Boss Guide

01The six stage guardians

Every stage has its own guardian, and it only appears there. The first five stages unlock in order; the sixth guardian lives in the hidden Secret Cow Level. In Endless Curse, the next stage only opens after you beat a guardian and step into the portal.

The Butcher

Shady Forest · 9:00

Fastest boss, chases you with Triple Cleave

Plague Lich

Deep Cavern · 9:00

Covers the floor in fog and surrounds you with skeletons

Frost Lord

Frozen Plains · 9:00

Chill slows you while ice orbs creep closer

Mirror King

Forgotten Ruins · 9:00

Reflections flank you, and he blinks in to shoot

Abyss Lord

Burning Crypt · 9:00

Fire rings and prisons; resists Physical and Fire

The Cow King

Secret Cow Level · 9:00

The Butcher's moves, plus a field full of Hell Bovines

02Mid-bosses: 3:00 and 6:00

Mid-bosses are drawn by strength from each stage's own boss list: the weaker group at 3:00, the stronger group at 6:00, and never the same one twice in a run. Stage guardians never show up as mid-bosses.

In chapter two of the story, the Necromancer is never drawn as a mid-boss, so it can't be mixed up with Vesper.

All mid-bosses

Mid-bosses have no signature attacks; they share one common set. Up close they stomp, plus either a charge or a leap slam. At range they use two ranged attacks, one of which depends on their element.

03Enrage: below half health

Every boss (mid-bosses included) enrages once its health drops below half, and the screen shows "So-and-so is enraged!". After that:

• Movement speed goes up 15%, so it closes in on you faster.
• It attacks 25% more often, and most attacks get 20% less warning time.
• After each attack there's a 35% chance it chains straight into the next one.
• Many attacks get more projectiles: beams go from 3 to 5, bullet patterns get denser.

Try to save your ultimate for after the enrage, so the boss goes down during its most dangerous phase. While a boss is on the field, regular monsters spawn at a quarter of the usual rate, so you can focus on it.

04What bosses drop

Every boss bursts into a pile of experience orbs, a healing orb, a magnet (pulls in everything on the ground), some coins, an item that only lasts for this run, and one piece of gear with a slightly higher item level than what regular monsters drop at that time.

• The gear a stage guardian drops is always legendary, which makes guardians the most reliable way to get legendaries. Which one you get depends on the class you're playing: it can be class-specific or a shared legendary.
• Mid-bosses drop gear of random rarity, but bosses have a better legendary chance than regular monsters.

Beating the guardian opens a blue portal, and you only clear the stage once you step in. Your first clear unlocks the next stage. For what every legendary does, see the legendary gear overview.

For how a whole run plays out, read Beginner's Guide: How a Run Works. Haven't played yet? Start at the Endless Curse home page.

05FAQ

When do bosses appear?

A mid-boss at 3:00 and another at 6:00, then the stage guardian at 9:00. At 8:00 the screen warns you that the guardian arrives in one minute.

Does the guardian always drop a legendary?

Yes. The gear every stage guardian drops is always legendary; other bosses drop random rarity.

How do I unlock the Secret Cow Level?

Clear all five stages on a difficulty and that difficulty's Secret Cow Level opens. Enter through the red portal in the top-right corner of town.

Are story bosses the same as usual?

The first time you play each stage on Normal, solo, the guardian gets extra story mechanics, such as the Plague Lich's Plague Wells or the Mirror King's copies. See each guardian's page.

What if I can't beat a boss?

Go back to town and buy upgrades, switch to skills with an element it is weak to, or farm a few more runs of gear on Normal. On Normal, monsters have only half the health and damage.