Hades is the roguelike that converted people who hate roguelikes. Supergiant Games created a game where dying is genuinely fun because each death advances a rich story with fully voice-acted dialogue that changes based on how you died, what weapons you used, and which gods you interacted with. The gameplay loop sends Zagreus through four distinct regions of the Underworld, collecting boons (power-ups) from Olympian gods that synergize in wildly creative ways. Over 300 unique boon combinations mean every run feels different, and the weapon Aspect system adds another layer of build diversity. Even after your first successful escape, the Pact of Punishment adds escalating difficulty modifiers for hundreds of hours of replayability.
Picking the right build determines how your experience plays out. These builds are ranked by overall effectiveness — factoring in damage, survivability, gear requirements, and how well they scale into endgame.
Quick Rankings
| Build | Tier | Playstyle | Core Gear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stygian Blade | A | Dash in, use special for the crit buff, then spam attacks on the boss. Artemis boons stack crit to 30%+ making your DPS extremely high. | Aspect of Nemesis, Artemis Attack boon (Deadly Strike), Athena Dash (Divine Dash), Hermes Attack Speed |
| Heart-Seeking Bow | A | Tag enemies with one charged attack, then spam special to auto-home 4+ arrows on the tagged target. The Ares Doom procs stack devastatingly. | Aspect of Chiron, Aphrodite Attack (Heartbreak Strike), Ares Special (Curse of Pain), Athena Dash |
| Shield of Chaos | S | Throw the shield and let it bounce between all enemies while blocking with bull rush. Add Zeus lightning for massive AoE clear speed. | Aspect of Zeus, Zeus Attack (Lightning Strike), Poseidon Special (Tidal Dash alternative), Artemis Support Fire |
| Adamant Rail | S | Fire your special grenade, dash into the explosion to trigger Eris buff, then empty your magazine into the boss with +75% damage for 4 seconds. | Aspect of Eris, Aphrodite Attack (Heartbreak Strike), Artemis Special (Deadly Flourish), Athena Dash |
| Twin Fists of Malphon | A | Pull enemies in with Talos special, then rapid-punch to stack Hangover. The fast attack speed means status effects apply faster than any other weapon. | Aspect of Talos, Dionysus Attack (Drunken Strike), Athena Special (Divine Flourish), Hermes Attack Speed |
A-Tier: Stygian Blade
The Stygian Blade has fast attacks and a powerful special that hits in an arc. Aspect of Nemesis adds +15% crit chance after using special, synergizing perfectly with Artemis crit boons. The blade is the most beginner-friendly weapon with good reach and quick recovery. Aspect of Arthur transforms it into a massive greatsword with a 50-HP aura but much slower attacks.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Coronacht | The Heart-Seeking Bow that fires charged power shots and a spread of homing arrows on special. |
| Core Gear | Aspect of Nemesis, Artemis Attack boon (Deadly Strike), Athena Dash (Divine Dash), Hermes Attack Speed | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Critical chance, attack speed, base damage percentage | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | boon selection | Olympian gods offer boons (abilities) after clearing rooms. |
How to Play Stygian Blade
Dash in, use special for the crit buff, then spam attacks on the boss. Artemis boons stack crit to 30%+ making your DPS extremely high.
The Stygian Blade has fast attacks and a powerful special that hits in an arc. Aspect of Nemesis adds +15% crit chance after using special, synergizing perfectly with Artemis crit boons. The blade is the most beginner-friendly weapon with good reach and quick recovery. Aspect of Arthur transforms it into a massive greatsword with a 50-HP aura but much slower attacks.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Coronacht and boon selection creates a gameplay loop that outperforms other options. Core gear like Aspect of Nemesis, Artemis Attack boon (Deadly Strike), Athena Dash (Divine Dash), Hermes Attack Speed amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Highest overall performance
- Clear stat priority (Critical chance, attack speed, base damage percentage) makes gearing straightforward
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Popular pick, resources may be contested
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Heart-Seeking Bow
Coronacht (the bow) excels at safe, ranged damage with charged power shots. Aspect of Chiron causes your special to automatically target the last enemy hit by your attack, creating a reliable damage loop. Pair with Aphrodite attack for massive power shot damage and Ares special for stacking Doom on auto-target specials.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Varatha | The Eternal Spear with long range poke and a thrown special. |
| Core Gear | Aspect of Chiron, Aphrodite Attack (Heartbreak Strike), Ares Special (Curse of Pain), Athena Dash | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Attack percentage damage, special hits, Doom damage | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | mirror upgrades | The Mirror of Night in Zagreus's bedroom provides permanent meta-progression upgrades purchased with Darkness currency. |
How to Play Heart-Seeking Bow
Tag enemies with one charged attack, then spam special to auto-home 4+ arrows on the tagged target. The Ares Doom procs stack devastatingly.
