Written by Jason B. He is Coming

The multi-headed Hydra boss in He is Coming poses a brutal challenge, overwhelming players by splitting into independent heads with devastating mechanics. Survivability is nearly impossible without regeneration or armor that scales across phases.

This guide is a WIP.

Understanding the Hydra’s Phases

Each head behaves like a separate mini-boss:

• Poison Head: Applies stacking poison requiring continuous healing
• Acid Head: Erodes armor through sustained damage
• Riptide Head: Deals unavoidable chip damage to bypass defenses
• Stun Head: Skips player turns, demanding high sustain or status resistance

Critical Mechanic: Only the first head activates “battle start” effects. Subsequent phases retain no triggers for bombs, healing-on-entry, or similar mechanics.

Optimal Builds for Victory

Top Strategy: Regen Focus

• Prioritize per-turn healing over burst recovery
• Armor becomes optional with reliable HP sustain

Armor Regen Hybrid

• Essential Items: Redwood Roast, Squire Shield, Grail of Purity
• Requires multiple armor-refresh triggers to counter acid/riptide

Stun-Healing Combo

• Core Gear: Basilisk Fang, Mirror, Diamond Belt
• Stun-lock heads while sustaining through chip damage

Pacifist Build (High Risk)

• Relies on time-based scaling (Life Root Hammer, Marble Mirror)
• Demands perfect RNG to avoid poison/acid debuffs

Ineffective Strategies

• Bomb Builds: Useless after first phase (Cherry Bomb, Razor’s Edge)
• Poison/Acid Spam: Fails against resistant heads
• Glass Cannons: Destroyed by stuns/riptide
• Item Synergy Reliance: Too RNG-dependent for Hydra’s scaling

Universal Hydra-Slaying Items

• Sanguine Morphosis: Random healing procs
• Heart Drinker: Flat regen stacking
• Vampiric Wine (Fused): Game-changing self-sustain
• Purelake Helm: Healing via active armor

This battle tests healing endurance, not DPS. Prioritize survival scaling over all else.

For visual strategies, watch Wanderbots’ Hydra breakdown.