Duo Boon Guide and Tier Level | Hades Tips and Tricks

Let's take a look at the duo boons! I rank them and talk about how good they are. I hope you find the video informative! I've got the time stamps for each duo boon below! Please let me know what you think of my list and if you disagree!
Check out my cast duo boons video!
• Ranking the Cast Duo B...
2:51 Hunting Blades
6:25 Sea Storm
8:23 Merciful End
10:08 Curse of Longing
12:08 Sweet Nectar
14:31 Lightning Phalanx
17:08 Deadly Reversal
18:56 Heart Rend
20:34 Exclusive Access
23:37 Spent Spirit
25:10 Scintillating Feast
27:27 Low Tolerance
30:49 Vengeful Mood
33:14 Lightning Rod
35:30 Crystal Clarity
38:13 Cold Fusion
39:50 Ice Wine
41:25 Blizzard Shot
Notes:
It has been mentioned that I shouldn't have corrected myself for Sweet Nectar. It is Poseidon + Aphrodite.
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Hades The Long Winter Update is here! Let's battle with Demeter the god of seasons and The new Guan Yu aspect spear! This update also has fishing and a bunch of other new improvements!
Hades is a god-like rogue-like dungeon crawler that combines the best aspects of Supergiant's critically acclaimed titles, including the fast-paced action of Bastion, the rich atmosphere and depth of Transistor, and the character-driven storytelling of Pyre.
BATTLE OUT OF HELL
As the immortal Prince of the Underworld, you'll wield the powers and mythic weapons of Olympus to break free from the clutches of the god of the dead himself, while growing stronger and unraveling more of the story with each unique escape attempt.
UNLEASH THE FURY OF OLYMPUS
The Olympians have your back! Meet Zeus, Athena, Poseidon, and many more, and choose from their dozens of powerful Boons that enhance your abilities. There are thousands of viable character builds to discover as you go.
BEFRIEND GODS, GHOSTS, AND MONSTERS
A fully-voiced cast of colorful, larger-than-life characters is waiting to meet you! Grow your relationships with them, and experience hundreds of unique story events as you learn about what's really at stake for this big, dysfunctional family.
BUILT FOR REPLAYABILITY
New surprises await each time you delve into the ever-shifting Underworld, whose guardian bosses will remember you. Use the powerful Mirror of Night to grow permanently stronger, and give yourself a leg up the next time you run away from home.
NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE
Permanent upgrades mean you don't have to be a god yourself to experience the exciting combat and gripping story. Though, if you happen to be one, crank up the challenge and get ready for some white-knuckle action that will put your well-practiced skills to the test.
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[@peterthepanda5191]

They missed such a big opportunity with Aphrodite and Ares, they should have named it Love and War.

[@JawlessPaul]

Haha, true!

[@Krystalmyth]

Sounds fair to me.

[@charliethecockatoo2159]

Iunno, man... I think Curse of Longing is pretty apt.

[@davidsimpson4046]

Or “all’s fair”

[@gyrozeppeli7813]

Love is war yes they should

[@inkdew5620]

I hope super giant games notices you and makes you their main guy for streaming and promotion. You absolutely are deserving of such a *boon*

[@JawlessPaul]

Haha that is super nice of you to say.

[@SkeetAllMighty]

Eh you should just watch more this gug is definitely good but hey let's not get stuff debuffed. Only buffed. Only talk about the bad stuff just stay with it i believe in you.

[@Pontificate]

On the IGN speed run commentary I’m pretty sure they mentioned one of his builds.

[@sealabtucker9278]

I'm super late to this but I agree. The man has made this game so fun for different builds for me to try

[@christianworcester6851]

To you this 6 you guys 6g6gg you gg guys ygy you yy to y6 you 6ggygy uh huh ygygggggggyggggggggg guys ygggggggggggggggggggggggggygggggggggggggg the gggyyggggggggyg it yggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg y yygggggggggggggggggggugggggggggggggggggggggggggugggggg

[@Tiphereth.]

