Hades: Aspects of Hell

Enough has been said about the variety and depth of Hade’s gameplay. Here are my favorite aspects based on flow, playstyles, and flavor.

1. Eris

Consistently the highest performing Aspect probably across the whole player-base. The range offered with Adamant Rail already provides a safe distance to unleash a bullet hell onto unlucky shades. There’s a good reason why that 14 out of the top 20 speed-running records involve Eris.

Most boosts from aspects only amplify a certain type, such as attack, special, or casts. However, the 75%+ boost offered, with the condition of bombing-yourself, last 4 seconds and affects ALL damage, not just the attack. The buff was previously 8 seconds and had to be halved just to not be so above other aspects.

You can’t go wrong with almost any Boon setup for this gun.

2. Chiron

Another long-range weapon that lets loose a flurry of projectiles. This was the first weapon I used to beat 32 Heat. While this does require the Daedalus Hammer upgrades of Relentless Volley and Concentrated Volley for its full potential, the base ability is plenty powerful enough. This Aspect works well with the special Boons of Artemis (with Aphrodite attack), Demeter, and Zeus.

3. Demeter

An in your face, combo builder with an explosion of Special damage is not only fun, but a highly effective Aspect used in speed-running as well. Although the concept of the combo (12 hits ==> Special) seems simple to execute, higher Heat levels with dangerous enemies maneuvering all over the place make it a healthy challenge to understand which enemies to build the combo off of and which enemy to unload the 5x special bonus. Most of the Special Hammer upgrades work well, with my favorite being Kinetic Launcher, letting you unleash a flurry of Hadouken style blasts.

Favored Boons: Zeus Attack + Poseidon Special. Aphrodite Attack + Artemis Special

4. Arthur

It would be a shame if the slowest Aspect in the game was a drag to use. Thankfully, the opposite is the case. The 2nd and 3rd follow-up slashes can be combined at the end of a dash-attack, allowing maneuverability.

The description doesn’t note this, but the aura generated from the special disables trap activation and allows you to walk over lava without harm.

Favored Boons: Like any high-damage burst build, Artemis Attack + Aphrodite Special to acquire Heart Rend can result in 3,000+ damage critical hits with the right setup.

5. Achilles

Amongst the cast based weapons of Beowulf, Poseidon, and Hera, Achilles’ spear offers the highest damage boost (150%) for the next 4 attacks/casts. This ups the viability of some of the weaker casts, such as Zeus, to easily clear rooms.

For cast builds the Hermes cast Boons are needed, but the attack boost of the Aspect can be used while waiting for Bloodstones to drop or regenerate.

For Mirror of the Night choices, I do prefer Infernal Soul (+2 Bloodstones) over Stygian Soul (3 sec. regenerating Bloodstone) to keep up with the pace of using the 4 Achilles charges.

While the boost can be used for attacks, I’ve had much more fun using this for cast builds instead. I might try an Artemis build for Achilles.

Out of all Aspects, the teleporting capabilities with the special interactions (with the option to retrieve it instead) offers high-ceiling play relying on split-second decisions to best position Zagreus.

6. Poseidon

Few aspects are more satisfying when all optimal Boons are acquired for Poseidon (Exit Wounds, Greater Recall, highly boosted cast of your choice, etc.). You can make any of the cast boons that stick to an enemy work (the Special effect won’t work with Dionysus, Ares, or Demeter’s casts)

Favored Boons: Zeus or Athena cast, the latter having more room-clearing capabilities with the Athena/Zeus duo boon.

7. Rama

This is an appropriate Aspect to be hidden, as its gameplay and skill ceiling differ from the rest of the bow Aspects. To optimize its abilities, you must tap as many enemies as possible with its special effect so that your slow-charging attack deals as much damage and hits as many enemies as possible. This Aspect rewards understanding of enemy positioning and patience in setting up enemies to be hit by your attack.

You can do a special only run using Zeus, but needs the weapon upgrade that enhance the special and luck for Pom Power and Boon rarity to deal enough damage.

Favored Boons: Aphrodite Special, Artemis Attack, Hunter’s Mark, Heart Rend

8. Lucifer

Its special does seem a tad slow, but does shine with the Triple Bomb Hammer upgrade, using it with special Boons like Aphrodite or Poseidon.

For consistency that doesn’t necessarily rely on the Hammer upgrade, I recommend Dionysus for a hangover beam, aiming for the Aphrodite (+3 max stacks if enemy is weakened) or Ares (faster hangover ticks).

If you want a good laugh, get Poseidon’s Attack and unleash your hellish water hose, constantly pushing back enemies.

9. Beowulf

This shield does not really shine until you upgrade it to its max. While the cast amplifying is the main attraction for this Aspect, its stronger, but heavier, special attack can be sufficiently upgraded while waiting for cast stones to drop/regenerate.

While the attack charge up to unload your cast stones is slow, you can start up the charge and press the cast button while you charge and the cast will be consumed. Use this to optimize time in-between cast regenerating.

Favored Boons: Trippy Shot with a focus towards Ice Wine can lead to 2,000+ damage explosions. If you do go with Trippy Shot, use the Stygian Soul Mirror upgrade.

10. Guan Yu

The health reduction is off-putting and the small damage recovery from the spin attack is risky enough to charge up, but its Special damage does enough to compensate.

For higher Heat levels where you face more dangerous enemies, the Quick Spin Daedalus Hammer upgrade will increase your survival rate.

