[Necesse Guide] How to Beat the Reaper | Summon Conditions, Attack Patterns & Full Drop List

The Reaper is the first boss the Elder sends you to kill in the Deep Underground — the gatekeeper of Tier 3. You summon it using a Shadow Gate in the Deep Underground. I went in with my Pirate Captain gear and got demolished. It took four attempts: swapping to Tungsten armor, upgrading my weapon to Shadow Bolt, and building a bigger arena before I finally cleared it. Once you defeat it, the Elder gives you a Hoverboard — an unlimited-use mount that completely changes how fast you move around the map.

What Is the Reaper?

The Reaper is the first Tier 3 boss in Necesse’s boss progression. It’s the 8th boss the Elder assigns to you.

To reach it, you need the Deep Cave Ladder dropped by the Pirate Captain. Set that up to descend into the Deep Underground, then use a Shadow Gate to trigger the fight. Unlike Tier 2 bosses, this one demands a full gear upgrade — the Deep Underground is a new biome with new materials, and the Reaper hits hard enough that old equipment won’t cut it.

Defeat it and the Elder hands you a Hoverboard: an unlimited mount with speed boost and dash. The Recall Flask changed how you return to camp — the Hoverboard changes how you move everywhere else.

How to Get the Shadow Gate and Summon the Reaper

Getting the Shadow Gate

You need a Shadow Gate to summon the Reaper. Two ways to get it:

• Drop from Deep Underground chests
• Craft at a Tungsten Workstation

Getting Down to the Deep Underground

• Place the Deep Cave Ladder dropped by the Pirate Captain to descend
• Deep Underground walls require at least a Quartz Pickaxe to mine. You can sometimes find a Tungsten Pickaxe in chests down there — grab it immediately

Exploring the Deep Underground

The Deep Underground contains Tungsten ore — a pale, bluish rock that’s essential for your gear upgrade. Collecting enough for a full armor set is your top priority before fighting the Reaper.

You can also assign a Miner settler to mine Tungsten for you, which saves a lot of grinding time.

Where and When to Summon

• Use the Shadow Gate in the Forest Deep Underground to spawn the Reaper
• The Forest Deep Underground doesn’t look dramatically different from other areas, but skeleton-type enemies are a good landmark
• No time restriction — you can summon at any time of day

Preparation

Gear Checklist (What I Used to Finally Win)

The bare minimum: update both your armor and weapon to Deep Underground tier. I learned this the hard way across three failed attempts.

Build the Arena (More Important Than Against the Pirate Captain)

An arena is essentially mandatory for this fight. Go bigger than the 20×20 I used for the Pirate Captain.

• The Reaper is large and moves around a lot — a cramped arena means it constantly clips into walls and your attacks miss
• I lost my third attempt purely because my arena was too small
• The rule of thumb: the Reaper should never overlap with a wall at any point

Stats

That’s a big jump from the Pirate Captain at 8,500. If your DPS is low, you’ll lose a war of attrition.

Attack Patterns

How the Fight Feels

The Reaper has a clear two-phase feel:

• Early phase (high HP): Attacks are slow and telegraphed. Don’t be fooled — this is the easiest window you get
• Later phase (low HP): Attacks ramp up significantly. My first run ended here because I mistook the early calm for the full fight

All hits deal heavy damage. Even with Tungsten armor and buffs, you can’t afford to eat multiple hits carelessly.

Strategy Breakdown

[Early Phase] — High HP Attacks are manageable. Dump as much damage as you can here. Warning: "This is easy" is a trap. The hard part hasn't started.
[Mid to Late Phase] — Low HP Attacks intensify. Prioritize dodging, fit in attacks when safe. A too-small arena = the Reaper hides in walls = zero attack windows.
[The Two Keys to Victory] ① Tungsten armor + Shadow Bolt (non-negotiable gear floor) ② Wide arena (Reaper must never be able to overlap a wall) ③ Front-load damage in the early phase

My Four Attempts

Attempt 1: Quartz Armor — Defeated at 66% HP

Went in with the same gear I used against the Pirate Captain. The early phase felt manageable, and I thought I had it. Once the Reaper’s HP got low, the attacks escalated and my heals couldn’t keep up. Lost at 66% boss HP. Classic mistake: judging the whole fight by the easy opener.