"I don't know what to do for this run. Hunting Blades, here I am."

[@JawlessPaul]

Haha, it's always so tempting!

[@Liam11433]

Something I love about this game is that it isn’t afraid to let you be op. One run with the spear of Achilles I had hunting blades, mirage shot, Artemis, Ares AND Hermes legendary. Safe to say Hades lasted about 20 seconds

[@JawlessPaul]

Agreed! That is a pretty busted build, probably the most overpowered one in the game right now.

[@owenbenedictpangan3553]

I once had the chance to get a duo between demeter and dionysus. For the special move. Then the very next stage got a duo between dionysus and zeus again for the special move. It was busted as hell. Hades lasted for like 10 seconds. Soo i had this combination of lightning festive fog and ice in one attack.

[@JawlessPaul]

That's an awesome combo!

[@JLuz34]

I just did a run with this and got the same thing - the DPS was insane. On this same run I also found an exclusive access boon in Tartarus, and then an epic Demeter rare crop the very next encounter. It's probably going to be a while until I see that kind of busted/OP build again.

[@cepahreinholt8710]

Yeah I had the same it was amazing *_*.

[@skyesfallin]

I get this all combination the time, add it to an Achilles or posideon aspect and you're set to destroy.

[@seretith3513]

Was researching if it's Possible to overlab these Dous into a "Triple God Cast". Thank you for Confirming, cause these are the 3 first Gods my current Run gave me. Since i'm still in Tartarus i might even get Zeus×Demeter and make it even more Busted. Fckn melted his last half. Run was a goddamn fckn Powerfantasy.

[@jhon1406]

i'm obsessed with your hades guides, they've taught me so much!!

[@JawlessPaul]

Nice! I appreciate the support! Glad they were helpful!

[@gimicio.talloni]

As a brand new Xbox player you have helped me so so much in my escapes. Thank you!

[@JawlessPaul]

You are welcome!

[@philipsalibo7641]

I’m like you lol I have been no lifting this game and already have over 100 attempts with around 30 escapes. So glad this is here

[@j17az_zir21]

I took the Mirage Shot duo boon yesterday (along with a ton of other Poseidon boons to make it better) and I finally beat Hades for the first time. Your advice is invaluable, thank you!

[@JawlessPaul]

Congrats! That's awesome!

[@gmeek1822]

what a great list. I think your rankings are fair. i have never tried "Merciful End" i got it when I was grinding for prophecies before I knew just how good duos were

[@JawlessPaul]

Thanks Gmeek! It was fun putting the vid together! Of course the obvious mistake with sweet nectar is annoying but I will live. 😂

[@kwork95]

Thank you so much for the time stamps!!! 👏👏👏🥳

[@JawlessPaul]

I'm glad you appreciate them! 👍

[@humanish4042]

I will say that I got Spent Spirit right before I went into the hydra fight and watching all those purple projectiles just slowly make their way over made my day; A tier boon if I can get it before then

[@daniellemurnett2534]

I don't care whether Scintillating Feast is good or not, I rank it max on the fun scale. Watching Theseus and Asterius' health bars straight up melt is a feeling unmatched.

[@JawlessPaul]

It's so good! It give Dio cast builds nice sustained damage, which it needs!

[@chakradarrat8832]

now: gods tier list. like the gods as a whole by that i mean. attack, special, cast and dash tier lists

[@JawlessPaul]

Sounds like a fun, HUGE, and LONG video! Seems to be what others are asking for as well!

[@chakradarrat8832]

@@JawlessPaul here is my take: casts: aphrodite a (b on hera's bow. stupid out of bounds)

[@gregory8388]

I would first prefer an Hermes tier list?

[@imranramdzan2140]

Been waiting for this one~

[@JawlessPaul]

I'm glad to deliver! Tons of people have weighed in on the list with their own opinions. There are lots of ways to play the game!

