pay close attention to which circles formed first. Avoid them, then dash to their spot immediately after they explode.

Rotating Eruptions

Straight lines of red circles go out from Cerberus, and rotate around him. When they stop moving, dash away to avoid the eruption.

Slowing Fog

If you see a smoky cloud, avoid it at all costs. Touching the fog with inflict slow on Melinoë, and make it difficult to avoid Cerberus's next attack.

Reinforcements

At 50% health, Cerberus will hid himself underground and summon reinforcements. Defeat them all before he comes back.

Spawn Eruption

After he's called in reinforcements, he'll start to reappear in a huge explosion. Now it also a great time to channel Omega Moves and hit him as he respawns.

Dig and Spawn

Cerberus will start to dig underground and spawn elsewhere in the location. Chase after him, but be sure to stand outside of the red AoE. Most of the map will becomes covered so run to a safe area.

Cerberus Slash

Both the slash and the fire he sends out are dangerous. This is one attack that makes staying close especially important. Make sure to dodge both the slash and the fire.

Rapid Spitfire

Stay close and rotate behind Cerberus. The farther away from him you are, the more difficult this move is to avoid.

Chasing Slams

Cerberus chases after you and slams repeatedly. He'll always slam eight times in a row before getting tired and taking a break. As soon as he's done, start attacking again. While he's chasing after you, just run away, it's too dangerous to attack.

Explosive Spit Balls

Dodge the spit balls, and keep track of their path because the explosions are huge and deal massive damage.

Cerberus Dash

The dash is very fast. It's best to dodge sideways to avoid this one.

The Swift Runner (XI) is an absolute must. There really isn't ever a reason not to have it equipped considering its usefulness to cost ratio. Note that if you do not have The Swift Runner (XI) in your Arcana loadout, you cannot dash straight through Cerberus.

Damage over time effects are great against Cerberus. Scorch, for example, is especially good because you can inflict stacks of that keep dealing damage even when you need to run away and dodge. If you get Burning Desire or Freezer Burn by the time you face him, the fight feels free.