Weapon Guide#
A criteria-first breakdown: nail down the Infernal Arms’ system rules first, then move on to verified numbers and aspect recommendations for all six weapons
Combat in Hades revolves around the six Infernal Arms: the Stygian Blade, Eternal Spear, Shield of Chaos, Heart-Seeking Bow, Twin Fists and Adamant Rail. All six share the same underlying rules — five move slots (Attack, Special, Cast, Dash, Call), plus the backstab multiplier, Titan Blood aspect growth and Daedalus Hammer in-run upgrades. Learn these rules first and then decide which weapon feels right; that beats memorizing a one-sided “weapon tier list” every time.
1. System Rules: Five Criteria Every Weapon Shares#
1. There are only five move slots; weapons differ in how they fill them. Every weapon uses the same slots:
| Move slot | Mechanic |
|---|---|
| Attack | Primary damage move; most weapons use a combo structure |
| Special | Secondary damage move; differs the most between weapons |
| Cast | Ranged throw that lodges a stone in the enemy — walk up to retrieve it |
| Dash | Comes with invincibility frames and can be used twice in a row; dash-derived attacks are the core of repositioning damage |
| Call | Powerful support ability that consumes the God Gauge |
2. Backstabs default to 150%. Any hit landed from behind an enemy is resolved at 1.5x damage. This multiplier applies to every weapon, and it is the base that the Mirror of Night’s Shadow Presence talent (red side) builds on further. Hugging an enemy’s back is a universal gain for every melee weapon and depends on no boons at all.
3. Titan Blood only goes into aspects. The weapon-side use of Titan Blood is unlocking and upgrading Aspects: each weapon has 4 aspects, each of which can reach level 5. Every level raises the numbers of that aspect’s own effect, and the increments differ per aspect — there is no single universal percentage. Fully unlocking and maxing every aspect of one weapon costs roughly 51 Titan Blood, the heaviest single-resource investment in the game; concentrate on one or two main weapons instead of spreading blood across all six.
4. Aspect unlock progress is tracked per weapon. Each weapon’s aspect unlocks and Titan Blood investments are separate; the Heat Bounties from each region’s boss are also granted per weapon — switch weapons and you can claim another payout of Titan Blood on the same escape route, see the heat guide.
5. The Daedalus Hammer only lasts for the run. The Daedalus Hammer is an in-run upgrade: you can find it at most twice per run, each time offering a choice between two upgrades, and the effect only lasts until the current escape ends. The hammer upgrade pool is separate per weapon, and you will never roll a duplicate upgrade in one run. A hammer room is basically a free power spike — treat it as top priority.
2. Aspects and Hidden Aspects#
Every weapon has exactly 4 aspects: the default Zagreus aspect is available on unlock; the second and third aspects cost a little Titan Blood, with later ones costing more; the hidden aspect requires meeting dialogue conditions. Aspect levels raise the specific numbers of each aspect’s built-in effect — always defer to the in-game Armory entry; this page only provides positioning criteria.
| Hidden aspect | Weapon | Unlock criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Arthur | Stygian Blade | After investing Titan Blood into the blade’s other aspects, talk to Achilles |
| Guan Yu | Eternal Spear | After investing Titan Blood into the spear’s other aspects, talk to Achilles |
| Beowulf | Shield of Chaos | After investing Titan Blood into the shield’s other aspects, talk to Chaos |
| Rama | Heart-Seeking Bow | After investing Titan Blood into the bow’s other aspects, talk to Artemis |
| Gilgamesh | Twin Fists | After investing Titan Blood into the fists’ other aspects, talk to Asterius |
| Lucifer | Adamant Rail | After investing Titan Blood into the rail’s other aspects, talk to Demeter |
Two addenda. First, the dialogue trigger also requires reaching that character’s story node — the relevant Achilles and Demeter events only unlock in the later middle portion of the main quest. Second, after the trigger dialogue, unlocking the hidden aspect itself costs another chunk of Titan Blood — budget for it, and don’t spend all your blood upgrading the regular aspects.
3. Master Table: Base Numbers and Move Structure for All Six Weapons#
The table below lists the multi-source-verified base damage and move structure for all six weapons; use it as an index for the per-weapon sections that follow:
| Weapon | Base attack | Move structure notes |
|---|---|---|
| Stygian Blade | 20 | Three-hit combo 100%/125%/150%; dash attack (Nova Smash) 250% |
| Eternal Spear | 20 | Three-hit combo 100%/150%/150%; charged spin up to 500%; throw 25+25 |
| Shield of Chaos | 25 | Bull Rush at full charge 200%; throw 60% |
| Heart-Seeking Bow | 50 fully charged | Perfect-timing release multiplies by another 120%; Volley Fire fires 9 arrows at 20% each |
| Twin Fists | 15×5 | Five-hit combo at 15 per hit; uppercut (Rising Cutter) 30×2; dash-uppercut 40 |
| Adamant Rail | 10×12 rounds | 10 per shot, 12-round magazine that must reload when empty; grenade (Bombard) 600% |
4. Stygian Blade#
The first weapon you unlock. Fast swings, clean hitboxes, no obvious weakness. The three-hit combo has a steady rhythm, the 250% dash attack is one of the smoothest repositioning damage moves of any weapon, and hugging an enemy’s back reliably pays out the 150% backstab bonus.
