HADES I · ZAGREUS / POST-LAUNCH PC
Boons and Duos
Build around 5 core slots, Status Curses and supporting prerequisites. Check uses for 10 gods and requirements for 28 Duos to identify why a desired offer is missing.
Scope: Hades I, post-v1.0 PC release. Official update announcements checked through February 2022. Current executable version numbers on each platform are unconfirmed / Source check: 2026-10-02
Core-slot order and exchanges
| Slot | What to decide | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Attack | Boost individual hits or trigger extra effects through frequent hits. | Do not mechanically choose the same support for rail/fist combos and charged bow shots. |
| Special | Decide whether it carries another god or Status Curse. | Upgrading an unused Special adds nothing to ordinary Attack. |
| Cast | Lodge a Bloodstone with a direct hit or change it into ground effects, rifts or crystals. | Separate rift, crystal and fog Casts from Mirror talents requiring a lodged Bloodstone. |
| Dash | Add Deflect, knockback or another effect while dodging. | A god's Dash does not always substitute for its Attack boon in Duo prerequisites. |
| Call | Choose a gauge-based attack, defense or movement role. | A full-gauge Call differs from a short Call. Check which an achievement requires. |
- Another god may offer to replace an occupied core slot. The offered replacement is 1 rarity tier higher and retains level. An exchange is not guaranteed.
- Rarity differs from levels gained through Poms. Duo and Legendary boons have their own prerequisites; leveling an ordinary boon does not transform it into one.
Zeus: trigger lightning through frequent hits
| Boon / element | Use | Check before choosing |
|---|---|---|
| Lightning Strike | Chain lightning on Attack. | Try frequent rail or fist hits. This differs from a multiplier on Attack's base damage. |
| Thunder Flourish | Lightning bolts on Special hits. | Distinguish Specials that hit several foes from those that repeatedly hit one. |
| Electric Shot | A Cast projectile ricocheting from foe to foe. | Check Bloodstone retrieval positions before firing again. |
| Static Discharge | Makes lightning-hit foes Jolted. | Ordinary lightning does not automatically apply Jolted. |
| Double Strike / Splitting Bolt | Additional-lightning and Legendary branches. | Check prerequisite boons in the Codex before looking for lightning support. |
Poseidon: use walls and knockback
| Boon / element | Use | Check before choosing |
|---|---|---|
| Tempest Strike (Attack) / Tempest Flourish (Special) | Knockback on Attack or Special. | Push foes toward walls. Damage bonuses still apply to bosses that cannot be pushed. |
| Flood Shot | An area Cast with knockback. | Choose positions near walls rather than chasing scattered foes. |
| Tidal Dash | Dash knocks back nearby foes. | Do not count this Dash alone toward Sea Storm's prerequisite. |
| Razor Shoals | Applies Ruptured to knocked-back foes. | Ruptured works when the target moves; it is separate from wall-slam support. |
| Typhoon Fury / Breaking Wave | Supports wall slams. | Do not expect the same trigger count in an area with few walls. |
Athena: choose which attack Deflects
| Boon / element | Use | Check before choosing |
|---|---|---|
| Divine Strike (Attack) / Divine Flourish (Special) | Attack or Special Deflects enemy attacks. | Distinguish active attack moments from time spent doing nothing. |
| Phalanx Shot | A Cast that Deflects. | Aim while sending projectiles back. |
| Divine Dash | Deflect while Dashing. | This alone does not satisfy Merciful End's prerequisite. |
| Blinding Flash | Deflecting attacks apply Exposed. | Use it to increase damage from behind. |
| Deathless Stand / Last Stand | Supports revive charges or safety after reviving. | Check remaining revives and compare with Hammers or other boons. |
Aphrodite: Weak and individual-hit bonuses
| Boon / element | Use | Check before choosing |
|---|---|---|
| Heartbreak Strike (Attack) / Heartbreak Flourish (Special) | Boosts Attack or Special and applies Weak. | Combine offense and reduced incoming damage on a heavy-hitting weapon. |
