King Dice

Conquer King Dice in Cuphead by mastering his board game gauntlet. Learn tactics for each mini-boss and the final showdown to claim his soul contract.

Objective: Defeat the nefarious King Dice and claim his soul contract, thereby securing your path to the Devil himself. This multi-stage boss fight is a unique gauntlet, testing your endurance and adaptability across a series of mini-boss encounters before the final showdown.

Overview: King Dice's fight is structured like a board game. You'll roll a die to determine your movement across a path, landing on various squares. Most squares trigger a mini-boss battle. To reach King Dice, you must defeat at least three mini-bosses. Landing on "START OVER" or "SAFE" squares will either reset your progress or allow you to skip a mini-boss, respectively. Your goal is to strategically navigate the board, choosing mini-bosses that suit your playstyle and current health, before confronting King Dice in his final phase.

Recommended Loadout

Given the varied nature of the mini-bosses and King Dice's final phase, a versatile loadout is key. Experiment with these suggestions to find what works best for you:

• Primary Shot: Spread is excellent for many close-range mini-bosses (e.g., The Tipsy Troop, Chips Bettigan, Pip and Dot) due to its high damage output.
• Secondary Shot: Chaser is invaluable for mini-bosses with erratic movement or those that are difficult to aim at precisely (e.g., Mr. Wheezy, Phear Lap). Its homing ability allows you to focus on dodging. Alternatively, Charge can be devastating against stationary or predictable mini-bosses if you can consistently land charged shots.
• Charm:
  • Smoke Bomb: This is almost essential for King Dice's final phase, allowing you to phase through his hand slams and avoid damage. It's also useful for repositioning during mini-boss fights.
  • Heart Ring: If you're confident in your parry skills, this can provide crucial health regeneration throughout the gauntlet, especially if you plan to parry many of King Dice's cards.
  • Coffee: For players who rely heavily on EX moves and Supers, Coffee provides a constant stream of super meter, allowing for more frequent special attacks.
• Super Art:
  • Energy Beam: A powerful, screen-clearing attack that can quickly dispatch troublesome mini-bosses or deal significant damage to King Dice.
  • Invincibility: Can be a lifesaver if you're low on health during a tough mini-boss or need to power through a difficult part of King Dice's attack pattern.

The Gauntlet: Mini-Boss Breakdown

The board features nine distinct mini-bosses, each with unique attack patterns. You'll encounter them in a fixed order based on the number you roll. Understanding their mechanics is crucial for success. Remember, you only need to defeat three to proceed, so prioritize those you find easier or that align with your current loadout.

Mini-Boss #	Name	Difficulty (Subjective)	Key Attacks & Strategy	Recommended Shot
1	The Tipsy Troop (Martini Glasses)	Easy	Three martini glasses. The large one shoots a single olive, the medium one shoots two, and the small one shoots three. They move in a simple up-and-down pattern. Focus fire on one at a time. Parry the pink olives for extra EX.	Spread, Peashooter
2	Chips Bettigan (Poker Chips)	Medium	A stack of poker chips that slides back and forth across the screen. It shoots playing cards in various patterns, some of which are pink and parriable. The main challenge is dodging the card barrages while staying close enough to deal damage.	Spread, Chaser
3	Mr. Wheezy (Cigars)	Medium	Two large cigars on opposite sides of the screen. They shoot fireballs that bounce off the walls. Occasionally, one will inhale, pulling you towards it, then exhale a large fireball. Stay in the center to dodge bouncing fireballs and anticipate the inhale/exhale.	Chaser, Peashooter
4	Pip and Dot (Dominoes)	Medium	A domino couple. Pip (the male) throws dice that bounce. Dot (the female) creates a wall of spikes that moves across the screen. You must jump over the spikes while dodging dice. The spikes can be tricky to time.	Spread, Peashooter
5	Hopus Pocus (Rabbit)	Hard	A magician's rabbit in a hat. He summons playing cards that fly across the screen in various patterns, often forming a wall. He also teleports frequently. His attacks can be overwhelming due to the sheer number of projectiles. Focus on dodging and using Chaser.	Chaser, Peashooter
6	Phear Lap (Horse Ghost)	Hard	A ghostly horse jockey. He rides across the screen, summoning smaller ghosts that fly towards you. He also occasionally stops to launch a larger, parriable ghost. The smaller ghosts can be difficult to manage.	Chaser, Peashooter
7	Pirouletta (Ballerina)	Medium	A spinning ballerina. She spins across the screen, kicking out coins in a circular pattern. Some coins are pink and parriable. Her movement can be unpredictable, making consistent damage difficult.	Spread, Peashooter
8	Mangosteen (8-Ball)	Easy	A giant 8-ball that hangs from the ceiling. It drops smaller billiard balls that bounce around the arena. The main challenge is managing the bouncing balls, but the boss itself is stationary and easy to hit.	Spread, Charge
9	Mr. Chimes (Monkey)	Hard	A monkey riding a cymbal. He throws cymbals that fly in a boomerang pattern. He also moves up and down on a track. The cymbals are fast and can be hard to dodge, especially when he's at the top or bottom of the screen.	Chaser, Peashooter