Attempt 2: Upgraded to Tungsten Armor — Lost to DPS

Mined Tungsten and got the full armor set. Defense jumped to 64 and survivability was clearly better — but I was still using Swamp Tome and Slime Canister. Couldn’t output enough damage. Lost the DPS race.

Attempt 3: Switched to Shadow Bolt — Lost to Arena Size

Weapon upgrade made a real difference in damage, but the Reaper kept clipping into the arena walls. Attack after attack missed. Couldn’t close it out. Realized the arena was the problem.

Attempt 4: Wider Arena — Victory

Rebuilt the arena with extra room on all sides. With the Reaper staying visible and hittable, Tungsten armor + Shadow Bolt was enough to push through the intense late phase. Gear and arena size. Once both are sorted, this boss is manageable.

Drop Items

Elder Reward (First Clear Only)

	Item	Effect
	Hoverboard	Unlimited-use mount. Gradually builds speed, with a dash on [trinketability]. Movement revolution.

If the Recall Flask was the revolution for getting home, the Hoverboard is the revolution for getting anywhere. It’s in the trinket slot with infinite uses — exploration speed visibly improves from this point forward.

Chance Drops

	Item	Type	Stats
	Reaper Scythe	Melee weapon	70 melee damage, 3.4 attack speed, 10% crit. Fires a circular shockwave

Damage 70 is high for this stage. The circular shockwave gives it more range than it looks — melee builds can carry this weapon comfortably through the next boss.

What to Do After Defeating the Reaper

1. Return to Camp and Claim the Hoverboard

Talk to the Elder at your settlement to receive the Hoverboard. Equip it right away. The speed difference is immediately noticeable.

2. Try the Reaper Scythe

If it dropped, the Reaper Scythe is a strong melee option. Damage 70 plus a shockwave makes it useful for Deep Underground mob clearing too.

3. Prepare for the Next Tier 3 Bosses

After the Reaper: Cryo Queen, Pest Warden, then Sage and Grit. Keep pushing through the Deep Underground to build out your gear.

FAQ

Q1: The Reaper isn’t spawning — what am I doing wrong?

A: You need to use the Shadow Gate specifically in the Forest Deep Underground. The Shadow Gate drops from Deep Underground chests or can be crafted at a Tungsten Workstation.

Q2: Should the Reaper be my first Tier 3 boss?

A: Yes — the Elder sends you to the Reaper first. Intended order: Reaper → Cryo Queen → Pest Warden → Sage and Grit.

Q3: Can I fight with Quartz armor?

A: Not recommended. I tried it and lost at 66% boss HP. Both defense and offense are below the threshold. Farm Tungsten and upgrade to the full set (64 defense) first. You’ll also need to upgrade your weapon — Swamp Tome alone won’t clear it.

Q4: I can’t find enough Tungsten ore

A: Assign a Miner settler to mine Tungsten. Gearing up a full set takes a significant amount, so using a settler saves a lot of manual mining.

Summary

• The Reaper is the first Tier 3 boss, accessible after defeating the Pirate Captain and opening the Deep Underground
• Summon by using the Shadow Gate in the Forest Deep Underground — no time restriction. Get it from Deep Underground chests or craft at a Tungsten Workstation
• Quartz armor isn’t enough. Upgrade to Tungsten armor (64 defense) + Shadow Bolt before challenging it
• Build a wide arena — the Reaper needs room to move without clipping into walls
• 11,000 HP. Attacks are lenient early but escalate hard once HP drops
• The Hoverboard reward massively improves your exploration quality of life
• The Reaper Scythe drop (70 damage + shockwave) is a top melee weapon for the next phase

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Published: 2026-03-24
Verified on: Necesse v1.0 (PC), Classic difficulty, Solo