Guide to Defeating the Clan Boss Hydra

Understand the Clan Boss Hydra Battles

Similar to the Demon Lord, Hydra battles require your team to survive as long as possible while dealing maximum damage. You’ll enter the fight with 6 Champions, facing 4 Hydra heads simultaneously. However, each Champion can only participate in one Hydra battle per week. To master the Hydra, you’ll need to utilize your entire Collection.

Hydra Head Selection

The Hydra’s Head setup changes regularly, so it’s crucial to build a flexible team capable of handling any situation.

Monthly Rotation

The Hydra has 6 heads, but you’ll only fight 4 at a time. At the start of each month, 4 heads are chosen as the “Starter Heads,” while 2 are designated as “Substitute” heads. Each head is also assigned an Affinity for the rotation. These assignments remain consistent throughout the month.

Weekly Cycles

You’ll participate in Hydra battles across weekly cycles to earn Hydra Chests. Each battle requires 1 Hydra Key, and you receive 3 keys per week. The Hydra resets every Wednesday between 08:00 and 13:00 UTC, and the number of Hydra Chests you receive depends on the battle’s outcome. If the Hydra survives but sustains damage, each contributing Clan Member receives one Hydra Chest based on their individual damage. If your Clan defeats the Hydra by depleting its HP entirely, each contributing Clan Member receives two Hydra Chests based on their damage.

Understanding Hydra Boss Mechanics

The Hydra brings six unique heads into battle, each with its own mechanics and strategies. However, you’ll only fight 4 heads at a time. When a Hydra head’s HP reaches zero, it is decapitated and replaced by a new head after 2 turns.

Devouring, Digestion, and Consumption

At the beginning of the battle, one enemy Champion is marked with the Mark of the Hydra debuff. After 16 turns, that Champion will be devoured by the next Head. Once devoured, the Head begins digestion, and you can save the Champion by attacking the devouring Head. If you deal enough damage, the Champion is set free; otherwise, they are consumed and unable to return to battle.

Threat Escalation

As Champions are marked or devoured consecutively, the countdown until devouring and digestion decreases by 1 turn for each subsequent marking or devouring.

Decapitation

When a Head’s HP reaches zero, it is decapitated, resulting in an Exposed Neck. After 2 turns, a new head grows in place of the decapitated one. The new head can be the same as the decapitated one or one of the available Substitute Heads. Higher difficulties increase the chance of a different head growing back, significantly changing the battle dynamics.

Hydra Boss Skills

Each Hydra head possesses its own unique skills and mechanics. Here are some key skills for each head:

Head of Decay

• Agonizing Jaws: Attacks the enemy with the lowest HP and places a [Heal Reduction] debuff.
• Speed of Decay: Removes all debuffs from all heads and fills their Turn Meters by 30%.
• Rotten Ward: Removes all debuffs from the Head with the lowest HP and grants them a [Life Barrier] buff.
• Almighty Decay: Passive skill that decreases incoming damage from [Poison] debuffs and AoE attacks.
• Decapitation Effect: Heals all enemy Champions and restores HP to any with decreased MAX HP.

Head of Torment

• Spectral Fangs: Attacks an enemy, with a chance to place [Fear] debuffs.
• Curse Storm: Attacks all enemies, with damage increasing for each debuff on enemy Champions.
• Almighty Torment: Passive skill that places [True Fear] debuffs on attackers and decreases damage from [Poison] debuffs and AoE attacks.
• Decapitation Effect: Removes all [Fear] and [True Fear] debuffs from enemy Champions and places a [Perfect Veil] buff on random targets.

Head of Mischief

• Thieving Jaws: Attacks the enemy with the most buffs and steals them.
• Spoils of Mischief: Spreads buffs among all heads and changes the duration to 2 turns.
• Almighty Mischief: Passive skill that redirects attacks to other heads and decreases damage from AoE attacks.
• Decapitation Effect: Fully depletes the Turn Meters of all heads.

Head of Blight

• Dripping Jaws: Attacks all enemies and places [Poison] and [Leech] debuffs.
• Leeching Blight: Attacks all enemies, dealing damage based on [Poison] debuffs and [Leech] debuffs.
• Blinding Smog: Places a [Poison Cloud] buff on all heads.
• Almighty Blight: Passive skill that increases damage taken from [HP Burn] debuffs and decreases damage from AoE attacks.
• Decapitation Effect: Inflicts damage to heads under [HP Burn] debuffs.

