Old School RuneScape's Cerberus is a high-level Slayer boss. Before you head out and attempt to take her on, here's an in-depth Cerberus strategy guide to fully understand this Slayer Boss you'll defeat.
Players will need a decent amount of preparation and requirements before they can proceed in defeating Cerberus. The Player's Slayer level should be at 91 to inflict damage and they should have a Slayer Task of Cerberus given to them by the Slayer Master.
How to Get to Cerberus’ Lair
Cerberus' Lair is located in the Taverley Dungeon in the Hellhound area. A small opening allows players to enter the Lair. The best option to get there is to teleport to Falador and use the wall shortcut near the West Bank, and you'll reach the dungeon entrance in a short run.
Cerberus Mechanics
Cerberus is a difficult boss to defeat. To help you out, here's a complete guide on her mechanics and how she acts during the boss battle.
Attack Styles
Cerberus attacks with all three types of combat.
- Attack: Cerberus will bite the player if they are in melee range.
- Ranged: Cerberus will stand and kick with her front legs and fire a spiky ball.
- Magic: Cerberus lowers her head and fires a black ball.
All her attack styles will deal a max of 23 damage, and if you use Protection Prayers, it prevents any damage.
Triple Attack
The attack starts as her first attack and repeats every ten attacks. Cerberus uses magic, ranged, and melee attacks one after the other. These will also deal up to 23 damage and can be deflected using Protection Prayer.
Summoned Souls
The Summoned Souls attack occurs when Cerberus is below 400 health, and it's used every seventh attack. The attack will initiate with her howl, and three Summoned Souls will appear behind the skull in the Lair.
The souls are color-coded.
- Red for Melee Attacks
- Blue for Magic Attacks
- Green for Ranged Attacks
The souls will appear in randomized order and will attack in a sequence from left to right. The attacks will deal 30 damage; if you're protected, it'll drain 30 prayer points.
Lava Pools
Cerberus uses Lava Pools when she is below 200 health. The attack will start with her howl and she'll use it every fifth attack. The attack spawns three lava pools: one in the player's location and two at random parts of the area. The lava pool deals 10 damage when it spawns and 15 damage every two ticks when standing directly on it.
Fire Wall
This attack prevents players from killing Cerberus from a distance. It will spawn a fire barrier, and moving over will cause 5 damage.
Auto Healing
Cerberus auto-heals when idle, fully restoring all damage. Your best bet is to keep her standing and never leave her Lair until defeated.
Attack Pattern
Here's Cerberus' attack pattern.
- Cerberus uses Triple Attack as her first attack and after every 10 regular attacks.
- Summoned Souls is used when she's below 400 health and she'll use it every 7th attack,
- Lava Pools will spawn every 5th attack when she's under 200 health.
Cerberus Strategy Guide
Here's the strategy guide on how to defeat Cerberus. At the start, stand under Cerberus before attacking. Use the Step-Under strategy to attack; stay under Cerberus when preparing to attack. Attack her once and then go back under her to prevent her from attacking you. Repeat the cycle until you defeat her—time your attacks; Cerberus attacks every 6 ticks. Scythes are the best option since they can attack twice per attack cycle.
Dodge the Summoned Souls and Lava Pools since they cause the most damage. Using a Spectral Spirit Shield or Elysian Spirit Shield can reduce the damage you get from the Summoned Souls.
Using the Step-Under strategy reduces incoming damage by delaying Cerberus' attacks. It also maximizes DPS when using fast-hitting melee weapons. The strategy is helpful for solo kills where you want to extend trips and conserve supplies. Following the Cerberus guide will yield a victory and plenty of drops.
Skills To Use for Cerberus
Here are the suggested skills to use for your fight against Cerberus.
- 85+ Attack
- 85+ Strength
- 85+ Defense
- 75+ Ranged
- 70+ Prayer
- 76 Magic
Equipment To Use to Use Against Cerberus
Here's the suggested equipment to use against Cerberus
- Slayer Helmet
- Amulet of Rancour
- Infernal Cape
- Inquisitor's Hauberk
- Inquisitor's Plateskirt
- Scythe of Vitur
- Spectral Spirit Shield
- Rada's Blessing
- Ferocious Gloves
- Primordial Boots
- Ultor Ring
- Emberlight
Cerberus Drops
After you defeat Cerberus, she'll have drops. Here's a list of all her drops.
