Pulverizing Blow and Dashing Wallop don't affect Bull Rush, while the rest of the hammers do, so we'll start with those two. Like so many other things in Hades, the dialogue with other characters changes depending on the circumstances. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Your Bull Rush instead fires a piercing shot that deals 80 damage. lava). With Charged Volley players will be able to hold their Special in order to deal 250% base damage, though players should note that the Charged Volley comes with a smaller range. Overall, there are two types of special hammers; special-centric hammers which, in my opinion, aren't great because special is better off as supplemental damage rather than the main strategy, and hammers that buff the special's ability to supplement your attack, which are better overall. Most weapons have a handful of standout hammers, one or two hammers that are nearly trash, and the rest are unremarkable. Similarly, players will not be able to use Rush Kick with the Aspect of Talos. Start with either Demeter, Aphrodite, or Poseidon, relying on either the power of ice to slow enemies, love to confuse them, or tidal power to push them back. It should be noted that the bonus 3 damage for each consecutive hit to a foe using your Special is directly amplified with the damage multipliers of your Boons. Your main attack is a fast five-hit combo, and your Special is a high-damage uppercut. The following are all of the upgrades players can get for the Stygian Blade. To unlock the other weapons in Hades, you have to spend the Chthonic Keys you find throughout your runs. I hate, hate, hate it. With Triple Beam, players will deal damage straight forward as well as in a V formation, essentially being able to target three enemies at a time as long as they are in the range of the lasers. Heavy Knuckle changes a players combo, essentially making it a slow 3-hit sequence that stabilizes the amount of damage players output. In my opinion, as strong as this is, its not absolutely necessary, just makes life a lot easier. Piercing Fire is as the name suggests, players will be able to pierce through enemies, dealing 50% damage to Armour. Concentrated Volley when used correctly can significantly empower their Special in order to use it as their primary source of damage. The bonus shields from Chaos aspect are not affected by Dashing Flight. A players Attack range will be reduced to 320 and its attack cooldown will be increased by 150%. There is some chance that if a player doesnt have two Daedalus Hammers by the time they reach the Temple of Styx that there will be a Daedalus Hammer waiting for you to purchase. And finally, your Shield can be thrown with your special attack, ricocheting between enemies before returning to you. Given how much damage the Hazard Bomb provides, I really like it, though players who are unable to recover Health may not want this upgrade. Overall, I like the attack hammers. Eh. When players are comfortable with using Bull Rush I recommend moving away from it as the upgrade isnt the most powerful one a player can choose when playing with the Shield of Chaos. Your Attack bounces to up to 3 foes, dealing +15% damage for each. through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. It should be noted that some upgrades will not be available to a player if they are using certain Aspects with the Shield of Chaos: Dread Flight provides players with a bit more utility when using the Shield of Chaos Special. The shields themselves dont do a huge amount of damage, so you want Dionysus, Ares or Zeus, whose damage is independent of weapon base damage. Realistically Im not a huge fan of Charged Flight as I typically avoid dealing damage using my Special on the Shield of Chaos, mostly using it to apply Status Curses, however, this can be a great upgrade for players who are using it as a primary source of damage or as a regular secondary source of damage. Malphon boasts the highest attack rate of any melee weapon, which increases its potential when upgraded. Hades fishing: how does fishing work, and which fish can you catch? First off, in my opinion, shield special tends to be pretty weak. Players should note that Hazard Bomb cannot be combined with Rocket Bomb, Cluster Bomb or Triple Bomb and players will not be able to use it if they have the Aspect of Lucifer. After using your Special, deal 40 damage in an area where you land. Explosive Return deals AoE damage when you catch the shields, and if you're lucky enough to get a third upgrade, Charged Flight deals even more damage, though it adds a charge meter to the attack. This hammer would be much stronger, in my opinion, if it was something like +40% base damage for your next two attacks. Bombs will be fired in a 150 fashion, firing from right to left. Deliver Nectar or Ambrosia to NPCs that Zagreus can talk to, and they'll respond by giving him a Keepsake that he can use to help him escape. The damage radius is pretty large sitting at 275. Without Dionysus special, Aspect of Chaos goes down probably 2 tiers. Your Igneus Eden Attack fires 3 beams in a spread pattern (Aspect of Lucifer). Dread Flight can be useful if players are stacking damage on their Special, though realistically