[@imma5269]

Thanks for these videos bro, just started playing the game and it’s been very helpful. Ive been surprised by how good Hades is, so far I consider it up there with FTL and StS as one of the best modern roguelikes (or roguelite, whatever it is lul)

[@JawlessPaul]

Yeah! It's pretty incredible! I've played for over a thousand hours and it's still fun for me 😂

[@BestKeptSecret18]

A general best boons for each god tier list would be great aswell because I really enjoyed this video and it was very helpful :)

[@JawlessPaul]

Sounds like a fun video! Thanks for the suggestion!

[@sleepycrow3849]

the Atermis/Zeus duo combine with Dionysus/Zeus duo cast boon is so perfect, you creat a thunder field and i love it

[@JawlessPaul]

Anything with lightning is just so cool!

[@j3m3r3]

Im a long time gamer but casual gamer. I have about 50 runs but i havent really paid attention to the finer details of this game. Great job explaining things, there is so much. Gonna play differently now watching your videos. I havent had this much fun playing a game in a long time.

[@AstronautenKing]

Great vid as always. I came across your channel in November by accident and I must say I really enjoy these kind of tier lists. I hope you keep it up and as many others requested do "god" tier list in general. One love

[@JawlessPaul]

Sounds like fun! I'll start collecting my thoughts, such as they are. 😂

[@DrClocktopus1]

Favourite run so far has been Ice Wine tripple loaded onto my Hades bow with crit and weakness buffs. Now THAT is impressive damage.

[@JawlessPaul]

Such amazing burst!

[@SanraiDalris]

A hidden strength of cold fusion is that jolted does its damage after the status expires, so it can’t get status privilege from itself and one other debug usually. Also, as a Demeter combo, it shares the build with chill, an 8 second debuff, making status privilege easy to maintain.

[@JawlessPaul]

Definiitely! That's a good point!

[@KimParkkinen]

Does Sweet Nectar work with the pom keepsake or will you still keep getting +1's from it? Haven't unlocked that one yet so I haven't been able to test. Awesome video man! I find myself agreeing with you on most of these, I personally am a huge hangover build fan so going for dio + zeus duo has became kind of an habit for me.

[@JawlessPaul]

I don't believe it works with mom poms

[@ekyvolos5518]

So no splitting Headache? [ Breaks phone ] Jokes aside, this a great video!!

[@JawlessPaul]

Check Haelian channel we are talking about all the duo boons over the course of the next few weeks/months. We did 10 on Monday.

[@greyrifterrellik5837]

Get all three duo boons between Dionysus, Zeus, and Demeter; very, very deadly combo of effects right there. You could say it's a... *Perfect Storm.* EDIT: Note, I'm referring to the *current* Dionysus/Demeter duo; it's *completely* different now, than it was when this video was made.

[@enriquegarciacota3914]

Lightning Rod scales with any thunder damage boons, but also with any extra casts you get from Chaos, Arthemis or wheel - each jewel laying around casts its own thunder. If you get 5 casts together any enemies around the area get constant thunder damage. The only negative thing I would say about it is that it is not super fun to use it. You can just circle around safely with Athena's dash while enemies get fried. Poseidon's dash makes it a bit more interesting - you can push enemies towards your gems.

[@tinkererofwands]

I beated the game yesterday but learned that duo boons exist just now. One more reason to beat it again

[@JawlessPaul]

Duo boons are so much fun! There is one for each god pairing!

[@darclon888]

for example: im in tartarus still and only have found two normal boons so far and now i have the choice of duo boon exclusive access or a rare boon that makes my special 101% stronger and knocking mobs back (tempest flourish). which one would you take? the 101% on special sounds awesome cause i havent beatem megaera yet after 2 tries on her and it was always very close so i think the 101% more dmg would give me the advantage that i need... thanks for the video and cheers

[@JawlessPaul]

Exclusive access is what I would take, but if I was struggling to get out of Tartarus I'd take the special just to give me a tool to beat Meg. Exclusive access is more of a long term investment. It's incredible but only if you will get multiple boon packs afterwards.

