You’re deep in the Fields of Mourning. The music is swelling, your dash-strike rhythm is perfect, and then you see them. The Succubus enemies in Act 3 of Hades II—officially known as the Lamia or variations of the Lust-themed shades—aren't just there to look stylish. They are a mechanical nightmare designed to prey on the muscle memory you spent thirty hours building in the first two acts.
Honestly, it’s a bit of a shock.
In the first Hades, everything felt like a dance of positioning. In the sequel, and specifically once you hit the third major biome of the Underworld trek, the Succubus Act 3 encounters change the rules of engagement. They stop being about "don't get hit" and start being about "don't get charmed." If you’ve ever found yourself walking helplessly toward a pink glowing projectile while your brain screams at your fingers to press the dodge button, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
The Mechanical Reality of the Lamia and Succubus Types
Most players call them Succubi because of the aesthetic, but the game leans into the Greek myth of the Lamia. These Act 3 enemies serve a specific purpose: zone denial. Unlike the heavy hitters in Tartarus or the swarming fish in Oceanus, the enemies here use lingering projectiles.
The pink "Charm" or "Daze" effect is the real killer.
It’s a crowd-control mechanic that strips away player agency. In a high-speed roguelike, taking control away from the player for even 1.5 seconds is usually a death sentence. When you’re hit by the Succubus projectile in Act 3, Melinoë becomes sluggish or walks toward the source of the damage. It’s a classic "siren call" mechanic.
It feels cheap until you realize the tell.
💡 You might also like: Why BioShock Explained Matters More Than Ever in 2026
The audio cue for the Lamia's projectile is a high-pitched, shimmering trill. If you aren't playing with headphones, you're basically playing on hard mode. The visual telegraph is a wide, slow-moving arc. The mistake most of us make? Trying to dash through it. Unlike the projectiles in Act 1, these often have a lingering hitbox or a secondary burst that catches the end of your dash frames.
Why Act 3 Scaling Changes Everything
By the time you reach the Succubus Act 3 encounters, your build is usually "online." You’ve got your Core Boons, maybe a Duo Boon or two, and a decent amount of Magick regeneration.
Supergiant Games knows this.
They designed the Fields of Mourning to be wide and desolate. This isn't just for the vibe; it's to facilitate long-range snipers. The Succubus-type enemies thrive in this open space. They sit on the edge of the screen, outside your immediate peripheral vision, and lob those charm hearts.
The Frustration of the "Stun Lock"
If you get hit by one, you’re likely to get hit by a second. It's a cascade.
The HP pools for these enemies are significantly higher than the glass cannons you fought in Erebus. You can't just "burst" them down unless you've prioritized high-damage Omega moves or have a particularly nasty Zeus/Hestia chain-lightning setup.
📖 Related: Why 3d mahjong online free is actually harder than the classic version
Think about your current build. Are you melee-heavy? If you’re using the Sister Blades (Lim and Oros), the Succubus Act 3 mobs are your hard counter. They force you to commit to a backstab, but their "flutter" away movement happens almost exactly when your attack animation finishes. It's frustratingly clever AI.
Real Strategies for the Fields of Mourning
Stop dashing directly at them. It sounds simple. It's not.
The instinct is to close the gap. With the Lamia and Succubus variants, you actually want to kite them into the environmental hazards—those exploding golden urns or the lingering spirits that deal AOE damage.
- Prioritize the "Cast": In Hades II, your Cast is a literal circle of safety. If you drop your Cast between you and the Succubus, many of their projectiles will slow down or be destroyed depending on your Boons (especially if you have Apollo’s clarity buffs).
- The Hestia Dash: If you can snag the Hestia Boon that destroys projectiles while you dash, the Act 3 Succubus encounters become a joke. You basically eat their hearts for breakfast and turn them into steam.
- Check Your Aspects: The Aspect of Artemis on the blades allows for a parry. Timing this against a charm heart doesn't just save you; it sets up a critical hit that usually one-shots the mob.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Lore
There’s a lot of chatter online about these being "hidden" bosses or secret encounters. They aren't. They are standard elite spawns, but because their color palette is so distinct from the drab greens and greys of the rest of the biome, they feel like "events."
They represent the "Longing" aspect of the Fields of Mourning.
In Virgil’s Aeneid, the Mourning Fields are reserved for those who died of unrequited or consuming love. The Succubus Act 3 design reflects this perfectly. They aren't trying to hack and slash you to death like a soldier; they are trying to lure you into the emptiness of the fields. It’s a rare instance where the gameplay mechanic (losing control of your character) perfectly matches the narrative theme of the zone.
👉 See also: Venom in Spider-Man 2: Why This Version of the Symbiote Actually Works
Breaking the "Charm" Cycle
You need to look at your "Fear" settings if you're playing on High Heat.
If you have the "Routine Inspection" or "Benefits Package" vows active, these enemies get exponentially worse. A Succubus with the "Shifter" perk—allowing them to teleport after taking damage—is arguably the most annoying non-boss enemy in the entire game.
If you encounter a pack of three, and one is an Elite (armored), do not focus on the Elite first. Kill the two "trash" Succubi. Their projectiles create too much visual clutter. You need a clear line of sight to see the Elite's telegraphs.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Run
To consistently clear the Succubus Act 3 hurdles without losing half your Death Defiance, change your priority list.
- Audio over Visuals: Turn the music down to 70% and SFX up to 100%. The sound of a heart being fired is your cue to Cast immediately.
- Verticality is Fake: The game looks 3D but works on a 2D plane. You cannot "jump" over the charm projectiles. You must go around or through with i-frames.
- The "Wall" Strategy: Use the large pillars in the Fields of Mourning. The Succubus AI isn't great at pathfinding around corners. If you break line of sight, they are forced to drift toward you, putting them right in range of your melee attacks.
Forget trying to out-run them. They are faster than you. Out-think them by using the environment. The Fields of Mourning are a test of patience, and the Succubus is the proctor. If you rush, you fail. If you're looking for the best way to handle the endgame, start treating these encounters like a rhythm game rather than a brawler.
Watch the edges of the screen. Listen for the trill. Drop your Cast. That's how you survive the heart of the Underworld.
Next Steps for Players:
- Check your Boon codex for Apollo’s "Blind" effects, which significantly reduce the accuracy of Act 3 ranged mobs.
- Practice the "Omega Cast" timing; releasing it just as a projectile enters the circle will often vaporize the threat instantly.
- Equip the Knuckle Bones keepsake if you’re struggling with the boss following these encounters, as it reduces the HP of the next boss you face by up to 15%, giving you more breathing room if the Succubi softened you up.