the best use for it is if players have a Status Curse on their Special such as Hangover or Doom as using your Special primarily for damage isnt really a great option for the Shield of Chaos. Naeglings Board moveset deals higher damage than usual, and you can load your Cast into your Bull Rush to turn it into an upgraded Dragon Rush. Edit: as a few commenters have pointed out, Ferocious Guard is a global damage increase rather than only on attack. While the description of Draining Cutter sounds good, being that it provides players with 2% of their life every time they kill an enemy using their Special, the reality is that it can be pretty difficult to guarantee a kill using your Special. Exagryph is probably the hardest weapon in Hades to master, but its potential is unlimited, whether you choose to focus on its regular high-fire-rate attack or its powerful special, which fires a slow-moving Bombard into the air to land and deal high damage in an area. Chaos shield is built around bull rushing and throwing your shield, so if you can buff special, attack, or bull rush, go for it. Below you'll find a full list of all Daedalus Hammer upgrades for each weapon. Are there some upgrades I just dont see the worth in? Kristy Ambrose has been writing professionally since 2010. Most are solid choices, or at least viable when built around. Spread Fire is great for players who are trying to deal AoE damage regularly, though it greatly reduces the attack range and speed of the Adamant Rail. Charged Shot: This. His powers are a combination of damage and crowd control. If you want to read my opinions on the Anvil of Fates I strongly recommend that you check out my post on Artifacts. Hades Boons: the best Boons and Gods to choose. The main reality is that there are too many options for players to receive as room rewards, essentially cluttering up a players ability to actually locate a Daedalus Hammer. Your Bull Rush deals +400% damage to Armor. Foes targeted by your Special move slower and take +30% damage. The game has a lot of creative twists that take the edge off the repetitive nature of these kinds of games, which is what makes it stand out in a sea of roguish dungeons that are riding the current popular trend. You still get the shield dash and can throw it, but it's heavier, charges slowly, and deals more damage. Requires you to play the very aggressive style of dash-strike>bull rush>special>repeat so you're always in melee range. Bow is my favorite weapon at the moment. was still playing with no spoilers on Twitch, not be available to a player if they are using certain Aspects on the Stygian Blade, not be available to a player if they are using certain Aspects on the Eternal Spear, not be available to a player if they are using certain Aspects with the Heart-Seeking Bow, not be available to a player if they are using certain Aspects with the Shield of Chaos, not be available to a player if they are using certain Aspects with the Adamant Rail, not be available to a player if they are using certain Aspects with the Twin Fists, Best Ways to Keep Food Fresh & Reduce Spoilage | Dont Starve & DST Guide, Northeast Frost Street Missions & Capsules | Kirby and the Forgotten Land. That being said, the upgrades a player can potentially receive from the Daedalus Hammer may also impact which secret Weapon upgrade a player chooses when using Titan Blood to upgrade the Weapon. As much as 80% isnt the biggest increase, players will really see a bonus in damage while using Empowered Flight, especially if they already have damage built up on their basic attack. It should be noted that players will not be able to use Massive Spin when they use Flurry Jab. It should be noted that Flurry Slash cannot be obtained if payers have World Splitter or Cruel Thrust. Sword, for example, has Dash Nova and World Splitter that often will actively hurt your build. You have the Frost Fair Blade, but your Health and Healing are reduced (-70/65/60/55/50%). Your Attack has more range and deals +10% damage. This cannot always be the case, so just be aware of it as Explosive Return is pretty niche. The Aspect of Beowulf unlocks only after you've spent 5 Titan's Blood on the Aegis already, so it'll likely be a while before you get it. Your Special deals 50 damage to nearby foes when you catch it. My third favourite weapon is Stygius - the old reliable sword which deals excellent, reliable damage whether you choose to focus on the regular attack combo or the area-of-effect special attack. Essentially with Ricochet Fire, players will deal damage to an extra foe anytime they deal damage with their basic attack as long as there is an enemy in the area. