Ars Goetia's dark fantasy dungeon crawler released on 26 May 2022 through Dear Villagers, and it asks you to pick which of six demons your character serves before the first fight. That pact is the class system: Lucifer, Beelzebub, Baal, Satan, Asmodeus and Leviathan each hand you a different skill tree, different stat growth per level and a different Demon Form. Combat is turn based on a fatigue clock rather than a strict you go, I go order, so cheap actions can chain before an enemy ever moves.
These tips go beyond the basics. They're the strategies experienced players use to play more efficiently, the hidden mechanics most people miss, and the optimizations that compound over a full playthrough. If you're just starting, check our beginner's guide first.
Essential Tips
1. Read the demon description before you pick
Read the demon description before you pick. There is no way to change pact mid run, and each of the six lays its skill tree out differently even where the abilities overlap.
2. Postures do not appear until character level 6
Postures do not appear until character level 6. If you have been ignoring that tab, open it the moment you hit level 6 because they are free passive buffs.
3. Fatigue is the actual turn order
Fatigue is the actual turn order. Cheap Momentums let you act several times before an enemy moves, and Interruption or Decay pushes an enemy's action further back by seconds.
4. Several of the best abilities only recharge on Demon Form
Several of the best abilities only recharge on Demon Form. Apocalyptic Choreography, Satanic Power, Focus and Wound Aggravation are one use per charge, so a boss entered with Demon Form ready is a much shorter fight.
5. Never sell crafting materials
Never sell crafting materials. Infernium Ore, Abyss Coral, Demon Tooth, Cobra Venom and Stones of Arbenia all feed the first seven recipe tiers and merchants do not restock them reliably.
6. Recipe scrolls appear as floating scrolls inside dungeons and nowhere else
Recipe scrolls appear as floating scrolls inside dungeons and nowhere else. Clear rooms fully instead of beelining the exit, because a missed scroll means a weapon tier you simply cannot craft.
7. Byleth and Synok are the only two towns in the game
Byleth and Synok are the only two towns in the game. Plan each dungeon trip around a full inventory, because there is nowhere else to sell, stash or craft.
8. Damage over time bypasses armor
Damage over time bypasses armor. Against heavily armored bosses a Baal poison build or an Asmodeus bleed build outdamages a straight melee build that is losing chunks to mitigation.
9. Martyr's Death Rattle and Time Warp only come back when you are near death
Martyr's Death Rattle and Time Warp only come back when you are near death. Do not treat them as rotation skills, treat them as the reason a losing fight is still winnable.
10. New Game Plus raises difficulty and changes your starting demon
New Game Plus raises difficulty and changes your starting demon. It is the intended way to try a second pact rather than a victory lap over the same content.
Advanced Strategies
Build Optimization
The difference between an average build and an optimized one is massive. See our builds guide for full breakdowns.
For Lucifer (A-Tier):
- Focus on Demonic pact instead of a class combinations for maximum output.
- Core gear: Balam's Strike
- Stat priority: Offensive stats first
For Beelzebub (A-Tier):
- Versatile approach that handles any situation.
- Core gear: Apocalyptic Choreography
- Stat priority: Balanced stats
Mechanic Interactions
Understanding how Hellslave's systems interact is where the real optimization lives. Our combat guide covers this in detail.
Demonic pact instead of a class + Fatigue clock turn order: You pledge to one of six demons at the start, and that choice sets your stat growth, your Demon Form and your entire skill tree. Combined with Fatigue clock turn order, every action costs time on a fatigue bar instead of simply ending your turn, so cheap skills can fire several times before an enemy acts.
Momentums and Postures + Demon Form charged over five fights: Momentums are the active abilities on your battle menu and cost Mana or Rage. When paired with Demon Form charged over five fights, your demon form charges across five fights, and several of the strongest abilities only recharge when it triggers.
