-
Welcome to Talking Time's third iteration! If you would like to register for an account, or have already registered but have not yet been confirmed, please read the following:
- The CAPTCHA key's answer is "Percy"
- Once you've completed the registration process please email us from the email you used for registration at percyreghelper@gmail.com and include the username you used for registration
Once you have completed these steps, Moderation Staff will be able to get your account approved.
Hades is out now, holy heck
- Thread starter Mogri
- Start date
-
- Tags
- bad dads hades hades nuts
So I started playing this on Monday and I had my first successful escape today! I did it with the Twin Fists, in whichever aspect is the one with the magnetic special attack.
Weapons that feel good: shield, fists, spear.
Weapons that feel bad: bow, gun. Sometimes sword, in boss fights or rooms with a lot of ranged enemies.
I've managed to clear Elysium with every weapon except the spear and gun so far. I find the gun incredibly hard to use effectively, does anyone have any tips for it? The one decent run I had with it, I was able to get a boon that put Doom on the regular attack, and then another that let me increase Doom stacks to deal extra damage, and that seemed to work out really well. But I'm definitely open to suggestions.
I could also use some help deciding what weapons I should upgrade/unlock. So far I've done the Aspect of Nemesis on the sword, Aspect of Chiron on the bow (which I liked more than the default), and the aforementioned magnetic one on the fists. I've got a bit of decision paralysis as to how I should continue.
I plan to read through this whole thread eventually, but if there are any tips you folks can think of to help level up my game in general that might not be obvious I'd appreciate it! I don't quite have the Mirror fully unlocked yet (grinding 30 keys for the final tier right now), but in chambers I've been trying to prioritize Daedalus Hammers, double boon rooms, and exclamation point rooms whenever I see them.
Weapons that feel good: shield, fists, spear.
Weapons that feel bad: bow, gun. Sometimes sword, in boss fights or rooms with a lot of ranged enemies.
I've managed to clear Elysium with every weapon except the spear and gun so far. I find the gun incredibly hard to use effectively, does anyone have any tips for it? The one decent run I had with it, I was able to get a boon that put Doom on the regular attack, and then another that let me increase Doom stacks to deal extra damage, and that seemed to work out really well. But I'm definitely open to suggestions.
I could also use some help deciding what weapons I should upgrade/unlock. So far I've done the Aspect of Nemesis on the sword, Aspect of Chiron on the bow (which I liked more than the default), and the aforementioned magnetic one on the fists. I've got a bit of decision paralysis as to how I should continue.
I plan to read through this whole thread eventually, but if there are any tips you folks can think of to help level up my game in general that might not be obvious I'd appreciate it! I don't quite have the Mirror fully unlocked yet (grinding 30 keys for the final tier right now), but in chambers I've been trying to prioritize Daedalus Hammers, double boon rooms, and exclamation point rooms whenever I see them.
For the gun, the Daedalus upgrades that fire multiple bombs (either one) are fantastic. Lob bombs, dash, shoot, lob bombs, etc. Once you get the aspect that powers you up for standing in bomb explosions it's incredible. Keep moving, is the main thing; don't stand and shoot.
It's really impressive how every run I've done I've gotten further and further, without fail, despite using new-to-me weapons. I did runs #7-10 last night and beat Bone Hydra that first time, then finally made it to the boss in Elysium at run #10 and actually almost won. I also met not-Meg at her boss fight and had an encounter with Thanatos.
With my limited time picking boons so far, I have to say I'm always really bummed when the game keeps throwing me Dionysus or Aphrodite boons. I just can't get excited about anything of theirs I've seen so far. There was one run where it kept pushing both of them together and I was just like
With my limited time picking boons so far, I have to say I'm always really bummed when the game keeps throwing me Dionysus or Aphrodite boons. I just can't get excited about anything of theirs I've seen so far. There was one run where it kept pushing both of them together and I was just like
Yangus, that's what the god-specific boon dealies are for: get what you want from the start
Also having played... a LOT of this game, Dionysus and Aphrodite have a lot of top-tier boons, I assure you. Get BOTH their status effects, damage reduction, Dio's boon that gives you a health boost for getting Nectar, etc., and things get real entertaining. Festive Fog can be pretty great too.
