How to defeat Kallamar in Cult of the Lamb

Cult of the Lamb’s third area is the aquatic Anchordeep, which has lots of deadly deep sea creatures for you to face. Lording over this region is Kallamar, a squid-like Bishop. The battle is challenging, so read on to learn how to deal with everything this boss throws at you.

Related: How to beat Heket in Cult of the Lamb

How to beat Kallamar

The first thing to know is that Kallamar, like the other Bishops, doesn’t fight alone. There are two different minions he can summon, all of which are enemies you previously encountered in this biome. These include the small and large versions of the heavy hopping crabs, as well three different explosive jellyfish: small, large, and the ones that charge at you. The jellyfish can actually help you out, since the explosion they cause after being hit also hurts enemies. Just be wary of any chain reactions.

On the melee side, Kallamar has only one kind of attack. He’ll chase after you, swiping with his weapon when he gets close. Trying to attack back at this stage is a fool’s errand, so stay on the move and spam dodges to create distance until he calms down. If you have Blazing Trail (one of the many Tarot Cards you can unlock) active, then you can also roll directly through him for bits of damage while getting away.

Fireballs are Kallamar’s primary attacks, and they come in several varieties. From the start of the battle, he has the ability to summon a tight ring of fire around you. Immediately roll through it to escape. He can also unleash fireballs in bullet hell patterns. The first is a cone shape, aimed directly at you. Work your way from side to side and from top to bottom of the arena to fan out the fireballs and give yourself room to sidestep them. The boss can also emit fireballs in a circular pattern that goes out across the whole stage. Backing off to let the fireballs spread is easier than repeatedly rolling through them.

When his health is low, Kallamar will gain some new fireball patterns. The first is three rings of fire that get thrown your way — stay moving to avoid getting burned. He also gets two more bullet hell patterns. The first, pictured above, sends out fireballs in waves. If you step back, you can see that there are safe lanes between the fireballs, so stick to those to stay healthy. Lastly, he can emit a full ring of fire with no gaps, so be ready to roll right through it.

Kallamar is a serious step up from his sister Heket, so don’t be discouraged if the fight takes a few attempts. Get rid of the minions when they appear, focus on avoiding fireballs, and you’ll win out in the end.