Hades 2: How to defeat Polyphemus? Hades 2 guide, tips

The first boss you will face on the surface in Hades 2 is the cyclops Polyphemus. On this page we have described how to defeat Polyphemus and how to avoid his attacks.

Last update: 20 May 2024

In Hades 2, once you receive the ability to safely travel across the surface, you'll unlock a completely new path leading to new biomes and bosses. The first of these bosses will be cyclops Polyphemus, who waits at the end of City of Ephyra. On this page of the guide, we show how to defeat the Cyclops, avoid its attacks, and what tactics to assume for the fight.

• Polyphemus in a nutshell
• Polyphemus' attacks
• How to defeat Polyphemus?

Polyphemus in a nutshell

1. Polyphemus won't be a tough battle if you're proficient in ranged combat, but melee builds may encounter some problems.
2. All Cyclops' attacks are very predictable and are avoided very similarly, but attempting to avoid them and attack the boss at the same time may cause problems - don't rush the battle and wait for a good opportunity to attack.
3. You can immobilize Polyphemus with a Cast and this will stop him for a few seconds.
4. Fight the boss slow and steady and you should make it - his attacks deal a lot of damage but are easily avoided if you aren't greedy with your own attacks.
5. Defeat lesser opponents as they appear and stay away from the sheep as they can attack you.

Polyphemus' attacks

1. Lunge - Polyphemus tries to lunge at you, creating a large shockwave around him after landing. Get out of the way, run away, or make a Dash through the shockwave once it is close.
2. Fist strike - Polyphemus raises his fist and pounds the ground with it, sending a small, very fast, shockwave around him. Jump away from the boss to avoid being hit.
3. Kick - Polyphemus raises one leg and fires a very fast, narrow shockwave in your direction. Jump to a side or Dash through the shockwave to avoid it.
4. Steps - Polyphemus starts to walk around the arena, creating small shockwaves with each step. To avoid this attack, try to stay away from the boss.

1. Boulder throw - Polyphemus, having lost sight of you, starts to listen for clues as to your position. If you're are to close to him then or attack him, he instantly throws a boulder in your direction, creating a lot of narrow shockwaves, flying on all sides with varied speeds. To avoid this attack, be ready for the incoming boulder - once Polyphemus hurls it, start sprinting away from the blast zone and follow that up with Dashing in the direction of the boulder to avoid the shockwaves.
2. Grab - Polyphemus raises his hands when you are close, trying to grab and bite you. Try to distance yourself him as fast as possible, either via sprinting or Dashing. If you avoid the grab, Polyphemus will stay inactive for a few seconds busy with raging, and this is a good opportunity to attack him. If a lesser opponent or a sheep is near him, Polyphemus can grab and devour them by mistake.
3. Earthquake - Polyphemus raises one leg high and stomps the ground, sending a wide arc of quakes in your direction. You probably won't be able to escape the quakes with classic sprinting away - you need to Dash through them.
4. Reinforcements - Polyphemus becomes invulnerable for a moment and summons either explosive-hurling enemies or a lot of lesser enemies. Get rid of aides as soon as possible, as they may make avoiding Cyclops' attacks much harder.
5. Sheep - there are sheep in the arena. If you get close to one, it will attack you, and you, in turn, cannot hurt it. Try to not get close and pay attention to where they are placed so you don't have run-ins with them.

How to defeat Polyphemus?

Polyphemus is the simplest encounter in the game, although not necessarily the easiest. All of his attacks are predictable and are avoided in a similar vein (different types of shockwaves), but they deal high damage, so the fight punishes your mistakes severely.

If you're fighting the Cyclops from a distance, he shouldn't cause you any problems - you'll have plenty of time to avoid his attacks, and you can shoot at him from a safe distance. With a melee build, you'll have to learn to attack only when it is safe - preferably right after Polyphemus attacks when the boss is idle. You can additionally place a Cast on him that will slow him down and hold him in place, allowing for some respite.

Polyphemus is blind and may lose sight of you, and this is when he will struggle to listen for your movements. If you attack him then or get too close, he will hurl a boulder or attempt to grab and bite you - be ready for timely Dashes. Also watch out for the wandering, invulnerable sheep that will try to attack you if you get too close to them.

Once you get comfortable with Polyphemus' attacks and start to correctly Dash through shockwaves and defeat lesser enemies as they appear, you should make quick work of the cyclops, even if the sheer damage of his attacks is an unpleasant surprise when facing the boss for the first time.