Your ultimate goal on each floor in the underworld is to reach the boss in the best shape possible. With this in mind, let me answer the question: are Elite Encounters worth it in Hades 2?
What are Elite Encounters in Hades 2?
Elite Encounters are identifiable by the skull on the door before you enter as shown in the image above. Elite enemies are much more challenging than regular foes with a huge health pool. These opponents often hit much harder and throw attacks that are harder to avoid.
Knowing all this, you may think it’s best to avoid Elite Encounters at all costs, but it’s not as simple as that. Regardless of your decision, you’ll benefit from knowing the best ways to break enemy armor in Hades 2.
Should you battle Elite enemies in Hades 2?
Elite enemies are tough to beat, but you get higher rarity boons for your troubles. Securing some strong damage-focused boons in a run is essential, and Elite encounters are a surefire way to do that. Just make sure you know what the best boons are.
The rarity increase isn’t too dramatic, so beating Elite enemies doesn’t guarantee a successful run, but it’s an easy way to secure stronger boons than usual. On the first floor, an Elite encounter will usually upgrade one of your rewards to “Rare,” but this can make the difference.
Another thing to consider with Elite enemies is the encounters themselves. While they are tougher than regular mobs, they are also predictable. Once you’ve memorized the attacks, you can confidently beat these tough opponents, and they are less unpredictable than standard mobs.
Elite encounters are also typically faster than regular ones, as there’s usually a single wave of opponents. This quirk won’t matter for most players, but it’s something to keep in mind. Also, I learned that after you crack through the enemy’s yellow shield, they are very easy to defeat since they get stun-locked with every hit to their red health bar.
I prioritize Elite encounters and have gotten pretty good at them now I know what to expect. It feels awful to lose a decent run to an unfamiliar encounter, but it’s good to learn the mechanics.
Ultimately, Elite encounters aren’t essential and can be avoided. If you want to stay ahead of the competition, it’s good to learn what the door icons mean so you can plan ahead.
