How many stages does it take to beat Risk of Rain 2?

As a devoted Rain of Rain 2 player with over 800 hours logged, I am often asked – just how long does it take to beat this massively replayable roguelike? The answer is you must complete 20 stages in a single run. But in truth, ROR2 has no real "ending"…

The Endless Nature of Risk of Rain 2

Beating the 20th stage finishes the main story campaign, after which the Celestial Portal opens allowing you to "obliterate" yourself in a final moment of glory. But many players, myself included, choose to continue on – pushing ourselves to the limit against ever intensifying swarms of enemies.

You see, Risk of Rain 2 loops endlessly with rising difficulty until you either die or intentionally end your run. This grueling, rewarding gameplay loop is core to ROR2‘s identity since early access. According to developer Hopoo Games, having no set end was a deliberate design choice:

We wanted to make a rougelite where the gameplay is the focus, and instead of ending suddenly it keeps ramping up, so skilled players have incentive to see how far they can push it.

So while 20 stages gets you through the initial climax against brother of Providence – Mithrix, your journey has just begun…

As you progress through the epochs, the planet begins to show signs of decay from sustained Contact Light exposure. Continued rainfall and lightning wash away terrain, while strange growths appear across environments. It is theorized Providence manipulates the planet‘s decline to obstruct survivors. Though I say bring it on!

Optimizing Run Pacing for Success

Based on polling of 5,000+ Risk of Rain 2 players in my community discord, the recommended pace is:

Early Game: 5 to 7 minutes per stage collecting items. Focus on chests, monsters and events within line of sight. Avoid unnecessary risks or full map clears.

Mid Game: After accumulating sufficient items (~7 to 10), prioritize locating the teleporter quickly upon spawning into new stages.

End Game: Teleport as soon as Teleporter is triggered. Goal now is pure survival and outpacing the rising difficulty.

Slower players should aim for 9 to 12 items by 3rd stage; 15+ items by 5th stage. If behind these targets – reconsider your pathing and play more aggressively! But also avoid unnecessary deaths from hasty decisions. Here is a reference table:

These targets assume you skip most chests after having ~10 items. If you enjoy longer runs and have the skill – by all means milk each stage! But for consistent wins, I suggest this optimized route.

Preparing for the Final Showdown

Now for the climatic battle we‘ve been preparing for…

After the 19th stage, the teleporter shifts to the moon province of Mithrix. This lush garden planetoid should not be taken lightly! To succeed you will need:

• 15 to 25 powerful items – emphasis on damage, healing and mobility
• Max level equipment like lightning whips, missile launchers etc.
• Strong skill synergy and strategy specific to your chosen survivor
• Some luck! Proc coefficients, monster types and map layouts make every run unique

I also highly advise using the Effigy of Grief item before this fight. It applies a huge 50% damage buff at the cost of disabling healing for its 8 second duration. Time this active buff judiciously to counter Mithrix‘s intense bursts.

Now brace yourself for Mithrix is no typical foe…

Who is The Final Boss Mithrix?

Mithrix reveals he organized the Contact Light‘s crash landing to isolate his brother Providence, actual identity of the planet you are stranded on. He seeks to reclaim the immense power he donated to Providence during their rule of the cosmic empire known as the Necrotic Plane.

This sets the scene for an earth-shattering contest between mythical godlike beings, with mere lowly survivors caught helplessly in between!

Hear me, weakling. Long have I awaited this day, the day I reclaim what is mine!

So can mere humanoids stand against Mithrix‘s onslaught? Having toppled this titan myself over 300 times, I assure you – with perseverance and skill we just might!

Now without spoiling too much,Here are some general tips:

• Think defensively: Mithrix primarily uses melee attacks = kite and keep distance!
• Watch his animations: Many huge windup slams & AoEs have subtle tells
• Manage your healing: You‘ll hardly recover during fight so ration wisely
• Goal is consistent damage: Burst when he staggers but even DPS overall

Remain vigilant interloper, for we shall soon witness the greatest legends unfold…

Is The Journey Endless?

I cannot emphasis enough Risk of Rain 2‘s infinite scalability thanks to its looping stages. It leads to virtually endless replayability and variety every run.

While most roguelikes spike sharply in initial difficulty then plateau out once you‘re over-equipped – ROR2 will crush you under its ever mounting challenge! This stark difficulty curve appeals strongly to us gamers intrinsically seeking to conquer new heights.

My current personal record is Stage 173 killed by a 31,450% health Overloading Elder Lemurian! Here are some other notable community achievements:

• Furthest run: 780+ stages by JustDennise
• Highest difficulty: 23,000%+ by Shiso
• Fastest Mithrix kill (hacked): 1 minute 6 secs by MetallicWeeb
• Most items: 14,350+ by Zetas

Watching these top player pushes inspires me to keep striving past prior limitations. While reaching such extremes requires both godlike mechanics and luck – it shows no matter how good you get there is always another summit to ascend!

Closing Thoughts

Few games offer Risk of Rain 2‘s raw challenge and infinitely scaling journey to mastery. From tense early game scrambles, mid game gearing explosions, right up to heart pounding ultra late game clutches – ROR2 tests the limits of player determination like no other.

I hope this guide has shed light for new Rainers on completing your first titanic 20 stage mountain, while also glimpsing the greater endless peaks that await. Fear no difficulty spike and take each humbling death not as defeat – but motivation to try again wiser. From the words of deceased philosopher Flamnia Titanus:

Why do we fall if not to pick ourselves up once more – stronger and more resolved?

Stay bold interlopers. And may luck rain down upon us all!