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A boss fight that makes players fight two entities at once is automatically difficult in any game, but especially in Hades, where taking damage and losing lives adds up. Here are some tips on not only how to beat this fight, but how to make it through in a condition good enough to take on the final boss himself.
Gearing Up
Although the Coronacht is the most popular weapon, and with good reason, it’s the perfect shield build that is ideal for taking on the two eternal friends. Nothing will compete with a Chiron aspect bow in terms of damage, but remember that the DPS of a dead Zagreus is zero.
The Aegis will protect Zagreus from damage that is extremely difficult to avoid with other builds. The damage isn’t bad either; actually, the Chaos aspect of the Aegis is likely second only to Chiron in terms of damage. Given a decent boon to Zagreus’ special, it’s very powerful. Even if the player hasn’t unlocked this aspect or leveled it up to maximum yet, still use the Aegis, it’s that good against these two.
There are several amazing keepsakes here, but, at least early on, it’s hard to argue against using Skelly’s Lucky Tooth. It amounts to an extra charge of Death Defiance, which gives Zagreus an extra chance after dying in battle to come back.
After gaining some confidence with the shield, the Pierced Butterfly adds damage every time Zagreus clears an encounter without taking damage. The Aegis blocks pretty much anything when aimed correctly, and even a rather poor gamer will probably gain an extra 20%-30% worth of damage by the time they run into Theseus and Astorius.
As a companion, while Antos is tempting because it deals damage to both bosses, Shady is the better option because the healing it provides directly translates to more time alive and more damage to opponents. Some of the companions can be tough to unlock, so be sure to choose the right upgrades through the contractor.
Mirror Of Night Settings
Shadow Presence Chthonic Vitality Death Defiance Greater Reflex Boiling Blood Stygian Soul Deep Pockets Thick Skin Family Favorite Olympian Favor God’s Pride Fated Persuasion
There is an elevated room for personal preference with this build, but there are a few staples. Shadow Presence gives extra damage when striking foes from behind and, thanks to Bull Rush, the build will have a disproportionate amount of backstabs.
Stubborn Defiance is much weaker than Death Defiance. Having multiple do-overs on one hard fight is much better than a single do-over on each room. Boiling Blood boosts special damage against foes with the cast debuff, which is the primary source of DPS with the Chaos aspect.
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Even great players should take Thick Skin over High Confidence. An extra little bit of damage when above 80% health is nice, but an extra 50 health is flat-out better. Not only will Zagreus be tougher to kill, but this allows him to get more buff damage and variety instead of having to use doors with Centaur Hearts.
Every diety can be good for Zagreus, but not every buff is right for the build, so some Fated Persuasion can help out when in need of a new set of buffs. Beginners learning about the game will enjoy getting to roll into boosting their best skills just as much as the experts do.
Ideal Gods And Boons
There really aren’t many bad choices for a boon. Aphrodite gets the nod for being the best deity because charm forces Asterius or Theseus to attack the other one. But most gods will do as Chaos shield is good for stacking debuffs, Zeus strikes, or Artermis’ attack damage with the special attack and regular attack bonuses apply to bull rush, which will be used just as frequently.
Make sure that any boon to Zagreus’ special has a hearty damage boost applied to it. This matters more than any particular debuff. There are also some nifty Chaos boons to pick up and thanks to lots of defense, Zagreus should be able to handle the damage and debuff associated with Chaos.
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While no god is outright useless, try to avoid anything that turns Zagreus’ cast into an area of effect. Ares and Dionysus are examples of this; the damage is fine, but it won’t give Zagreus the 50% damage boost (at maximum rank) gained from Boiling Blood.
Dealing With Asterius
Astorius’ moves can be simplified into three basic attacks:
Axe Swing: Asterius swings his axe twice in a wide arc in front of him. Leap: Asterius leaps into the air and leaps toward Zagreus, dealing damage if he connects on the hit. He can repeat this attack up to two more times. When below 50% health, Asterius also unleashes a ring of damage that waves out from his landing point. Bull Rush: Asterius sprints at Zagreus, locking on on his position. If he comes into contact with a wall or pillar, he becomes stunned and takes damage. If he hits Zagreus, he will stop and do high damage instead. When below 50% health, Asterius also unleashes a ring of damage that waves out from his contact point.
Always start by attacking Asterius first and leaving Theseus alone. The worst thing that can happen is that both get below 50% at the same time and their moves are faster and improved at the same time. Asterius is the better option to kill first because he defaults to charging Zagreus. Dash to the opposite end of the arena from Theseus and keep a pillar between Zagreus and Theseus. This allows the player to ignore Thesus completely until Asterius is down.
Aegis makes this simple. Charge up a bull rush, aim toward Asterius, and, when he isn’t dealing damage, let go and charge straight through him. Immediately follow this up with a special attack, then begin charging up the next bull rush. The shield will block the area of effect rings from his moves below 50%. It really is this easy, made even easier with a good boon selection.
Dealing With Theseus
Asterius has many moves, but only three that will occur when fighting Asterius away from him:
Spin: Theseus performs a spin attack centered on himself, dealing damage if he hits Zagreus. He will charge in Zagreus’ direction as he spins. Throw: A crosshair will appear on Zagreus. After a delay, he throws his spear. He can then recall the spear back at any time, which also deals damage while returning. This can be dodged or blocked with pillars. Olympian Aid: This move can only be triggered when Theseus is below 50% of his health. Several area of effect spells will appear on the ground and detonate after a brief delay, dealing damage. Theseus also applies a debuff if he hits Zagreus personally. This debuff changes based on the god whose aid he enlists.
Theseus can throw Asterius or create a massive ring of damage when fighting around Asterius. To negate these moves from the equation, always fight on the opposite end of the area from Theseus until Asterius is dead.
This leaves only two moves that Theseus can use, both of which can be blocked by holding onto bull rush and facing him.
When he hits below 50%, he finally gets a move that can actually hit a Zagreus equipped with the Aegis. The Aegis can block these area of effect spells, too, so long as it is aimed toward the center of the detonation. This is the perfect time to use a fully charged call; Aphrodite’s will take away almost all of his remaining health, leaving the player just a few hits needed until mopping up Theseus.
The right legendary boon can make this go even faster, but this strategy will work with even the worst of luck and minimal upgrades. With enough practice, it’s possible to win the battle without losing any health at all, leaving players more than prepared to deal with the final boss.
Hades was released on December 6, 2018, and is available on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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