Quick answer: The Crusher and the Saw is a two-part boss on a frozen lake near The Giant’s Lair bell on Mount Soulrend. Dodge every red-flash attack because it can’t be parried, and expect a 2-3 second snow cloud after ball slams.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| First boss bar | The Crusher and the Saw |
| Second boss bar | The Crusher, Earthshattering Form |
| First bar health (Pathbreaker) | 185,100 |
| Arena | Frozen lake in an ice cavern |
| Nearest bell | The Giant’s Lair, about 40 m away |
| Reward | Bonesaw (Two-Handed) |
The arena is a wide sheet of ice ringed by icicles and ice pillars, with snow banks along the shore. The giant is pale and heavily muscled, bound in chains and iron cuffs, and the Saw’s spear carries a ragged banner.
How to reach the Crusher and the Saw on Mount Soulrend
The Crusher and the Saw attacks in the first phase
In our run, the Saw rode on the giant’s back for the whole first bar. The names below describe what each attack does rather than any in-game label.
Ball swing: a wide, ground-level arc with the iron ball on its chain.
Leaping slam: the giant jumps high with the ball and lands in a burst of snow and ice.
Ball slam and snow cloud: the ball is raised and smashed into the ice, then a cloud of snow and ice shards hides the screen for about 2-3 seconds.
Ice eruption: ice crystals burst up from the floor around the giant’s feet.
Close ball drag: the giant drags and spins the ball in a tight circle around itself, throwing up ice blocks.
Red-glow swings: the giant’s arm and the ball chain glow red before some heavy swings.
The Saw’s spear thrust: the rider stabs down from the giant’s back after a red flash runs along the shaft.
Second phase: The Crusher, Earthshattering Form
When the first bar is gone, a scene shows the giant crashing through the ice into a lit cavern below and getting back on its feet. The boss bar changes to The Crusher, Earthshattering Form.
The giant now fights alone, with no rider on its back. Its body and chains glow red, and the iron ball glows orange-red. Soul comments on the change, saying “He’s getting stronger…” and then “But his once impenetrable hide has grown fragile.”
In this form, the giant slams the glowing ball down in large bursts of snow and drags it low along the ice in sweeping attacks.
Tips for fighting the Crusher and the Saw
Treat any red flash as a signal to dodge, because that attack can’t be parried. Keep your eyes on the giant’s arms and on the Saw’s spear, since both show the flash before they strike.
Expect to lose sight of the giant after a ball slam. The snow cloud covers it for about 2-3 seconds.
Once the first health bar empties, the fight continues against The Crusher, Earthshattering Form.
The Crusher and the Saw memory flower
The pair’s backstory appears in Memory Flower of the Monster II, “Infighting”. In it, the Tianshan Twin Swords Ye Han and Li Qiu watch the two. Ye Han describes the big one as all brute force but slow, the small one as weak but vicious, and notes that they are not one creature.
“When the big one slows down, the smaller one drives its saw into it without hesitation!”
Bonesaw reward and the Saw It Through achievement
The reward, Bonesaw, is a rank I Two-Handed weapon: Damage 312, Status Effects 142.
Its card reads “Its coarse, jagged teeth have high shield-breaking power. It never grants a swift end to enemies.”
The game then asks “Equip the new weapon now?” so you can switch to it right away.
The Saw It Through achievement appears at the same time, displaying “Defeat the Saw and the Crusher”.
