Explore Hades Part 6, detailing Stygian Soul vs. Infernal Soul, the power of Lightning Rod, and a deep dive into Sticking Cast boons like Zeus's Electric Shot and Artemis's True Shot.
This section of the guide focuses on the intricacies of Cast boons in Hades, particularly how they interact with different Keepsake choices and legendary boons. It delves into the mechanics of Bloodstone capacity, the passive damage potential of Lightning Rod, and provides detailed analysis of individual Sticking Cast boons.
Walkthrough
- 1Bloodstone Capacity Boons: Boons offering +1 to max Bloodstone capacity are available regardless of Infernal Soul or Stygian Soul. With Stygian Soul, these boons double Cast rate, whereas with Infernal Soul, they increase it by 1/3. The Fully Loaded Artemis Legendary boon triples Cast rate with Stygian Soul, compared to a 2/3 increase with Infernal Soul. For builds centered on direct Cast damage, Stygian Soul with Bloodstone capacity boons is the most effective setup.
- 2Lightning Rod Boon: This boon provides reliable passive damage around loose Bloodstones in the chamber. It is incompatible with Stygian Soul, which does not create loose Bloodstones. Lightning Rod is highly recommended for runs where the weapon benefits from Zeus boons (e.g., Coronacht, Aegis, Malphon, Exagryph Aspects). For Stygius or Varatha, the choice between Stygian and Infernal Soul depends on preference for consecutive Casts versus intermittent ones.
- 3Sticking Casts Analysis:
- 4Zeus, Electric Shot: Deals 60 damage and its chain lightning bounces 5 times. While its base damage is marginal against bosses, it is accurate from range and effective against multiple foes. It can help compensate for low damage output with complementary boons that spread Jolt effects.
- 5Artemis, True Shot: Deals 70 damage with a 10% chance of a critical hit. It offers solid damage, range, and accuracy, but does not clear encounters as effectively as area-affecting or bouncing casts. It is a tolerable sticking cast, especially for its potential to register critical hits against bosses. True Shot is one of the two best choices for dedicating a primary boon slot to Artemis to be eligible for the Duo boon Lightning Rod, alongside Artemis' Aid.
- 6Poseidon, Flood Shot: Deals 60 damage in a small area and knocks back enemies. Its damage is less than Phalanx Shot, and the knockback effect is often counterproductive for area attacks. While situational workarounds exist (e.g., with the Heart-Seeking Bow's Aspect of Hera), Flood Shot is generally not outstanding. Its saving grace lies in its two Cast-specific Duo boons: Blizzard Shot (with Demeter) for inflicting Chill, and Curse of Drowning (with Ares) which creates a damaging pulse but also knocks back enemies.
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