The Central Resonant, The Deserter, is one of the first major bosses you’ll encounter in Control Resonant and is located inside the Patterned Factory in the northern part of Central. Reaching it requires powering the factory entrance, fighting through several groups of Hiss, and destroying three lava clumps blocking the route to the boss arena.
Defeating The Deserter also gives you a choice between two combat abilities, Ignite and Inferno.
How to Enter the Patterned Factory
The Patterned Factory is in the northern section of the Central Zone, with its entrance on the eastern side of the building.
When you first arrive, the door will be locked. A battery beside the entrance needs to be charged before you can get inside.
Head to the power station south of the Patterned Factory and use Dylan’s Aberrant to collect a charge.
Return to the factory and strike the empty battery beside the entrance with that charge.
Once the battery is powered, the Patterned Factory door will open.
Be ready for a fight immediately afterward, as several Hiss enemies appear around the entrance. Defeat them and proceed into the building.
Use the industrial elevator inside to reach the section controlled by the Central Resonant.
How to Reach the Central Resonant
After leaving the elevator and heading upstairs, you’ll reach a central hub.
The path toward the boss is blocked by pipes releasing dangerously hot steam. To shut them down, you need to destroy three lava clumps attached to pipes throughout the factory.
The three clumps are spread between the hub and its left and right routes.
First Lava Clump Location
The first lava clump is the easiest to find.
When you reach the main hub, look toward the wall at the back of the area.
Destroy the lava clump attached to the pipe, then prepare to explore the two corridors branching away from the hub.
Second Lava Clump Location
Return to the hub and take the left corridor.
Continue through the factory rooms along this route. You’ll encounter multiple groups of Hiss, so clear each combat encounter as you progress.
Eventually, you’ll reach the pipe containing the second lava clump.
Destroy it, then retrace your route back to the central hub.
Third Lava Clump Location
From the hub, take the right corridor.
Like the previous route, this section contains several Hiss encounters that must be cleared before you can continue.
Proceed until you reach the final room. Look for a smaller room containing another pipe, where you’ll find the third lava clump.
Destroy it to finish the puzzle.
Once all three lava clumps have been removed, return to the hub.
The steam that previously blocked the main route will no longer prevent you from passing. Follow the newly accessible path to reach the Central Resonant boss arena.
How to Beat The Deserter
The Central Resonant, The Deserter, has three main phases. Positioning is particularly important because many of its attacks control large sections of the arena.
Your most useful strategy throughout the encounter is to stay mobile with Elevate and Air Dashes, work your way behind the boss, and attack when its larger animations leave it exposed.
The Deserter Phase 1
During the first phase, The Deserter spews lava across the arena in a clockwise rotation.
Don’t try to stand your ground against the attack.
Use Elevate and Air Dashes to stay ahead of the rotating lava while moving toward the boss’s rear.
Once the attack ends, use the opening to damage The Deserter from behind.
Repeat this pattern while avoiding its other attacks until the fight moves into its second phase.
The Deserter Phase 2
The second phase adds several more dangerous attacks.
If you stay too close, The Deserter can attack with the swords protruding from its chest. It can also launch lava projectiles that create splash damage when they hit the ground.
Keep moving when you see a projectile coming and avoid standing near its impact point.
Your general strategy remains similar to Phase 1: use your movement abilities to reposition behind the boss and attack whenever an opening appears.
As you deal damage, you’ll also build The Deserter’s Falter bar.
Once the bar fills, the boss collapses and exposes a pulsating red weak point inside its mouth.
Immediately focus your attacks on this weak point. The Falter window gives you an opportunity to deal a large amount of damage before The Deserter recovers.
The Deserter Phase 3
During the final phase, the arena itself becomes another threat.
The Deserter causes the surrounding steam pipes to erupt with flames, making it considerably harder to move around safely.
Look for the lava clumps attached to the affected pipes and destroy them.
Clearing these clumps disables the additional environmental attack and gives you more space to concentrate on the boss again.
Continue avoiding The Deserter’s attacks, build its Falter bar whenever possible, and punish its exposed weak point until its health is depleted.
Should You Choose Ignite or Inferno?
Defeating the Central Resonant gives you a choice between Ignite and Inferno.
The two abilities approach fire damage differently.
Ignite adds fire properties to compatible combat abilities and Aberrant forms, allowing your existing attacks to inflict additional fire damage.
Inferno is a more direct offensive option. Instead of enhancing other attacks, it gives Dylan a powerful fiery-fist combat move designed to deal heavier immediate damage.
Neither choice changes how you complete the Patterned Factory encounter, so the decision comes down to how you want to incorporate fire into your build.
Choose Ignite if you want fire damage integrated into a broader selection of your existing abilities and Aberrant forms. Choose Inferno if you’d rather gain a dedicated fire attack focused on immediate offensive power.
With The Deserter defeated and your new ability selected, the Central Resonant encounter is complete.
