Circus of Shadows is the first season of the Beast Raid game mode (originally titled Skirmish Raid) released in the Theater of Lies update (v5.1), coinciding with the release of 
Mercurial Knight Cookie.
The event ran from February 7 to March 27, 2024.
Overview[]
Players must prepare three different Cookie teams before they can battle a boss. A Beast Raid Ticket is required to battle. Players can battle the highlighted boss in one of three difficulty levels (Easy, Normal, and Hard). Once a boss has been beaten at a particular difficulty level, it can be cleared again instantly using x5 
Time Jumpers and fought in the next difficulty level.
| Skirmish Raid Ticket | |
|---|---|
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Never give up, never back down! Use this ticket to participate in the Skirmish Raid. |
Beast Raid Tickets stock up to 6 maximum and replenish at a rate of 1 every 6 hours. 2 more tickets can be added per day by purchasing with 
Crystals x400.
Boss[]
The Ringmaster shifts between phases upon removing their shields, with each having their own vulnerabilities and attack patterns:
- The Welcoming Ringmaster
- The Ringmaster of Shadows
- The Hollow Ringmaster
Strategy[]
Teams[]
Using a third team is optional, as two teams are enough to deal DMG to the boss quickly.
| Front | Middle | Rear | Treasures | |
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| Optional |   |
 
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| Front | Middle | Rear | Treasures | |
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| Essential |  |
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| Optional |  |
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Tips[]
- Like Boss Hunt, the Ringmaster boss also have the Rage and Fatigue mechanics, and additionally a Shield mechanic. Rage meter (three red bars) gradually fills up over time, while the Shield meter (blue) needs to be depleted with debuffs or attacks it is vulnerable to. The boss will summon an enemy when the Rage meter is full, but if their Shield meter runs out, a Fatigue meter appears (pink), during which, the Rage meter is emptied and the boss remains temporarily vulnerable and stunned as long as the Fatigue meter stays.
- The boss is immune to most debuffs. They have the following characteristics:
- The Welcoming Ringmaster: Negates DMG with a shield which is vulnerable to DEF Reduction.
- The Ringmaster of Shadows: Changes into this form after they take a certain amount of DMG while vulnerable in the above form. Negates DMG with either a Hit shield or a shield vulnerable to
Light-type attacks. Can switch back to above form again after the Fatigue runs off in this form. - The Hollow Ringmaster: Changes into this form when roughly half of their HP remains. Inflicts various debuffs and Spore Dispersal. Doesn't switch back to any of the above forms at this stage.
- It is recommended to battle this boss manually at normal speed for more efficiency.
- Linzer Cookie is the best choice for inflicting DEF reduction. Only use The Culprit... is YOU! when she has max Deduction stacks.
- Rebel Cookie can also be used to stack DEF reduction effects more quickly, while providing some frontline defense. Note that he cannot move from his position while his skill is active, leaving him vulnerable to boss' skills.
- Switch to second team once the boss switches to the Hollow Ringmaster phase. Cookies immune to Spore Dispersal would be more effective in dealing DMG during this phase.
- When the boss uses any of the skills, players need to tap the correct Action button that appears on screen quickly to avoid taking damage.
- Shadow Clutches: Left rectangle (1st option)
- Pick-A-Card: Front right square (2nd option)
- Hammer Slam: Back rectangle (3rd option)
- Puppet Show: Plus-shaped formation (4th option)
Mission Event[]
In this Event, players receive various rewards for reaching certain milestones in Skirmish Raid.
| Difficulty Rewards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Easy | Normal | Hard |
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 Circus Shut Down (Title)
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| Mission | Reward |
|---|---|
| Play Skirmish Raid 3 times |  |
| Reach D Rank |  |
| Play Skirmish Raid 5 times |  |
| Reach C Rank |  |
| Play Skirmish Raid 10 times |  |
| Reach B Rank |  |
| Play Skirmish Raid 15 times | |
| Reach A Rank | |
Ranking & Rewards[]
Players are sorted into ranks depending on how much damage they've dealt to the bosses in each difficulty and also the time taken by the player to defeat the boss in the highest difficulty they could. Rank rewards can be claimed after reaching a certain rank for the first time, while season rewards are sent to the players at the end of season if they've participated at least once.
There are also rewards for reaching certain milestones for the first time and playing the raid mode.
| Dificulty | First Win Reward | Repeat Rewards | |||
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| Easy |  |
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| Normal |  |
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| Hard |  |
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| Mission | Reward | |
|---|---|---|
| Clear Hard difficulty |   Skirmish Raid: Circus of Shadows Mission Reward | |
| Reach B Rank |   Theater of Lies (Profile Background) |
  Deck of Truth and Deceit (Profile Badge) |
| Rank | Requirement | Season Rewards | Rank Rewards | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S Rank | A Rank Top 10% | |
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| A Rank | 2,500,000 pts | |
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| B Rank | 1,800,000 pts | |
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| C Rank | 800,000 pts | |
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| D Rank | 100,000 pts | |
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| E Rank | 0 pts | |
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