You're standing at the entrance to the arena, your palms are sweaty, and you know that in about thirty seconds, a giant, teleporting insect is going to try to turn you into a floor rug. If you’re playing Deepwoken, the Hivelord—specifically the Hivelord’s Hubris or the mob variants found in the Hive—is one of those encounters that separates the casual players from those who actually know how to parry. It’s intimidating. I get it. The sheer size of the thing, combined with the way it moves, makes it feel like an impossible wall. But honestly? It's mostly a rhythm game.
The Hivelord isn't just another monster. It’s a test of your patience. If you rush in swinging like a madman, you're going to get flattened by that massive hammer. You've probably seen people talk about "cheesing" it, but if you actually want to learn how to kill Hivelord consistently, you need to understand its posture and its telegraphs.
The Rhythm of the Hive
Most players die because they panic when the Hivelord teleports. Don't do that. When he disappears, he’s almost always going to reappear right behind you or directly above you for a slam. The trick isn't to run; it's to listen. The sound cue for his teleport is distinct. As soon as you hear that shloop sound, wait a half-second and then dodge or parry.
He has this one move—the triple slam. It’s brutal. If the first hit lands, the second two are almost guaranteed to break your posture and send you into a "depths" spiral. You have to parry the first hit. If you miss the parry, roll out immediately. Don't try to "tank" it. You aren't that strong. Nobody is.
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Watch the Hammer, Not the Face
It’s easy to get distracted by the Hivelord’s character model, but the weapon is what actually kills you. The Hivelord’s Hubris (the weapon he carries) has a massive hitbox. Because it's a Greathammer-class weapon, it has a slight delay. This messes with people who are used to parrying fast swords.
You need to "slow down" your brain. Wait for the hammer to actually start its downward swing before you press your parry key. If you parry too early, you're stuck in the cooldown animation while a multi-ton slab of stone hits your skull.
- The Overhead Slam: Heavy damage, high posture break. Roll to the side, don't parry unless you're confident.
- The Horizontal Sweep: This has a wider range than you think. You can actually jump over this if your timing is cracked, but parrying is safer.
- The Teleport Strike: He vanishes. He reappears. You parry. It’s a 1-2 rhythm.
Build Requirements and Mantras
Can you kill a Hivelord with a starter dagger? Technically, yeah. Should you? Absolutely not. Unless you’re looking for a YouTube challenge, you want a build that can handle high posture damage.
I’ve found that using heavy weapons yourself makes the fight go faster because you can actually trade blows if you have enough "Exhaustion" or "Reinforce" active. If you’re a medium or light weapon user, you’re playing a game of a thousand cuts. It’s tedious. You’ll want Mantras that provide mobility or instant frames. "Strong Left" is a classic for a reason—it creates space when you’re cornered.
"Fire Blades" or any burn-over-time effect is also incredibly useful. Since the Hivelord has a massive health pool, letting the environment or status effects do 10% of the work while you focus on dodging is just smart gaming. Honestly, if you aren't using "Exhaustion Strike" to keep your stamina up, you're making it harder on yourself.
Common Mistakes That Get You Sent to the Depths
People stay too close. That’s the big one. They think that if they stay "under" the Hivelord, he can't hit them. This isn't Dark Souls. The Hivelord has circular hitboxes that hit 360 degrees around him on certain slams.
Another mistake? Ignoring the minions. Sometimes other Hive mobs will aggro while you're fighting. If a Thresher joins the party, you need to disengage. You cannot out-DPS both of them. Pull the Hivelord to a clear area. The Greathive Arkyte is a big place—use it.
You also need to watch your posture bar. In Deepwoken, once that bar fills up, you're stunned. The Hivelord loves hitting stunned players. If your posture is high, back off. Use your "Tempo" to reset if you have to. It's better to lose a bit of damage uptime than to lose your entire character.
The "Safe" Strategy
If you're really struggling, use the terrain. There are pillars and elevation changes in the Hive. While the Hivelord can teleport, his pathfinding for the actual walking animations can be wonky. You can lead him to a narrow pass, hit him with a long-range Mantra like "Fire Gun" or "Ice Lance," and then back away. It's not the "honorable" way to win, but a dead Hivelord is a dead Hivelord.
Gear and Preparation
Don't go in with broken armor. It sounds obvious, right? But you'd be surprised how many people forget to check their durability after a long trek through the mountains. You want physical resistance. Elemental resistance doesn't do much here because the Hivelord deals raw, blunt physical damage.
Bring food. Not just any food—bring stuff that buffs your health regeneration. If you get hit, you need to be able to recover that health quickly while playing defensively.
- Stat Focus: Fortitude is your best friend. Even a little bit of extra HP can be the difference between surviving a teleport slam with 5% health or staring at a loading screen.
- Weapon Choice: If you’re using the Hivelord’s Hubris against a Hivelord (ironic, I know), keep in mind that your swing speed is just as slow as his. It becomes a very slow, very high-stakes dance.
Why the Hivelord's Hubris Matters
Most people are trying to kill the Hivelord because they want the drop. The Hivelord’s Hubris is one of the most iconic heavy weapons in the game. It has a unique passive where it doesn't have a traditional M1 swing pattern—it’s all about those heavy, crushing blows.
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But here’s the kicker: the weapon is actually harder to use than it is to fight against. It requires a massive amount of Strength (usually 100) to wield properly. If you’re killing him just for the loot, make sure your build can actually support it. There’s nothing worse than winning a grueling fight only to realize you’re 40 points short of the requirement.
Nuance in the Fight
There is a slight variation if you encounter the "Corrupted" version. If you see those dark particles, turn around. Unless you are an absolute pro, a Corrupted Hivelord will one-shot most mid-level builds. Their speed is buffed by roughly 20%, which completely throws off the parry timing you've spent the last ten minutes learning.
Actionable Strategy Checklist
If you want to walk away with the win, follow these specific steps during the encounter:
- Isolate the Target: Ensure no Threshers or Hive soldiers are nearby.
- Audio Cues: Turn your game volume up. Listen for the teleport "zip."
- The "Two-Hit" Rule: Never swing more than twice. Greathammer recovery is fast enough that he can counter-attack if you get greedy with a third hit.
- Manage Posture: If your screen starts shaking (high posture), dodge-roll away and wait for it to drain.
- Mantra Cycling: Use your "breaking" Mantras (anything that deals high structure damage) right after he finishes a big slam. This is his "cooldown" window.
Killing a Hivelord isn't about having the highest stats in the world. It’s about not panicking when a giant bug teleports behind you. Once you realize his moveset is only about four or five distinct attacks, the fear disappears. You start to see the gaps. You start to see the timing. And eventually, you'll be the one carrying that massive hammer.
Stay calm, watch the hammer's head, and don't forget to breathe. The Hive is dangerous, but the Hivelord is just a hurdle you haven't jumped over yet. Once you nail that first parry on the teleport strike, the rest of the fight is yours.
To get the best results, practice your parry timing on lower-level Hive mobs first. Their animations are similar but less punishing. Once you can parry a Hive soldier with your eyes closed, the Hivelord is just a bigger version of the same rhythm. Get out there and claim your Hubris.