[@petalb4677]

I love Spent Spirit (now called Calculated Risk) in Styx against satyrs

[@boredgamer7841]

Does Curse of Longing not have any synergy with Merciful End? Will it not trigger the extra doom ticks immediately?

[@Ellie-bs5zq]

Well, Heart Rend is definitely S-tier on Nemesis aspect, especially if you can find Aphrodite's attack and Artemis' special. At least in my opinion.

[@Blurgleflargle]

Solid on Chiron bow, too. All very situational though.

[@JawlessPaul]

That's the run I uploaded today! 😊

[@Illidandavid]

Nice content, if there is anything I would need to point out, I would love a Charon's bow (Ka-Ron), but I much prefer the current Chiron's bow (Ky-Ron). Otherwise, it's a very exhaustive overview of the duo aspect the game offers, which I consider a very well-done job!

[@Vorador666]

Thanks for the detailed guide!

[@JawlessPaul]

I'm glad you liked it!

[@theodoax]

I enjoyed the overview, especially the table graphic at the end to help summarize and visualize the spread of each Olympian. I can't help but notice that there are only five gods in your S-tier: enough to have one each in attack/special/cast/dash/call. Too bad you would need Ares for both cast and either attack or special if you wanted Hunting Blades AND Merciful End, so you can't get all five of those Duos simultaneously. However, I have to respectfully disagree with your stance on Crystal Clarity. Maybe it doesn't match the sheer DPS of some options, but the fire-and-forget nature frees up your focus for further attacking or dodging. If I can manage to get the other Demeter boons that buff the lasers (like adding frost and either the decay status or the burst after 10 frost stacks), then I barely even need to do any other attacks. I personally never minded the lack of piercing since casting each one in different directions is usually good enough for crowd-control, but I concede this is subjective.

[@yapyongliang7665]

its finally here :D

[@JawlessPaul]

The moment you've all been waiting for!

[@shafi3342]

Hey Paul, I would like to share some constructive criticism with you from my point of view. What got me interested and subscribed to your channel is my love for the game and wanting to learn more about it. I found your weapon tier list and keepsakes tier list very very informative and after watching them I subscribed. My issue with your content (for hades specifically and rougelites generally) is that its mostly a 40+ min "run videos" and from my point of view if I were to spend 40 minutes watching you play, might as well go for a run myself to maximize the fun with my limited time. My advice to you is to do more of the advice/tips and tricks videos. You play more than most of us and probably more advanced. This I guess will increase your views. An example of some of the videos you could make (non run, preferably below 20 min videos): - specific weapon + boon + boon builds and how you play them (not a complete run) - pairing certain punishments together - Requirements for the different companions (how to finish favors) - tips on farming resources I enjoy the game, I enjoy your tips and I want you to do better :D

[@shafi3342]

The same advice is also repeatable for other games because God knows I am frustrated out of my mind with Enter the Gungeon and slay the spire because I progress very slowly and runs seem quite similar even 8 hours into the games

[@cloudycalcifer7799]

Agree with all , verry good suggestions . except I like to see regular aswel since I don’t game much anymore myself :)

[@andysabur4966]

Although I generally agree, I also want to add that I personally do like full runs too. Maybe during a run he could also give the related advice/tips as it seems necessary. After all, there's only so much... mechanics(?) that could be made into single vids. Tho yeah, specific guide vids would be nice. Stuff like quest for vague prophecies or relationship doesn't seem to have such an online discussion(how many times do I play the thing, how do I get these two together, etc)

[@shafi3342]

Of course he should still post runs. What I meant is maybe along with posting daily runs he can upload analysis videos weekly or bi weekly (short term and long term content). Ooooor like some of the CoD youtubers, dedicade the first 3 to 10 minutes of the video explaining the build that will be seen in the run and why its effective then the viewer has the option to drop the video there or keep watching out of interest.