| Crush Shot | A short-range cone Cast. | Fire within range rather than treating it as a long straight projectile. |
| Passion Dash | Applies Weak around the end of a Dash. | Unlike the Attack bonus, it applies to foes touched by the Dash effect. |
| Sweet Surrender | Extra damage against Weak foes. | Secure a Weak-applying boon first. |
| Broken Resolve / Empty Inside | Supports Weak's reduction or duration. | When combining curses, reapply before it expires. |
Ares: delayed Doom
| Boon / element | Use | Check before choosing |
|---|---|---|
| Curse of Agony / Curse of Pain | Applies Doom through Attack or Special. | Disengage after attacking and use the delayed damage. |
| Slicing Shot | A moving Blade Rift Cast. | Distinct from a Cast that lodges a Bloodstone. |
| Blade Dash | Leaves a Blade Rift after Dashing. | Hit foes following your retreat route. |
| Dire Misfortune | Supports repeated Doom applications on the same foe. | Ordinary Doom does not create a separate full stack for every rapid hit. |
| Impending Doom | Raises Doom damage and delays its trigger. | Make space to avoid another attack before it triggers. |
Artemis: critical hits and Casts
| Boon / element | Use | Check before choosing |
|---|---|---|
| Deadly Strike (Attack) / Deadly Flourish (Special) | Gives Attack or Special critical chance. | Do not judge a probabilistic bonus from only 1 hit. |
| True Shot | A seeking Cast. | Include Bloodstone retrieval after firing. |
| Pressure Points | Gives many damage sources a critical chance. | Distinct from guaranteeing every hit critically strikes a Hunter's Mark target. |
| Support Fire | Seeking arrows from Attack, Special and Cast. | Combine with attacks that produce many hits. |
| Exit Wounds | Extra damage when Bloodstones leave enemies. | Rift, fog and crystal Casts do not lodge stones and cannot be used identically. |
Dionysus: stack Hangover
| Boon / element | Use | Check before choosing |
|---|---|---|
| Drunken Strike (Attack) / Drunken Flourish (Special) | Attack or Special applies Hangover. | Stack it through fast hits, then switch to evasion. |
| Drunken Dash | Dash applies Hangover. | A different role from a slot that strengthens a heavy attack. |
| Trippy Shot | A Cast that creates fog where it lands. | Check enemy movement after throwing and the landing position. |
| Positive Outlook / Strong Drink | Low-Life resistance or fountain support. | Once attack boons are in place, compare it with survival needs in remaining regions. |
| Numbing Sensation / Peer Pressure | Hangover slowing or spreading. | Requires an application method first. The ordinary stack cap is 5. |
Demeter: Chill and crystals
| Boon / element | Use | Check before choosing |
|---|---|---|
| Frost Strike (Attack) / Frost Flourish (Special) | Attack or Special applies Chill. | Stack Chill through fast hits to slow enemies. |
| Crystal Beam | A placed crystal fires a beam. | Reposition for enemy movement. It does not lodge Bloodstones in foes. |
| Mistral Dash | Applies Chill ahead of a Dash. | Align movement direction with the target. |
| Arctic Blast / Killing Freeze | Turns Chill stacking into extra effects. | Distinguish reaching 10 stacks on a target from applying Chill to every foe. |
| Rare Crop | Lowers boon rarity, then improves it over encounters. | Check remaining encounters and whether you can accept temporary weakness. |
Hermes: speed, dodge and Bloodstone recovery
| Boon / element | Use | Check before choosing |
|---|---|---|
| Greater Haste / Greater Evasion | Movement speed or dodge chance. | Test whether it actually gets you out of attack areas. |
| Swift Strike / Swift Flourish | Attack or Special speed. | Match the attack you use. |
| Greatest Reflex | Adds consecutive Dashes. | Can combine with Greater Reflex. Decide whether more Dashes are needed. |
| Quick Reload / Auto Reload | Lodged Bloodstone recovery timing or automatic regeneration. | Offers differ according to Infernal Soul or Stygian Soul in the Mirror. |
