Cerberus/Strategies

Cerberus is high level Slayer boss. A slayer level of 91 is required to inflict damage and a slayer task of Cerberus or hellhounds.

It is the only monster to drop primordial, eternal and pegasian crystals, which can be attached to the Dragon boots, Infinity boots and Ranger boots respectively, providing best-in-slot boots for melee (the Primordial boots), magic (the Eternal boots), and ranged (Pegasian boots).

In addition, it is also able to drop a Smouldering stone, which when combined with a dragon axe or pickaxe, can add a "heat element" to the tools, allowing the dragon axe to become an infernal axe and the dragon pickaxe to become an infernal pickaxe.

General Strategy
While fighting Cerberus, it is recommended to activate Protect from Magic.

The first attack Cerberus makes is always one attack of each combat style (Magic, Ranged and Melee) to any regardless of attack distance. This attack can be negated with the use of protection prayers by timing correct prayer to attack animation. The order of this attack is always the same: Magic, ranged, then melee. This attack can hit up to 23 per hit without any protection prayers. Cerberus will use this again every 40 seconds.

Summoned souls


If Cerberus is below 400 hitpoints he occasionally rears up howling Aaarrrooooooo, causing three Summoned souls to appear from behind the archaic skull.

Each one attacks using a different combat style:
 *  Blue is magic
 *  Red is melee 
 *  Green is ranged

The order is random, but always goes from west to east. If an incorrect protection prayer is used for the attack, then 30 damage is dealt regardless of worn equipment. If the correct protection prayer is used, then 30 prayer points are drained instead. Using a Spectral spirit shield reduces prayer drain by 50%.

Note that if Cerberus dies while the Summoned souls are present, they will continue to attack.

Area of Effect attack
If Cerberus is below 200 hitpoints he occasionally growls Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr, throwing out three exploding markers onto the ground: One under the player and two nearby.

Ten damage is dealt from the spawn beneath the player and it constantly deals damage while the spot is occupied. Seven damage is dealt if the player is next to a marker or next to the location where a marker previously spawned, although there is no indication it was there, for several seconds after the attack.

Move immediately after Cerberus growls to avoid potentially lethal damage, while remembering the marker locations to prevent walking back onto them.

Cerberus can, and often does, use his Area of Effect attack very soon after summoning the souls. Be prepared to deal with both!

Setup
As Cerberus is a Slayer monster, a black mask (i) or slayer helmet (i) is essential for its accuracy and damage bonuses against the boss.

Cerberus is also weak against crush attacks and slightly stronger against stab attacks, albeit still weak against it.

Melee =

Recommended skills:

(for Piety)

Inventory:
 * Special attack weapon (e.g. saradomin godsword or crystal halberd (i))
 * Spectral spirit shield (switch between a dragon defender during the fight)
 * House tablet or desert amulet 4
 * 1-2 Super combat potions
 * 6-8 Prayer potions or super restores
 * Guthan's warspear (if bringing the full set for healing)
 * Sharks for remaining inventory space


 * References