[@JawlessPaul]

Definitely! This is actually my plan for the future is regular "run" videos with a curated video with analysis every week to 2 weeks! Cheers! I've actually been doing it for the last two months now!

[@chrisg5219]

Hey man I just got into hades and finished my first successful run! Your videos are extremely helpful! Please put up some more hades content!

[@JawlessPaul]

I'm putting them out as fast as I can! For now I still need 2.5 jobs on top of KZbin to pay the bills/feed the family 😂

[@vioweltenbummler8700]

I found sweet nectar in tartarus and had found an epic pressure points. I pumped pressure points to 23%. That was a super fun build. I only had five boons aphro attack, Poseidon dash, sweet nectar, pressure points and clean kill but damn these crits with zag bow was so awesome

[@JawlessPaul]

That's amazing!

[@keystonelyte]

Low Tolerance is an amazing boon for the fists, more or less any aspect will work wonders, but I'm personally just a fan of Aspect of Talos, as you just get a FAT damage boost from special, regardless of what special you use, or no special boon at all even. Aphrodite dash, Dionysus attack, dash around punching everything, using special to pull enemies in. Dionysus also has a sick boon where you deal like 30% more damage with 3 enemies inflicted with Hangover. If you want even MORE DOT you can aim for Ares special with the Aphrodite/Ares duo. I actually got my first 32 heat clear with that exact setup.

[@JawlessPaul]

Oh yeah! I actually have a highlight vid with almost this exact same build coming soon :) I use aspect of demeter though, and aphro special

[@keystonelyte]

@@JawlessPaul I definitely prefer the dash for Aphro as you don't need to pray for the boon to make Weakness last longer. Way easier to get the damage bonus going with 8 stacks when you don't have to special everything for Weakness.

[@joegaudi]

For Vengeful Mood, on a melee build, especially one that struggles to get privileged status consistently, being able to apply it to everything around you every 3.5 seconds is great. Doesn’t athena’s also deflect for a bit?

[@JawlessPaul]

It's a good point, the only problem for me is the duration of time between the bursts is too long. Maybe 2.5 seconds, but perhaps it would be broken then... sounds like fun!

[@DarthRadical]

Was the buff to the Demeter cast making them chill around back in Feb? It takes 3 boons to work, but with the Artemis duo and slowing down foes, the crystals become pretty sweet for kiting around.

[@JawlessPaul]

Yes! They added that boon to Demeters kit later on.

[@MindManiacMarcus]

What about Calculated risk? I guess it must be pretty good, I've been offered it a bunch and always thought it sounded week.

[@Keepsake66]

@jawlessPaul Was cold embrace (demeter/aphrodite) out when you made this video? i just escaped a run using it and it is truly game altering when you find it and i was wondering your thoughts on it

[@JawlessPaul]

It was not! I just put out a new video on all the cast duo boons!

[@Keepsake66]

@@JawlessPaul i saw! I appreciate it!

[@dualwieldroxas358]

My favorite has to be Poesidon and Zeus. Putting Rupter, Jolt, and Extra Dash on that Duo makes Zagreus an absolutely untouchable DPS monster. I beat Theseus and Asterius on Heat 9 with Chaos Shield in less than 50 seconds purely through dash/splash damage. Hades himself just melted, I did not even need my final Death Defiance

[@JawlessPaul]

Nice!

