There is a variety of monsters that will attack the player in Risk Of Rain 2, and the player will need to take down a staggering amount of them over the course of a single playthrough. As a result, knowing which ones to look out for and how they fight is important to staying alive.
Admittedly most non-boss monsters aren’t too difficult, especially when using artifacts. But there are some that can be troublesome if the player doesn’t deal with them immediately. Here are the non-boss monsters that players should really prioritize first in combat.
10 Bighorn Bison
The Bighorn Bison hits like a truck. His primary attack is a charge that can deal 300% damage to anything it hits. Alternatively, if the player is close to the Bison he will try headbutting, which will also deal 300% damage.
The key to fighting a Bison is to keep moving and simply not get hit by their charge. This can get complicated if the player is distracted by other enemies. But Bison typically fight along a linear path so players that move around the layers of the environment have a better time.
9 Beetle Guard
This hulking insect is similar to the Bison in that it can deal a significant amount of damage if it lands a hit. It has the Sunder move, which is a slam that summons spikes to damage the player for 300% damage. It can also Ground Slam to do 440% AOE damage.
It’s typically a bad idea to fight this creature at close range. Its Sunder is painful, but the spikes travel in a straight line and can be avoided easier than the Ground Slam. It should be noted that Beetle Guards could become more dangerous in a future update if they’re given the ability to use their Defense Up skill, so players should be wary of that.
8 Greater Wisp
Greater Wisps can be found in a number of places and only have a single attack. After a brief charging up phase, they’ll launch two fireballs that explode on contact, dealing 300% damage. Fighting up close runs the risk of the player getting hit by both fireballs so operating at a distance is strongly recommended.
Individually they might not be too hard to dodge, but working in a group they can pose a real threat. They’re more dangerous in the beginning of the game, but once the player has some mobility items to shore up their dodge skills during cooldowns it gets a bit easier to deal with them.
7 Parent
These strange-looking monsters can only be found in the Sky Meadow. Parents can perform a Seismic Smash where they slam the ground and deal 330% AOE damage around them. This makes fighting them at a distance important and hard for characters like the Mercenary.
However, they can also Teleport large distances making kiting a bit of a problem. The key is to keep moving and blast them during the four seconds their Teleport is on cooldown.
6 Stone Golem
Stone Golems can be found in a number of places and pose a threat no matter where they are found. At close range, they use Seismic Slam to smash their fists together and deal a 200% blast of energy in front of them.
Their main threat comes from their Laser Attack. It takes a second to charge, but it can deal 250% damage and has very strong knockback. When fighting these monsters it’s important for players to keep tabs on their environment so the Laser doesn’t knock them somewhere dangerous. They can be a big problem when trying to do the Piercing Wind challenge.
5 Void Reavers
Void Reavers are commonly seen after the first loop (or during the climactic finish after Mithrix) and have a number of annoying abilities. With Nullifier Artillery they can bombard a target with bombs that deal 100% damage after a one-second delay.
Their worst ability is the Nullifier Implosion. This attack causes them to explode violently after being dead for a few seconds. Any player caught in this explosion will die instantly, only being spared by Dio’s Best Friend. It is possible to take out a group of Void Reavers this way, and while fun to watch, it can be risky.
4 Brass Contraption
Brass Contraptions appear in a few environments and can deal brutal damage to the player. Their only attack is the Spike Ball Attack that summons three spiked metal balls that are lobbed at the player one after the other. This attack is almost on par with some boss attacks.
The key to fighting these monsters is to kite them in a clockwise fashion. Due to the pattern of their attack, this causes the player to stay ahead of their attack. Of course, this can be a problem when the player is facing multiple Brass Contraptions.
3 Clay Templars
Clay Templars appear in the Scorched Acres and are notorious for their skill in battle. Their miniguns have incredible range and each bullet will deal 30% damage and sight knockback. They also can use Tar Blast to push players back and decrease their movement speed when they get too close.
The best way to deal with these long ranger gunners is to use cover. Alternatively, players can rush the Clay Templar and try to stun them before their guns have a chance to windup. Generally speaking, once their guns have started firing they become very dangerous and players should use caution.
2 Elder Lemurian
Players of the first game will be familiar with Elder Lemurians. Their primary attack is Fireball Volley, which has them launch five fireballs in a spread that deal 200% damage if they hit and 50% splash damage. They also have Fire Breath which is a close-range arc of fire that can deal up to 50% damage and apply Burning.
A single Elder Lemurian at a distance is somewhat manageable, but even two can prove deadly. All it takes is one getting close enough to blast the player with fire, dealing immense damage. An Elite can even kill the player in one spray. They do have great Elite Aspects so there is an upside to fighting them.
1 Lunar Chimera
Lunar Chimeras are perhaps the most dangerous non-boss monsters in the game. They have deep health pools that even rival bosses like the Aurelionite and decent health regeneration, meaning the player needs to take them down quickly — and that isn’t easy to do.
On top of being spongy enemies, the Golem variety has hard-hitting cannons that can shred the player. Four projectiles explode on contact making them hard to avoid. The best strategy is to quickly take them down while their cannons are spooling up for a barrage.
The Wisp variety is, as its name would imply, a total airborne menace. They take the floating mobility of the Wisp and borrow the rapid-fire, long-ranged attacks of the Clay Templar. The player will face down plenty of both flavors of Lunar Chimera when they opt to take on Mithrix, so prepare accordingly.
