Boons from the gods are the core a part of any profitable run in Hades 2. The Olympian deities even have a vested curiosity in killing Time (a.ok.a., Chronos), in order that they allow you to borrow their powers quickly.
Whether or not it’s an elemental impact that helps you clear a room of foes or a stat increase that retains you from dying carelessly, discovering one of the best boons can considerably change your fortunes on a run. Right here’s a rundown of how boons work, plus our choices for the greatest boons in Hades 2.
How boons work in Hades 2
![Melinoe stands next to the boon of Apollo in Hades 2.](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Pwr5uVi7HeTlsyevUF1ox6XNSI4=/0x0:1280x800/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:1280x800):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25442503/hades_2_boon_keepsake_gift.jpeg)
Picture: Supergiant Video games by way of gamerjive
You will get boons in the midst of your Hades 2 runs by way of two strategies: both by clearing a room of enemies, or by buying them from Charon’s store for gold cash.
Boons both grant you passive stat boosts or change how your assaults, specials, casts, and dashes perform. Every god tends to typically grant a special impact — Poseidon’s boons, for example, push enemies away from you, whereas Hestia’s burn them — however not all boons have that impact.
In Hades 2’s early entry interval, we’ve come throughout boons from the next gods, although observe that we now have not but “completed” the sport, so extra deities may present up in a while.
- Aphrodite: boons that have a tendency to use the weak standing impact
- Apollo: boons that have a tendency to use the daze standing impact
- Artemis: boons that have a tendency to extend your probability of touchdown essential hits
- Demeter: boons that are likely to freeze enemies
- Hephaestus: boons that have a tendency to extend your protection
- Hermes: boons that are likely to make youfaster
- Hestia: boons that are likely to burn enemies
- Poseidon: boons that are likely to push enemies again
- Zeus: boons that are likely to shock enemies
Some gods who have been within the authentic Hades, like Ares and Athena, don’t seem like current in Hades 2 (no less than that we’ve seen).
Boons can be found at 4 rarity ranges: widespread, uncommon, epic, and heroic. The upper the rarity, the more practical the boon. (For example, a boon that offers 40% bonus harm at widespread rank may deal 50% bonus harm at uncommon.)
Discovering a Pom of Energy permits you to degree up one boon of your selecting, growing its efficacy. When selecting a chamber, look out for a logo of a pomegranate.
If you happen to equip a Souvenir affiliated with a particular deity, you’re extra prone to come throughout boons from that deity in your runs. And should you unlock the “Kindred Keepsakes” incantation, you get the power to swap Keepsakes between areas. Whilst you can by no means totally take away the randomized ingredient from Hades 2, it’s one strategy to have better sway over your builds.
The perfect boons in Hades 2
![A Hades 2 menu shows three boons of Hestia.](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/yYq8B4k6fc7UZsGkPHe2mgCfkRc=/0x0:1280x800/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:1280x800):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25442527/hades_2_hestia_boons.jpeg)
For functions of this information, we’ve centered solely on the “normal” boons you may have an opportunity of working into in your runs. In different phrases, this checklist doesn’t embody Chaos boons, Selene’s Hex boons, or bonus results from characters like Arachne or Narcissus. Whereas all of these bonuses are fairly efficient — and effectively value watching out for in your runs — they’re even extra as much as the Fates than the remainder of Hades 2. It’s not
At a look, listed below are our picks for the greatest boons in Hades 2, which we’ve organized alphabetically by the god who can grant them to you.
Hades 2 greatest boons checklist
Boon | God | Kind | Impact |
---|---|---|---|
Boon | God | Kind | Impact |
Wholesome Rebound | Aphrodite | Passive | Absolutely heals you should you clear a room and keep above a minimal well being threshold |
Wispy Wiles | Aphrodite | Passive | When you have 4 air-element boons, you may have an opportunity to mechanically keep away from harm |
Flutter Flourish | Aphrodite | Particular | Your specials are more practical towards shut enemies |
Flutter Strike | Aphrodite | Assault | Your assaults are more practical towards shut enemies |
Tremendous Nova | Apollo | Forged | Your casts slowly increase in dimension |
Assist Hearth | Artemis | Assault/Particular | Shoot an arrow at each enemy you hit |
Arctic Ring | Demeter | Forged | Freezes enemies caught in your forged |
Chilly Storage | Demeter | Passive | Frozen enemies keep frozen longer |
Winter Coat | Demeter | Passive | Cut back your complete magick in alternate for a barrier |
Uncommon Crop | Demeter | Passive | Your boons drop to widespread score, then enhance rarity each three encounters |
Mint Situation | Hephaestus | Passive | You are invincible for 8 seconds at the beginning of each encounter |
Molten Contact | Hephaestus | Assault/Particular | Your assaults and specials are more practical towards armor |
Higher Evasion | Hermes | Passive | You’ve gotten a ten% probability of avoiding harm |
Nitro Increase | Hermes | Passive | Achieve a barrier and dash sooner |
Burnt Providing | Hestia | Bonus | You achieve +50 well being and magick however lose considered one of your boons |
Smolder Ring | Hestia | Forged | Burns enemies caught in your forged |
Hydraulic May | Poseidon | Assault/Particular | Your assaults and specials are twice as robust for the primary 10 seconds of each encounter |
Wave Flourish | Poseidon | Particular | Your specials knock enemies away |
Thunder Dash | Zeus | Sprint | Your dash shocks close by enemies |
Beneath, we clarify why these are one of the best boons — and, as a result of not all boons are match for all circumstances, clarify a few of their limitations.
