As you fight your way through the popular hack-and-slash dungeon-crawler game, Hades, you’ll quickly learn that boons (the game’s powerups) are everything. Boons are divine gifts bestowed upon Zagreus by the Gods and are arguably the game’s most exciting and transformative features. Providing a wide variety of unique benefits and gameplay modifications, these boons can provide Zagreus with more survivability, damage output, or defense. Each Boon you choose will significantly alter the way you approach your run, so it’s best you learn what each God can provide you. Welcome to the ultimate boon guide to help you conquer the Underworld.

1. Poseidon’s Boons

Poseidon offers boons that primarily modify Zagreus’ dash, special, and cast abilities, making them deal more damage and knocking foes away. His boons usually offer a unique “knock-away” effect, giving you a new strategic element where you can deal additional damage by pushing enemies against walls or other obstacles. Fantastic for crowd control, Poseidon’s boons are especially useful for fighting against large clusters of enemies.

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2. Zeus’ Boons

Zeus blesses Zagreus with electrifying boons that add chain lightning effects to your attacks, casts, and dashes. These boons are excellent for dealing with groups of foes thanks to their area-of-effect (AoE) damage capabilities. With the power of the mighty Zeus, you can turn any chosen weapon into a storm of destruction, unleashing numerous bolts of electricity upon your enemies. 

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3. Aphrodites’ Boons

As the Goddess of Love, Aphrodite’s boons focus on reducing enemy damage output by inflicting the “Weak” status effect. By reducing foes’ attack power, these boons significantly enhance Zagreus’ survivability, especially during those difficult boss battles. Additionally, some of her boons can also increase the damage of your own abilities, perfectly blending defense and offense to make your run all the smoother.

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4. Artemis’ Boons

Artemis, the Goddess of the Hunt, grants boons that increase critical damage. Offering a high-risk, high-reward playstyle, these boons boost your damage output exponentially when you land critical hits. Perfect for players who want to maximize their damage over any other stat, choose this path to be amazed by how high your numbers go.

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5. Dionysus’ Boons

Dionysus provides Zagreus with boons that inflict the “Hangover” status effect, helping you deal damage over time to your foes. These boons are helpful for more prolonged fights, as the damage will definitely add up over time and wear down tougher enemies. 

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6. Athena’s Boons

Athena’s boons focus more on defense, offering a range of benefits that include resistance to damage and the ability to deflect enemy attacks. These boons can turn Zagreus’ dash, attack, and cast into defensive maneuvers, deflecting incoming projectiles back at enemies. Perfect for increasing your survivability, these effective shielding powers will help you feel more comfortable during battle.

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7. Hermes’ Boons

As expected, Hermes offers boons that enhance Zagreus’ speed and mobility. These boons make you much faster, enhance your dodge chance, and can even grant additional dashes. For those who love a good “hit-and-run” strategy, Hermes is your guy. 

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8. Demeter’s Boons

Demeter’s boons inflict the “Chill” status effect, slowing down enemies and occasionally freezing them. These boons are very useful for providing crowd control and better strategic positioning in battles. With this icy touch, you can keep foes at a safe distance while you chip away at their health.

Photo by Rodion Kutsaiev on UnsplashWith so many options at the end of each dungeon, each run in Hades will never feel the same thanks to these divine boons. Experimenting with different combinations can lead to interesting synergies that keep the gameplay fresh and exciting, allowing you to play for hours and hours. To find out what works best for you, you’ll just have to try out them all!