| Rush Delivery | Converts movement speed into a damage bonus. | Meet the Hyper Sprint or Greater Haste prerequisite first. |
Chaos: the curse period and later blessing
| Boon / element | Use | Check before choosing |
|---|---|---|
| Chaos Gate | Normally costs Life to enter. | Check current Life and the displayed cost. Cosmic Egg prevents the entrance cost. |
| Curse that damages you when attacking | Makes a specified action dangerous for several encounters. | For an Attack curse, switch to Special; for a Special curse, switch to Attack. |
| Healing, movement or extra-enemy curses | Change survival conditions along the route. | Count remaining encounters to see whether the curse will end before the next boss. |
| Attack, Special or Cast blessings | Bonuses activate after the curse period. | Choose a blessing that matches your current attack slots. |
| Defiance | A Legendary that adds a revive. | Seek it after acquiring another Chaos blessing. Several visits do not guarantee it. |
6 combination examples
| Starting point | What to add | How to play it |
|---|---|---|
| Zeus Attack on fists or rail | Static Discharge and support for more Attack hits. | Apply lightning and Jolted with a short burst, then leave before the counterattack. |
| Aphrodite Attack on a bow or similar weapon | Extra damage to Weak foes and another god's Special. | Apply Weak with Attack, then charge shots in openings after dodging. |
| Ares Attack + Athena Special | Eligible for Merciful End. After acquiring it, Divine Dash can also trigger the Deflect interaction. | Apply Doom, then hit with a Deflecting attack. Do not try to qualify using only Divine Dash. |
| Slicing Shot + Artemis Attack or another eligible slot | Hunting Blades; support for Cast count or recovery speed. | Place the seeking rift and move away from enemy attacks. |
| Crystal Beam + Artemis Attack or another eligible slot | Crystal Clarity; support for crystal duration or applying Chill. | Create a position the crystal can track from and replace it as needed. True Shot occupies the same Cast slot and cannot coexist as the prerequisite. |
| Poseidon Attack or another eligible slot + Zeus boon | Sea Storm; support for knockback and lightning. | Push enemies into walls; maintain basic attacks and evasion against immovable bosses. |
- These examples adapt inputs to acquired boons. They are not a strongest-build ranking or guaranteed completed setups.
28 Duos: requirements for eligible offers
This table uses ordinary Casts as its baseline. Hera and Beowulf Flares have different compatibility: check the equipped weapon's Codex entry for Cast-conversion rows too.
| Duo | Boons required | Use / exception |
|---|---|---|
| Curse of Longing | Any Aphrodite Attack, Special, Cast or Dash + Ares Attack or Special. | Repeated Doom triggers against Weak foes. |
| Heart Rend | Any Aphrodite Attack, Special, Cast or Dash + any Artemis Attack, Special or Cast. | Supports critical damage against Weak foes. |
| Parting Shot | Any of Aphrodite's 5 core slots + any of Athena's 5 core slots. | Applies rear-attack bonuses to Cast. Incompatible with fog Casts and some Flares. |
| Cold Embrace | Any Aphrodite Attack, Special, Dash or Call + Crystal Beam. | Crystals fire toward you. Cannot be chosen with Crystal Clarity. |
| Low Tolerance | Any Aphrodite Attack, Special, Cast or Dash + any Dionysus Attack, Special, Dash or Call. | Raises Hangover stack count against Weak foes. |
| Sweet Nectar | Any of Aphrodite's 5 core slots + any of Poseidon's 5 core slots. | Increases levels granted by Poms acquired afterward. |
| Smoldering Air | One each from Aphrodite's and Zeus's 5 core slots + a Call other than Hades's. | Automatically builds the gauge but caps it. Keep separate from full-gauge achievements. |
| Hunting Blades | Slicing Shot + any Artemis Attack, Special, Dash or Call. | Blade Rifts seek foes. Exclusive with Freezing Vortex. |
| Merciful End | Ares Attack or Special + Athena Attack or Special. | Deflecting attacks trigger Doom. Athena Dash alone is insufficient as a prerequisite. |