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Im sorry for being lazy. Though with Aspect Chiron players would have the best chance to deal the most damage with Concentrated Volley. Not being able to attack or block for the 5 seconds it takes for the shield to fly around the whole room, though, feels very much not great. If you're struggling to win a run with the aspect, this would be a good pick to help you survive, assuming you're playing the aspect optimally with a cast build. Stygius is built for balance between strength and speed (which is why it makes for a good starting weapon). The hammers for the shield was actually the very first topic I 'covered' in a Chthonic Conversation, back before I had developed my current system. Both allow you to fire multiple bombs at once, not only increasing the spread of your special. Sure, it lets you tag nearly every enemy in a room, which feels great. Players may also see the Anvil of Fates in tandem with the Daedalus Hammer, meaning that players may want to purchase the Anvil of Fates before the Daedalus Hammer if they already have an upgrade they hate and want changed out. Now, the only issue is that the attacks will work in a V fashion ultimately meaning that it will be a bit difficult to aim the other two added attacks, though having this much area of effect tends to be good no matter what a player is doing. Updated September 15th, 2022, by Kristy Ambrose: Few other rogue-like dungeon crawlers have the same level of customization when it comes to weapons and gear. However, its great with a variety of different casting abilities, including Aphrodites, which is typically underwhelming due to its short range. In my opinion, Chain Shot is a great upgrade to have as it can be difficult to aim well using Power Shot or your regular attack. Your Attack is a 3-round burst; you never have to Reload. Also, if you dash before the Special detonates, the AoE effect will follow you, giving you what is in essence a super-charged dash-strike. Realistically there are better upgrades to use, however, if the options given arent ideal for players, this isnt a terrible choice. While not the best tactic, if players are struggling with dodging enemies, they can use the Piercing Wave to deal damage from afar. Concentrated Knuckle is by far my favourite damage dealing upgrade as it will provide players with 5 base damage (which can be boosted with Boons) for each basic attack hit unerupted to a foe. Breaching Rush is great upgrade to have with the Shield of Chaos as it can be difficult to deal damage using it, especially when enemies have Armour. Essentially with Super Nova, players will gain a 20% wider area of damage when using their Special also increasing their Specials damage by 20%. With Flurry Jab, players will no longer need to button mash their attack and instead can hold down their attack in order to rapidly strike. Magnetic Cutter pulls foes in towards you; affected foes take bonus attack/cast damage for 4s. Which is a strange idea, because the weapon is nothing without the Boons, Aspects, and Daedalus Upgrades that go with it. Players who are more skilled will want to use their Special any time they have to reload, so if players are looking for ideal damage, they can choose that. While this is true, its not a big deal, as there are other ways to make the aura larger. One might be in the very first room, taking the place of a god's boon, or appear as a reward for. Hades' Coronacht, The Heart-Seeking Bow Weapon Is Versatile & Powerful. Your Attack deals +5 damage for each uninterrupted hit to a foe. For your Daedalus Hammer upgrades, Triple Shot is your best bet as it will give you much-needed spread damage, allowing you to take out groups of enemies faster. It has the Aspect of Zagreus , which . Admittedly, Igneous Eden Hellfire is pretty difficult to use and I strongly recommend taking this upgrade if youre having difficulty with it. Sniper Shot allows players to deal 200% damage to all distant foes, being one of the strongest upgrades players can access when using the Heart-Seeking Bow. In this Hades guide, we'll introduce every weapon, show you how they work, and help you choose between the Stygian Blade, Heart-seeking Bow, Shield of Chaos, Eternal Spear, Twin Fists, and the . With Triple Shot players will not be able to use Twin Shot, though I personally prefer Twin Shot to Triple Shot. If youre someone who struggles with the Heart-Seeking Bow, I strongly recommend this upgrade as it makes it a lot more accessible, however, if youre good at landing Power Shots (which is the best way to deal damage using the Heart-Seeking Bow) avoid it. Quake Cutter - really bad and actual downgrade. Being that the Cruel Thrust is so powerful it does come with some set backs or limitations that players should be aware of. Bonus Attack and Dash-Strike damage (+3/6/9/12/15), After you Bull Rush, your next Special throws multiple shields (+1/2/3/4/5). Due to the fact that players will have to hold down their attack, they will lose access to their Spin Attack, and while you would think that Id be happy about this, the reality is that you get rid of a good amount of AoE range from using Flurry Jab. Hold Attack to strike rapidly, but you cannot Spin Attack. Would that the stalwart warrior-king's sword offered similar protection. Learn how your comment data is processed. The shield seems to be the best weapon in terms of a guaranteed run win. Freeze them in place, a relief in steaming Asphodel, and shatter them with the power of Ares. It should be noted that some upgrades will not be available to a player if they are using certain Aspects on the Stygian Blade: With Breaching Slash, players will deal 300% damage to an enemys Armour, especially being able to burst through enemies in the