Recipe scrolls and crafting scaling: Crafting recipes appear as floating scrolls inside dungeons and cannot be bought from a merchant. Materials such as Infernium Ore, Abyss Coral, Demon Tooth and Stones of Arbenia feed the first seven recipe tiers, so selling them is a mistake you find out about later.
Equipment Efficiency
| Equipment | Best Use Case | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Balam's Strike | Consistent single target melee damage | Deals double melee damage in one action, the cleanest damage Momentum in the melee trees. |
| Apocalyptic Choreography | Opening a crowded fight or finishing a wounded pack | Hits every enemy on the field for heavy damage but fires only once, recharging when your Demon Form triggers. |
| Wound Aggravation | Poison and bleed builds after two or three stacking actions | Doubles all poison and bleeding stacks on every enemy at once. |
| Time Warp | Emergency resets when a boss is about to act | Adds 7 seconds of fatigue to every enemy, which on the fatigue clock is close to skipping their turn outright. |
| Destruction | Long boss fights where crits have already piled up | Cannot miss, adds 30 percent damage, and stacks another 20 percent for every critical you have already landed in the fight. |
Location Efficiency
Byleth (Opening act): The first of only two towns in the game, and the hub for merchants, the stash, crafting and quest NPCs through the opening act. There is no fast travel, so trips out are round trips.
Synok (Second half of the campaign): The second and final town, unlocked once the story moves onto the later map. It carries the same functions as Byleth with higher tier merchant inventory.
Tomb of Heroes (Early game, before Demon Form is reliable): An early dungeon full of undead and one of the first places worth clearing fully rather than rushing. Its layout is where the game teaches demon shrines, traps and anomalies.
Troglodyte City (Mid to late campaign): A mid to late dungeon that lends its name to the Troglodyte Golden Axe recipe. Fights come in larger packs here, which is where an all enemy Momentum earns its slot.
Lair of Zarrak (Late campaign): A named boss lair rather than a wandering dungeon, and one of the fights that punishes a half built skill tree hardest. Walk in with Demon Form charged.
Mistakes Even Veterans Make
- Spreading skill points thinly across the whole tree. Each demon's tree is wide, and a half built character has no Momentum worth casting in the fights that matter.
- Selling relics and materials for early gold. Relics with effects like reflecting poison back at attackers are worth far more than the coin you get for them.
- Saving Demon Form for a boss that never arrives. It charges over five fights, so using it and recharging usually beats hoarding it across a whole dungeon.
- Playing it like a standard turn based RPG. The fatigue clock means the enemy is not guaranteed an action after yours, and cheap abilities chain.
- Picking Satan for a first run because the name sounds strongest. Community guides call it fun but weak in the endgame, and Lucifer or Leviathan are friendlier openers.
Pro Quick Tips
- Read the demon description before you pick. There is no way to change pact mid run, and each of the six lays its skill tree out differently even where the abilities overlap.
- Postures do not appear until character level 6. If you have been ignoring that tab, open it the moment you hit level 6 because they are free passive buffs.
- Fatigue is the actual turn order. Cheap Momentums let you act several times before an enemy moves, and Interruption or Decay pushes an enemy's action further back by seconds.
- Start with Beelzebub, switch to Lucifer when ready
- Invest in Balam's Strike above everything else
- Clear areas in order: Byleth → Synok → Tomb of Heroes → Troglodyte City → Lair of Zarrak. See our maps guide
- Demonic pact instead of a class + Fatigue clock turn order together are stronger than either alone
More Hellslave Guides
- Hellslave Hellslave Overview
- Hellslave Best Builds
- Hellslave Tier List
- Hellslave Walkthrough
- Hellslave Beginner's Guide
- Hellslave Weapons Guide
- Hellslave Combat Guide
- Hellslave Boss Guide
- Hellslave Maps & Locations
- Hellslave Crafting Guide
- Hellslave Classes & Characters
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- Cyberpunk 2077 Tips & Tricks: rpg game with similar mechanics