Coronacht (the bow) excels at safe, ranged damage with charged power shots. Aspect of Chiron causes your special to automatically target the last enemy hit by your attack, creating a reliable damage loop. Pair with Aphrodite attack for massive power shot damage and Ares special for stacking Doom on auto-target specials.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Varatha and mirror upgrades creates a gameplay loop that offers reliable performance. Core gear like Aspect of Chiron, Aphrodite Attack (Heartbreak Strike), Ares Special (Curse of Pain), Athena Dash amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Most versatile option
- Clear stat priority (Attack percentage damage, special hits, Doom damage) makes gearing straightforward
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Lower peak damage than S-tier
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
S-Tier: Shield of Chaos
Aegis (the shield) is the safest weapon because holding attack blocks all frontal damage. Aspect of Zeus causes the thrown shield to bounce between enemies dealing continuous damage. Pair with Zeus attack boon to add chain lightning to every bounce. This build clears rooms by throwing the shield and watching it bounce-destroy everything.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Aegis | The Shield of Chaos blocks all frontal damage when holding attack. |
| Core Gear | Aspect of Zeus, Zeus Attack (Lightning Strike), Poseidon Special (Tidal Dash alternative), Artemis Support Fire | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Bonus bounces, lightning damage, attack speed | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | weapon aspects | Each of the six weapons (called Infernal Arms) has four Aspects that fundamentally change how they play. |
How to Play Shield of Chaos
Throw the shield and let it bounce between all enemies while blocking with bull rush. Add Zeus lightning for massive AoE clear speed.
Aegis (the shield) is the safest weapon because holding attack blocks all frontal damage. Aspect of Zeus causes the thrown shield to bounce between enemies dealing continuous damage. Pair with Zeus attack boon to add chain lightning to every bounce. This build clears rooms by throwing the shield and watching it bounce-destroy everything.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Aegis and weapon aspects creates a gameplay loop that offers reliable performance. Core gear like Aspect of Zeus, Zeus Attack (Lightning Strike), Poseidon Special (Tidal Dash alternative), Artemis Support Fire amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Best survivability
- Clear stat priority (Bonus bounces, lightning damage, attack speed) makes gearing straightforward
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Slower clear speeds
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
S-Tier: Adamant Rail
Exagryph (the rail gun) is the most unique weapon — a machine gun with a grenade launcher special. Aspect of Eris gives +75% damage for 4 seconds after absorbing your own special blast. This means you fire a grenade at your feet, absorb the blast, then unload your entire magazine with a 75% damage buff. It melts bosses.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Exagryph | The Adamant Rail is a rapid-fire gun with a grenade special. |
| Core Gear | Aspect of Eris, Aphrodite Attack (Heartbreak Strike), Artemis Special (Deadly Flourish), Athena Dash | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Attack percentage, fire rate, special detonation timing | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | keepsake system | Keepsakes are equippable trinkets earned by giving Nectar to NPCs. |
How to Play Adamant Rail
Fire your special grenade, dash into the explosion to trigger Eris buff, then empty your magazine into the boss with +75% damage for 4 seconds.
Exagryph (the rail gun) is the most unique weapon — a machine gun with a grenade launcher special. Aspect of Eris gives +75% damage for 4 seconds after absorbing your own special blast. This means you fire a grenade at your feet, absorb the blast, then unload your entire magazine with a 75% damage buff. It melts bosses.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Exagryph and keepsake system creates a gameplay loop that provides a unique approach. Core gear like Aspect of Eris, Aphrodite Attack (Heartbreak Strike), Artemis Special (Deadly Flourish), Athena Dash amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Strong in group/team content
- Clear stat priority (Attack percentage, fire rate, special detonation timing) makes gearing straightforward
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- Weaker solo performance
- Requires deep game knowledge
A-Tier: Twin Fists of Malphon
Malphon (the fists) have the fastest attack speed in the game, making them ideal for on-hit effects. Aspect of Talos adds a magnetic special that pulls enemies toward you and deals bonus damage. Pair with Dionysus attack for stacking Hangover ticks — each fast punch applies a poison stack, and rapid punching builds 5 stacks almost instantly.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Malphon | The Twin Fists attack the fastest of any weapon, hitting 3-5 times per second. |
| Core Gear | Aspect of Talos, Dionysus Attack (Drunken Strike), Athena Special (Divine Flourish), Hermes Attack Speed | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Attack speed, on-hit effects, status damage stacking | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | relationship building | Giving Nectar and Ambrosia to NPCs advances relationship storylines with unique dialogue at each stage. |
How to Play Twin Fists of Malphon
Pull enemies in with Talos special, then rapid-punch to stack Hangover. The fast attack speed means status effects apply faster than any other weapon.
Malphon (the fists) have the fastest attack speed in the game, making them ideal for on-hit effects. Aspect of Talos adds a magnetic special that pulls enemies toward you and deals bonus damage. Pair with Dionysus attack for stacking Hangover ticks — each fast punch applies a poison stack, and rapid punching builds 5 stacks almost instantly.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Malphon and relationship building creates a gameplay loop that provides a unique approach. Core gear like Aspect of Talos, Dionysus Attack (Drunken Strike), Athena Special (Divine Flourish), Hermes Attack Speed amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Unique, rewarding playstyle
- Clear stat priority (Attack speed, on-hit effects, status damage stacking) makes gearing straightforward
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- High skill floor, punishing when misplayed
- Requires deep game knowledge
Build Progression Path
- Start with Heart-Seeking Bow — the most forgiving option for learning the game
- Transition to Stygian Blade once you understand core mechanics and have access to Coronacht
- Keep a Shield of Chaos setup for content that keeps killing you
- Try Twin Fists of Malphon for a fresh experience once you've mastered the basics
Gearing Tips
- Invest in your primary equipment first — it gives the biggest power spike
- Privileged Status from the Mirror (+40% damage to enemies with 2+ status effects) is the single strongest mirror upgrade. Build around applying two different status effects (e.g., Aphrodite Weak + Dionysus Hangover) to trigger it.
- Duo Boons require having prerequisite boons from both gods. Check the Codex (hotkey available in-run) to see each Duo Boon's requirements so you can plan your build.
- Don't spread upgrade resources across multiple builds until endgame
See our tier list for current meta rankings, or the beginner's guide if you're just getting started.
