Mina the Hollower Boss Guide: How to Conquer the Queensbury Crypt Duchess
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
A breakdown of how to prepare for and defeat the Duchess boss in Mina the Hollower, based on a guide by Polygon.
Yacht Club Games is back with Mina the Hollower, and for most players, the Queensbury Crypt boss known as the Duchess serves as the first major combat roadblock. According to a recent guide by Polygon, preparation is everything before stepping into the arena. Players should first unlock the nearby Underlab respawn point to save themselves a frustrating run back if things go sideways. Before triggering the fight, make sure to smash the cracked gravestone in the access corridor to grab a sidearm, with the Mist Jar recommended for its ability to generate plasma safely and buy some breathing room for healing. You can also shatter a cracked wall in the middle of the hallway to find the statue head required to kick off the encounter.
The fight itself is a two-stage test that punishes reckless resource management. Phase one features the Duchess as a moving statue utilizing heavy mace strikes and punishing jump attacks. The arena floor is littered with pressure plates that trigger horizontal arrow traps whenever stepped on by you or the boss. Keeping mobile is essential, though you can also jump over, burrow under, or physically shatter the incoming projectiles with your weapon. Since the second phase ramps up the difficulty significantly, players are advised to save as much plasma as possible during the first half.
Once the first health bar is depleted, the Duchess drops the facade and transforms into a chaotic mix of tentacles and an independent floating head. The head is entirely invulnerable, so wasting attacks on it is a trap. The tentacle body becomes much more erratic, triggering the floor pressure plates far more frequently and increasing the spatial pressure. Approaching this encounter with patience, crowd control via the right sidearm, and smart positioning will turn what feels like an insurmountable wall into a satisfying early victory.
Tags: Mina the Hollower, Yacht Club Games, Guides, Boss Fight, Polygon
Original article: Polygon