Choosing Your Path: As you roll the die (by parrying it when it's pink), consider which mini-bosses you're most comfortable with. Generally, The Tipsy Troop, Mangosteen, and Pirouletta are considered among the easier fights. Hopus Pocus, Phear Lap, and Mr. Chimes tend to be more challenging. If you land on a "SAFE" square, you can skip the current mini-boss, which can be a strategic move if you're low on health or want to avoid a particularly difficult encounter. Landing on "START OVER" will send you back to the beginning of the board, but you retain any defeated mini-bosses and health.

King Dice: The Final Showdown

Once you've defeated at least three mini-bosses and reached King Dice's square, the true battle begins. This phase is less about dodging complex projectiles and more about precise parrying and movement.

King Dice's Attacks:

1. Card Attack: King Dice stands at the back of the table and sends a continuous stream of playing cards across the screen. Among these cards, a specific pattern of pink cards will appear. You must parry these pink cards to deal damage to King Dice. Each successful parry will cause him to flinch and take damage. The pattern of pink cards changes, so stay alert.
2. Hand Slam: Periodically, King Dice will slam one of his giant hands onto the table, creating a shockwave that travels across the screen. These shockwaves are unparriable and deal significant damage.

Strategy for King Dice:

• Parry, Parry, Parry: Your primary method of dealing damage is parrying the pink cards. Focus intently on the card patterns and be ready to jump and parry. Missing a pink card means you miss a damage opportunity.
• Dodge the Hand Slams: This is where the Smoke Bomb charm shines. When King Dice prepares to slam his hand, use the Smoke Bomb dash to phase through the incoming shockwave. Without Smoke Bomb, you'll need precise timing to jump over the shockwave, which can be difficult to combine with parrying cards.
• Maintain Position: Try to stay in a central position to give yourself ample time to react to both the cards and the hand slams.
• Super Arts: Use your Super Arts strategically. Energy Beam can deal a burst of damage when King Dice is vulnerable after a parry sequence. Invincibility can be used to power through a difficult card pattern or avoid a hand slam if you're out of dash options.
• Patience is Key: This phase is a test of endurance and rhythm. Don't rush, focus on consistent parries and perfect dodges.

Common Pitfalls & Tips

• Health Management: Pay close attention to your health throughout the gauntlet. If you're struggling, consider rolling for easier mini-bosses or using a "SAFE" square if available.
• Parry Practice: King Dice's final phase heavily relies on parrying. If you're rusty, practice parrying in earlier levels or the tutorial.
• Die Roll Control: You can influence your die roll by parrying the die when it's pink. This allows you to aim for specific numbers and, consequently, specific mini-bosses or "SAFE" squares. Mastering this is crucial for strategic navigation.
• Don't Be Afraid to Reset: If you're having a particularly bad run through the mini-bosses, it might be better to land on a "START OVER" square to reset your position on the board rather than face King Dice with minimal health.
• Learn the Mini-Bosses: While you only need to beat three, knowing the attack patterns of all nine will help you make informed decisions when rolling the die.

Defeating King Dice is a significant milestone in Cuphead. Stay calm, adapt your strategy, and master those parries, and his contract will soon be yours!