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To beat Hecate in Hades 2, you need to exploit her long attack sequences and be prepared to dash around a lot when she summons clones. The Witch of the Crossroads is the first major boss fight that you’ll need to overcome in Supergiant’s roguelike sequel. She waits at the end of the first region in Hades 2, Erebus, to test protagonist Melinoë’s skills, with a varied moveset that is punishing if you’re not prepared. Here are some top tips for beating the Hecate boss fight in Hades 2 so you can advance to the next region.
Hades 2 Hecate boss fight tips
Hecate, like most bosses in both Hades 2 and its predecessor, splits her boss fight into three sections. They don’t differ too much from one another, but you’ll know that you’ve got your teacher down to around two-thirds and one-third of her health when she turns invulnerable for a few moments and returns to the centre of the arena. In between those stages, however, it’s relatively easy to get in plenty of attacks against Hecate while dodging in between her own strikes.
Hecate doesn’t have all that many moves, and what she does have can be relatively easily countered. In every fight, her first attack is a wave of green fire that spreads out across the arena and then returns to Hecate. These waves are easy to dash through, and while they’re moving, Hecate doesn’t perform any other attacks – as long as you don’t get locked into a combo move for too long, you should be able to dash through the wave, hit her several times, and then dash back as the wave returns.
Another popular move is to spawn two clones of herself that mirror her attacks. These attacks – either an array of orbs or some green flames – are also quite easy to avoid. Helpfully, Hecate once again locks herself in place, but two of the three versions of the boss are fakes that don’t take any damage. You can use your ranged Special attacks to determine which Hecate is real, and either reposition or follow up with some extra damage while she finishes her attack. Be careful, however, as once the clones disappear, Hecate will unleashes that same ring of green flame.
Hecate spawns another set of mobs at the start of her second and third phases – after she’s hit roughly 66% and 33% of her HP bar. The first section, at 66%, is only four mobs that fire slow-moving projectiles at the player, and can be killed in just a few hits, but you’ll have to defeat all of them before Hecate lets down her shield. Until all four are down, she’ll cast area spells beneath your feet, which you’ll need to dodge.
At 33%, Hecate will spawn several more of these mobs, which also need to be killed (while dodging those area spells) before you can continue the fight. However, she’ll also cast a curse towards Melinoë. This fast-moving projectile will eventually catch up to you no matter how successfully you dodge it – it’s too fast-moving to evade forever – and will turn Melinoë into a slow-moving sheep with a weak attack for several seconds. Dodging the spells and killing the mobs is extremely difficult in sheep-form, but it lasts for a set amount of time.
As the curse does no direct damage, the best strategy is to get hit by it as early as possible, leaving you in minimal danger while the mobs are spawned. Once the curse expires, you’ll be able to take out the mobs, with help from the Terrain Damage of the trees around the arena. Later in the game, an Incantation will allow you to use an animal Familiar – some of these can absorb the curse for you with careful positioning, allowing you to move onto the mobs even quicker.
Most of the rest of Hecate’s attacks are charged, wave-like attacks that emanate from her staff, but can be easily dodged. As the boss winds up, simply dash towards her at close range, and you’ll end up behind her, safe from any damage. Hecate can repeat these attacks a couple of times in quick succession, so get ready to dash into her multiple times.
Best Boons and Weapons for beating Hecate in Hades 2
In my opinion, the best Hades 2 weapon to beat the Hecate boss fight is Lim and Oros, the Sister Blades. These fast-moving blades allow you to get a lot of quick attacks in, which is perfect for maximizing damage during those large wave attacks. If you’re able to complete a combo and get the final attack off, that’s great, but there’s still much more damage output for much less risk than with some of the slower-moving weapons.
The best Hades 2 Boon for this fight depends a little more on personal preference, but I find that Zeus and Hephaestus are particularly useful due to their ability to deal substantial burst damage, while Demeter and Aphrodite’s increased damage is also generally helpful. Anything that improves your Special ability is particularly helpful when dealing with the wave attacks or Hecate’s clones, but don’t focus too closely on your Casts – Hecate moves around a lot, and bosses are hindered far less than normal foes by freezing, ensnaring, and crowd control effects.
If you’re looking to boost your chances even further, then collecting Centaur Hearts to increase your HP, or talking to Arachne to collect armor (and taking her trinket to gain even more) will give you extra room to take some damage.