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), so 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 the very best boons can considerably change your fortunes on a run. Right here’s a rundown of how boons work, plus our choices for the finest 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 Polygon
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 operate. 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 have now not but “completed” the sport, so extra deities would possibly present up afterward.
- 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 likelihood of touchdown crucial 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. (As an example, a boon that offers 40% bonus harm at widespread rank would possibly deal 50% bonus harm at uncommon.)
Discovering a Pom of Energy means that you can stage up one boon of your selecting, rising its efficacy. When selecting a chamber, look out for a logo of a pomegranate.
In case you equip a Souvenir affiliated with a selected deity, you’re extra more likely to come throughout boons from that deity in your runs. And for those who unlock the “Kindred Keepsakes” incantation, you get the flexibility to swap Keepsakes between areas. When you can by no means absolutely take away the randomized component from Hades 2, it’s one approach to have higher 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 have got an opportunity of working into in your runs. In different phrases, this checklist doesn’t embrace Chaos boons, Selene’s Hex boons, or bonus results from characters like Arachne or Narcissus. Whereas all of these bonuses are fairly efficient — and nicely 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 here are our picks for the finest boons in Hades 2, which we’ve organized alphabetically by the god who can grant them to you.
Hades 2 finest boons checklist
Boon | God | Sort | Impact |
---|---|---|---|
Boon | God | Sort | Impact |
Wholesome Rebound | Aphrodite | Passive | Absolutely heals you for those who clear a room and keep above a minimal well being threshold |
Wispy Wiles | Aphrodite | Passive | If in case you have 4 air-element boons, you have got an opportunity to robotically 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 develop in dimension |
Help Hearth | Artemis | Assault/Particular | Shoot an arrow at each enemy you hit |
Arctic Ring | Demeter | Forged | Freezes enemies caught in your solid |
Chilly Storage | Demeter | Passive | Frozen enemies keep frozen longer |
Winter Coat | Demeter | Passive | Scale back your complete magick in change for a barrier |
Uncommon Crop | Demeter | Passive | Your boons drop to widespread ranking, then improve rarity each three encounters |
Mint Situation | Hephaestus | Passive | You are invincible for 8 seconds firstly of each encounter |
Molten Contact | Hephaestus | Assault/Particular | Your assaults and specials are more practical towards armor |
Higher Evasion | Hermes | Passive | You will have a ten% likelihood of avoiding harm |
Nitro Enhance | Hermes | Passive | Achieve a barrier and dash quicker |
Burnt Providing | Hestia | Bonus | You acquire +50 well being and magick however lose one among your boons |
Smolder Ring | Hestia | Forged | Burns enemies caught in your solid |
Hydraulic Would possibly | 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 the very 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 are usually not efficient for all builds. However for those who’re a fan of close-range weapons just like the Sister Blades or the Moonlight Axe, you’re 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, for those who clear a room with 80% of your well being remaining, you absolutely heal your self. Combining this with an Arcana Card just like the Wayward Son, which heals you a bit of bit after every room, is a simple approach to hold your well being up.
Wispy Wiles, in the meantime, solely kicks in in case you have 4 air-themed boons, however deal with getting Aphrodite’s boons, and also you’ll attain that threshold very quickly. Having a 15% likelihood to keep away from any harm in any respect for those who 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
Help Hearth was simply among the finest boons within the authentic Hades, and stays among the finest 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 litter Hades 2’s late-game ranges. Two boons work in tandem to that impact. Arctic Ring freezes any enemies caught in your solid, whereas Chilly Storage ensures they keep frozen longer (anyplace 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 harm every encounter. Doesn’t matter how good you might be, all of us slip up and get hit every now and then. Winter Coat is as an efficient insurance coverage plan as you may get.
Uncommon Crop is just value your time if you’ll find it early in a run. At first, it weakens your entire boons, dropping them to widespread rarity. However they’ll improve 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 firstly of any encounter. Act quick when 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
In case you’re fortunate sufficient to come back throughout Hermes, Higher Evasion is likely one of the most useful defensive boons in Hades 2. At even simply widespread rarity, you have got a ten% likelihood 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 Enhance provides a pleasant perk in your dash (you run a bit of quicker) however the actual purpose 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) improve to your well being and magick meters, however in change for one among your present boons. You’ll be capable 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 may 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 solid will take persistent hearth harm; you may lure a handful of enemies in your solid and ignore them whereas nonetheless whittling away at their well being bars.
Greatest Poseidon boons
Hydraulic Would possibly works extraordinarily nicely 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 may spend the primary few seconds of every encounter with out worrying about it.
Wave Flourish is finest 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 preserve 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, that means you don’t get the form of immediate gratification harm you’d within the first sport — aside from Thunder Dash, which robotically offers shock harm to any enemies you run close to. Combating a boss? Get this boon and actually run circles round them to win!