One of the first things you learn in Hades is that Boons are unique effects that can make or break you. Boons can increase your damage and your chances of survival while also granting you unique abilities. The customization that comes from boons can drastically change the way you play the game. Each God has a different type of boon effect and which God shows up in your run can completely change your strategy.
Luckily, it is possible to exert a little influence over which boons you get by using Keepsakes. Even with Keepsakes though, chances are you will be forced to adapt your strategy on the fly to account for which Gods show up in the Underworld. Knowing the basics of what boons each God offers can help you plan ahead for the inevitable changes to your strategy. Here is a complete list of all the boons currently available in the game.
There are also Duo Boons available in the game that combine the powers of two different Gods. Duo Boons usually require at least one from each God involved. We have included what prerequisites are needed for each boon and duo boon in the lists below.
Aphrodite
The Goddess of Love grants boons that are good for boosting your own damage while mitigating enemy attacks. Her boons inflict the Weak Status Curse which decreases the amount of damage enemies do when they are afflicted with it. Some of Aphrodite’s boons can also inflict Charm which will cause enemies to turn on other enemies. Weak is particularly useful against tougher enemies that appear later in the game. Her boons stack perfectly with Athena’s boons and AoE builds.
Ares
The violent Ares gives boons that increase damage and do damage over time. His boons can also create damaging Blade Rifts and inflict the Doom Status Curse. Blade Rifts are pockets of rapidly spinning blades that will damage any enemies that are inside of them. Doom causes enemies to take a high amount of damage after being inflicted.
Artemis
The reserved Goddess of the Hunt grants boons that improve Cast and can deal Critical damage. Artemis’ boons can also inflict the Marked Curse which increases critical hit chances on the afflicted enemy. Artemis boons are geared mainly towards ranged playstyles but work very well in any damage build.
Athena
Athena is the only Goddess that offers protective boons rather than offensive or supportive. Athena’s boons grant the Deflect ability and grant you more defensive options. Her boons can also inflict Exposed which increases the amount of damage enemies take from behind. When used well, Athena’s boons can drastically increase your chances of survival and fit well into almost any build.
Chaos
The primordial Chaos grants a large variety of boons that act differently than normal boons. Chaos’ boons have two parts. You will start with a debuff or Curse for a certain number of encounters. After you have completed enough encounters the Curse turns into a powerful buff. These make the game a lot more difficult but surviving with the debuff grants incredibly useful boons later on. Along with Hermes, Chaos is the only God that does not have any Duo Boons.
Demeter
Demeter will only appear after the first time you have reached the surface. Her boons focus on the Chill status effect that slows enemies down and can be spread through shattering. Many of her boons either increase damage and survivability through healing. Demeter’s boons are highly adaptable and grant some of the biggest damage boosts in the game.
Dionysus
The laid back God Dionysus’ boons are designed for crowd control and damage over time. They can stun and slow enemies while causing continuous damage through the Hangover Status Curse. His boons are perfect for any AoE build and can increase your health. Like Zeus’ boons, Dionysus’ boons can pair with any other God’s to output huge amounts of damage.
Hermes
Hermes’ boons focus entirely on increasing your speed. His boons increase your movement and attack speed and can lower all of your charge times. While Hermes does not give any special abilities or status effects other than speed, some of his boons do increase survivability by granting you health, invulnerability, and similar effects. Hermes is the only God along with Chaos that does not have any Duo Boons.
Poseidon
Poseidon’s boons increase your damage and add Rupture and Knockback effects to your attacks. Knockback is good for crowd control as it forces enemies away from you, it can also be used to knock them into surfaces and traps. Enemies that have been afflicted with Rupture will take damage as they move. Bosses can’t be effected by Knockback but Rupture can still do damage to them.
Zeus
Zeus’ boons grant your attacks the Chain Lightning effect and Jolted Status Curse. Chain Lightning causes lightning strikes to hit multiple enemies with each attack. Jolted causes enemies to be struck by lightning with a small AoE when they try to attack. Zeus’ boons are designed to handle multiple opponents at once. The lightning effects can pair well with most other boons from other Gods.
