Published , by Josh Broadwell
Published , by Josh Broadwell
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.
Cerberus has maybe four or five attacks total, but he uses several variations of each.
Ground pound
Fire breath
This one has the most variations.
Exploding roots
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.