How to Beat the Cremator in Risk of Rain Returns

The fiery rock-spouting lava-surfing danger tortoise known as the Cremator can be one of the trickiest bosses in Risk of Rain Returns. Here’s how to beat the Cremator in Risk of Rain Returns.

There are two problems with the Cremator.

• First, It spawns at a random magma-laden location on the map away from the teleporter while firing global artillery shots at you. This means that the first stage of the fight is reaching him while being barraged with fiery rocks.
• Second, having reached it, fighting it can be tricky in the platform-ridden lava-infested corridor. Especially for melee characters.

Risk of Rain Returns: How to Beat the Cremator

No matter your situation, dealing with the RoRR Cremator’s shots is the core of the fight. They have an unlimited range and will reach you wherever you are. The helpful part is that they’ll be telegraphed with white flashes showcasing where the shots will hit, unless you’re on Monsoon. I recommend listening for the firing sound and then immediately start moving in the opposite direction. 

Why? Because while the Cremator’s shots have global range, the location where they’ll hit is fixed from the moment it fires them. I always evade in the opposite direction of the shots or below them, as attempting to dodge through them can cause you to get hit.

Relate: How to Beat Providence in RoRR

Now that we can dodge its artillery, we can start moving towards the Cremator. RoRR has this neat habit of showing you where the boss is with a UI red arrow aid. This boss can spawn in the lava pit at the bottom left, bottom right, or upper left, and in all three it swims from left to right.

When fighting him, I recommend being constantly on the move and using the climbable chains to avoid his lava charge. That said, be careful not to be on top of him when it shoots its projectiles as their cone shotgun-like nature can be lethal at close range. Instead, alternate between hopping and climbing chains, attacking its head, and dropping down onto the platforms when it shoots. This strategy is a bit more tedious if multiple Cremators spawn but it generally works in those scenarios as well.

Related: How To Unlock The Miner in the Magma Barracks

Risk of Rain Returns: Cremator Tips and Tricks

While the general strategy above usually works, here are some smaller bits of advice that are situational:

• Clear Out Mobs First: If you’re having trouble with a melee survivor, it might sometimes be worth it to clear out the mobs spawned from the teleporter event first. You can dodge the Cremator’s shots easily once you get used to them and fight off the horde of spawning mobs. Then, you can proceed to fight the Cremator or Cremators solo. Just do not approach the platform where the boss is or mobs will spawn there as well which defeats the point.
• Drones: Picking up drones ahead of time if you’re struggling with the cremator either in the first three levels or the Magma Barracks themselves can be a huge boon for the fight. Drones can keep outputting damage without getting in close to the Cremator’s charge zone. Though they may also get destroyed.
• Unstable Watch: The biggest problem with this fight is being overwhelmed. The Unstable Watch Equipment unlocked by beating the first level in under 5 minutes can be quite helpful to take a breather. This time stop can be used to safely output damage, reposition, or heal up with passive sustain items.
• Artifact of Sacrifice: Not so much a combat tip but you can use yourself as bait and guide the Cremator’s shots to the three button locations that need to be pressed to unlock the Sacrifice Artifact. They pass through walls and can push buttons easily with their spread.

We hope this guide on how to beat the Cremator in Risk of Rain Returns has been helpful. At the end of the day, like any boss, the Cremator requires patience. Once you face him enough times, he’ll become just another simple hurdle on your way to the Temple of the Elders. Even for melee characters. For more RoRR guides like unlocking all characters or beginner tips, check out our hub for the game here.