In Mojang Studios' franchise-expanding ARPG Minecraft Dungeons, there are a total of eight bosses. Four of these bosses are weaker "mini-bosses" that may appear in a multitude of places, and the other four are stronger "main bosses" that only show up at pre-determined locations.
In this Minecraft Dungeons guide series, we'll go over every boss, their strategies and attack patterns, how to fight them, and, ultimately, the best ways to come out on top in every battle, even on Apocalypse Difficulty.
The Corrupted Cauldron is the first proper boss in Minecraft Dungeons. Here's everything you need to know.
What is the Corrupted Cauldron in Minecraft Dungeons?
The Corrupted Cauldron is the first main boss players will face in Minecraft Dungeons and is the finale that closes out your adventure in the dank Soggy Swamp. This boss is actually quite tricky because it's unlike any other mob in the game at the moment. The Corrupted Cauldron is completely stationary, relying instead on summoned minions to deal damage and protect itself.
However, the Corrupted Cauldron's minions, some of which are corrupted slime, are numerous, and quite powerful with their high damage output. The Corrupted Cauldron's strategy is simple: protect itself with a wall of purple fire, and let its minions handle all of the offense. This bubbling pot of goo spews out hordes of corrupted slime, which dot the entire map and fire purple fireballs at any nearby players. The corrupted slime are also pretty stationary, but they have a lot of range, and their fireballs pack a wallop.
Source: Windows Central
If simply knowing how the Corrupted Cauldron attacks is enough for you to jump into the fray, stop reading here. For more tips and advice on the best way to tackle this challenging boss on any difficulty, read on.
How can I beat the Corrupted Cauldron in Minecraft Dungeons?
The Corrupted Cauldron's biggest weakness is its inability to move. Even the corrupted slime don't have much mobility, so it's possible to find blind spots in the Corrupted Cauldron's defenses and camp out, or find openings to deal a flurry of crippling attacks when its wall of fire burns out temporarily. There's a strategy for any kind of player keeping this in mind, but some will have an easier time than others.
Melee-focused players
Players that rely on close-quarters combat will have to maneuver carefully to find openings but should have a fun time fighting the Corrupted Cauldron. Moving in to battle the Corrupted Cauldron while its fiery defenses are raised is foolhardy unless you have stacked healing enchantments like Radiance or incredible defense. Even then the persistent burning damage paired with the corrupted slime can be a fatal combination.
Instead, melee-focused players should focus on carving out a safe corner for themselves by battling corrupted slime and keeping an eye on their health while the Corrupted Cauldron is surrounded by fire. The moment the fire falls, this gives you a chance to roll in and wail on it.
Artifacts, like the Death Cap Mushroom, help you capitalize on the limited time you have before the Corrupted Cauldron raises its fiery wall again, and enchantments focusing on damage like Poison Clouds can help you make your presence known even after you need to retreat. The Light Feather artifact can also be a great help to stun corrupted slime as you go. If you rinse and repeat, the Corrupted Cauldron will fall to you in no time.
Range-focused players
If you prefer using a bow or other ranged weapon, the Corrupted Cauldron can either be a very challenging battle or a boringly easy one. Because of the corrupted slime, getting a few precious moments to deal some damage can be difficult without watching your health pool drain dramatically, and it can take a while to chip away at the boss.
If you want an interesting path, artifacts like Ghost Cloak and Light Feather can let you slip past corrupted slime and let you get off a few good shots. Ranged-focus players will never have to worry about whether or not the Corrupted Cauldron is protected by its fire wall either, and can be free to take any moment to pop off a few rounds. It'll take a while, and there might be some close moments, but it's the more "honorable" way to fight.
Those who struggle with this approach or just want the easier route can "cheese" the Corrupted Cauldron fight a little bit. Corrupted slime can't move, and there is a limited area in which they can be summoned by their parent. Patient players with a plethora of arrows can quite easily find two or three locations just outside the Corrupted Cauldron's range where they're mostly, if not completely, protected from the attacks of corrupted slime, and they can slowly take down the Corrupted Cauldron in relative safety.
Souls-focused players
If you fancy yourself a connoisseur of the mythical arts, the Corrupted Cauldron is a well-balanced opponent. Being stationary makes the Corrupted Cauldron incredibly vulnerable to artifacts like the Corrupted Beacon (seems appropriate, given the similarity in names), which deals some of the highest damage in the game with high levels of precision.
However, corrupted slime are still a threat, especially given the number in which they can be summoned by the Corrupted Cauldron. Artifacts like Soul Healer can help keep your health topped up, and the Harvester can quickly deal with a congregated group of corrupted slime at the expense of more of your souls. Enchantments that help with healing or defense can further help you stay alive if you want to replace Soul Healer with another damage-focused artifact like Lightning Rod.
