To venture into the Underworld in Hades 2, you must defeat Hecate. In this guide, I'll walk you through everything you'll need to defeat the first big bad boss on your Hades 2 adventure.
Tips for defeating Hecate in Hades 2
The exact way you defeat Hecate will depend on the goodies you encounter on your run. However, there are some things you can prepare to make the battle much easier.
Use Tarot Cards
You will need to use Melinoë's Tarot Cards to have a good chance of defeating Hecate. We've already talked about some of the best early playing cards, but their importance shouldn't be underestimated. These cards can be used to increase your health, increase the damage of some of your attacks, and even slow down time for a few seconds.
I find the Witch Card to be the most helpful against Hecate because it helps you avoid her attacks while attacking her yourself.
Have a way to regenerate Magic
Running out of Magic while fighting Hecate will put you at a big disadvantage. To prevent this from happening, there are three things you can do. First, you could activate The Unseen tarot card. This will restore 2 Magic every second.
Second, if you unlocked Nectar, you could give a bottle to Hecate to get the Silver Wheel. This will restore your Magic immediately after using it for 3 seconds. However, it has a limit of restoring up to 1,000 Magic per run when you first get it.
Lastly, you could get a perk that regenerates Magic. One example of this is Poseidon's Fluid Gain perk, which gives enemies a chance to drop Spirit bubbles that regenerate your magic after being attacked with your weapon.
Fight against environmental damage
Hecate's main room contains more than half a dozen of these purple trees. They can be used to hide from attacks, but I prefer to use them to damage Hecate.
Breaking a tree in Hecate's direction will do nice damage without taking any of your Magic. It's also likely to deal more damage than you would with your weapon, lowering Hecate's health much faster than you alone.
Use your circle cast often
If you can get a perk that improves the power of your circle cast, this will work even better. Throwing this around Hecate right before or after she attacks is a great way to get in extra damage before dodging her next attack. This works just as well after defeating the witches she summons. Defeat the last witch, then summon the circle around her. Timing it right will damage Hecate as soon as she drops her shield.
Use your specialty to find the real Hecate
When Hecate splits into three, shoot each one with your special range to discover which version of her is real. This is possible because the fake versions of her will not harm. Only the real one will.
Use this opportunity to deal extra damage before she combines the three Hecates and attacks you again.
Get Selene's Hex
Selene's Hexes are the strongest attack that Melinoë can use during her battle with Hecate. It will take a few runs to find Selene, but eventually you will take advantage of what she has to offer. If you want to hit Hecate quickly, I recommend Luna Ray's hex. It is a high-powered beam attack that can deal up to 1200 damage over 3 seconds.
In order to use hexan, you will need to cast a lot of Magic during battle. Luna Ray requires you to cast spells worth 120 Magic during your battle with Hecate. This is easy to do because your spells will do more damage than your weapon. However, it makes the need for a magical restoration system that much more important.
After you have used enough magic to prepare the Moon Beam, wait for Hecate to attack you. Avoid and immediately shoot the beam.
This takes out a large percentage of Hecate's health. When I used my second Moon Ray, Hecate was low enough that it overpowered her.
For more Hades 2 tips, check out How to increase Grasp in Hades 2 here on Pro Game Guides.
