Cuphead
Cuphead

King Dice Strategy

Conquer King Dice in Cuphead. This strategy guide covers navigating his casino, defeating mini-bosses, and mastering attacks for the final showdown.

King Dice Strategy

King Dice presents a unique challenge in Cuphead: a multi-stage gauntlet culminating in a showdown with the devil's right-hand man himself. To reach King Dice, you must navigate his casino, defeating a minimum of three mini-bosses along the way. Your success hinges on strategic mini-boss selection and precise execution against King Dice's deceptive attacks.

Overview & Loadout Recommendations

Phases: Mini-Boss Gauntlet (at least 3 mini-bosses), King Dice Final Battle.

Recommended Loadout:

  • Shot 1 (Primary): Spread. Invaluable for close-range, high-damage output against many mini-bosses and for quickly clearing the cards during the King Dice fight.
  • Shot 2 (Secondary): Chaser or Charge.
    • Chaser: Excellent for safely dealing consistent damage to mini-bosses with erratic movement or those that are difficult to approach. Also useful for chipping away at King Dice while focusing on parrying.
    • Charge: High-risk, high-reward. Can deal massive damage to stationary or predictable mini-bosses, and to King Dice if you can land charged shots consistently. Requires good timing and positioning.
  • Charm: Smoke Bomb. Absolutely essential. Allows you to dash through attacks, particularly King Dice's hand slams, providing crucial invincibility frames and positioning opportunities. Without it, the King Dice fight becomes significantly harder.
  • Super Art: Energy Beam (Super Art I) or Invincibility (Super Art II).
    • Energy Beam: High burst damage, great for quickly finishing off a mini-boss or dealing a chunk of damage to King Dice.
    • Invincibility: Can save you from tricky situations, especially during the King Dice fight when multiple cards are on screen or you're caught off guard by a hand slam.

The Mini-Boss Gauntlet: Choosing Your Path

Before facing King Dice, you must defeat at least three mini-bosses. The casino features nine mini-bosses, each corresponding to a number on the dice roll (1-9). You start at "START" and roll a die. The number you roll dictates how many spaces you move. If you land on a mini-boss space, you must defeat them. If you land on a "FINISH" space, you proceed to King Dice if you've defeated at least three mini-bosses. If not, you must continue rolling. Landing on a "SAFE" space allows you to skip a mini-boss. The key is to strategically choose your rolls by parrying the die at the right moment to land on preferred spaces.

General Mini-Boss Strategy: Aim to defeat the mini-bosses you are most comfortable with or those that pose the least threat to your health. Remember, your health carries over to King Dice, so preserving HP is paramount.

Here's a brief overview of each mini-boss and quick tips:

  • Space 1: The Tipsy Troop (Shot Glass, Whiskey Bottle, Martini Glass)
    • Attacks: Shot Glass spits olives, Whiskey Bottle pours liquor, Martini Glass drops ice cubes.
    • Strategy: A relatively easy fight. Focus on one enemy at a time. Use Spread for quick damage. The olives and ice cubes are parryable.
  • Space 2: Chips Bettigan (Poker Chips)
    • Attacks: Jumps around, throws poker chips that bounce.
    • Strategy: Stay mobile. His jumps are predictable. Use Spread when he's close, or Chaser to maintain distance. Some chips are parryable.
  • Space 3: Mr. Wheezy (Cigarette)
    • Attacks: Spits fireballs, teleports between two ashtrays.
    • Strategy: Position yourself between the ashtrays to avoid the fireballs. When he reappears, hit him with Spread. The fireballs are not parryable.
  • Space 4: Pip and Dot (Dominoes)
    • Attacks: A wall of spikes moves across the screen, they jump and throw dominoes.
    • Strategy: This fight is about platforming. Stay on the moving platforms. Use Chaser to focus on Pip and Dot while dodging the spikes. Some dominoes are parryable.
  • Space 5: Hopus Pocus (Rabbit in a Hat)
    • Attacks: Summons skull cards that move in patterns.
    • Strategy: Focus on dodging the skull cards. Use Chaser to hit Hopus Pocus consistently. The pink skull cards are parryable.
  • Space 6: Phear Lap (Ghost Horse Jockey)
    • Attacks: Summons ghost horses, throws horseshoe bombs, drops coins.
    • Strategy: A challenging fight. Prioritize dodging the horses and bombs. Use Spread when he's close, or Chaser otherwise. The coins are parryable.
  • Space 7: Pirouletta (Ballerina Roulette Wheel)
    • Attacks: Spins and kicks out roulette balls, rolls across the screen.
    • Strategy: Stay on the platforms. Dodge the rolling attacks and the roulette balls. Use Spread when she's close. Some roulette balls are parryable.
  • Space 8: Mangosteen (Eight Ball)
    • Attacks: Floats around, shoots billiard balls that bounce.
    • Strategy: A relatively simple fight. Stay mobile and dodge the bouncing balls. Use Chaser for consistent damage. Some billiard balls are parryable.
  • Space 9: Mr. Chimes (Monkey in a Cuckoo Clock)
    • Attacks: Swings between platforms, throws cymbals, summons toy monkeys.
    • Strategy: This fight requires precise platforming. Hit the bells to change the direction of the platforms. Use Chaser to hit Mr. Chimes while navigating. The cymbals are parryable.

