Hades Tier List — Current Rankings

This Hades tier list ranks every major option by overall effectiveness. Rankings factor in damage output, survivability, versatility, gear requirements, and how well each option scales.

Tier definitions: S = best in class, always a strong pick. A = strong and competitive, minor weaknesses. B = solid but clearly outperformed in most situations. C = viable only for players who enjoy the playstyle.

Builds Rankings

Detailed Builds Analysis

Stygian Blade (A-Tier)

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.

Best with: Aspect of Nemesis, Artemis Attack boon (Deadly Strike), Athena Dash (Divine Dash), Hermes Attack Speed Stat focus: Critical chance, attack speed, base damage percentage

Heart-Seeking Bow (A-Tier)

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.

Best with: Aspect of Chiron, Aphrodite Attack (Heartbreak Strike), Ares Special (Curse of Pain), Athena Dash Stat focus: Attack percentage damage, special hits, Doom damage

Shield of Chaos (S-Tier)

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.

Best with: Aspect of Zeus, Zeus Attack (Lightning Strike), Poseidon Special (Tidal Dash alternative), Artemis Support Fire Stat focus: Bonus bounces, lightning damage, attack speed

Adamant Rail (S-Tier)

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.

Best with: Aspect of Eris, Aphrodite Attack (Heartbreak Strike), Artemis Special (Deadly Flourish), Athena Dash Stat focus: Attack percentage, fire rate, special detonation timing

Twin Fists of Malphon (A-Tier)

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.

Best with: Aspect of Talos, Dionysus Attack (Drunken Strike), Athena Special (Divine Flourish), Hermes Attack Speed Stat focus: Attack speed, on-hit effects, status damage stacking

Equipment Rankings

Equipment Analysis

Coronacht: The Heart-Seeking Bow that fires charged power shots and a spread of homing arrows on special. Aspect of Chiron is the standout — special arrows auto-target whoever you last hit with attack, stacking boon effects reliably. Chiron bow is one of the most consistent boss-killing setups in the game.

Varatha: The Eternal Spear with long range poke and a thrown special. Aspect of Guan Yu trades max HP for a massive spinning attack that heals on hit. It's a high-risk high-reward aspect that rewards skilled play. The standard spear is a safe, reliable weapon for learning the game.

Aegis: The Shield of Chaos blocks all frontal damage when holding attack. Aspect of Zeus makes the thrown shield bounce continuously between enemies. Combined with Zeus attack boon, the bouncing shield deals chain lightning with every bounce, clearing rooms without you needing to be in danger.

Exagryph: The Adamant Rail is a rapid-fire gun with a grenade special. Aspect of Eris grants +75% total damage after absorbing your own grenade blast. This aspect has possibly the highest burst DPS in the game. The rail also benefits from the Cluster Bomb Daedalus hammer that splits grenades into multiple bomblets.

Malphon: The Twin Fists attack the fastest of any weapon, hitting 3-5 times per second. Aspect of Talos adds a magnetic pull to your special that groups enemies together for combo damage. The fists excel with on-hit boons like Dionysus Hangover or Zeus Lightning because more hits means more procs.

Meta Analysis

The current meta in Hades centers on boon selection and mirror upgrades. Builds that leverage both systems outperform those that focus on only one.

What's strong right now:

• Stygian Blade with Coronacht is the benchmark. Everything else is measured against it.
• weapon aspects builds are gaining ground as players find new synergies.
• Shield of Chaos remains essential for learning hard content.

What's underrated:

• Heart-Seeking Bow is consistently overlooked despite being the most flexible option.
• Aegis offers excellent performance for its investment level.

What's overhyped:

• Pure Twin Fists of Malphon builds. High ceiling but the consistency isn't there for most players.

Quick Picks by Situation

For full build guides, see Hades builds. For progression help, check the walkthrough.