late-game. Its three attacks are easy to learn: there's a three-step combo which ends in a knockback thrust; a dash-strike which skips straight to the knockback thrust; and a special, which deals heavy knockback damage in a large area around Zagreus, but takes a moment's preparation and recovery. Honestly, eh. You can attack as normal while Blitz Disc is active. I cant say I always choose this one, though there arent many situations I would void using it. More information on how the hammer alters the weapons can be found on their respective pages: Stygian Blade For this upgrade, I essentially ask myself if I have enough upgrades on my Special so that it deals more damage than my basic attack. Dread Flight is an excellent pick for this build. The one which buffs your special ideally. These upgrades don't persist between runs, but they are extremely powerful bonuses that you should prioritise finding throughout each run. Your Igneus Eden Attack starts firing and fires +50% faster with +15% range (Aspect of Lucifer). The Daedalus Hammer is a run-specific item; however, the offerings cannot be re-rolled with Fated Persuasion. Shadow Slash is an upgrade that more skilled players will want to focus on. It makes the special feel better to use, as your shield moves far faster when you're dashing. It should be noted that some upgrades will not be available to a player if they are using certain Aspects on the Eternal Spear: The Extending Jab is a perfect upgrade in my opinion as it provides players with more range and higher damage while using the Eternal Spear. What makes the Aspect of Zeus good is that you can continue attacking while the shield is out, so the idea here is to launch the shield on top of an enemy (or boss) and continuously attack, then recall the shield once it gets out of range, so it does even more damage on the way back. Weapons in Hades, known as Infernal Arms, are kept in the Courtyard - the final room of the House of Hades before you begin your next run. Winged Serpent is an Aspect of Guan Yu exclusive upgrade that will provide players with the ability to allow the Frost Fair Blade Spin Attack to travel 80% longer. This isvery important as you will be shooting yourself in the foot otherwise. Be sure to check out our Hades strategy guide for in-depth tips and links to all our other Hades guides. Your Attack deals +200% damage to distant foes. But, what do you think about the hammers for the shield? Your Attack restores 2 Health, but you have -60% Health. Hades: The Best Daedalus Hammer Upgrade For Each Weapon By Demaris Oxman Updated Nov 2, 2021 A couple times per run, Hades gives players the opportunity to upgrade their weapons. I understand why they exist, but man does it feel bad when this is one of your offered hammers in Tartarus taking the place of something like Charged Shot. Knockback boons work a treat with this build, since they let you group enemies at a distance while you charge the Bull Rush. It's a huge damage increase in addition to making the weapon easier to use, as well as safer. Quite frankly, Concentrated Volley can be a tricky upgrade to use as players will have to fire their Special in hopes of targeting single enemy. Essentially, with Twin Shot, players lose 65% attack range and will shoot two arrows side-by-side, meaning that the charge up time is also faster, but eh. For those of you who are flighty or simply love to dodge with Athenas Dash Deflect, look forward to dealing damage twice and also deal an extra 20% damage with your Dash-Strikes. Thrusts already deal a higher amount of damage, though with this upgrade players will deal 200% more damage and have a 40% chance to Critical Hit. Having tried them all multiple times, Id recommend Dionysus. Players should note that they will not be able to use the Flurry Shot if they already have Perfect Shot, Explosive Shot or are using the Aspect of Rama. In my opinion, Ares on attack and Dionysus on special is the way to go with this Aspect, especially with Privileged Status activated on your mirror. Hold Special to charge your throw for up to +200% damage. It should be noted that players will not be able to combine Kinetic Launcher with Rush Kick, Flying Cutter, Explosive Upper or Quake Cutter. Each upgrades as a little something to the mix and improves your trusty tool to perform better on the battlefield. Players will want to make sure that their Power Shot can trigger as fast as possible and will also want to maximize their damage output with it as it is the strongest way to deal damage with the Heart-Seeking Bow. The upgrades players can get with the hammer are temporary, lasting only until they are killed and ejected from the dungeons to The House of Hades. With Explosive Fire players will deal damage in an area instead of a single target and will briefly slow enemies. More information on how the hammer alters the weapons can be found on their respective pages. The desk in Zagraeus' room holds a scroll with a document called The Fated List. Trippy Shot from Dionysus is another good option, especially if you manage to get High Tolerance and the Zeus duo boon. A Daedalus Hammer is an Artifact that improves your weapon by upgrading its attacks. For those intrepid adventurers who