Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course is the magnum opus of Studio MDHR. With a whole new island to explore and some of the game’s most brutal fights, you’ll need the right tools and strategies to succeed. The DLC’s most challenging boss, Chef Saltbaker, is the final foe in the expansion. Make sure you’re ready for the showdown with our comprehensive guide.
Before you can fight Chef Saltbaker, you must beat all other mandatory bosses on Inkwell Isle IV. Once you take down Glumstone The Giant, the Moonshine Mob, The Howling Aces, Mortimer Freeze, and Esther Winchester, take Cuphead back to the chef’s shop to confront him.
Weapons and Charms
Before starting A Dish To Die For and fighting Chef Saltbaker, equip the following weapons and charms to Cuphead for an easier time with the final boss battle.
- Primary Weapon: Crackshot
- Secondary Weapon: Chaser
- Charm: Astral Cookie
- Super: III (Ghostly Barrage)
Chaser is an item available from Porkrind’s Emporium during the base game, and you likely have it already. Crackshot, on the other hand, is only available to those who purchase The Delicious Last Course. Speak to Porkrind at his shop on Inkwell Isle IV to pick up this powerful weapon. You’ll get the Astral Cookie as soon as The Delicious Last Course begins, but Ms. Chalice’s Super III: Ghostly Barrage is a reward for those who finish Mausoleum III on Inkwell Isle III with any character.
Related: Cuphead: How to beat Esther Winchester
First Phase
Phase one sees you on an oversized table. While the platform is straightforward in the first phase of Chef Saltbaker, there is a lot to keep track of during this phase. Because the first phase is arguably the most hectic, we recommend Crackshot. This weapon targets the boss without lowering your damage too much when you miss your shots.
Chef Saltbaker uses the items acquired from the DLC’s bosses as weapons during this phase, so prepare for a handful of powerful attacks and a Flame Minion that persists throughout the first two phases of this boss battle. Watch the top of the screen as the Flame Minion bounces toward players throughout this phase alongside these obstacles.
Important Note: Chef Saltbaker will use the following attacks back to back, meaning you may have to deal with any combination of the first phase’s hazards.
During the first phase of the Chef Saltbaker boss battle, the sinister chef cuts up different foods in the background. Each dish he prepares becomes an attack. The above animation appears when Chef Saltbaker prepares the Desert Limes. After he cuts the fruit into pieces, he’ll slide them to the side and send them to the field, where you must dodge them.
The four Desert Limes fly across the screen twice. Desert Limes boomerang across the field, doing two full lengths of the screen before disappearing. These limes can hit three unique heights. You can see the flight patterns above. The projectiles appear in rapid succession, so use careful jumps to avoid taking damage.
Chef Saltbaker also crushes the Icy Sugar Cubes with a chisel, breaking the ingredient into smaller pieces before blowing them off the table. Keep your eye on the side of the screen Chef Saltbaker send the cubes, so you’re ready when these hazards reappear.
Five Icy Sugar Cubes float up and down across the screen when they return, with several of these items being pink. Parry the pink Icy Sugar Cubes while dodging the others to avoid taking damage during this attack. Don’t forget to use the dodge rolls, short hops, and dashes to avoid danger.
Another attack sees Chef Saltbaker squish a basket of Gnome Berries, sending them upward. After a brief wait period, these hazards return, raining down from above.
12 Gnome Berries drop down on the stage, breaking once they make contact with the floor. These hazards fly toward the left side of the screen, often intersecting with other projectile patterns. Keep a watchful eye on the sky until the twelve Gnome Berries hit the ground.
The final attack in the first phase of the Chef Saltbaker fight sees him rolling out and crushing the Distillery Dough to create Animal Crackers. After animating these cookies, he’ll send them off the table. Keep an eye on the screen where he threw these items because they’ll return with a vengeance.
Six Animal Crackers bounce back onto the screen once thrown away by Chef Saltbaker. The Animal Crackers hop from the table to the top of the screen, slowly trotting to the other end of the stage. Unlike other hazards in this stage, players can destroy the Animal Crackers. If you’re overwhelmed by this attack, use your weapons to destroy the crackers and free up stage space.
Once players deal enough damage to Chef Saltbaker, he’ll shove a pink item in his head. After his eyes glow pink, he’ll grow and grab players, dragging them upward and away from the table. This animation starts the second phase of the fight, so get ready for another set of attacks and a new venue.
