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 throughout, 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 each and 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 undead nightmare that can summon armies as well as it can destroy them the Nameless One is the second main boss in Minecraft Dungeons. Here's everything you need to know.
What is the Nameless One in Minecraft Dungeons?
The campaign for Minecraft Dungeons talks about a powerful staff relic that needs to be destroyed to undermind the dreaded Arch-Illager, or something like that. Still, all I know is that after fighting through the trap-riddled Desert Temple area, you need to awaken the Nameless One, an undead necromancer with powerful spectral attacks. With summoned minions and one of the strongest ranged attacks in the game, the Nameless One is a force to be reckoned with.
The Nameless One is the second main boss you should fight in Minecraft Dungeons, after the Corrupted Cauldron from Soggy Swamp. There are actually some similarities between the two, in the fact that they rely on minions and ranged attacks. The difference is that the Nameless One's ranged attacks are far more dangerous, and it's more mobile as well.
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The Nameless One protects itself with skeleton vanguards, which are melee hostile mobs equipped with shields and glaives with extended reach. These mobs are more to keep you off the Nameless One and aren't this boss's primary method of attack. That would be the ghostly fireballs it emits from its staff, including a brutal clone attack that surrounds the player in a barrage of unholy fire. These attacks are slow-moving, high damage projectiles, and should be avoided by any means necessary.
If knowing how the Nameless One intends to destroy you is enough to get you hyped for the battle against it, you're free to go. The rest of you, read on to find out all the strategies and tactics you can employ against the Nameless One, no matter the difficulty.
How can I beat the Nameless One in Minecraft Dungeons?
This skeletal enemy doesn't have any apparent weaknesses like other bosses, so you'll have to be observant and diligent to catch it off guard. For a few brief seconds at a time, the Nameless One will "charge" up two of its three attacks: summoning a wave of skeleton vanguards and prepping its vicious clone attack. These are the windows to take advantage of. Beyond that, be constantly aware of the Nameless One's fireball attacks, and keep in mind that the skeleton vanguards have a long reach and decent knockback with their glaive weapons.
Melee-focused players
Melee-focused players should fare pretty well against the Nameless One, as long as you're patient and pay attention. There's not a lot that can be done when this boss is spamming fireball after fireball, with each one capable of doing considerable amounts of damage to anyone but a tank-like player. Focus on moving and taking down the skeleton vanguards that protect the Nameless One, to encourage him to "charge" up another wave, giving you a fresh opportunity.
Using the dash button, or even better, artifacts like the Light Feather let you get around skeleton vanguards to try and avoid their initial attack. These mobs don't have a lot of health, but their shield can take the first hit, and their glaives are great at keeping you off of them. Players that also have longer weapons or a bow they can fall back on will fare even better here. Killing all of these mobs helps you out and gives the Nameless One reason to stop attacking for a moment.
When you notice the Nameless One standing still, holding his glowing green staff aloft in the air, it's your moment to attack! Artifacts like Death Cap Mushroom and Boots of Swiftness help you close the distance and deal as much damage as possible before you're forced to retreat. Don't stay too long, though, especially if skeleton vanguard are still alive, because this means the Nameless One is likely prepping their clone attack. This attack will see you surrounded by eight or nine Nameless One's that all attack at once, and can pretty much instantly kill you.
Range-focused players
Using a bow or other ranged weapon against the Nameless One can be frustrating, since the Nameless One is also a very effective ranged attack, with melee support on top of that. The best strategy here is distance, as the projectiles this boss fires are rather slow, so distance plus slow speed equates to low accuracy if you keep moving. This gives you more chances to fire a few arrows off without worrying so much about being hit in return.
It may also be in your best interest to more-or-less ignore the skeleton vanguards if you're not a strong melee fighter. The Nameless One shouldn't spam wave after wave of these mobs, and they're not the fastest mobs around. Spending time on them just gives the only opponent you should really worry about more time to line up its shots, which can very quickly end the battle for you. Using artifacts like the Ghost Cloak help you move around better, even if you get cornered, and the Flaming Quiver can increase your damage output to capitalize more on your limited opportunities.
Enchantments that boost your attack or the number of projectiles you fire, like Multishot or Power, can also be useful here. Against the Nameless One, power is your best bet. With one of the smaller health pools out of the main bosses, the Nameless One can't afford to take too many hits. Besides, the longer the battle is drawn out, the more chances you give the Nameless One to get a lucky hit on you.
Souls-focused players
Rejoice! You'll have extra mobs to farm for souls here, giving you plenty of ways to charge up powerful souls artifacts like the Harvester. The only problem is that artifacts like the Corrupted Beacon or Lightning Rod aren't as useful against the Nameless One as other bosses, because it still moves around the battlefield, and sitting still is very dangerous. Something like the Torment Quiver and a good souls-orientated bow can help fill this gap a little bit.
Fighting the Nameless One a little bit like melee-focused players do is a good choice as well. Focus on farming souls from the skeleton vanguards while the Nameless One throws a temper tantrum, then use your artifacts to unleash powerful attacks while he's frozen charging up his next move. Because of their lower health, the Nameless One can be torn to shreds by a focused Corrupted Beacon attack while it's stuck not moving.
Keep in mind your own vulnerability, however, and be ready to end the Corrupted Beacon early by tapping the corresponding artifact button again if the Nameless One launches his clone attack. Don't slack on your primary weapon, either, enforcing it with enchantments like Shockwave or Poison Clouds to help you kill the skeleton vanguards faster, without having to get too close to them. The quicker you get souls, the quicker you can charge your artifacts.
Companion-focused players
Once again, players that are surrounded by companions and pets may run into the hardest time against the Nameless One, mainly due to their lack of endurance and how tricky it is to control them with any degree of precision. Two potential strategies could work, but both of them depend on what the Nameless One tries to attack, and how good your companions are at following orders.
The first strategy is to use your companions as dedicated melee fighters, with wolves or iron golems making up your army. In this case, you'll need a bow like the Hunter Bow that directs companions to where you shoot, and constantly pepper the Nameless One with arrows. Hopefully, the Nameless One should focus more on you than your companions, letting them steadily chip away at its health. Fall back to your melee weapon for skeleton vanguards, and don't panic if the Nameless One clones itself, just wait for it to merge again and send your companions in that direction.
The other strategy is basically the exact same as the range-focused player's strategy but augmented with llamas to increase your damage and keep skeleton vanguards off of you. A bow that directs the ire of your companions is still recommended to keep your llamas focused, but having a capable bow that can get the job done is more important than anything. This strategy should work just fine, but it's more complicated and risky than just going with a standard range-focused build.
What are some tips for every boss fight in Minecraft Dungeons?
Every boss is different, and every player approaches these bosses in a unique way. 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 compliments 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 capability in Minecraft Dungeons. There's an excellent variety to experiment with, from artifacts that are clearly aimed at certain players, to more niche ones that players will find creative uses for. It's always a good idea to keep at least one of each artifact so you can test new combinations as you go. Still, 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 essential 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. Dungeons also gives you 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.
Make the undead re-dead
Minecraft Dungeons loves undead mobs, but it loves it, even more, when players make those undead re-dead. The Nameless One goes down with a little bit of a bang, and you get to continue on your merry way on your path to the Arch-Illager. There are more challenges ahead, however, namely the Redstone Monstrosity and the mysterious powers of your nemesis, the Arch-Illager.
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 attractive price, what's not to love?
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