Head of Wrath

• Gnashing Jaws: Attacks all enemies and places a [Decrease ATK] debuff.
• Furious Roar: Attacks all enemies, provoking them and gaining an [Increase ATK] buff.
• Almighty Wrath: Passive skill that decreases damage from AoE attacks.
• Wrath Unique Skill: Gains [Vengeance] buffs, dealing extra damage and countering hits.
• Decapitation Effect: Inflicts damage to all heads and places [Leech] debuffs with a chance.

Head of Suffering

• Crippling Jaws: Attacks all enemies and places a [Weaken] debuff.
• Thirst of Pain: Buffs other heads with [Ally Protection] and [Reflect Damage].
• Share Suffering: Attacks an enemy, placing a [Pain Link] debuff and granting an Extra Turn.
• Almighty Suffering: Passive skill that increases Resistance and decreases damage taken from AoE attacks and [Poison] debuffs.
• Decapitation Effect: Places a [Shield] buff on enemy Champions.

Hydra-Specific Buffs and Debuffs

The Hydra possesses unique buffs and debuffs not found elsewhere in the game:

• Life Barrier: A Head of Decay offers this buff, reinforcing its HP with a shield-like effect. Damage is subtracted from the Life Barrier before affecting the Head’s HP. Removing the Life Barrier stuns the Head for 1 turn.
• Poison Cloud: The Head of Blight brings this buff, nullifying damage from Poison debuffs. Attacks against a Head with Poison Cloud become weak hits unless HP Burn debuffs are present.
• Vengeance: The Head of Wrath provides this powerful buff, increasing attack damage fourfold.
• Pain Link: This debuff links the Head of Suffering to an enemy Champion, inflicting damage equal to 15% of the Head’s damage received.
• Decapitated: When a Head is decapitated, it becomes an Exposed Neck, incapable of acting for several turns and vulnerable to increased damage.
• Serpent’s Will: When a new Head grows in place of an Exposed Neck, it gains this buff, decreasing incoming damage by 75%.

Strategies for Defeating Hydra Heads

Head of Blight

The Head of Blight excels at inflicting damage through Poison debuffs and utilizes the Poison Cloud buff for protection. To counter this head, focus on dealing damage while using area-of-effect HP Burn to neutralize the Poison Cloud. HP Burn also enhances the decapitation effect, allowing additional damage to other heads.

Head of Torment

The Head of Torment relies on fear and resetting cooldowns. To overcome this head, bring Champions who can cast [Perfect Veil] buffs to protect against True Fear debuffs. Additionally, Champions capable of removing debuffs will help keep your team in fighting shape.

Head of Mischief

The Head of Mischief steals buffs and redirects attacks. Use [Hex] debuffs to disable redirection effects and employ area attacks to avoid single-target redirection. Blocking buffs prevents the head from benefiting from stolen buffs, while high Resistance helps retain your own buffs.

Head of Wrath

The Head of Wrath is a formidable damage dealer. Employ Champions with [Increase DEF], [Strengthen], and [Shield] buffs to increase durability. Alternatively, time your Champions’ skills with the Head’s Vengeance buff to minimize damage. Defeating the Head of Wrath while under the Vengeance buff increases overall damage to other heads and has a chance of placing [Leech] debuffs.

Head of Decay

The Head of Decay disrupts healing and uses Life Barrier to protect other heads. Focus on decapitating the Head of Decay quickly, as its passive skill poses challenges for healing-based strategies. The decapitation effect restores HP and counters the negative effects of the Head’s passive.

Head of Suffering

The Head of Suffering protects other heads through decreased damage received and increased Resistance. Use [Strengthen] buffs to counter the [Weaken] debuff and prioritize debuff removal to mitigate the [Pain Link] effect. Eliminating the Head of Suffering early prevents it from maximizing its ally’s Resistance and reducing AoE damage.

Hydra Chests and Rewards

Hydra battles yield Hydra Chests, which are rewarded at the end of the weekly cycle. The number and quality of Hydra Chests depend on the damage dealt and the difficulty level. Clan Gold, Clan XP, and highly sought-after Stone Skin and Protection Artifact Sets can be obtained from these chests. These artifact sets are variable sets, delivering additional bonuses based on the number equipped, and they are available in Mythical Rarity.

By implementing effective strategies and taking advantage of each head’s weaknesses, you can conquer the Clan Boss Hydra and reap valuable rewards for your Clan.