The Hades 2 Cerberus boss fight takes things up a notch compared to previous Guardian encounters. He’s mean, he’s fast, and he’s not that easy to predict the first few times you tussle, though the right set of Boons can help give you a big advantage.
Our Hades 2 Cerberus boss guide breaks down what to expect from the lil’ puppy and how to get through without taking too much damage.
Hades 2 Cerberus attacks
Cerberus has maybe four or five attacks total, but he uses several variations of each.
Ground pound
- Cerberus strikes the ground when you linger near him and sends a shockwave out from the strike zone. Sometimes, he uses both fists (paws?) and sends two smaller shockwaves out. You can dash away or, if you’re feeling brave, dash toward Cerberus to keep the attack up.
- Cerberus will, occasionally, move around the arena after you and create shockwaves on the ground. Use your cast to slow him down, and keep dashing and sprinting to stay ahead.
Fire breath
This one has the most variations.
- Cerberus will breathe a stream of fire in an arc. You can dash through this one
- Cerberus will spew a line of fireballs and rotate. Dash to keep ahead of the line
- Cerberus belches fireballs shaped like giant dog heads. These move slowly and explode in a broad area. Get as far away from them as possible.
Exploding roots
- Cerberus summons several red circles with roots slowly creeping out from the center. When they reach the edge of the circle, the circle explodes
Cerberus has several versions of this attack. The most common is a set of three root circles around him, though he’ll sometimes fill most of the arena with them or even throw out lines of them that rotate around the arena until they explode.
The easiest way to deal with these is, of course, just staying out of them. Attack Cerberus up close while the roots are growing, then dash away to safety. Once you learn the timing, you can use Melinoe’s brief moment of invincibility while dashing to stay close to Cerberus and continue your attack.
Halfway through the battle, Cerberus will summon common enemies from the Fields of Mourning region. These enemies were standard in the first two encounters, but in subsequent fights, he summoned armored and more challenging enemies. Cerberus may remain in the arena while these enemies are around, but he frequently buries himself underground where you can’t reach him.
Once, Cerberus burrowed underground at regular intervals, followed Melinoe around the arena, and popped up when he got close, dealing damage unless I sprinted away. This never happened again across the next seven encounters, so it seems like an uncommon occurrence.
Hades 2: How to beat Cerberus
The best way to approach the Cerberus fight is with a hit-and-run strategy. Dart in and attack Cerberus when it’s safe, then dash away when he attacks or summons his exploding root circles. Movement and good timing are more important here than even in the Scylla fight, since Cerberus has more attacks that adapt to your proximity and few indicators which variation of a move he might use until it’s too late.
If you’re struggling to figure out timing, consider recording one of your battles against him, so you can look back from a different perspective and learn how to predict Cerberus’ next move.
Best Boons for Hades 2’s Cerberus boss
Your cast and regular attacks are the most important for this fight – especially the cast, since you can deal a hefty amount of damage without even having to be near Cerberus. Focus on Boons that enhance your cast, attack, and omega versions of both, and pick dash and sprint Boons as well, if they come up. Some of my favorites for this battle are:
- Apollo’s Solar Ring: Your omega cast deals damage in a wide area after it expires
- Aphrodite’s Flutter Strike: Your attacks deal more damage to nearby foes
- Aphrodite’s Passion Dash: Your dash blasts foes where you start and inflicts weak
- Demeter’s Arctic Ring: Your cast deals damage and inflicts freeze
- Demeter’s Gale Force: Your omega cast summons a cyclone that deals damage
- Hephaestus’ Volcanic Strike: Your attack periodically creates an explosion that deals 200 damage
- Hestia’s Smouler Ring: Your cast repeatedly inflicts scorch
- Zeus’ Storm Ring: Your cast summons lightning bolts to damage foes
Selene’s Lunar Ray and Dark Side are also exceptionally helpful in this battle, especially Lunar Ray, which deals 1,200 damage in one use to Cerberus.
Best Keepsakes for Hades 2 Cerberus boss
Which Keepsakes work best depends on your playstyle and what you need for this battle. Some general recommendations include Arachne’s Silken Scarf or Schelemeus’ Luckier Tooth – but only if you choose them after defeating Scylla, so there’s less chance of using either before facing Cerberus.
Odysseus’ Knuckle Bones reduce Cerberus’ health and the amount of damage you take from him, so that’s a solid bet as well. Medea’s Blackened Fleece is another good shout if you tend to take a lot of damage, as once you reach a certain threshold, your omega attacks deal more damage.
If you're after more help, check out our recommendations for the best keepsakes in Hades 2, and keep our Arcana card list handy so you can plan ahead for your next unlock.
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replyJosh Broadwell posted a new article, Cerberus boss guide - Hades 2
