GAMEPLAY
Advanced strategies, builds, and boss guides
Build Strategies
Brutality Builds
Brutality builds focus on fast attacks and aggressive playstyles. They excel at dealing high damage quickly and often utilize damage-over-time effects.
Blood & Thunder Build
- Primary: Blood Sword (causes bleeding)
- Secondary: Throwing Knife (causes bleeding)
- Skills: Phaser, Sinew Slicer
- Mutations: Frenzy, Killer Instinct, Open Wounds
- Strategy: Focus on applying bleeding to all enemies and using Phaser to teleport behind them for critical hits.
Swift Striker Build
- Primary: Twin Daggers
- Secondary: Sadist's Stiletto
- Skills: Fire Grenade, Knife Dance
- Mutations: Velocity, Predator, Initiative
- Strategy: Use speed and critical hits to quickly eliminate enemies before they can react.
Brutality builds excel at fast-paced combat and quick eliminations
Boss Strategies
The Concierge (formerly known as the Incomplete One) is often the first boss players encounter. He has predictable attack patterns but can be challenging for new players.
- Key Attacks: Shockwave, Red Aura, Charge
- Weakness: Vulnerable during cooldown after attacks
- Strategy: Roll through his charge attack, jump over shockwaves, and attack from behind
The Time Keeper is a fast and agile boss who uses throwing knives and teleportation. She requires quick reflexes to defeat.
- Key Attacks: Throwing Knives, Dash Slash, Time Slow
- Weakness: Vulnerable after her dash attack
- Strategy: Parry her dash attack if possible, or roll through it and counter-attack
The Hand of the King is the final boss of the base game. He's extremely powerful and has a wide variety of attacks.
- Key Attacks: Triple Strike, Shoulder Bash, Lance Throw
- Weakness: Brief vulnerability after his combo attacks
- Strategy: Learn his attack patterns, save your skills for when he's vulnerable
Advanced Techniques
Speedrunning Dead Cells requires intimate knowledge of the game's mechanics and optimal routes.
- •Route Planning: Learn the fastest biome routes. The Promenade → Ramparts → Black Bridge → Stilt Village → Clock Tower → Clock Room → High Peak Castle → Throne Room is popular.
- •Skip Optional Areas: Don't explore every corner. Focus on the critical path.
- •Timed Doors: Prioritize reaching timed doors for extra scrolls and gear.
- •Build Focus: Tactics builds are often preferred for speedruns due to their high damage output.
Completing a no-hit run (or even just no-hitting bosses) is one of the ultimate challenges in Dead Cells.
- •Practice Mode: Use Custom Mode to practice specific bosses and areas.
- •Defensive Mutations: Consider Disengagement as a safety net.
- •Crowd Control: Items that freeze, root, or stun enemies are invaluable.
- •Patience: Don't rush. Attack only when it's safe to do so.
Community Highlights
An incredible no-hit run on the highest difficulty with a unique survival build.
A world-record speedrun completing the game in under 10 minutes.
A complete run using only the Cursed Sword, which kills you in one hit.