There's no bad gods, but there are a few bad or very situational boons (and that Daedalus shotgun? I took it ONCE for the prophecy and it almost ended my run; terrible).
And yes, the fucking is another angle (heyoo~~)
Some people are VERY happy that you can pair Zag up with Meg, Than, or both. Or both at once.
Also having played... a LOT of this game, Dionysus and Aphrodite have a lot of top-tier boons, I assure you. Get BOTH their status effects, damage reduction, Dio's boon that gives you a health boost for getting Nectar, etc., and things get real entertaining. Festive Fog can be pretty great too.
There's no bad gods, but there are a few bad or very situational boons (and that Daedalus shotgun? I took it ONCE for the prophecy and it almost ended my run; terrible).
It's just very fun, well-written, impeccably balanced and layers in so many new ways of playing the same four levels. It's a blast. So few games these days are simply a blast.
And yes, the fucking is another angle (heyoo~~)
Some people are VERY happy that you can pair Zag up with Meg, Than, or both. Or both at once.
Last edited:
I have gotten one successful run in about 40, and gotten to the final boss about half a dozen times since then (with many different weapons), but I haven't clinched the victory. My biggest issue seems to be the tracking flame tubes in phase 2, which I've only managed to survive well with Athena abilities. Any thoughts on other methods for mitigating those?
Just hide behind a pillar, though I think they can sometimes clip through.
Egarwaen
(He/Him)
The best success I've had with the gun is when I manage to keep in mind that the clip size is small enough that you can't just stand and gun down anything but the smallest enemies. I think you need to fire a burst then reposition, which also plays well with the grenade lob (you can use it to cover your movement) and the reload (it'll auto-reload when you let up the fire).
I admit to spending a few runs wondering why there was a station between strata for swapping trinkets and then looked over at those and went "OH!" This is also important because different gods' boons have synergy with different weapons - you want lightning bolts on fast weapons, while slower weapons are better suited to Doom, to pick an obvious example.
I have no doubt that they can play well together to feature massive damage reduction compared to normal. But I just can't get excited about it, you know? I'm also not familiar enough with the weapons to know which ones would go well with either of them.
My run that almost cleared Elysium was my first time using the shield, and I picked up a good amount of Zeus boons and Daedalus upgrades where all I had to do to clear rooms was keep throwing my shield and stand sort-of-near enemies and they would all get blasted by multple lightning bolts very quickly. I didn't even have to aim anything!
I mean yeah, that's the obvious base method of mitigation. However, I am wondering if there are good cues on the windup to the attack or other general tips to make getting to/hiding behind the pillars more viable.
He stands still and his spear starts whirling about his body, is the main thing. If he stops moving without winding up for another attack of some kind, hie thee behind a pillar
I think part of my problem is that I'm not good with the grenade half. Enemies always move before it hits them! I have even more trouble trying to aim it while moving.
Also, does anyone else sometimes have trouble seeing when they get hit? I feel like there isn't enough feedback for taking damage.
I feel this very much, actually.
Egarwaen
(He/Him)
Yeah it's tricky! My best Rail runs have been the ones where I get one of the Hammer buffs that improve the grenade. (Cluster Bomb or Triple Bomb, mainly)
R.R. Bigman
Coolest Guy
The Keepsake you get from Patroclus that grants a second of invincibility after taking a hit really helped me with that problem.
I got the credits to roll. I truly believe that requiring you to get through the game ten times before getting any kind of real narrative closure is "too much", yet I enjoyed it. I like how afterwards, Hades asked Zagreus to continue to try and escape to essentially bug test the underworld.
Denn
(him)
My strategy is usually to pump up the regular attack with a high-stacking boon like Dionysus or Demeter. I think dashing around while shooting is pretty important, so Athena's dash can be really useful (as usual). But if you find that you're getting swarmed with enemies, Poseidon can be useful with some knockback on your gun to make it easier to keep your distance. That might limit your damage output, but sometimes taking things slowly can be the right move, especially early on.
If you're not a fan of the grenade special, there's a hammer upgrade that turns it into a forward firing rocket if you can find it.
