With Hades 2 now in early access, fans of the rogue-like action RPG genre have a lot of reasons to rejoice. With initial impressions pointing to a sequel that improves on every aspect of the original title that made it great, Supergiant Games seems to have a hit on its hands.

With revamped weapons and gear, combat in Hades 2 is fast, fluid, and responsive, making exploring its distinct levels a pleasure. With a variety of enemies and bosses to take down, it is sure to hold your attention long after its final release date passes by.

The Witch of the Crossroads

The story in Hades 2 shifts the focus away from Zagreus to his sister Melinoë, who has taken on the task of defeating Chronos, the God of Time, to save her father Hades. The means she employs to achieve this task form the crux of Hades 2’s premise while leaving ample room for an extensive cast of characters from Greek mythology.

SUGGESTED: How to Defeat Providence in Stellar Blade

One member of the Greek pantheon with close ties to Melinoë is Headmistress Hecate. As a goddess of witchcraft and Melinoë’s mentor, she tests her students’ skills with ruthless precision in the game’s first boss encounter. But with the right mix of offense and defense, it is entirely possible to defeat her without taking a single hit!

How to Defeat Hecate in Hades 2

Hecate can be quite a challenge if you are unfamiliar with the mechanics of Hades 2. The manner in which she varies her attack patterns could give even returning veterans of the first game a run for their money. It is never advisable to spam attacks against her. Instead, your focus should be landing a few hits while leaving enough room to evade her attacks.

Hecate uses her paired torches with deadly flair as she sends out waves of flame that can cause a lot of damage at mid-to long-range. However, getting in close to her as she unleashes these attacks gives you plenty of time to whittle away at her health with attacks of her own. The flames can either come in two arcs or one, making it necessary to learn Hecate’s animations and strategically position yourself to retaliate.

The next attack to watch out for is when she summons a ring of magic on the ground. It circles her for a while before it expands and then collapses inward. Pay attention to the purple border of this ring. As long as you avoid the flames that are either inside of it or outside, depending on the stage of this attack, you can easily avoid taking any damage and even get in a few hits of your own.

SUGGESTED: How to Defeat Kimenzan the Crusher in Rise of the Ronin

As the fight goes on, Hecate suddenly creates two clones of herself, which split away to different locations to rain down flame attacks. While you could take them down individually to find the real Hecate, bear in mind that she always teleports to the point farthest from you. You could hit each illusion with Special Attacks to reveal the real Hecate if you are so inclined.

She also summons her minions to assist her in the fight, wrapping herself in a shield to make things more difficult for Melinoë. She is invulnerable to damage until her minions are dealt with. Do your best to dodge her attacks as you deal with them.

Of course, the goddess of Witchcraft comes with spells in her arsenal. She can turn Melinoë into a sheep for about ten seconds, during which all you can do is run around the battlefield while dodging attacks. You are unable to use your weapons to deal any damage, so try to avoid this attack as best you can. It is very fast, so time your dodges well!

Like her summoned ring, Hecate can also summon arcs of flame that follow a similar pattern, expanding outward before returning to her. Dodge through them to get in close and personal and deal some damage to her. It is important to note that only areas marked by her flames are part of any attack’s hitbox. As long as you are out of the flame’s reach, you do not take any damage.

With enough patience and a cautious approach, Hecates should eventually go down, allowing Melinoë to continue her quest with her mentor’s blessings and guidance. This fight is a test of everything the game teaches you up until that point. Remember to balance your attacks with defensive maneuvers and use the Trees in the arena whenever possible to inflict some Terrain Damage on Hecate and her minions.

With Hecate now defeated and on your side, it’s time to begin Melinoë’s search for Chronos. In case you’re having trouble with boss fights in other games like Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima, be sure to check out more of our extensive guides.