Ranged souls-focused players can use Torment Quiver to the fullest, as ranged weapons work on the Corrupted Cauldron, but being stationary for any amount of time can be dangerous, especially for typically "squishy" souls-focused players. You may have to play the long game, harvesting corrupted slime for souls and using powerful artifacts to deal huge amounts of damage whenever possible.
Companion-focused players
Unfortunately, as with other bosses, companion-focused players will have the hardest time here. This is due in part to how many enemies the Corrupted Cauldron puts out onto the field, making gear like the Hunting Bow vital to direct your companion's attacks towards it. A way to try and heal your companions also helps, since they're unlikely to attempt to evade the attacks of corrupted slime at all, and can be quickly taken down.
The companion-focused players that have the easiest time will be those who use companions like the iron golem primarily for defense and rely on a powerful bow with damage-focused enchantments to dish out damage. This strategy can be quite effective against the Corrupted Cauldron, especially if you're able to put multiple companions out on the field to aid in holding off corrupted slime.
Doing this means you don't have to worry as much about mobility as some range-focused players do, and can instead focus more on just doing as much damage as possible. However, this also relies more on luck than anything, since you will still have limited control over your companions, and they're not an invulnerable defense. Corrupted slime can still fire past companions, and they don't have infinite health in the first place. Caution will be necessary, as will occasional retreats to recuperate and wait for companions to cooldown.
Some tips for every boss fight in Minecraft Dungeons
Every boss is different, and every player uniquely approaches these bosses. However, there are always tips and tricks that work in any fight in Minecraft Dungeons, regardless of how you play. Here's a list of all the essential tips for every boss fight, which should aid you in winning even on Apocalypse Difficulty.
- Choose your playstyle, and build your loadout around that. Minecraft Dungeons gives you a constant revolving door of new loot to try out, meaning you should be able to narrow down the direction you want to go in. Different gear complements each other (like dual-wielding weapons with fast armor, or a bow with armor that increases arrow drops), so you can customize a perfect set for how you want to play. To get ahead of the curve, read up on our lists of weapons and armor.
- Artifacts are essential for any player. No matter how you decide to play, artifacts are the special sauce that exponentially increases your capabilities. There's a good variety to experiment with, from artifacts that are aimed at certain players to more niche ones with creative uses. It's always a good idea to keep at least one of each artifact so you can test new combinations as you go, but you can also read our comprehensive list of artifacts.
- Unique gear takes things to the next level. Where things truly get interesting in the later game is using unique weapons and armor to augment your loadout. These unique weapons possess attributes and characteristics that set them apart from the standard gear they're related to, giving you an extra ability on top of what you can add with artifacts and enchantments. Uniques can truly narrow down what you're going with, whether it's the ultimate battle mage or a super-nippy rogue that heals as they shred their opponents. Here's a list of all the unique gear to get you started.
- Not all weapons are created equal, and enchantments are the difference. Finally, enchantments on your gear are the final push that takes you from "capable" to "everything is exploding and I heal five times a second." You get enchantment points as you level up, so you should always be spending these points to make your gear even better. These enchantments are pseudo-random as well, so even two identical pieces of gear can have completely different enchantments. Make sure to check these constantly, as a weapon with different enchantments or an extra slot can overhaul your entire loadout in one fell swoop. Here's a list of all the enchantments to get you started.
- Keep moving, and use the "Dash / Dodge" button wisely. It's important to keep moving in Minecraft Dungeons to prevent enemies from surrounding or pinning you down. It also helps to avoid some of the more devastating attacks, especially from big bosses. You also have a dash that lets you roll out of trouble once every few seconds, which can be crucial in a fight. Use this button wisely, as you can't spam it and you'll have a temporary period of slow down immediately afterward.
- Don't hesitate to retreat, if necessary. Minecraft Dungeons is not particularly liberal with their health potions, forcing you to wait a not-insignificant amount of time between health top-ups. If you're in a tough fight, there's nothing wrong with backing up to wait for your next health potion to come in, or to allow your artifacts to cool down for another use. To this end, the dash button can help you evade immediate danger and give you a chance to retreat.
The cauldron bubbles
The Corrupted Cauldron is one of my favorite bosses to fight in Minecraft Dungeons, as it sheds typical mob conventions by remaining entirely stationary, and its simple strategies are effective, meaning every player may have to approach the battle a little differently. It's sadly a little too easy to bluff your way through this boss fight if you're a range-focused player, but other than that the Corrupted Cauldron is challenging and varied, making for a fun fight. Here's to the next boss, the Nameless One!
Minecraft grows up and reaches out.
Minecraft Dungeons is the next saga in Minecraft's story, and it looks like Mojang and Microsoft are hitting another one out of the park. Minecraft Dungeons combines the familiar world we all grew up on with an injection of Diablo, a whole lot of fun. Available on every platform you're on, for a ridiculously tempting price, what's not to love?
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