Thanks for all the tips, folks! I'll try putting them to good use in my next run. I don't have Keepsakes from most of the gods yet, so for the moment I'm still relying on luck to give me good starting boons. Hopefully I can make it happen again.
Is there a particular Aspect people like for the gun? Or should I not bother until I can get a clear with the base version?
Is there a particular Aspect people like for the gun? Or should I not bother until I can get a clear with the base version?
I actually used this one for my winning run, but it doesn't solve the issue of being unable to tell when I've taken a hit. So far that's my only real design/gameplay complaint.
Regulus
Sir Knightbot
My favorite aspect is Hestia, personally. My tips for it:
-The reload shot is great for burst damage and the autofire can be used for applying stackable effects, making it pretty versatile. Because of this, Demeter's Frost Strike is excellent. It gives a percentage based damage bonus, which is great for the reload shot, while the rapid fire makes it easy to stack frost quickly. Like all of the other guns, this also means it pairs well with Artemis' Support Fire boon.
-You can reload in the middle of a dash. Unlike firing, this won't cancel your invincibility frames, so you can take advantage of times you would normally just be dodging or moving into position to prep a reload shot.
-Artemis' Hunter's Strike is pretty good with this aspect because of this, as you will often be firing out of a dash.
-Make sure aim-assist is on, because unlike the bow, there's no way to easily line up your shot prior to firing. Missing the first shot complete defeats the purpose of the aspect.
-The reload shot is great for burst damage and the autofire can be used for applying stackable effects, making it pretty versatile. Because of this, Demeter's Frost Strike is excellent. It gives a percentage based damage bonus, which is great for the reload shot, while the rapid fire makes it easy to stack frost quickly. Like all of the other guns, this also means it pairs well with Artemis' Support Fire boon.
-You can reload in the middle of a dash. Unlike firing, this won't cancel your invincibility frames, so you can take advantage of times you would normally just be dodging or moving into position to prep a reload shot.
-Artemis' Hunter's Strike is pretty good with this aspect because of this, as you will often be firing out of a dash.
-Make sure aim-assist is on, because unlike the bow, there's no way to easily line up your shot prior to firing. Missing the first shot complete defeats the purpose of the aspect.
Gun advice:
Zeus on attack is #1 sick, period. Tons of damage quickly, and the chaining helps with the gun's being otherwise very single-target-focused.
Dio is also #2 great. Pop off 4-5 hits to stack the dot really quickly and let the dot do its work while you hit another target, dash around, launch a special, reload, whatever. Then switch back! This one is a great match with the rare boon to let hangover stack to 8, too.
Poseidon is a #3 fun specialty-build pick for the gun (the 4th aspect much moreso than the normal) since you can slam enemies far back quickly, and if you get the slam damage boost and/or aoe splash on slam and/or rupture you can have some real fun. Bad for AoE and doesn't work great on bosses though (Zeus/Poseidon duo and poseidon's boss-boost help that a bit.)
Ares or Aphrodite on special.
(None of the above applies for Hestia aspect, where you want the % boost - Demeter then Aphrodite are your best bets there.)
The "shotgun" hammer is awful - not nearly powerful to make up for how short the range becomes. Everything else is pretty good.
Artemis's "Support fire" is very good for every version of the gun.
Bow advice:
The spread shot looks like a distant AoE thing, but actually it works just as well or better as a shotgun up close, especially on bigger enemies. On my first bow clears with the basic aspect, I almost never ended up using the basic fire. For hammers, flurry shot for the auto-fire attack at the expense of your charge is a great way to ease into the bow (also, just very good on its own). After that, it's just finding your groove in the tempo for power shots. (Don't get the "sniper" hammer. It's awful. the range is ridiculously tiny for the power it gets you.)
On attack, Ares is surprisingly good because of the tempo of charging up shots (careful with the time-extender boon though). Artemis and Aphrodite are also good choices.
I think Athena would be really good on special for a huge area of reflection and high shotgun damage. Poseidon would help push a lot of enemies back quickly to make safe space. Aphrodite is always useful. Demeter is good, especially if you get the stacking-burst (for shotgun use) and/or the "everyone is chilled" (for spread use) boons. Zeus on special has an internal cooldown of .2 seconds per enemy, so it's not suited for Shotgun use, but would be amazing for Spread use. Dionysus doesn't really shine on either use for special, or the bow in general.
