Risk of Rain 2 Eclipse Mode: A Comprehensive Guide to All 8 Levels

What is Eclipse Mode?

Eclipse is the ultimate challenge mode in Risk of Rain 2, designed to test your mechanical skill, decision-making, and understanding of game mechanics. Unlike standard Monsoon runs, Eclipse features eight stacking modifiers that persist and combine as you progress.

Each survivor tracks their Eclipse level independently, starting at Level 1. Upon successfully defeating Mithrix, your Eclipse level for that survivor increases, adding a new, permanent modifier to your future runs. The mode is strictly about skill; no artifacts can be used, and the goal is always to reach and defeat Mithrix on the Moon (Commencement).

Understanding the Eight Eclipse Modifiers

Each level introduces a new layer of difficulty. Understanding how these interact is crucial for survival.

• Eclipse 1 (Ally Starting Health -50%): You and your allies (drones, turrets) spawn with half health. This is a starting value, not a maximum health reduction.
• Eclipse 2 (Teleporter Radius -50%): The charge zone is significantly smaller, making it harder to kite enemies while staying within the zone.
• Eclipse 3 (Ally Fall Damage +100% and Lethal): Fall damage is doubled and can kill you. This makes vertical awareness a top priority.
• Eclipse 4 (Enemy Speed +40%): Enemies move faster, making them harder to outrun and more likely to catch up to you.
• Eclipse 5 (Ally Healing -50%): All healing (regeneration, items, skills) is cut in half.
• Eclipse 6 (Enemy Gold Drops -20%): You earn less gold from kills, slowing your economy.
• Eclipse 7 (Enemy Cooldowns -50%): Enemies use their skills twice as often.
• Eclipse 8 (Permanent Damage): Taking damage reduces your maximum health via the "Curse" debuff. While reset at the start of each stage, it punishes careless play during stages.

Tip

Mitigating Modifiers: Community players often point out that Transcendence is an S-tier item in Eclipse. Because it converts health to shield, it effectively bypasses the healing penalties of Eclipse 5 and the fall damage lethality of Eclipse 3, as your max health becomes effectively 1.

Gameplay Strategy: The Path to Consistency

A common debate among experienced players is whether to "rush" through stages or "full loot." Most high-level consensus suggests that while you shouldn't waste time, you should aim for efficient full looting.

Why You Should Not Loop

In Eclipse, the goal is to kill Mithrix on Stage 6. Looping—going past Stage 5 back to Stage 1—is generally considered a trap. The game scales difficulty aggressively. While items can make you powerful enough to handle looped runs, the risk of being overwhelmed by scaling enemy HP and damage often outweighs the benefits. Stick to a single-loop strategy to keep the enemy scaling manageable.

Managing Your Economy

Because Eclipse 6 reduces gold drops, you need to maximize your resources. Utilize Scrappers, Printers, and Cauldrons.

• Scrap aggressively: If an item doesn't help you reach or kill Mithrix, turn it into scrap.
• Use the Bazaar: Visit the Bazaar Between Time if possible to secure high-value lunar items like Shaped Glass or Transcendence.

Essential Items and Equipment

In Eclipse, you are often forced to work with what you get. However, prioritize these categories:

• Damage Mitigation: Repulsion Armor is vital. It negates small, frequent hits (like those from Wisps), which helps prevent the permanent damage accumulation in Eclipse 8. Safer Spaces is also preferred over standard tougher times due to its guaranteed block.
• Mobility: Movement speed is your best defense. Energy Drinks, Goat Hooves, and Wax Quails are top priorities. You need to be fast enough to dodge projectiles and navigate the smaller Teleporter zones.
• Vertical Mobility: Items like Hopoo Feathers or equipment like the Milky Chrysalis and Eccentric Vase are invaluable for the Mithrix fight. They allow you to avoid his attacks and skip the dangerous pillar-charging phase on the Moon.

Mastering the Mithrix Encounter

Mithrix is the final barrier. Success in Eclipse depends heavily on your comfort with this boss.

• Phase 1 & 3: Keep moving in circles. Circles are the universal counter to most of Mithrix's attacks.
• Phase 2: Prioritize killing the Lunar Wisps immediately. They are the biggest threat to your health bar.
• Phase 4: If you lack the damage to skip this phase, play around the pillars. Do not stand in the open.
• Pillar Skips: If you have the mobility equipment or character abilities (like Artificer’s Ion Surge or Loader’s punch), skip the pillars on the Moon. Charging them is often more dangerous than the boss fight itself due to the potential for taking permanent damage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I play Eclipse in multiplayer? Yes, Eclipse supports multiplayer. Note that the Eclipse level is set to the lowest level among all survivors in the lobby.

Which survivors are best for Eclipse? Community experience often ranks survivors like Loader, Huntress, and MUL-T as highly consistent due to their mobility and damage output. However, any character can clear Eclipse with the right itemization and practice.

Does Eclipse progress unlock logbook entries? No, clearing an Eclipse run does not unlock the survivor's logbook entry. It is strictly a challenge mode for testing skill.