How to beat Eris in Hades 2

Hades 2 Eris boss fight dialogue
(Image credit: Supergiant Games)

The Hades 2 Eris boss fight is a real roadblock on the Surface path, with her Adamant Rail bullets and bombs making her a formidable foe. As if being able to fly, drop bombs, and snipe Melinoe wasn't enough, her treachery and teasing make her all the more frustrating, especially when you die. Since getting past her is a crucial stage in the journey to Olympus in Hades 2, ending the Rift of Thessaly region, some advice might be in order. Here are some tips for beating Eris in Hades 2, including which weapons and divine Boons are most useful against Strife Incarnate.

Best weapons and Boons for beating Eris in Hades 2

Hades 2 Eris boss fight Melinoe backstabbing Eris with sister blades

(Image credit: Supergiant Games)

Eris has some pretty brutal moves that are fast and hard to dodge, so it's important that you come prepared with the right Hades 2 weapons and some handy Boons. When it comes to weapons, the Sister Blades are a top-tier choice, allowing Melinoe to strike fast and hard, and remain agile. Getting behind Eris is an important strategy for avoiding her attacks, and Lim and Oros' Omega Attack should be used frequently to help with this, letting you deal high Backstab damage and stay out of her view. I recommend sticking with the default Aspect of Melinoe, but you should upgrade it at least once to further help with Backstab damage.

As for Boons, you want things that will enhance your close-range power, burst damage, and speed. Since Eris is the second (and currently final) boss on the Surface path, blocking the way out of the Rift of Thessaly, you have lots of time to gather and upgrade any of the following excellent Boons:

  • Aphrodite – Flutter Strike: Boosts Melinoe's close-range Attack damage, massively helping the Sister Blades deal more damage.
  • Aphrodite – Passion Dash: You'll be dashing around a lot in this fight, so having a little extra damage and the ability to apply Weak to Eris is a nice bonus.
  • Apollo – Back Burner: Enemies affected by Daze take more damage from Backstabs. This will really help with the Omega Attack.
  • Apollo – Blinding Sprint: A faster sprint will help you avoid some of Eris' explosive shots and can apply Daze, helping with the previous Boon.
  • Circe – Word of Smaller Fortune: While it looks ridiculous, the extra speed and Dodge chance gained from shrinking is very useful against Eris.
  • Hephaestus – Volcanic Strike or Volcanic Flourish: You don't need both but adding a huge burst of explosive damage to your Attack or Special respectively is always useful.
  • Hermes – Greater Evasion: Eris' fast projectiles can be hard to anticipate with a dash, so a passive Dodge chance is very handy.
  • Zeus – Heaven Flourish: Quickly toss a knife at Eris to apply Blitz thanks to this Boon, then Omega Attack for lots of lightning damage.

Hades 2 Eris tips

Hades 2 Eris boss fight melinoe sprinting past Eris

(Image credit: Supergiant Games)

As mentioned, Eris' speed makes her a difficult boss to face. She can dash across the arena very quickly and often flies around to drop massive bombs with the Adamant Rail and to reposition. Using the above Boons to enhance your Dash and Sprint are key to matching Eris' agility, letting you keep pace with her, avoid her attacks, and get behind her to deal damage. However, with an arena that becomes more hazardous thanks to oil spills and fire, your space to manoeuvre becomes limited. Here are some tips to help you best Eris in Hades 2:

  • Be prepared to Dash and Sprint a lot: Eris' fast-moving projectiles and attacks are hard to dodge, so it's best to get out their way before they even happen when possible. Having an enhanced Sprint speed will really help with this and will let you easily escape the area-of-effect blasts of her bombs.
  • Avoid running directly away from her: She's a crack shot with the Adamant Rail and will just shoot Melinoe in the spine with ease if you run away. Dodge her attacks and disrupt her aim by sprinting in circles around her or juking her by quickly changing direction with a Dash.
  • Strike hard when she's reloading: Despite Eris' speed there are also plenty of moment where she stands still to reload her gun – pay attention to the dialogue too as she often says things like "I'm out" when reloading. Make the most of these opportunities for big damage, using your Sister Blades Omega Attack, regular attacks, and your Omega Cast.
  • She gains increased damage at certain intervals: At roughly 75%, 50%, 25%, and 5% health remaining, Eris briefly gains double damage, which can make some of her attacks devastating. During this period, it's best if your focus shifts almost entirely to avoiding her attacks by keeping out of her way, using cover, or getting behind her.
  • Use the red apple statues as cover: When Eris is priming an attack, you can use this an opportunity to dash behind one of the apple statues to block her view. Be warned, she can destroy these statues and there are only two of them in the arena.
  • Eris calls in reinforcements: In the times I've fought her, these reinforcements have rarely been a problem, typically arriving when she has roughly 40% and 10% health remaining. A small squad of enemies from the earlier warships arrives but you can deal with them pretty quickly – just make sure you don't divert all your attention away from Eris!
  • Bait her into charging at the oil barrels around the edge of the arena: This can be risky but will deal a nice chunk of damage to Eris. Obviously stay away from the fire yourself as well.

Currently, there is nothing beyond the Eris boss fight in Hades 2, and Melinoe will be sent packing back to the Crossroads if you defeat Strife, Incarnate. This is because of the Hades 2 early access build not having the next area of the game, but according to the Hades 2 roadmap, a new region is in the works, which will almost certainly be Olympus.

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Will Sawyer
Guides Writer

Will Sawyer is a guides writer at 12DOVE who works with the rest of the guides team to give readers great information and advice on the best items, how to complete a particular challenge, or where to go in some of the biggest video games. Will joined the GameRadar+ team in August 2021 and has written about service titles, including Fortnite, Destiny 2, and Warzone, as well as some of the biggest releases like Halo Infinite, Elden Ring, and God of War Ragnarok.