| Move | Mechanic and numbers |
|---|---|
| Three-hit combo | 100% / 125% / 150% (base damage 20) |
| Dash attack (Nova Smash) | 250%, the blade’s most-used opener and chase tool |
| Special attack | A wide slash that covers both crowd clearing and chip damage |
Aspect recommendations (qualitative):
| Aspect | Positioning | Recommended direction |
|---|---|---|
| Zagreus | The baseline aspect unlocked by default | Use it to learn the blade’s rhythm first |
| Nemesis | After a Special, your next Attack is a guaranteed crit | Mainstay for combo and crit builds |
| Poseidon | Cast-focused: the Cast dislodges faster for repeat throws | Builds built around the Cast |
| Arthur | Slow heavy swings with a larger reach, a slowing aura and higher max HP | Big-swing, forgiveness-first playstyles |
5. Eternal Spear#
A mid-range poking weapon whose combo damage is back-loaded — the double 150% finisher gives every combo a weighty end. The charged spin at up to 500% is among the highest single-action multipliers in the game, and the throw Special gives you a way to tag targets from a distance.
| Move | Mechanic and numbers |
|---|---|
| Three-hit combo | 100% / 150% / 150% (base damage 20) |
| Charged spin | A spinning attack after charging, up to 500% |
| Throw (Special) | 25+25, resolved once on the throw and once on the return |
Aspect recommendations (qualitative):
| Aspect | Positioning | Recommended direction |
|---|---|---|
| Zagreus | The baseline aspect unlocked by default | Learn the spear’s spacing first |
| Achilles | Post-throw buff window: dash attacks and dash specials deal bonus damage | Mainstay of dash-derived damage builds |
| Hades | Specializes the charged spin | Playstyles built around charged attacks |
| Guan Yu | Slow, wide sweeps that trade max HP for burst | Advanced players who can trade hits and dodge well |
6. Shield of Chaos#
Attack and defense in one package: its attacks carry a built-in block, and the Bull Rush plus throw give it something to do at every range. The base attack of 25 is the highest single-hit value among the six weapons — the rhythm is slower, but every hit lands solid, which makes the error margin extremely friendly for new players.
| Move | Mechanic and numbers |
|---|---|
| Bull Rush | Charge forward; 200% at full charge |
| Throw (Special) | 60%; the shield flies out and returns |
| Block | The Bull Rush charge grants frontal block capability |
Aspect recommendations (qualitative):
| Aspect | Positioning | Recommended direction |
|---|---|---|
| Zagreus | The baseline aspect unlocked by default | One of the safest starting points for a first escape |
| Chaos | Throw-combo oriented aspect | For players who like the flying-shield feel |
| Zeus | Crowd-clear oriented throw aspect | Configurations that prioritize clearing mobs fast |
| Beowulf | The Bull Rush can load a Cast and detonate it | A core aspect for Cast-focused builds |
7. Heart-Seeking Bow#
A pure ranged weapon whose damage logic revolves around charging: a fully charged shot deals 50, and releasing at the perfect moment multiplies it by another 120%. The bow tests your timing anticipation — learning to finish a full charge inside the gaps of your footwork is the fundamental skill for every bow build.
| Move | Mechanic and numbers |
|---|---|
| Charged shot | 50 at full charge (baseline), with a perfect-timing release multiplying by another 120% |
| Volley Fire (Special) | Fires 9 arrows at once, 20% each — for clearing crowds and group pressure |
Aspect recommendations (qualitative):
| Aspect | Positioning | Recommended direction |
|---|---|---|
| Zagreus | The baseline aspect unlocked by default | Practice full-charge release timing first |
| Chiron | Specials auto-track any target your attack has hit | The byword for low-effort damage — the bow’s first pick |
| Hera | Mechanic aspect that loads your Cast into an arrow | The ranged carrier for Cast builds |
| Rama | Shared-damage linkage aspect | A fun group-pressure playstyle |
8. Twin Fists#
A close-range, high-frequency weapon: the five-hit combo hits 15 per strike at the fastest attack speed in the game — low per hit, but strong damage per unit of time. The rhythm is “hit and run”: dash in, land two or three combo hits, dash out, and use the double dash’s invincibility frames to evade trades.
