The best boons in Hades 2 make your attacks and special stronger, improve your cast, and more. Here are the best boons to look for on your runs.
Boons from the gods are the core part of any successful run in Hades 2. The Olympian deities also have a vested interest in killing Time (a.k.a., Chronos), so they let you borrow their powers temporarily.
Whether it’s an elemental effect that helps you clear a room of foes or a stat boost that keeps you from dying carelessly, finding the best boons can significantly change your fortunes on a run. Here’s a rundown of how boons work, plus our selections for the best boons in Hades 2.How boons work in Hades 2
You can get boons in the middle of your Hades 2 runs via two methods: either by clearing a room of enemies, or by purchasing them from Charon’s shop for gold coins.
Boons either grant you passive stat boosts or change how your attacks, specials, casts, and dashes function. Each god tends to generally grant a different effect — Poseidon’s boons, for instance, push enemies away from you, while Hestia’s burn them — but not all boons have that effect.
In Hades 2’s early access period, we’ve come across boons from the following gods, though note that we have not yet “finished” the game, so more deities might show up later on.
Aphrodite: boons that tend to apply the weak status effect
Apollo: boons that tend to apply the daze status effect
Artemis: boons that tend to increase your chance of landing critical hits
Demeter: boons that tend to freeze enemies
Hephaestus: boons that tend to increase your defense
Hermes: boons that tend to make youfaster
Hestia: boons that tend to burn enemies
Poseidon: boons that tend to push enemies back
Zeus: boons that tend to shock enemies
Some gods who were in the original Hades, like Ares and Athena, do not appear to be present in Hades 2 (at least that we’ve seen).
Boons are available at four rarity levels: common, rare, epic, and heroic. The higher the rarity, the more effective the boon. (For instance, a boon that deals 40% bonus damage at common rank might deal 50% bonus damage at rare.)
Finding a Pom of Power allows you to level up one boon of your choosing, increasing its efficacy. When choosing a chamber, look out for a symbol of a pomegranate.
If you equip a Keepsake affiliated with a specific deity, you’re more likely to come across boons from that deity on your runs. And if you unlock the “Kindred Keepsakes” incantation, you get the ability to swap Keepsakes between regions. While you can never fully remove the randomized element from Hades 2, it’s one way to have greater sway over your builds.