If you want the bow to be very good and easy to get used to, unlock and upgrade Aspect of Chrion ASAP. Attack, special-special, attack, special-special; your single-target enemies MELT. The hammer for 4 more arrows is amazing for this, but not even as amazing as "each arrow deals more damage than the last" - and if you get both, hoo-wee. Demeter and Artemis on special are particularly great for this build; Ares or Aphrodite are still your best Attack boons.
Zeus on attack is #1 sick, period. Tons of damage quickly, and the chaining helps with the gun's being otherwise very single-target-focused.
Dio is also #2 great. Pop off 4-5 hits to stack the dot really quickly and let the dot do its work while you hit another target, dash around, launch a special, reload, whatever. Then switch back! This one is a great match with the rare boon to let hangover stack to 8, too.
Poseidon is a #3 fun specialty-build pick for the gun (the 4th aspect much moreso than the normal) since you can slam enemies far back quickly, and if you get the slam damage boost and/or aoe splash on slam and/or rupture you can have some real fun. Bad for AoE and doesn't work great on bosses though (Zeus/Poseidon duo and poseidon's boss-boost help that a bit.)
Ares or Aphrodite on special.
(None of the above applies for Hestia aspect, where you want the % boost - Demeter then Aphrodite are your best bets there.)
The "shotgun" hammer is awful - not nearly powerful to make up for how short the range becomes. Everything else is pretty good.
Artemis's "Support fire" is very good for every version of the gun.
Bow advice:
The spread shot looks like a distant AoE thing, but actually it works just as well or better as a shotgun up close, especially on bigger enemies. On my first bow clears with the basic aspect, I almost never ended up using the basic fire. For hammers, flurry shot for the auto-fire attack at the expense of your charge is a great way to ease into the bow (also, just very good on its own). After that, it's just finding your groove in the tempo for power shots. (Don't get the "sniper" hammer. It's awful. the range is ridiculously tiny for the power it gets you.)
On attack, Ares is surprisingly good because of the tempo of charging up shots (careful with the time-extender boon though). Artemis and Aphrodite are also good choices.
I think Athena would be really good on special for a huge area of reflection and high shotgun damage. Poseidon would help push a lot of enemies back quickly to make safe space. Aphrodite is always useful. Demeter is good, especially if you get the stacking-burst (for shotgun use) and/or the "everyone is chilled" (for spread use) boons. Zeus on special has an internal cooldown of .2 seconds per enemy, so it's not suited for Shotgun use, but would be amazing for Spread use. Dionysus doesn't really shine on either use for special, or the bow in general.
If you want the bow to be very good and easy to get used to, unlock and upgrade Aspect of Chrion ASAP. Attack, special-special, attack, special-special; your single-target enemies MELT. The hammer for 4 more arrows is amazing for this, but not even as amazing as "each arrow deals more damage than the last" - and if you get both, hoo-wee. Demeter and Artemis on special are particularly great for this build; Ares or Aphrodite are still your best Attack boons.
Yeah, no staggering and a shorter range than many short-range weapons make it really dangerous. And its not being an option with the Hestia aspect where it would really be insanely powerful is rubbing salt in the wound.
The run I had where I got it, I died twice against the duo (this was after like 13+ clears), barely got by them, took a gamble that the double-Daedalus upgrade in Styx would get rid of it for me, and it did. I still managed a clear after that!
Big thanks to Regulus and Paul for those detailed tips! I'm actually really excited to go back in and try the gun some more now. I do have Zeus's Keepsake so I may try starting with that.
My best bow run was exactly this setup. It ruled.
I mean I dislike roguelikes too but maybe don’t shit in the Cheerios, yeah?
The Grenade in general is absurdly powerful, so much so that IMO the best strategies mostly make the Gun secondary to it. You can dump damage on enemies absurdly fast, and in a circular area, and with a useful Cast you can murk most enemies more or less immediately. I haven't found any of the other weapons to be so potent (not that they aren't all enjoyable)