It’s not uncommon for bosses from previous games to make a reappearance in the sequel. The Ravager and the Yaesha Guardian make their return as a continuation of the story started by the Wanderer 20 years before. The Root Nexus is a little different though. Seeing it again had the same reaction in us as seeing weed spring up. It’s got to be removed again.
The Root Nexus is an optional boss that the player can stumble upon while exploring the forests of Yaesha. It’s actually one of two bosses that aren’t tied to a dungeon. The other is the Huntress in Losomn. They will remain to be so at least until DLC inevitably introduces more bosses outside of dungeons.
We’ve only ever encountered the Root Nexus in The Forbidden Grove and the Withering Weald. And in both places, it does the same thing – wait for someone to cross the threshold and then summon mobs to deal with the intruder.
How to Defeat the Root Nexus Boss in Remnant 2
The first thing you need to know about the Root Nexus is that it doesn’t directly attack the player. Instead, it summons waves of enemies constantly. The second thing is that the Root Nexus is a true bullet sponge of a boss with a health pool that rivals that of a late-game boss encounter.
When its health is above 50%, the Root Nexus will the usual mobs to attack you. Expect to be hit by the snake-like enemies and the roly-poly ones. At its worst, it will summon archers and the annoying monster that goes underground and leaves behind exploding quills.
You have two options here. Your first option is to stay out in the open and outrun and outgun anything that moves. Automatic weapons work fairly well in this case. A drum shotgun does the work better and will do a decent amount of damage to the boss when you get the chance.
Option two is to take up a defensive position and hold on until the waves lighten up. There is a destroyed structure across from the checkpoint crystal. You can use that to prevent enemies from swarming you from multiple directions. But do be mindful that enemies can still spawn from inside the building itself. You may want to bring weapons or abilities that deal AoE damage or at least ones that leave behind environmental hazards.
Keep going in and out of the building to deal damage to the boss while watching your back from any unfriendly spawns.
At 50% health, the Root Nexus will summon a Root Horror followed closely by one of those Armored Root. The Root Horror is the real threat here. The Armored can be taken down quickly if you focus on the metal chest plate. Do enough damage and its core will be exposed.
The Root Horror is very tanky and has no weak spots on its body. It does a lot of damage with its vine arm and axe on the other. When it thrusts its vine arm into the ground, it is a tell that it is about to capture you. If you are captured, you will be vulnerable to any attack. Even the roly-poly can be deadly if you are immobilized.
The best way to take down the Root Horror is to wait for it to throw its core at you like a grenade. Once it is on the ground, dealing damage to it will result in weak spot damage to the Root Horror. You can make quick work of it if you are patient enough.
During this time, do not try to shoot at the Root Nexus. It is a waste of bullets and it won’t stop summoning enemies. In fact, it’ll only make it angrier and cause it to summon more minions.
Deal with the Root Horror and the Armored first before turning your attention to the Root Nexus. Keep dealing with the mobs as they spawn and you will have a clear shot of taking down the Root Nexus.
Root Nexus Rewards
There are a couple of rewards associated with the Root Nexus. That is on top of the scrap you earn from killing the boss.
Blood Bond trait
Killing the Root Nexus rewards you with the Blood Bond Trait. Quite arguably the best Trait for Summoner builds, the trait allows your summoned creatures to absorb a percentage of damage taken by the caster. This essentially reduces the damage the summoner takes as long as their summons are on the field.
Hallowed Egg Amulet
If you walk inside the remains of the Root Nexus, you will be able to pick up the Hallowed Egg Amulet. By spending at least 30% of a firearm’s magazine as damage to enemies, you deal an increased 10% melee damage for the next 7s. This effect stacks up to 5 times. This is perfect for builds that get benefit from melee attacks.
How to Unlock the Root Nexus Door?
For some players, they will come across a locked door right next to the Root Nexus. This door often has a Blood Alter behind, making it worth opening all the more worth it. To open it, you’ll have to go to the nearest optional dungeon and reach the end. There will be an exit that leads back to the Overworld. The path will eventually lead you to the back of the door, allowing you to unlock it.
In our case, the door is always open. But we’ve seen enough players struggle to find a way to open the door from the Root Nexus side.
And that’s about wraps it up. All in all, not the worst boss fight in Remnant 2. Kind of a throwback to the first game. Much like most of Yaesha.
For more Remnant 2 guides, check out our list of articles on the game.
