Quick Answer
Shoot away Cousin's mud armor, keep moving between his pool attacks, and clear the goblins before finishing him. Penetration effects, especially Holy Fire, work well against him. You receive money, up to two loot-table items, and a Suitcase if you haven't collected it previously.
Cousin in the Caves, the first main boss.
Shown at 04:28 in The Homie Dot’s video.How do you beat Cousin in the Caves?
You beat Cousin by stripping his mud armor and repeating the damage cycle between pool retreats and goblin waves.
He waits in a gated room at the end of the Caves. The arena contains three muddy pools. Approach the bubbling pool to summon him. Before another attempt, review your equipment with the weapon builds guide.
Break the mud armor
Start by shooting through the mud covering Cousin. When he resurfaces later, you must shoot away some armor before damaging his body again. Treat each return as another armor-breaking step, rather than immediately expecting health damage.
Penetration effects are especially effective here, with Holy Fire standing out. If you are choosing equipment before another attempt, compare the best weapons.
Keep moving through the mud attacks
Cousin throws mud projectiles that behave similarly to archers' arrows. Keep moving, and jump when necessary to avoid incoming attacks.
After taking enough damage, he sinks into a pool and throws mud from different pools around the room. This retreat can begin around 75% remaining health. Avoid staying beside one puddle while you wait for him to emerge.
He returns from a random pool, covered in mud again. Find his new position, strip the armor, and resume damaging him. This cycle repeats throughout the fight.
Clear the goblin waves
Around 50% health, his next hiding phase brings Goblin Spearman and Goblin Young through holes in the ceiling. They can approach from two directions, so clear them quickly and check behind you.
Another wave arrives around 25% or 15% health, depending on the account. Be ready for reinforcements from 25% onward.
Defeat the reinforcements, then finish Cousin with sustained fire.
Collect the loot and leave
After Cousin dies, money and loot fall through the ceiling above his area. Breakable crates and barrels also drop. Check the rewards before taking the elevator back to the Church.
What can Cousin drop?
Cousin drops money, up to two items from his loot tables, and an uncollected Suitcase.
The weapon pool specifies at least one weapon. You do not receive every weapon listed below. The names are possible rewards, rather than a guaranteed haul from one kill.
| Reward group | Possible drops |
|---|---|
| Weapons: A–B | Arbiter 2, Augusta, .357 Balthazar, Beck 8, Bo, Breacher 8, Bronco 89 |
| Weapons: C–D | Catacoil Rapid X, Corpsemaker, D4RT, Deathstar PG, Dolphin 99, Drifter 9, Duhar |
| Weapons: F–K | Ferryman, Flicker, Flock 76, Gravekeeper, Impala Gravita, Katana, Knop .22 |
| Weapons: M–N | M11A2 Fisk, Majordome, 1889 Mario, Mossman, Neuraxis F22, Nunchaku |
| Weapons: P–R | Palehorse Topclipper, M182 Pierre-Fusil, Ploika Compact, Rektor 100rd, Rokua .308 |
| Weapons: S | Sai, Salamander, Snut .38, Socom 9, Star & Witness |
| Weapons: T–W | M3 Termite, Type 80 Typhoon, Valet, Vrede, Wyatt PULSAR, Tailor Marksman MKII |
| Attachments and Special Items | Insurance, GABBA FOODMAKE, Crypt Key |
| Conditional reward | Suitcase, if you have not collected it previously |
| Other rewards | Money in various denominations, plus breakable crates and barrels |
You can watch the Suitcase pickup at 3:22:57.
For broader equipment information after collecting your rewards, use the items guide.
Is Cousin bugged when he hides or survives a huge hit?
Cousin hides when he cannot see you, and version 1.0 bosses have damage gates that prevent one-shot kills.
His normal retreat also follows taking damage. Reappearing with fresh mud armor is part of the fight, so you must break that covering again.
An Endless exception allows Cousin to die in one hit despite the damage gates. This may be an oversight. You should not build your normal fight plan around reproducing it.
Hiding, returning armor, and damage gates are normal parts of the fight, not bugs.
For your next encounter, check the SULFUR bosses guide.
FAQ
You can find the key armor, reinforcement, and reward rules below.
You find Cousin in a gated arena at the end of the Caves. Approach the bubbling pool to summon him.
He returns covered in mud armor. You must shoot away part of that covering before you can damage him again.
The first wave arrives around 50% health during a hiding phase. The later wave arrives around 25% or 15%.
You can use penetration effects effectively against him. Holy Fire is especially effective.
You receive the Suitcase if you have not collected it previously. It is separate from the up-to-two loot-table items.