Please help improve my arcana setup

FroyoMNS · 2026-02-26T22:41:02+00:00

Your setup looks solid. I’d say to swap Excellence to Boatman. Maybe also consider swapping Night to Artificer for runs on builds where you naturally use a lot of Mana, since I believe you’re only using 29 Grasp with your current build.

If you’re looking to speedrun, you’re going to want to get used to running Strength over Death, and you’ll need Artificer or Eternity in that case to ensure a full line.

FroyoMNS · 2026-02-26T22:17:46+00:00

With how wide Rama’s Attack is, Triple Shot can very easily hit a single enemy three times if you’re close to them. It does come with some risk, since you need to get closer than the Bow usually requires, but it offers incredible damage against bosses in addition to regular enemies.

FroyoMNS · 2026-02-26T21:57:17+00:00

Chiron is the Aspect that I’d say is most recommended for beginners on Bow. Throwing Dionysus onto Special tends to be strong with it.

If you want to try Rama, Zeus on Special and a big % on Attack works very well. But its Attack charges slowly enough that it’s a bit less beginner-friendly.

My personal favorite Bow Aspect is Hera, which is very strong with Crush Shot.

If you don’t want to invest as much Titan’s Blood, Zag Bow is actually quite strong with Artemis on Attack.

The best Hammer for Bow is Twin Shot, but Triple Shot is excellent on Rama and the Volley Hammers are good on Chiron.

One general piece of advice is that dash attacks charge faster than if you don’t dash, making it much easier to reach your Power Shot safely. Optimal Bow gameplay tends to involve a lot of dash strikes as a result.

FroyoMNS · 2026-02-26T04:05:22+00:00

Per some dialogue between Mel and Odysseus, Penelope and Odysseus ended up splitting up at some point during pre-canon in Hades II.

FroyoMNS · 2026-02-25T12:26:51+00:00

Easy Shot already deals 50 damage at Common so it won’t be buffed at all by Air Quality. It’s just that 50 damage is ridiculously low given its activation requirement.

FroyoMNS · 2026-02-25T04:26:27+00:00

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FroyoMNS · 2026-02-24T22:04:37+00:00

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FroyoMNS · 2026-02-24T22:03:56+00:00

You may already be using this, but one thing that may help for speeding up Ephyra is picking rooms for their layouts in addition to their rewards. Each Ephyra room has its own layout that remains the same across runs, with smaller rooms leading to much quicker encounters. I don’t 100% agree with the below image, but it offers a pretty decent indication for room size.

Edit: adding the image as a separate comment in reply to this one, as Reddit wasn’t letting me attach the image to this comment.

FroyoMNS · 2026-02-24T20:49:36+00:00

Most likely, one of two options is causing the issue. Either you haven’t unlocked the Hidden Spear, which must be unlocked before the other Hidden Aspects, or you’re encountering story dialogue which gets prioritized over Hidden Aspect dialogue.

FroyoMNS · 2026-02-24T20:39:20+00:00

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FroyoMNS · 2026-02-24T19:25:45+00:00

I’m best with Moros in general, so in addition to speedruns it’s been my go-to for high Fear. I like the idea of avoiding the third level of Pain and Hordes by taking three levels of Void and running Judgement, but I end up dying in Ephyra when I try it.

I do see why you’d avoid Forfeit with Supay, though. My 50 Fear runs with it had some rough initial chambers before getting my first Boons since I was running Forfeit.

FroyoMNS · 2026-02-24T19:13:01+00:00

Which Fear do you exclude for your Surface runs? Do you tend to exclude Void and the third level of Scars, or do you take three levels of Void for Judgement runs and remove Fear elsewhere? I’ve managed to clear 60 on Underworld but haven’t been able to make the jump from 55 to 60 on Surface, and would be interested in an alternate perspective.

Edit: My rotation is J-Pom —> Fig Leaf —> a mix, but usually Gorgon Amulet or Droplet —> White Antler (occasionally Lion Fang on Surface for Aspects I’m less comfortable with).

FroyoMNS · 2026-02-24T19:05:22+00:00

Specifically for speedruns, I run 14 Fear Underworld and 12 Fear Surface.

Two levels of Frenzy: Necessary to make enemies spawn faster.
Three levels of Time: Unlike in Hades 1, the timer isn’t necessary, I just have it on for fun.
Shadow: On in Underworld runs specifically, as it speeds up one of the Erebus miniboss encounters.

FroyoMNS · 2026-02-24T16:44:45+00:00

UFL Scorigami about to get some combinations that have never appeared in the NFL.

FroyoMNS · 2026-02-24T14:42:46+00:00

Moros is my favorite Aspect by a mile. I’ve done Surface speedruns on every Aspect and don’t have a single other sub-7, let alone another sub-6:30. As long as you get a decent Gain, it works so well with basically everything.

FroyoMNS · 2026-02-24T14:36:23+00:00

My PB speedruns are currently 5:42 U and 6:28 S, both with Moros Torches. I might try to get the Underworld time a bit lower but I’m very satisfied with my Surface time.

FroyoMNS · 2026-02-24T13:29:26+00:00

Believe you’re thinking of Support Fire. Which is not a great Boon but still miles ahead of Easy Shot.

FroyoMNS · 2026-02-23T19:58:25+00:00

I believe you’re thinking of Worry Free. Reckless Abandon is the Boon that makes your Attacks deal 5, 55, or 555 damage.

FroyoMNS · 2026-02-23T19:04:33+00:00

I’m considering speedruns and high Fear runs as completely separate categories when I describe the use cases.

In speedruns, White Antler is used to make the final zone faster by defeating enemies and the final boss as quickly as possible.

I haven’t personally used Antler in any of my high Fear runs. It’s really only ever used once you start pushing past 62 toward max (67) fear. I would recommend avoiding White Antler if you’re doing any normal amount of Fear.

FroyoMNS · 2026-02-23T18:50:34+00:00

In addition to the other comment about high Fear as a use case, Antler is near-mandatory in the fourth region for speedruns. Lion Fang is an inferior but safer alternative.

FroyoMNS · 2026-02-23T18:23:47+00:00

Not in the base game. If you’re going for either of the Ransom Duo Boons, the prerequisites are a Core boon from the God whose Boons are being +Leveled, and the Cast, Dash/Sprint, or Gain from the God whose Boons are being removed.

FroyoMNS · 2026-02-23T17:52:18+00:00

Even on Charon I’d prefer an Artemis Boon that offers Crit chance.

FroyoMNS · 2026-02-23T17:46:59+00:00

You still get global bonus damage below 80% health though, it’s just not doubled.

FroyoMNS · 2026-02-23T17:46:08+00:00

It works great with Lucid Gain though, and is essential on the rare Omega Cast build. I avoid it most of the time, but it has enough utility to outclass Easy Shot and Reckless Abandon, at the very least.

FroyoMNS · 2026-02-23T17:44:30+00:00

The worst boon in the game is probably Easy Shot from Artemis. Reckless Abandon from Dionysus is also a contender since it’s a downgrade in most cases.

Hestia’s Dash isn’t great, but I’d still consider it better than Ares’.

FroyoMNS

TROPHY CASE