Second Phase
Players rest on the boss’s palm during the second phase of the Chef Saltbaker fight. You can swap to the Chaser weapon if you’re more comfortable with it, but we kept Crackshot. Keep in mind that the Flame Minion returns for the second phase. The Flame Minion jumps up in the air from the ground toward you, so keep moving to avoid getting hit.
In the second phase, four Pepper Shakers spawn in each corner of the screen. The only way to harm Chef Saltbaker during this phase is by damaging these Pepper Shakers. After the Pepper Shakers take enough damage, they’ll sneeze and crash into Chef Saltbaker. Do this enough times, and the phase will end.
As soon as the second phase starts, jump and use Ms. Chalice’s Ghostly Barrage super. This attack can simultaneously damage the Pepper Shakers and provide brief invincibility for Ms. Chalice. After you land, target the remaining Pepper Shakers to send them hurtling into the boss. The Pepper Shakers respawn shortly after flying off, so move on to the next while you wait.
During the phase, Chef Saltbaker will crush up three to four Pineapple Mint leaves and drop them on the stage. These leaves hover from left to right in the air before landing on his palms. Avoid them using hops and dodge rolls when necessary. Make sure to keep shooting at the Pepper Shakers while you avoid these items.
The Pepper Shakers can also sneeze projectiles at players, so watch out for these additional hazards. Some of the Pepper Shakers sneeze items are pink, so parry, when you can, to build more supercharge.
Focus the Pepper Shakers one at a time until they fly off into Chef Saltbaker, building super energy while you fight. If you get Ghostly Barrage again during this phase, use it to speed this process up.
Once the ceiling caves in and salt showers you from above, you’ll hear Chef Saltbaker scream before the screen turns white. After a brief flash, you’ll start the third phase of this boss battle.
Related: Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course Review: Party Like it’s 1939
Third Phase
Immediately following the second phase, players drop down into The Saltscape, another venue with unique hazards and another Chef Saltbaker form. Swap to Crackshot during this phase, as this weapon helps wallop the boss and end the stage quickly.
While you fight in the third phase, watch out for the Sawblades rotating on the ground. Touching them will injure you, so keep your eye on this weapon during this short but brutal phase.
Watch out for a pair of giant salt hands in the background, creating two Salt Clones. These foes are your focus. After the Salt Clones fly upward, get moving as these clones plummet from above, targeting the player’s location upon arrival.
Once the Salt Clones appear, they’ll bounce up and down along the screen, following you as the phase continues. The higher these clones are, the faster they plummet to the ground, so prepare to press the dash and dodge roll buttons. Use the Crackshot to hit the boss with homing beams while you avoid its erratic ground pounds. Keep shooting, dodging the Salt Clones and the Sawblades until they disintegrate.
When the Slat Clones disperse, Chef Saltbaker takes a new form in the background, starting the final phase of this harrowing boss battle. When you see the above animation, get ready to get to a platform.
Final Phase
During the final phase of the Chef Saltbaker battle, players must platform upward continually, hopping from broken glass shards. Once the floor caves in after the third phase, start jumping between plates. Falling from these platforms will injure you, so be careful not to lose your footing.
After players start platforming, two Salt Tornadoes spawn on either side of the newly formed cavern. Don’t touch these salt pillars, as doing so will damage you. Turn your focus to the Heart Salt Shaker, as this is Chef Saltbaker’s final form. You’ll need to land direct shots on Heart Salt Shaker while platforming. You can also parry the heart when it’s pink for extra EX energy.
The Heart Salt Shaker will hover up and down between the Salt Tornadoes. Swap to Chaser if you prefer for easier shots on the boss. We stuck with Crackshot for improved damage, but the lower fire rate and slower projectiles can make this method challenging.
If you have the super energy, use Ghostly Barrage near the Heart Salt Shaker to deal damage from a distance. If you use Ghostly Barrage, plan where you land afterward. Look for your next foothold after casting your super, dashing it when you regain your body.
Keep focusing fire on Saltbaker’s Heart, platforming carefully during this phase. Make sure to parry when you have space, and use EX energy to get those last few hits in. Eventually, Chef Saltbaker will fall, with the following screen signaling the end of this tough boss battle:
With that, you’ve finished Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course and freed Cuphead’s soul from Chef Saltbaker’s evil plot. Now you can walk away with your head held high or take on Expert Mode like we are.
To see our A+ Chef Saltbaker walkthrough, check out the video below:
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