Important Note: For highly detailed, step-by-step strategies for each individual mini-boss, including specific parry timings and optimal positioning, please refer to our dedicated "Inkwell Hell Mini-Bosses" section.

King Dice Final Battle

Once you've cleared the mini-boss gauntlet, you'll face King Dice himself. This fight is less about dodging complex patterns and more about precise parrying and movement.

King Dice's Attacks:

  • Card Line: King Dice snaps his fingers, and a line of playing cards moves across the screen from right to left. Some of these cards will be pink.
  • Hand Slams: After a few card lines, King Dice will slam his hand down, creating a shockwave that travels across the floor. He will perform this multiple times in a row.

King Dice Strategy:

  1. Parry the Cards: This is your primary method of dealing damage to King Dice. As the line of cards moves across, identify the pink cards. You must parry all pink cards in a single line to deal damage to King Dice. If you miss even one, the damage opportunity is lost, and you'll have to wait for the next line.
  2. Damage Windows: Each successful parry of all pink cards in a line will cause King Dice to flinch and take damage. This is your window to use your Super Art or land additional shots with Spread if you're close enough.
  3. Dodge Hand Slams with Smoke Bomb: When King Dice prepares for a hand slam, get ready to use your Smoke Bomb dash. As his hand comes down, dash through it. The invincibility frames from Smoke Bomb will allow you to pass through the shockwave unharmed. He typically performs 3-4 slams in quick succession, so be prepared to dash multiple times.
  4. Positioning: Try to stay relatively central on the screen. This gives you ample time to react to the card lines and position yourself for the hand slams.
  5. Shot Choice:
    • Spread: Excellent for quickly clearing the cards if you're close, and for dealing burst damage to King Dice after a successful parry.
    • Chaser: Can be useful for dealing passive damage to King Dice while you focus entirely on parrying the cards and dodging the hand slams. However, it's less effective for clearing the cards themselves.
  6. Patience and Focus: The King Dice fight is a test of endurance and precision. Don't get greedy with attacks. Prioritize parrying the pink cards and safely dodging the hand slams. Your health is precious at this stage.

Common Pitfalls & Tips:

  • Health Management: Your health carries over from the mini-boss gauntlet. If you're struggling, consider replaying the gauntlet to find an easier path or practice specific mini-bosses to take less damage.
  • Dice Roll Parrying: The die roll is parryable! This is crucial for choosing your path. Practice parrying the die to land on "SAFE" spaces or your preferred mini-bosses. The die cycles through numbers, so time your parry carefully.
  • King Dice's Tells: King Dice will snap his fingers before the card line appears, giving you a brief moment to prepare. He will also rear back slightly before a hand slam.
  • Don't Panic: If you miss a pink card, don't fret. Focus on dodging and preparing for the next card line. Getting hit trying to recover a missed parry is worse than simply waiting.

Mastering King Dice requires a combination of strategic planning in the gauntlet and precise execution in the final battle. With the right loadout and a calm approach, you'll soon be collecting those soul contracts!