are trekking out of the Underworld armed with Aegis, here are some ideas for putting together the perfect Shield of Chaos build in this beloved indie roguelike. Give me your thoughts down below. Players will be able to rely on the Special to remove the Armour off of all enemies, especially if players are using the Aspect that causes all Special attacks to target the last hit enemy. Equip the Overflowing Cup Keepsake to ensure he stops partying long enough to show up with his Boons. I personally find Bull Rush to be a bit clunky without hammers like this or Charged Shot, so even though it doesn't strictly increase damage, making the weapon easier and faster while also increasing your mobility is definitely a solid hammer. This is essentially the same thing, with the purple tending to be more offensive powers and the green ones as more defensive or passive abilities. These abilities aren't included in most Hades shield builds, but they can complement the build if players don't mind going a little meta when it comes to their Zagreus build. Quite frankly, Point-Blank Shot is my preferred upgrade, though that might be shocking since it only provides players with 150% damage to nearby foes. After blocking a foe, gain +20% damage and move speed for 10 Sec. Hold Special for longer range and up to +200% damage. In my opinion, this upgrade is necessary and should always be chosen. Your Holy Excalibur aura is +45% larger; makes foes +10% slower (Aspect of Arthur). Big range, big area of effect, hits behind cover or even shielded enemies in the back. Combining this with Dread Flight, Explosive Return, or Charged Flight can really make the special a much more viable damage dealer. Your Special hits twice in a smaller area; no longer knocks foes away. The issue with Explosive Return is that players will not always be surrounded by enemies, though this isnt the biggest problem as a players Special can be used fairly frequently. You don't need to special to activate it, just block something, but the damage increase is even more negligible. The Anvil of Fates as mentioned will re-roll a single passive at random, providing players with two random traits. If you find the hammer upgrade that speeds up your Bull Rush charge (Sudden Rush), all the better. The numerous options available to tweak the various weapons are one feature that keeps players coming back. Admittedly, the V formation is a bit difficult to control and often avoids enemies, but when landed correctly players will gain a significant damage output. Dashing Flight will also provide players with 200% damage using their Special. His Keepsake is the Conch Shell. Essentially with Pulverizing Blow players will be able to Bash enemies twice, losing its knockback feature. It should be noted that the Cruel Thrust does not apply to the Dash-Strike, so players will continue to have to combo and stand still to deal damage. This one transforms the shield's moveset in more subtle ways compared to other hidden aspects. It's an easy way to remove their extra shield with a weak attack so your stronger ones actually have an affect. The following are all of the upgrades players can get for the Shield of Chaos. Your Attack deals +1 damage for each uninterrupted hit to a foe. Unfortunately players will not be able to do this with Aspect of Rama. **See below for Naegling's Board's alternate moveset. Johnny is a 20-something year old average gamer and Twitch Streamer. Take the Frostbitten Horn, a gift from Demeter, who grants several Boons that can Chill enemies. Essentially, Sudden Rush for me was a tool that I could use to learn how to use Bull Rush, but due to the other upgrades players can choose for the Shield of Chaos, I tend to no longer use it. Both the slow and the extra damage will come in handy for players, especially with a melee Weapon. Each of these Aspects is part of the best Shield of Chaos build in Hades. With Chain Skewer, essentially players will be able to damage up to 7 foes for each of the uses players use on their Special. Daedalus Hammer upgrades for Aspect of Eris are a little different than for Aspect of Zagreus, as you'll want to focus more on upgrades to your Special. In fact, you should probably wear the Dionysus accessory when starting a run with this shield so you dont have any chance of getting screwed by RNG. Everyone has their own ideas when it comes to the ideal weapon build. If youre playing the wonderful new aRPG Hades, youre going to want to learn everything you can about the various weapon aspects so you can know which weapons you want to focus on leveling up with your Titan Blood. Ares' Blade Dash lets you deal damage as you escape after the Bull Rush, so consider aiming for that one as well. Not much else to say, really. The subreddit for Hades and Hades II, the god-like rogue-likes from Supergiant Games. Piercing Volley strongly increases the usability of the Heart-Seeking Bows Special as it will make it so it deals 400% damage to Armour. If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Hazard Bomb can be a struggle to use if players are running the Aspect of Eris, as they will be required to stand in the damage of the Hazard Bomb in order to deal more damage with their basic attacks.