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 Redstone Monstrosity is the last main boss you'll face before the Arch-Illager, and it's one of the tougher bosses in the game. Here's everything you need to know to beat it on any difficulty.
What is the Redstone Monstrosity in Minecraft Dungeons?
The Redstone Monstrosity lives in the Fiery Forge area, and is the last main boss you'll face before the very intimidating Arch-Illager. This boss has a very distinct appearance, a wide variety of attacks, and is one of the more interesting opponents you'll face in Minecraft Dungeons, hence why it often shows up in marketing materials for the game. At this point, you've already fought the redstone golem, so you understand the foundation this boss is built on.
Beyond the mundane, however, they share very little. The Redstone Monstrosity is 100% its own boss.
Source: Windows Central
This colossal boss has three primary attacks that it can use against players, so you'll need to watch out for each one. Like the redstone golem, the Redstone Monstrosity can crush you with a dual-fisted punch, which packs a serious wallop, and definitely hurts. On top of this, however, the Redstone Monstrosity can unleash a terrifying barrage of explosive fireballs that deal area-of-effect damage when they land on the ground, which has short-to-medium range aimed at players that don't want to get too close. This attack can look tricky to dodge, and can wipe out an entire party at once if you're not careful.
Finally, the Redstone Monstrosity can summon minions in the form of redstone cubes, which are basically what they sound like. When you see the Redstone Monstrosity crouch down and light up, it's not placing down mines like redstone golems do. Instead, it's summoning rolling red and grey cubes that track down unsuspecting players and attacks them. They're not too much of a threat, but that can be a nuisance and quickly build up in numbers. It's best to keep their numbers down, if possible.
If all you need is how the Redstone Monstrosity attacks, you're all set. The rest of us should read on to get a little more insight into how to fight back, on any difficulty.
How can I beat the Redstone Monstrosity in Minecraft Dungeons?
Fighting the Redstone Monstrosity is all about knowing when to fight, and when to back off for a moment to avoid taking a beating. Unless you're a proper tank, standing toe-to-toe with an enraged Redstone monstrosity probably isn't a great idea. Ranged players, you'll fare alright here, as long as you keep an eye out for those pesky redstone cubes, which can put a damper on any battle. Ten points to whoever figures out which kind of player will have the hardest time against the Redstone Monstrosity. Hint: it rhymes with "scwopanions."
Melee-focused players
Let's start with all you bishy-bashy types out there. The Redstone Monstrosity poses quite the threat to all but the buffest of melee-focused players, but patience and quick-thinking levels the playing field for everyone. Taking the Redstone Monstrosity's powerful melee attacks straight to the face probably isn't a good idea to do on the regular, but waiting for it to crouch in order to summon more minions, or gear up for its wild ranged attack, are all solid ways to open up opportunities for an attack.
When the Redstone Monstrosity is summoning redstone cubes, it's vulnerable to attacks for a few precious seconds, so it's best to take advantage immediately. Artifacts that let you properly capitalize like the Death Cap Mushroom, which nets you additional movement and attack speed, are a great help here, as is something to assist your escape like the Light Feather. The Redstone Monstrosity's ranged attack is also great at low-to-medium range, but isn't effective standing immediately next to it. Experienced players should be able to glean another chance at attacking here, but don't worry if you're not able to pull this off.
It's important not to forget the existence of the redstone cubes, however. Take every moment you can get to attack the Monstrosity, but don't forget to thin out the numbers of surrounding cubes when you're done. On their lonesome, their simple baddies with a quirky way of moving, but together they can stack damage and impede your movement slightly. Don't underestimate them, especially if you get pinned down as the Redstone Monstrosity rains blow after blow on top of you.
Range-focused players
Do you use a bow or other weapon designed to launch projectiles over distances at high velocities? Well then do I have some advice for you! Stay away from the Redstone Monstrosity. Your biggest advantage also typically equates to your biggest weakness: the ability to deal damage comfortably from far away, but at the expense of health and defense. The Redstone Monstrosity has the strongest physical attack of any of the bosses, and it'll absolutely decimate any player that's not prepared properly.
