Hydra and Archydra | Bestiary Dragon's Dogma Guide

Last update: 11 May 2016

Description: A multi-headed, snake-like beast, which can be a problem. Although you encounter it at the beginning of the game, you only damage one of its head then. The true Hydra, or God forbid, the Archydra, is a lot more challenging.

Weakness: Slashing attacks (swords, daggers).

Location: The Encampment, The Frontier Caverns, The Everfall

Attacks: The Hydra has a few quite obvious attacks: it bites with the heads, striked with the tail, rams into you and poisons. Its most dangerous ability, though, is the swallowing: it can grab a character and start the process of "digestion". If the character or a Pawn is not saved in time - they will die.

Strategy: Fighting the Hydra may prove a problematic experience, since the beast has its size and several independent body parts. The best strategy is to eliminate subsequent heads. Focus all of your firepower on one of them and strike it until it's cut off. Repeat until you succeed. Naturally, each character can apply different types of attacks - but due to the Hydra's swallowing attack it's a good idea to keep your distance.

Another strategy is to cut off four head simultaneously. In case of the Archydra, which regenerates the heads quite quickly, you can slow that process down by setting it on fire. The Archydra allows you to hurt it in one other way - if you've dealt a certain amount of damage to a particular head, it will go down on the ground for a moment, open its mouth and become vulnerable. Jump onto it and strike as many blows as you can.