Favored Boons: Artemis Special + Aphrodite attack. You can activate the Heart Rend effect with ease using a spin or dash attack, allowing your special to deal massive damage.

11. Zeus

Let it rip! The core gameplay of this Aspect is really fun and allows you to deal attack/cast damage while your Shield Special spins elsewhere. You can vary up the gameplay by having the Shield return to you, while you dash and attack around the chamber.

Favored Boons: Zeus Special or Dionysus Special. Honestly, you can make this shine with any Special.

12. Zagreus Fists

A flat dodge and move speed % increase does seem boring, but this is another wacky one to try with movement speed amplifiers with Rush Delivery. If you ever want to try out Revenge builds and AFK during the Hades fight, this is the Aspect to use.

Unfortunately, the other fist Aspects have higher multipliers for Attacks and Specials. However, when using any fist Aspect, the in-your-face gameplay is a great way to learn how the enemies move to prepare for higher Heat levels.

13. Chaos

Unfortunately, the Daedalus Hammer upgrade of Dread Flight (empowers your special to hit 4 additional target) only affects the main shield thrown and not its copies.

While I do hate on some of the Aspect abilities that have conditional activations, the Chaos shield’s pattern of Shield Bash + Special is quick enough to be exciting. Plus, you have defensive capabilities while charging your Shield Bash, giving you time to plan your next attack and position yourself accordingly.

Favored Boons: Zeus Special and Dionysus Special work well with shot gunning at point blank range. Using Ares Special at long ranges helps to spread Doom throughout a chamber.

14. Zagreus Sword

The first Aspect available to you in-game is the Mario of Super Smash Bros. of weapon choices: A great introduction to the game and its mechanics, yet well balanced. Its Attack Speed bonus works well with almost all Hammer upgrades, a favorite being Cursed Slash and Flurry Slash, making you nearly invincible at most Heat levels.

A fun combination is to do a run with Hermes keepsake with the goal of getting Hermes’ Rush Delivery. With the right Boon rarities for Hermes move speed upgrades, the damage boost from them is a substantial upgrade.

15. Hestia

Compared to most Aspects, this one is tougher to consistently pull off and requires getting used to the flow of the following button combo: Attack ==> Reload ==> Attack. If your build is focusing on Dash Strikes, it then becomes Dash Strike ==> Reload ==> Dash Strike.

16. Hera

I originally had this ranked much lower, but the range and its cast activation works with any cast Boon. The reduced time for a cast stone to drop makes gameplay quick and exciting. At the end of your run, using Orpheus’ Distant Memory Keepsake takes advantage of the range you’ll be unleashing cast hell from.

Favored Boons: Any cast will do. Greater Recall:

17. Zagreus Bow

Static, unconditional critical hit chance (looking at you, Nemesis) gives room to have your Attack Boon not be Artemis. The other bow aspects rely on combinations of Attack + Special or just the Special. Most of the time with the Zagreus Bow you will be spamming the Attack, which is great practice for perfecting the power shot timing.

18. Gilgamesh

I appreciate that the game’s hidden Aspects reach from other mythologies and are meant to be played different from the weapon’s other aspects.

Having said that, this is my least favorite of Hidden Aspects. On paper, extra dashes (synergizes with Ruthless Reflex) and a damage amplifier with an adverse consequences seems like it would make for fast-paced risky style. However, applying the damage amplifier is through dash + special, which moves awkwardly and is silly that you can’t use the regular special to do so.

For the damage of the attack, I am fine with its slower attack speed.

19. Hades

The spin attack is already clunky enough to charge up to actually use this aspect. Spin Attack charge speed Hammer Upgrade is needed, but not necessarily guaranteed on each run. Having to reapply a de-buff that takes time to charge compared to other Aspects abilities makes me wish I was using another aspect.

Although a bit slow, the maximum range of the spin attack is nothing to scoff at and can rain destruction if setup right.

20. Nemesis

I originally had this at dead-last until I got an optimal Heart Rend build, eventually swapping the Artemis attack for a Heroic Athena Attack, critically hitting for ~2,200 from behind.

It’s fun to use with the right Boons, but is only fun with said builds. The critical hit chance does allow flexibility with being able to use higher damage percentage increase Boons.

21. Zagreus Spear

I was excited to try more special based builds with this (Poseidon, Zeus, Artemis), but it failed to compare to special uses from the Guan Yu and Hades Aspects.

This can shine further with the Chain Skewer Hammer upgrade and the Hermes special speed boost.

22. Zagreus Shield

Dash-attack builds with Artemis Attack and Dash Boons make the best use of the Shield’s added bonuses. In a failed clear, I did have Chaos Dash-strike bonus along with the Artemis Boons and also using the Ruthless Reflex Mirror of the Night upgrade. While the damage ceiling was high, the extra risk using Ruthless Reflex is difficult to stay alive in the final Elysium fight.

I have yet to try other combinations with this shield, as other shield Aspects have been more exciting.

23. Talos

I certainly will not Get Over Here as much as this weapon would like me to. Its core quirk is especially fun to use with Poseidon, but its boost is trivial compared to other Aspects that have easier activation conditions.

24. Zagreus Gun

In the grand scheme of things, all that extra ammo provides is just a DPS increase without any flavor or fun synergy.

Favored Boons: I don’t know, I’ve only used this aspect probably like twice