Hades: Boon Tier List (Best Boons)

Although Zagreus is by himself escaping from the Underworld, that doesn’t mean that his extended family on Mt. Olympus won’t help. From the moment you enter, you’ll have the likes of Athena, Poseidon, and more helping you on your adventure. To make your runs just a bit faster, we wrote out a boon tier list for every boon in Hades.

Hades Boon Tier List

After nearly 300 hours in the game, we listed all of the best boons in Hades within a boon tier list above. We understand that both Hermes and Chaos’ boons are different than the others. We also listed how we rank them in the same list as the others. A better explanation for why we ranked each one the way that we did can be found in each category below.

Hades Boon S-Tier List (Best Boons)

After several dives into the Underworld, we feel that Poseidon and Hermes offer the best boons in the Hades tier list. Whenever we did a run, we pretty much knew we would succeed if we had both Boiling Point and Poseidon’s Aid. When paired with the speed of Hermes’ boons, Hades is practically a walk in the park. We paired Hermes’ Greater Haste and Swift Strike more times than we can count. More specifically, their best boons in Hades are:

• Poseidon
  • Boiling Point
  • Poseidon’s Aid
• Hermes
  • Greater Haste
  • Swift Strike

Poseidon

Tempest Strike	Your Attack deals more damage and knocks foes away.
Tempest Flourish	Your Special deals more damage and knocks foes away.
Flood Shot	Your Cast damages foes in an area and knocks them away.
Flood Flare	Your Cast damages foes around you and knocks them away.
Tidal Dash	Your Dash damages foes in an area and knocks them away.
Poseidon’s Aid	Your Call makes you surge into foes while Impervious for a few seconds.
Typhoon’s Fury	You deal more damage when slamming foes into barriers.
Hydraulic Might	Your Attack and Special are stronger the first few seconds of an Encounter.
Ocean’s Bounty	Any Gems, Darkness or Obol chamber rewards are worth more.
Sunken Treasure	Gain an assortment of Gems, Darkness, Obol, and health.
Razor Shoals	Using knock-away effects also Rupture foes.
Boiling Point	Your God Gauge charges faster when you take damage.
Breaking Wave	Slamming foes into walls or corners creates a watery blast in the area.
Wave Pounding	Your boons with Knock-Away effects deal bonus damage to bosses.
Rip Current	Your Call pulls in foes and the effect lasts longer.
Huge Catch	You have a greater chance to find Fishing Point in each Chamber.
Second Wave	Your knock-away effects shove foes a second time after the first.

Hermes

Swift Strike	Your Attack is +X% faster.
Swift Flourish	Your Special is +X% faster.
Flurry Cast	Your Cast is +X% faster and fully automatic.
Quick Favor	Your Call charges up automatically.
Hyper Sprint	For X seconds after you Dash, become Sturdy and run +100% faster.
Greater Haste	You move X% faster.
Quick Recovery	After you take damage, quickly Dash to recover up to X% health lost.
Greater Evasion	You have +X% chance to Dodge.
Greatest Reflex	You can Dash +X more time(s) in a row.
Second Wind	After using Call, gain Dodge chance and move speed for 10 Sec.
Quick Reload	Foes drop ammo stuck in them faster.
Side Hustle	Each time you enter a Chamber, gain a bit of wealth.
Rush Delivery	You deal bonus damage based on any bonus move speed.
Auto Reload	You regenerate ammo faster.
Greater Recall	Your ammo automatically return to you.
Bad News	Your cast deals more damage to foes without ammo on them. First shot damage: +50%

A-Tier

Ares’ boons are very popular with us as they do a lot of post-damage via Doom. Doom leaves a temporary portal on the floor that deals damage. Considering that, we use Battle Rage to help make fights easier and Blood Frenzy. When paired with the potentially stacking boons from Chaos and Athena’s strength, runs are a piece of cake. Chaos’ boons can all stack, unlike the other Gods. You also cannot upgrade their boons the way you can others.

It’s also important to know that Chaos’ boons come in two parts: Curses and Blessings. The Curses are temporary obstacles you need to overcome which then unlocks the permanent Blessing for that run. The best boons in Hades for these three are:

• Ares
  • Battle Rage
  • Blood Frenzy
• Chaos
  • Affluence
  • Assault
• Athena
  • Divine Strike
  • Last Stand

Ares

Curse of Agony	Your Attack inflicts Doom.
Curse of Pain	Your Special inflicts Doom.
Slicing Shot	Your Cast sends a Blade Rift hurling ahead.
Slicing Flare	Your Cast sends a large Blade Rift hurling ahead for a brief time.
Blade Dash	Your Dash creates a Blade Rift where you started.
Ares’ Aid	Your Call turns you into an Impervious Blade Rift for a short time.
Curse of Vengeance	After you take damage, inflict Doom on surrounding foes.
Urge to Kill	Your Attack, Special, and Cast deal more damage.
Battle Rage	After slaying a foe, your next Attack or Special deals more damage.
Blood Frenzy	After using Death Defiance, deal more damage that encounter.
Black Metal	Your Blade Rift powers deal damage in a wider area.
Engulfing Vortex	Your Blade Rift effects last longer and pull foes in.
Dire Misfortune	Your Doom effects deal more damage when applied multiple times.
Impending Doom	Your Doom effects deal more damage, after a slightly longer time.
Vicious Cycle	Your Blade Rift effects deal more damage for each consecutive hit.

