The Duchess is one of the first main bosses you’ll be facing off against in Mina the Hollower. She’s at the bottom of Queensbury Crypt, and she has two difficult phases that can leave you struggling if you’re not prepared. No matter which weapon you’re wielding, this boss can be a lot to handle, so here are some tips on how to beat the Duchess in Mina the Hollower.
The Duchess boss fight guide in Mina the Hollower
Phase One
During the Duchess’s first phase, you must focus on positioning first and foremost, so you aren’t getting attacked by anything other than the Duchess. The battlefield is littered with pressure plates that, if stepped on, will cause arrows to fly out from the walls. You’ve already dealt with these traps throughout this Crypt, so you should be more used to them now.
You may already know to either burrow or jump out of harm’s way, but did you know you can also deflect arrows? If one is coming your way, try hitting it with your weapon and toward the Duchess herself.
As for the lady in question, she can get around quite easily with her large jump and maul swing that causes her to lunge forward in any direction. Mina the Hollower is all about knowing when to make a hit and when to burrow out of the way.
When the Duchess holds her weapon toward the floor, her other arm stretched out, that’s when you need to move out of the way, preferably diagonally. On the other hand, when she raises the weapon up high, that’s when she’ll run and swing at you diagonally.
Phase Two
Phase two of the Duchess fight is a whole different beast, literally and figuratively. Tentacles will sprout from her armor, and her head will start to float. Only focus on attacking her body, the head isn’t damageable. She will also occasionally push a tentacle through the floor to try to hit you from a distance, so never stop moving.
When you see her main arms twist and convulse, that’s her signal for her widest attack, which has her spread out horizontally and attack anything in that radius. Simply dodge diagonally to avoid getting hit here.
The Duchess also has a movement ability where she leans back, waits a moment, then hurls forward and propels herself in your direction. Always burrow right before she’s about to spring forward. Additionally, keep in mind that pressure plates will reappear, so avoid the arrows as well.
Once you finally take her down, the Duchess will leave behind a Health Rose to increase your max health. From there, you should learn about the best modifiers to use in Mina the Hollower if you found that fight either too easy or too challenging.
