How to beat Daphne in Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope

The fourth of Cursa’s devious Spark Hunters is Daphne. You’ll have to beat her before you can leave Barrendale Mesa, the fifth planet in Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope. Like the other boss battles in this game, there are some important gimmicks to be aware of. Here’s how to take down this long-range boss.

Related: How to beat Bedrock in Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope

How to defeat Daphne – Phase 1

Like Midnite, this is a three-phase fight, although each one flows more or less the same, with new things to be aware of as the battle ramps up. One big thing is true for all three: Daphne can snipe you from any point on the map, dealing heavy damage to two of your party members every time. The only way to avoid this is to stand behind full cover or a cliff: Daphne’s attack will always hit over low cover, and its range covers the entire battlefield. Make sure you end every turn with some sort of cover between the two of you and bring along some method of healing in case you mess up. Rabbid Peach, a healing Spark, or some items will do.

As for the rest of the battle, your goal is to reach Daphne. In phase one, she’ll have some low cover atop her sniper tower. Use team jumps, jump pads, and pipes to reach her quickly, then let her have it. Daphne has low defense and vulnerability to all damage types — the real challenge here is reaching her. With phase one, you can pretty much rush ahead (being sure to end your turns behind cover) since there are only some low-level minions like Goombas present.

How to defeat Daphne – Phase 2

Phase two is trickier because Daphne gets some Squashettes and Lone Wolves on her team. The former can knock you around with Gust damage, and the latter will make it harder to cross the battlefield, thanks to their overwatch ability. Squashettes can knock you out of cover or right into the Lone Wolves’ sniper range. Also, note that Daphne has more cover here, so you’ll have to approach from a particular angle.

Forward momentum is still important here, but be sure to take out other enemies as you go. Long-range weapons are a big help for the whole fight, but especially here.

How to defeat Daphne – Phase 3

In the final phase, Daphne gets a full three-quarter fence as cover, so you need to get all the way around her. Nearby ghost enemies can also buff her with shields, so be sure to take them out when you get close enough. As for other enemies, you’ll be dealing with more Lone Wolves and Magnafowls. Once again, the former will guard certain parts of the map, while the latter can push you around with a suction move and Burn damage. This is also the longest climb to Daphne, so take your time here. Once you’re close enough, you can rush in to take her down in a few shots, but don’t let yourself get swarmed on the way up. Daphne can also call down a toxic comet attack once you’re close enough, but by that point, you should be able to finish her off fast enough to ignore it.

Daphne’s boss battle isn’t too bad as long as you’re careful about cover and make sure to set your sights on her as soon as possible. After all the combat challenges you’ve been through by this point, you can handle this.