Beginner-Friendly Builds in Hades

If the definition of insanity is repeating the same thing and expecting the results to change, then the definition of mastery must be constant experimentation. The sheer number of character-building options in Hades can be a little intimidating to a beginner, but once you have a proper understanding of who’s giving what, there are lots of potential builds that can get you where you need to go. Here are some beginner-friendly builds in Hades to help you get started.

Beginner-Friendly Builds in Hades: To Build a God

When you’re first starting out on Hades, it can be very disorienting to stumble upon a new Olympian. If you’re not prepared for how their Boons will change your kit, your playstyle could be turned on its ear. To make this transition a little easier for you, here are a couple of ideas for builds that have served me well. Obviously, there’s no guarantee you can make these happen since the spawning of Boons and the Boons offered are randomized, but should the gears line up, you should definitely go for them.

To begin with, no matter what weapon you’re running or your personal preferences, there are three Olympians whose boons you should always go for when given the opportunity: Athena, Artemis, and Aphrodite. The Three As; remember that, now.

Athena’s Boons are all based around defense. Two Boons of hers that I always try to snag are Divine Dash and Phalanx Shot. These Boons will empower your dash and cast, respectively, granting both the ability to deflect projectiles and inflict additional damage. Divine Dash in particular is invaluable, as it makes your entire dash effectively untouchable, as opposed to the one or two frames of invincibility you usually get.

Artemis’s Boons are the only way you can deal critical damage. Whatever attack you have an Artemis Boon assigned to has a chance to deal a critical hit, and when those crits hit, they hit hard. Your best course of action is to get a Boon for the attack you use most, whether it’s your normal attack, your special, or your cast. If you’re not quite sure, grab the Pressure Points Boon for a chance to go critical on any attack. The odds are low, but low is better than zero, especially if you’re attacking quickly and frequently.

Aphrodite’s Boons inflict her special status effect, Weakness. When you make a foe go weak in the knees, they deal 30% less damage for about 3 seconds. Since Weakness is percentage-based rather than a flat debuff, its effectiveness actually scales up as enemies become more powerful. If you’re lucky, you can grab additional Boons that increase the effectiveness of Weakness and make it last longer. 

So with the Three As in mind, your best course of action would be to get Athena’s Divine Dash for better dodging and deflecting, one of Artemis’ critical Boons on your preferred method of attack, and an Aphrodite Boon on your second-favorite attack. Zip around the room, make ‘em weak, and go in for the critical hit.

• Read more: The Weapons of Hades Explained