Chaos

Blessings

Affluence	Any Obol you find is worth +X%.
Ambush	You deal +X% damage striking foes from behind.
Assault	You deal +X% damage striking undamaged foes.
Eclipse	Any Gems and Darkness you find are worth +X%.
Favor	Boons have +X% chance to be Rare or better.
Flourish	Your Special deals +X% damage.
Grasp	Gain +X ammo.
Lunge	Your Dash Attack deals +X% damage.
Shot	Your Cast deals +X% damage.
Soul	Gain +X extra HP.
Strike	Your Attack deals +X% damage.
Defiance	You have +1 use of Death Defiance (this escape attempt).

Curses

Abyssal	For the next 3–4 encounters, you take +300%–500% damage from traps.
Addled	For the next 3–4 encounters, each time you Cast, get hit for 3–5 health.
Atrophic	For the next 3-4 encounters, your Life Total is reduced by 25–49 health.
Caustic	For the next 3–4 encounters, slain foes toss an Inferno-Bomb at you.
Enshrouded	For the next 4–5 chambers, chamber reward previews are hidden.
Excruciating	For the next 3–4 encounters, you take +20%–50% damage.
Flayed	For the next 3–4 encounters, each time you Special, get hit for 3–5 health.
Halting	For the next 3–4 encounters, your Dash has -20%–50% reduced range.
Maimed	For the next 3–4 encounters, each time you Attack, get hit for 3–5 health.
Pauper’s	For the next 3–4 encounters, you cannot earn Obol.
Roiling	For the next 3–4 encounters, you face +30%–80% more foes.
Slippery	For the next 3–4 encounters, you cannot collect ammo for 10–15 seconds.
Slothful	For the next 3–4 encounters, you have -40%–-60% move speed.

Athena

Divine Strike	Your Attack is stronger, and can Deflect.
Divine Flourish	Your Special is stronger, and can Deflect.
Phalanx Shot	Your Cast damages foes in a small area, and can Deflect.
Phalanx Flare	Your Cast damages foes around you, and can Deflect.
Divine Dash	Your Dash deals damage and can Deflect.
Athena’s Aid	Your Call briefly makes you Invulnerable and Deflect all attacks.
Holy Shield	After you take damage, damage nearby foes and briefly Deflect.
Bronze Skin	Resist damage from foes’ attacks.
Sure Footing	Resist damage from Traps.
Proud Bearing	You begin each Encounter with your God Gauge partly full.
Blinding Flash	Your abilities that can Deflect also make foes Exposed.
Brilliant Riposte	When you Deflect attacks, they deal more damage.
Deathless Stand	Death Defiance makes you Impervious longer. Replenish a charge immediately.
Last Stand	Death Defiance restores more health than usual. Replenish a charge immediately.
Divine Protection	You have a barrier that negates incoming damage.

B-Tier

Much like Ares’ Doom, Dionysus can inflict Hangover. We feel that Hangover isn’t as powerful as Doom, which is why we put Dionysus in the B-Tier of our Hades boon tier list. However, we really enjoy having Strong Drink in our arsenal when we’re low on health. When it comes to Zeus, we’re fans of the chain-lightning attacks. More specifically, the best boons in Hades for Poseidon and Zeus are:

• Dionysus
  • Strong Drink
  • Numbing Sensation
• Zeus
  • Zeus’ Aid
  • Clouded Judgement

Dionysus

Drunken Strike	Your Attack inflicts Hangover.
Drunken Flourish	Your Special inflicts Hangover.
Trippy Shot	Your Cast lobs a projectile that bursts into Festive Fog.
Trippy Flare	Your Cast damages foes around you, leaving behind Festive Fog.
Drunken Dash	Your Dash inflicts foes near you with Hangover.
Dionysus’ Aid	Your Call inflicts Hangover to foes all around you for a few seconds.
After Party	If your health is low after Encounters, restore to the threshold.
Positive Outlook	Take less damage while at low health.
Premium Vintage	Gain health when you pick up Nectar. Receive a Nectar now.
Strong Drink	Using a Fountain restores all health and gives you bonus damage.
Bad Influence	Deal more damage while multiple foes are Hangover-afflicted.
Numbing Sensation	Your Hangover effects also make foes move slower.
Peer Pressure	Hangover-afflicted foes contaminate other nearby foes.
High Tolerance	Take less damage while standing in Festive Fog.
Black Out	Hangover-afflicted foes take bonus damage in Festive Fog.