Greatest Aphrodite boons
Flutter Flourish and Flutter Strike should not efficient for all builds. However should you’re a fan of close-range weapons just like the Sister Blades or the Moonlight Axe, you’re taking a look at dealing as much as twice as a lot harm (or extra!) with each hit, relying on the rarity of the boon.
Wholesome Rebound is all about playing by yourself success. At widespread rarity, should you clear a room with 80% of your well being remaining, you totally heal your self. Combining this with an Arcana Card just like the Wayward Son, which heals you just a little bit after every room, is a simple strategy to hold your well being up.
Wispy Wiles, in the meantime, solely kicks in in case you have 4 air-themed boons, however concentrate on getting Aphrodite’s boons, and also you’ll attain that threshold very quickly. Having a 15% probability to keep away from any harm in any respect should you get hit is a (pardon the pun) godsend.
Greatest Apollo boons
Tremendous Nova is the kind of boon that slots into any construct, and is especially environment friendly at crowd management: It causes your casts to get bigger over time, trapping extra enemies in place.
Greatest Artemis boons
Assist Hearth was simply top-of-the-line boons within the authentic Hades, and stays top-of-the-line for Hades 2. Each time you hit an enemy with an assault or a particular, you additionally hit them with an arrow that offers 10 harm.
Greatest Demeter boons
Freezing enemies in place is essential for the crowded rooms that muddle Hades 2’s late-game ranges. Two boons work in tandem to that impact. Arctic Ring freezes any enemies caught in your forged, whereas Chilly Storage ensures they keep frozen longer (wherever from two to 5 seconds, relying on the rarity).
Winter Coat reduces your complete magick meter, however grants you a barrier that absorbs one occasion of injury every encounter. Doesn’t matter how excellent you might be, all of us slip up and get hit once in a while. Winter Coat is as an efficient insurance coverage plan as you may get.
Uncommon Crop is simply value your time if you will discover it early in a run. At first, it weakens all your boons, dropping them to widespread rarity. However they’ll enhance in rarity each three encounters. Get it early sufficient, and also you’ll find yourself with a construct of high-ranking boons by the point you attain the ultimate boss.
Greatest Hephaestus boons
Mint Situation protects you from all harm for eight seconds at the beginning of any encounter. Act quick whilst you have the benefit!
By the point you attain the Fields of Mourning, most enemies have armor, and your assaults are likely to do minimal harm. Molten Contact will increase how a lot harm you deal to armor (by as much as 50% relying on the boon’s rarity), making it invaluable for late-game areas.
Greatest Hermes boons
If you happen to’re fortunate sufficient to return throughout Hermes, Higher Evasion is likely one of the most useful defensive boons in Hades 2. At even simply widespread rarity, you may have a ten% probability of avoiding taking any harm. Mix this with Aphrodite’s Wispy Wiles, and also you’re nearly as near invincible as you may get.
Nitro Increase presents a pleasant perk on your dash (you run just a little sooner) however the true cause to get this boon is that it offers you a similar kind of one-hit-protection barrier as Demeter’s Winter Coat.
Greatest Hestia boons
Burnt Providing grants you a everlasting (for the run) enhance to your well being and magick meters, however in alternate for considered one of your current boons. You’ll have the ability to see which boon you’re giving up, so if it’s one you’ve constructed your run round, you don’t have to undergo with the commerce. But when it’s one you possibly can dwell with out, the sizable increase to your stats is usually value it.
Smolder Ring isn’t only a good pun. Any enemies caught in your forged will take persistent hearth harm; you possibly can entice a handful of enemies in your forged and ignore them whereas nonetheless whittling away at their well being bars.
Greatest Poseidon boons
Hydraulic May works extraordinarily effectively together with Mint Situation, from Hephaestus. For the primary 10 seconds of each encounter, your assaults and specials deal extra harm. With each of those geared up, you possibly can spend the primary few seconds of every encounter with out worrying about it.
Wave Flourish is greatest used with long-range weapons, just like the Witch’s Workers. If enemies get too shut, you should utilize it to push them again, serving to you keep a secure distance.
Greatest Zeus boons
If the primary Hades, Zeus’ stunning boons have been a favourite amongst speedrunners. However the shock impact in Hades 2 is on a delay, which means you don’t get the type of immediate gratification harm you’d within the first sport — aside from Thunder Dash, which mechanically offers shock harm to any enemies you run close to. Fighting a boss? Get this boon and actually run circles round them to win!