| Freezing Vortex | Slicing Shot + any Demeter Attack, Special, Dash or Call. | Adds Chill to rifts. Exclusive with Hunting Blades. |
| Curse of Nausea | Any Ares Attack, Special or revenge boon + any Dionysus Attack, Special or Dash. | Shortens Hangover intervals. Sources differ on whether Call qualifies, so that remains withheld here. |
| Curse of Drowning | Any Ares Attack, Special, Dash or Call + Flood Shot. | Changes Cast into an attack around you. Incompatible with Blizzard Shot, Ice Wine, Mirage Shot and certain other effects. |
| Vengeful Mood | One of Ares's 5 core slots + one of Zeus's 5 core slots + a revenge boon. | Triggers revenge effects without taking damage. Do not forget the prerequisite revenge boon. |
| Deadly Reversal | Athena Attack or Special + any Artemis Attack, Special, Cast or Call. | Improves critical chance after Deflecting. Athena Dash alone does not meet the prerequisite. |
| Crystal Clarity | Crystal Beam + any Artemis Attack, Special, Dash or Call. | Changes crystal tracking. Exclusive with Cold Embrace. |
| Splitting Headache | Any Artemis Attack, Special, Cast or Call + any Dionysus Attack, Special, Dash or Call. | Supports critical hits against Hangover foes. Hunter's Flare does not qualify as a prerequisite. |
| Mirage Shot | Any Artemis Attack, Special, Cast or Call + any of Poseidon's 5 core slots. | Adds a Cast projectile. Incompatible with Curse of Drowning. |
| Lightning Rod | Any of Artemis's 5 core slots + any of Zeus's 5 core slots. | Ground Bloodstones cause lightning. Ineligible with Stygian Soul in the Mirror. |
| Stubborn Roots | One each from Athena's and Demeter's 5 core slots. | Ongoing healing when no revive is available. It does not heal while revives remain usable. |
| Calculated Risk | Any Athena Attack, Special, Dash or Call + any Dionysus Attack, Special, Dash or Call. | Slows enemy projectiles. Does not stop every attack. |
| Unshakable Mettle | Any Athena Attack, Special, Cast or Call + any Poseidon Attack, Special, Cast or Call. | Stagger resistance and reduced boss damage. Dash cannot substitute for a prerequisite slot. |
| Lightning Phalanx | Phalanx Shot + any Zeus Attack, Special, Dash or Call. | Athena's Cast bounces. |
| Ice Wine | Trippy Shot + any Demeter Attack, Special, Dash or Call. | Changes fog impact and Chill. Exclusive with Blizzard Shot and Curse of Drowning. |
| Blizzard Shot | Flood Shot + any Demeter Attack, Special, Dash or Call. | Changes Poseidon's Cast into Chill shots. Exclusive with Ice Wine and Curse of Drowning. |
| Cold Fusion | Static Discharge + any Demeter Attack, Special, Dash or Call. | Jolted no longer expires when a foe attacks. A basic lightning boon alone is insufficient. |
| Exclusive Access | One each from Dionysus's and Poseidon's 5 core slots. | Raises the minimum rarity of subsequently acquired boons. |
| Scintillating Feast | Trippy Shot + any Zeus Attack, Special, Dash or Call. | Lightning strikes the fog area. |
| Sea Storm | Any Poseidon Attack, Special, Cast or Call + any of Zeus's 5 core slots. | Adds lightning to knockback effects. Tidal Dash alone does not satisfy the requirement. |
- Prerequisite boons establish eligibility, not a guaranteed Duo at the next selection. Seek Duos in ordinary god-boon rooms rather than Trials of the Gods.
- Replacing a prerequisite attack slot after acquisition changes the setup. Check whether the effect's triggering conditions will still work before choosing.
When the desired offer does not appear
- Check the listed slots rather than merely owning a boon from the god. Do not substitute Dash for an Attack/Special-only requirement.
- Check whether you are pursuing 2 incompatible Cast-converting Duos, or an offer incompatible with the active Mirror talent.
- Unlock the House Contractor's Codex Index and inspect the actual prerequisite list. Distinguish alternatives from requirements that must all be owned.
- At the next regional cabinet, equip the appropriate god's Keepsake to create more boon opportunities. Fated Persuasion rerolls the 3 already displayed offers.