Antewise

Dead Cells Guides — Runs, Builds and Boss Strategy

Dead Cells guides built around mechanics instead of lists: how a run flows, how stats scale weapons, how to route biomes, and how to read boss fights.

Where the numbers come from. Everything here is either a rule the game states, or a conclusion you can draw from it. Where a page needs an exact figure, we mark it and check it against the game's own data before we call it fact. We do not pass guesses off as testing.

Start here

Losing runs you felt you should win rarely comes down to luck. It is often a stat spread too thin, gear that does not match your scrolls, or a boss met under-levelled. Read the run page and the scaling page first.

All Dead Cells guides

Tier list Best Weapons in Dead Cells — tier list

S to C rankings for 30-plus weapons, judged on damage, speed, safety and how well each scales.

 Tier list Best Mutations in Dead Cells — tier list

S to C rankings for 25-plus mutations, judged on run impact, trigger rate and colour fit.

 Tier list Best Skills in Dead Cells — tier list

S to C rankings for 25-plus skills, judged on damage, utility and how safe each one keeps you.

 Tier list Best Builds in Dead Cells — tier list

Archetypes ranked by consistency at high Boss Cells, from ranged turret play to parry-heavy Survival.

 Tier list Hardest Bosses in Dead Cells — tier list

Every boss ordered from most punishing to mildest, with how to prepare before the door opens.

 Core mechanics How a run works

Biomes, gates, cells and death, in the order a run moves through them.

 Builds Weapon scaling explained

Every weapon scales with one stat. Gear that shares a colour keeps your damage rising.

 Builds Mutations guide

Run-long perks that scale with your stats. Three slots fill fast, so pick for the build you run.

 Builds Brutality vs Tactics vs Survival

The three stats shape how you fight. Learn what each one rewards before you spend a scroll.

 Progression Boss Cell progression

Beating the final boss earns a Boss Cell and a harder baseline for later runs.

 Map Biome routing

Every biome leads to branching exits. The route you take sets the gear and bosses you meet.

 Risk Curse and timed doors

Cursed chests trade safety for loot, and timed doors reward speed. Know when to take each.

 Economy Gold and shops

Gold buys gear, refills and rerolls during a run, then resets on death.

 Bosses Boss strategies

Each boss repeats a readable set of attacks. Treat the fight as a pattern problem.

 Loot Gear quality and recycling

Weapons carry a level and a quality tier. Higher tiers add effects; the forge improves drops.

 Progression Runes and unlocks

Runes are permanent travel powers earned once. Each one opens routes for every future run.

 Survival Health and flask management

Your flask has limited charges that refill at each biome. Spend them where they matter.

 Combat Parry and timing

A shield parry blocks a hit and opens a counter window. Timing turns defence into damage.

 Mistakes Common mistakes

Most failed runs share the same habits. Each one feels fine in the moment and costs you later.

 DLC DLC content overview

Dead Cells grew through many expansions. Each folds new biomes and weapons into the base run.

Tools

Reference Weapon index

Notable weapons with plain-language notes, sorted for quick scanning during a run.

What this hub does not cover yet

Two things are missing on purpose: exact weapon damage numbers and per-biome enemy stat tables. Both need figures we cannot yet stand behind, so we publish them only after a data pass.

Found something wrong? Tell us. Corrections are the fastest way this hub improves.