Zeus

Lightning Strike	Your Attack emits chain-lightning when you damage a foe.
Thunder Flourish	Your Special causes a lightning bolt to strike nearby foes.
Electric Shot	Your Cast is a burst of chain lighting that bounces between foes.
Thunder Flare	Your Cast causes a lightning bolt to strike nearby foes.
Thunder Dash	Your Dash causes a lightning bolt to strike nearby foes.
Zeus’ Aid	Your Call makes lightning strike nearby foes repeatedly for a few seconds.
Heaven’s Vengeance	After you take damage, your foe is struck by lightning.
Lightning Reflexes	After you Dash just before getting hit, a bolt strikes a nearby foe.
Storm Lightning	Your chain-lightning effects bounce more times before expiring.
High Voltage	Your lightning bolt effects deal damage in a larger area.
Double Strike	Your lightning bolt effects have a chance to strike twice.
Static Discharge	Your lightning effects also make foes Jolted.
Clouded Judgement	Your God Gauge charges faster when you deal or take damage.
Billowing Strength	After using Call, you deal more damage for a short time.
Splitting Bolt	All your lightning effects create an additional burst.

C-Tier

We don’t really use Artemis or Demeter’s boons if we have the choice. While we enjoy dealing Critical damage, we feel that it would never happen. Demeter’s Chill is also similar to Hangover and Doom, but not nearly as strong. We do enjoy using Crystal Beam every once in a while. In Hades, the best boons for these gods are:

• Artemis
  • Exit Wounds
  • Hunter’s Mark
• Demeter
  • Crystal Beam
  • Arctic Blast

Artemis

Deadly Strike	Your Attack is stronger, with a chance to deal Critical damage.
Deadly Flourish	Your Special is stronger, with a chance to deal Critical Damage.
True Shot	Your Cast seeks foes, with a chance to deal Critical damage.
Hunter’s Flare	Your Cast damages foes around you, with a bonus Critical chance.
Hunter Dash	Your Dash-Strike deals more damage.
Artemis’ Aid	Your Call fires a seeking arrow with a large Critical chance.
Pressure Points	Any damage you deal has a chance to be Critical.
Exit Wounds	Your foes take damage when your ammo is stuck in them and dislodged.
Hide Breaker	Your Critical effects deal even more damage to Armor.
Clean Kill	Your Critical effects deal even more damage.
Hunter Instinct	Your God Gauge charges faster when you deal Critical damage.
Hunter’s Mark	After you deal Critical damage to a foe, a foe near it is Marked.
Support Fire	After you Cast, or hit with an Attack or Special, fire a seeking arrow.
Fully Loaded	Gain extra ammo for your Cast.

Demeter

Frost Strike	Your Attack is stronger and inflicts Chill.
Frost Flourish	Your Special is stronger and inflicts Chill.
Crystal Beam	Your Cast drops a crystal that fires a beam straight ahead for a few seconds.
Icy Flare	Your Cast damages foes around you and inflicts Chill.
Mistral Dash	Your Dash shoots a gust ahead that inflicts Chill.
Demeter’s Aid	Your Call creates a winter vortex for a few seconds that deals damage and inflicts Chill.
Frozen Touch	After you take damage, damage and completely Chill your foe.
Rare Crop	Your boons become Common, then gain Rarity every few Encounters.
Ravenous Will	While you have no ammo, take less damage and deal more.
Nourished Soul	Any Health effects are more potent. Restore some health now.
Snow Burst	Whenever you Cast, damage nearby foes and inflict Chill.
Arctic Blast	Applying 10 stacks of Chill causes a blast, clearing the effect.
Killing Freeze	When all foes are Chill afflicted, they become Slow and Decay.
Glacial Glare	Your Cast fires longer and inflicts Chill.
Winter Harvest	Chill-affected foes shatter at low hp, inflicting Chill nearby.

D-Tier

It’s not that we didn’t enjoy using any of the boons that Aphrodite gave us in our Hades boon tier list. We just actively avoided them if we could since the others were simply better. But we admit, Weak is a good ability to have in a pinch. When faced with Aphrodite’s boons, the best boons in Hades for her are:

• Aphrodite
  • Broken Resolve
  • Dying Lament

Aphrodite

Heartbreak Strike	Your Attack deals more damage and inflicts Weak.
Heartbreak Flourish	Your Special deals more damage and inflicts Weak.
Crush Shot	Your Cast is a wide, short-range blast that inflicts Weak.
Passion Flare	Your Cast damages foes around you and inflicts Weak.
Passion Dash	Your Dash inflicts damage where you end up, inflicting Weak.
Aphrodite’s Aid	Your Call fires a seeking projectile that inflicts Charm.
Dying Lament	When foes are slain, they damage nearby foes and inflict Weak.
Wave of Despair	After you take damage, damage nearby foes and inflict Weak.
Different League	Resist some damage from nearby foes’ attacks.
Life Affirmation	Any health-raising chamber rewards are worth more.
Empty Inside	Your Weak effects have a longer duration.
Sweet Surrender	Weak-afflicted foes are also more susceptible to damage.
Broken Resolve	Your Weak effects are more potent.
Blown Kiss	Your Cast shoots farther and is stronger against undamaged foes.
Unhealthy Fixation	Your Weak effects also have a chance to Charm foes.

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