Hades 2: How To Find (& Beat) Eris, Strife Incarnate (Boss Fight)

Reaching the Rift of Thessaly on the Surface path in Hades 2 will put you up against Eris, Strife Incarnate, an extremely tricky boss to beat among the many foes Melinoë faces along her task. This major figure of classical mythology has been a thorn in your side throughout many other runs. This time, the tables can turn as you inflict Strife back upon this daughter of Nyx.

Eris has likely already appeared several times before her boss fight, giving you "Boons" that debuff Melinoë rather than help her. These irritating encounters claim to make your journey more challenging and therefore more rewarding. However, the real reward comes from figuring out exactly what Eris' weaknesses are and exploiting them to make a seemingly chaotic battle easier to win.

Related Hades 2: 10 Reasons Why It Differs From The First Game Hades was an instant hint and well-loved and Hades II is looking as if it'll be just as good, if not better.

Best Weapons For Beating Eris

Match The Speed Of Strife

Speed is constantly on the side of Strife, so you want to match her in kind. The Sister Blades are the best weapon for fighting Eris since they allow you to keep up with the winged angelic enemy without losing opportunities to deal damage. Other weapons, like the Moonstone Axe, are simply too slow with their strikes and will end up not being effective against the boss throughout a prolonged fight.

Picking the right Aspect for the Sister Blades is very important for the boss fight later against Eris. As you can see in the above video by YouTube creator SYROBE+, the builds you can make with this weapon will not only help you win but also clear the way to the boss without losing many resources. One of the hardest aspects of Hades 2 is how bosses before Eris could wear you down and make the upcoming fight more challenging.

Although you do need to spend 1 Silver to unlock the Sister Blades, this cost isn't nearly as much as it takes to get other weapons, which may require rarer materials like Glassrock or Cinder in Hades 2.

Another weapon that could work against Eris is the Argent Skull, a tool that specializes in ranged attacks rather than melee strikes. Eris oftentimes uses ranged attacks and Area of Effect (AoE) bursts to deal damage, so engaging in a duel from afar should only be reserved for those who are confident in their ability to match the boss' abilities. Keep in mind that the Skull has limited ammo you have to conserve during the fight.

Related Hades 2: Every Confirmed Weapon Melinoë Can Wield (So Far) Hades 2 will introduce a brand-new protagonist, Melinoë, and she will wield multiple unique weapons on her quest to defeat the Titan Chronos.

Best God Boons For Beating Eris

Acquire Passive Buffs To Grow Stronger

The gods in Hades 2 can provide a variety of buffs through their gifts, but you should focus on getting Boons from Hermes, Aphrodite, and Circe to make Eris' boss fight easier. The key strategy behind these Boons is to increase your speed, close-range damage, and fortunes applied to your health. Improving these traits for Melinoë will help you stay alive longer and take out Strife Incarnate faster during a run.

Hermes' Boons enhance your Sprint, Dodge, and other movement options to help you run circles around even Eris, who also boasts impressive speed. Greater Evasion, Swift Strike, and Hard Target are notable Boons in particular from this god that could help the most. The first one lets you Dodge any damage when struck, the second makes your attacks faster, and the third slows down the boss' ranged attacks.

Don't forget to equip a strong Hex for the Eris boss fight to give Melinoë another strong ability to buff other attacks or deal extra damage to Strife Incarnate.

Circe appears when you pass through a Hand Door in the Rift of Thessaly area, making her a great ally who gives Boons in the same area where you'll eventually encounter Eris. The changes and fortunes are fantastic for making healing effects better or randomly activating and upgrading powerful Arcana. When combined with Aphrodite's close-range damage Boons like Flutter Strike, you can craft a powerful build for Melinoë in Hades 2.

How To Defeat Eris, Strife Incarnate

Keep Up With Strife's Chaos

Eris wields a long-range firearm and uses explosive AoE strikes combined with rapid movements to confuse and overwhelm you throughout the boss fight. The best strategy for this battle is to use Dodges and Sprint often to keep up with Eris and rush down the boss whenever they get away. Closing the distance can be quite difficult if you aren't prepared to outmaneuver Strife Incarnate at every turn.

Every so often, Eris will have to reload her weapon, giving you the perfect opportunity to strike back fast for good damage. This is where your Boons in Hades 2 will come in handy, as well as the fast attacks from the Sister Blades weapon if you choose it for a run against Eris. Take every chance you can to inflict heavy hits onto the boss before they can act again to make the fight end as fast as possible.

Unlike Headmistress Hecate in Hades 2, Eris tends to have many attack patterns that she switches between quickly. Some of the most important attacks to look out for are:

Attack Description How To Counter Bombs Galore! Eris throws a variety of bombs around the battlefield. Avoid the red AoE circles where you could take damage from any bomb's explosion. Guns Akimbo Eris spins around in a counterclockwise motion, shooting a variety of projectiles. Use environmental obstacles, such as the apple statues, as cover against any of the boss' projectiles. Minion Drop Eris flies away from the arena to drop several smaller minions to wear you down. Defeat the minions quickly without taking too much damage. Explosive Rain While being beyond reach in the air, Eris marks multiple areas on the map with AoE red circles before throwing bombs into the designated areas. Dodge or Sprint away from the red circles to avoid this attack. V For Victory Eris shoots a projectile in a "V" shape in a cone-shaped pattern across a large section of the battlefield. Sprint or Dodge toward the center of the "V" to get out of the way of the damaging part of the projectile. Strife Cannon Eris aims a pink line toward you, following your movements, before releasing a fast projectile that deals incredible damage. Wait until the pink arrow on the ground becomes the projectile, then quickly Dodge out of the way.

Taking down Eris will give you a Golden Apple, which can be used for a variety of rare rewards, such as the Insight into Offerings Incantation, the XXIV: Divinity Arcana Card, or the Aspect of Eos Weapon Aspect. No matter what reward you choose, you can always beat Eris, Strife Incarnate again during another run to get the other two items throughout your attempts on the Surface path in Hades 2.

Source: SYROBE+/YouTube