Decision Matrix
Choose the right lane
Use this as a quick navigation board: scan each fight or build decision, then jump to the full breakdown and source frames below.
The one-button rule
Most confused builds are trying to make every button equally important. Instead, let the weapon tell you the job. Chiron Bow wants Special scaling. Achilles Spear often wants Cast burst. Hestia Rail wants empowered shots. Once the main button is chosen, other boons should either protect you, apply a needed status, or unlock a clear duo path.
God pool control
God keepsakes are powerful because Hades build planning is partly about reducing randomness. Starting with Athena for Dash, Artemis for crit, Zeus for multi-hit lightning, Dionysus for Hangover, or Aphrodite for strong attack scaling can define the run before chamber five.
Start with the damage carrier
Before accepting the first tempting boon, decide which button is allowed to win the run. Attack builds want frequent clean hits, Special builds want focused delivery, Cast builds want setup and burst, and revenge or status builds need time to stack value. Once the carrier is chosen, every later boon should either scale it, protect it, or unlock a specific Duo route.
Use keepsakes as routing tools
God keepsakes are not only a way to see a favorite Olympian. They turn a random run into a plan. Open with the god that defines the damage carrier, then swap later if the run needs survival, money, or boss insurance. The strongest build pages all share the same habit: they reduce uncertainty before spending rerolls.
When to ignore a “good” boon
A boon can be strong and still be wrong for the run. Skip it when it steals a core slot, adds a second unrelated damage plan, or asks for prerequisites you cannot realistically finish. In Hades, coherence beats decoration: a plain boon that completes your route is often better than an Epic boon that points somewhere else.
Quick Verdict
A good Hades build starts by deciding which button deals damage. Then you pick gods that scale that button, use keepsakes to control the first god, and avoid taking shiny boons that do not help the run’s core job.
Pick one primary damage button: attack, special, cast, or call.
Use god keepsakes to open with a god that supports that button.
Take utility boons only after core damage and survival are covered.
Field Guide
How to use this page
Hades Boon and Build Planning Guide should not be treated as a trivia entry. Use it as a route decision before the next run: identify the current wall, then choose the lowest-execution answer that solves that wall.
If the problem is survival, prioritize safer spacing, keepsakes, Mirror choices, or weapon rhythm. If the problem is damage, identify which button carries the build. If the problem is resources, spend on upgrades that improve several future runs instead of only the current attempt.
Screenshots and video references are support material: they help you read tells, spacing, reward locations, or build direction. The written conclusions are the part to carry into the run.
Before entry
Use this Guide page to name the real job first: survival, damage, resources, or route clarity. A specific job keeps the run from being pulled off course by rarity, flashy clips, or tempting side rewards.
During the fight
Compress the advice into one action rule: wait for the tell, preserve spacing, clear adds first, take the core boon, or leave before greed damage begins. Good guidance should survive a messy screen.
After failure
Do not only ask whether the damage was high enough. Ask where health started disappearing, which reward did not serve the route, and whether the next run needs a different keepsake, Mirror setup, aspect, or starting god.
After reading Hades Boon and Build Planning Guide, do not jump straight to an unrelated entry. Test the advice in one run by changing a single variable: starting keepsake, primary damage button, boss phase plan, resource spending order, or the positioning shown in the reference frames. That makes the next review cleaner because you can tell which change actually improved the route.
If you only remember one rule: Hades Boon and Build Planning Guide is useful because it reduces hesitation in the next run. Anything that helps you decide when to attack, retreat, reroute, or preserve resources is what actually improves clear consistency.
A database page works best when it turns small decisions into a stable route. Read this page, follow the related entries, then test the idea in one escape attempt so the guide becomes practice rather than trivia.
Takeaways
- 01
Pick one primary damage button: attack, special, cast, or call.
- 02
Use god keepsakes to open with a god that supports that button.
- 03
Take utility boons only after core damage and survival are covered.
Best Picks Breakdown
Actionable notes by section
Entry 1
The one-button rule
Most confused builds are trying to make every button equally important. Instead, let the weapon tell you the job. Chiron Bow wants Special scaling. Achilles Spear often wants Cast burst. Hestia Rail wants empowered shots. Once the main button is chosen, other boons should either protect you, apply a needed status, or unlock a clear duo path.
Visual Note
Boon system basics
Plan the build around one carrier before picking utility or rarity bait.
Entry 2
God pool control
God keepsakes are powerful because Hades build planning is partly about reducing randomness. Starting with Athena for Dash, Artemis for crit, Zeus for multi-hit lightning, Dionysus for Hangover, or Aphrodite for strong attack scaling can define the run before chamber five.
Visual Note
Boon picking discipline
A clean build rejects tempting boons that do not support its route.
Entry 3
Start with the damage carrier
Before accepting the first tempting boon, decide which button is allowed to win the run. Attack builds want frequent clean hits, Special builds want focused delivery, Cast builds want setup and burst, and revenge or status builds need time to stack value. Once the carrier is chosen, every later boon should either scale it, protect it, or unlock a specific Duo route.
- Bow and Rail often reward focused Special or single-shot planning.
- Spear and Shield can support safer Cast or mid-range plans.
- Fists and Blade need stronger survival reads because they spend more time near danger.
Visual Note
Easy build patterns
Beginner-friendly builds usually make one button obvious and repeatable.
Entry 4
Use keepsakes as routing tools
God keepsakes are not only a way to see a favorite Olympian. They turn a random run into a plan. Open with the god that defines the damage carrier, then swap later if the run needs survival, money, or boss insurance. The strongest build pages all share the same habit: they reduce uncertainty before spending rerolls.
Visual Note
Duo and Legendary chase
Prerequisites matter more than rerolling blindly for a rare result.
Entry 5
When to ignore a “good” boon
A boon can be strong and still be wrong for the run. Skip it when it steals a core slot, adds a second unrelated damage plan, or asks for prerequisites you cannot realistically finish. In Hades, coherence beats decoration: a plain boon that completes your route is often better than an Epic boon that points somewhere else.
Visual Note
Boon system basics
Plan the build around one carrier before picking utility or rarity bait.