However, ranged players can definitely fight back, assuming you have a lot of arrows stocked up. Keep your distance, reserve your arrows and fall back to your melee weapon when fighting redstone cubes, and watch out for the Redstone Monstrosity's aggressive area-of-effect fireball barrage. Fortunately, the Redstone Monstrosity's area is wide and relatively open, aside from some pools of lava, so you'll have plenty of room to run around in terror. Or tactical retreats, whichever you prefer.
One thing ranged players can take advantage of, especially if you're worried you don't have enough arrows to get the job done with the Redstone Monstrosity's monstrous health bar, is use the four cores that are on each side of the battlefield. These cores work just like the ones you would've come in contact with earlier in the level, meaning they'll overload and explode a wave of fire in four directions when you interact with them. They deal impressive amounts of damage to the Redstone Monstrosity, and can be a big help. Just make sure and line them up properly, and move diagonally from them to avoid the blast.
Souls-focused players
Good news, souls-focused players! The Redstone Monstrosity is the perfect match-up for your playstyle, and can provide a very interesting battle if you have the patience to match it. You won't have to worry about collecting souls, like with other bosses, as the Redstone Monstrosity summons redstone cubes on the regular that are perfect for farming souls. Be sure to load your loadout up with gear that increases your soul gathering, to maximize every redstone cube's souls.
You can then turn these souls around to power artifacts like the Corrupted Beacon, which is perfect when used against the slow-moving, large target that is the Redstone Monstrosity. While this boss has a colossal amount of health, the Corrupted Beacon can make quick work at full blast, making it a great tool against it. Just be aware that the Redstone Monstrosity does still move faster than you might believe it does at first glance.
But the biggest threat for souls-focused players here is the Redstone Monstrosity's fireball barrage attack, which can give you little opportunities to flee if you're in the middle of using an artifact that keeps you pinned in place for a few seconds. Be wary for the tell-tale signs that the Redstone Monstrosity is gearing up this attack, since it can very abruptly end the battle for you if you're in range.
Companion-focused players
You're probably tired of hearing it, so it's a good thing this is the final boss in our series of guides focused on the subject. Yes, those of you who opt to use companions as the primary focus of your build will struggle more against the Redstone Monstrosity than other players, if only because companions just cannot last long against this boss, even when buffed with armor that heals your companions when you heal, or enchantments that cast circles of instant healing.
If you want to use companions, I suggest llamas. These furry beasties can dish out pretty decent damage from afar, and run less risk of being pulverized by the Redstone Monstrosity's rather large fists. Make sure to keep an eye on them, and take advantage of the whistling technique (pressing the corresponding artifact button again) to teleport them out of danger when it matters most. Also keep an eye on redstone cubes, which can distract llamas and take them down at the same time.
While your companions bolster damage output and do a little bit of distracting, you can utilize the tactics of other players to chip away at the Redstone Monstrosity yourself. Companions can be a big help when trying to increase your own damage output, but the issue with them is that other artifacts typically provide greater value in the long run. If you're patient, however, you can still tackle this boss even with companions on your team.
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 increase your capability in Minecraft Dungeons. There's a good 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, 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. 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 cooldown for another use. To this end, the dash button can help you evade immediate danger and give you a chance to retreat.
Slay the monstrosity
The final boss before the final boss, the Redstone Monstrosity is essentially the Minecraft Dungeons mascot for a reason. Big, imposing, and unique, this is a fun and cleverly designed boss with some fun moves. It's a little generic in the "here's a big boss that moves slowly" kind of way, but with a variety of attacks and something for everyone, it's a great addition to Minecraft Dungeons. Next stop? The Arch-Illager.
Minecraft explores the dungeons.
Minecraft Dungeons is the next saga in Minecraft's story, and Mojang Studios have knocked another one out of the park. Awesome co-op combat paired with powerful loot, all at a crazy affordable price? There's not much more you could ask for in an epic dungeon crawling ARPG.
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