| Move | Mechanic and numbers |
|---|---|
| Five-hit combo | 15 per hit, 15×5 in total (baseline) |
| Uppercut (Rising Cutter) | The Special attack, 30×2 |
| Dash-uppercut (Dash-Upper) | A dash-derived move worth 40 |
Aspect recommendations (qualitative):
| Aspect | Positioning | Recommended direction |
|---|---|---|
| Zagreus | The baseline aspect unlocked by default | Get used to the fists’ close-range rhythm first |
| Talos | The Special becomes a magnetic pull | A control aspect that drags ranged enemies into your range |
| Demeter | Combo-enhancing aspect | Stationary-combo damage playstyle |
| Gilgamesh | Dash attack becomes a claw swipe, with a dodge-rate bonus | The ceiling of melee error tolerance |
9. Adamant Rail#
The only standard firearm: 10 damage per shot with a 12-round magazine that must reload when empty, shifting the playstyle from “one swing, one step” to “magazine management”. The grenade Special at 600% is among the highest-multiplier Specials in the game, and planning your footwork around reload windows is a required course for rail players.
| Move | Mechanic and numbers |
|---|---|
| Shot | 10 per shot, 12-round magazine, reload when empty |
| Grenade (Bombard, Special) | A 600% high-multiplier burst |
Aspect recommendations (qualitative):
| Aspect | Positioning | Recommended direction |
|---|---|---|
| Zagreus | The baseline aspect unlocked by default | Learn magazine rhythm and shoot-and-move first |
| Eris | Grants a damage buff when the grenade blast catches you too | Point-blank self-bombing, high risk and high reward |
| Hestia | Manual reload with a buffed single shot | The signature single-shot-quality aspect |
| Lucifer | The Special becomes a sustained laser beam | A unique stationary-damage playstyle |
10. Picking a Weapon by Playstyle: Qualitative Recommendations#
| Your situation | Suggested starting point | One-line criterion |
|---|---|---|
| First escape | Stygian Blade (Zagreus aspect) or Shield of Chaos | High error tolerance, straightforward rhythm — drill dash and backstabs into instinct |
| Cast-focused builds | Shield of Chaos (Beowulf) or Heart-Seeking Bow (Hera) | Cast load and retrieval efficiency decide the ceiling of these builds |
| Pushing high Heat | Stygian Blade (Nemesis) or Adamant Rail (Hestia) | At high Heat, single-shot quality and crits beat combo counts |
| Close-range melee fans | Twin Fists (Talos or Gilgamesh) | The pull and the dodge are the two hard currencies of melee survival |
| Kiting at range | Heart-Seeking Bow (Chiron) or Adamant Rail (Lucifer) | Tracking and lasers both massively cut footwork pressure |
There is only one underlying rule for weapon choice: as Heat climbs, enemy damage and counts both swell (see the heat guide), and the more solidly a weapon performs on multipliers that don’t depend on boon RNG — full charge, crits, dodge — the lower your fail rate. Mirror of Night talents that boost Cast capacity and backstab damage directly change how a weapon feels; pairing ideas are in the Mirror of Night upgrades page, and the opening-keepsake interplay with weapons is covered in the keepsakes guide.
Revision Notes#
The old version of this page suffered from invented names and fabricated numbers; this rewrite corrects each issue as follows:
- Name corrections: the old page called the Adamant Rail “Griffin Fortress Cannon”, the Heart-Seeking Bow “Heart Bow”, and wrote the Stygian Blade as “Nether Sword” — all invented; this page standardizes on the official English names above.
- Base-number corrections: the old “weapon base stats” table listed the Eternal Spear as 25, the Shield of Chaos as 15, the Heart-Seeking Bow as 30 and the Twin Fists as 10 — all wrong. The verified values are spear 20, shield 25, bow 50 fully charged, fists 15×5. The rail’s 10 was correct, but the old table omitted the 12-round magazine and the 600% grenade.
- Removed unsourced data: the old table’s “special damage” column (blade 25, spear 40, shield 10, bow 15×3, fists 30, rail 60) has no verifiable source and has been removed in full; Special move numbers now use the multi-source-verified values listed above.
- Removed invented percentages: the “+15%/+30%/+50%/+75%” tiers in the old “aspect upgrade cost” and “aspect upgrade details” tables were fabricated uniform bonuses — each aspect raises its own effect numbers, with no universal percentage. This page keeps only the verifiable cost facts: 5 levels per aspect, and roughly 51 Titan Blood to unlock and max all aspects of one weapon.
- Removed the unverified hammer table: the upgrade names and effects in the old “Daedalus Hammer modifications” table were unverified and have been removed in full, replaced by the system-rule description (twice per run, lasts for the run, separate upgrade pool per weapon).
- Ratings downgraded to qualitative recommendations: the old S/A/B/C “aspect rating” and “weapon recommendation” tables contained speculation (including entries such as “Zagreus aspect + attack speed/move speed” that do not match the actual mechanics); the specific claims have been removed in favor of qualitative recommendations grounded in verifiable mechanics.
- Hidden-aspect conditions moved to qualitative terms: specific values in the old table such as “invest 5+ blood” were unverified; this page keeps only the criterion of “invest Titan Blood into the weapon, then talk to the corresponding NPC”.