[@xenius7770]

12:12 i've just seen that Sweet Nectar is really Aphrodite Poseidon duo boon, Dionysus and Aphrodite is low tolerance which allow to stack 3 hangover in more on weakened ennemies. 20:00 Now that Heart Rend is 150% additional critical damage it's incredible, i think it work really well with Zagreus's bow aspect or Nemesis's sword, for me i it's game changing, i would give a S tier or a solid A tier at least cause it's better on specific weapons. 33:20 Lightning rode is S tier for me, it work on every build and it's game changing it's just free 70 damage every 1 second as i've, it can inflict jolted or double it with double strike or it can be even more crazy with Artemis legendary, i think of it at superior scintillating feast cause well you just need casts and that's free damage that slowly taking down a boss while you can just chill and watch it burn. 41:12, Ice wine now inflicts freezing and it's not only the cast but the fog, it can be interesting i think cause well the ennemies are already less dangerous in the fog, if they're slowered even more, but at which rate of time it inflicts freezing i wonder, it's maybe A if it's but only B if it's applies slowly

[@JawlessPaul]

Good points!

[@joegaudi]

Ice Wine, if you’re not using the Hera Bow, is the only way I wanna use Trippy shot. Completely removes the lob mechanic, which is so nice. Agree that it’s still not as impactful as other duos though

[@JawlessPaul]

I have not used this and it's on my #1 priority to do list now!

[@alexwansss]

The "Whoopsie" carton is so cute! Did you create that?

[@JawlessPaul]

I did! Apparel incoming! 😎

[@alexwansss]

@@JawlessPaul MERCH YAS

[@reclaimbleed6509]

Deadly Reversal works nice with Serrated Point, especially Hunter's Mark. Against the right enemies you'll just crit on all three in a row, with Mark for the initial hit and Reversal for the following. Pressure Points never hurts either.

[@JawlessPaul]

Yeah!

[@acidsugarz]

Smoldering Air is sooo amazing! If you get the right boons from Aphrodite and Zeus, you can literally spam your call. 5 seconds to regenerate, lasts 3 seconds. OP af!!!

[@JawlessPaul]

I love smoldering air with dio or Zeus call

[@Scarlettshardd]

I just got my first win with curse of longing - think it has been buffed since.

[@JawlessPaul]

It's pretty good!

[@Joe_from_Rio]

Lightning rod for me : place the mines, fly away from your oponents, and let them die slowly. It is especially useful during the 3rd boss fight.

[@JawlessPaul]

Can be fun! It's a slower style of play, but definitely a viable one!

[@charliethecockatoo2159]

Just discovered Stubborn Roots today and I'm blown away by its efficacy. Holy shit, Demeter. edit: guessing since it's not on your list, it was added waaaaay post-launch?

[@stefanfr13]

Less post-launch, more that this video was made before the game's full release.

[@PerciusLive]

+5 double strike is great. Could really only get to that with sweet nectar though since i take quite a lot of boons per run

[@JawlessPaul]

Yeah! Double strike is so great!

[@piinthescy7509]

You were so enthusiastic about Trippy shot on Hera Bow because it removes the lob mechanic. So does Ice Wine allowing you to get direct fire Trippy Shot with the massive damage boost of Achilles' Spear on top of the Ice Wine bonus. It is the best new boon from a Long Winter. Cold Fusion is very strong when it is relevant. For most lightning builds you are constantly hitting with lightning making Cold Fusion completely irrelevant. It's only when your only lightning source is not frequently used that Cold Fusion has value.

[@JawlessPaul]

Great points! It is possible that i've never seen ice wine when I didn't have Hera bow! That is crazy! As for cold fusion I thought about that but for a few enemies who attack faster than you can apply jolted it is insane. They die incredibly fast. Also it's a 10 second curse which makes priv status trivial to get. Cheers!

[@joshuatsen101]

Just died fighting Hades for the 2nd time on the 2nd phase and seeing you absolutely bully him is insanell 😂

[@JawlessPaul]

Haha, once you learn his moves it isn't too bad 😂

[@dolpiff]

Is this vid completely obsolete as of 1.0 and maybe the patch before that too's changes since it was made?

[@colossusslayer1234]

I feel like if Demeter cast could apply chill stacks on damage ticks, it'd get way better. It would improve room clear thanks to being able to proc things like Arctic Blast and Winter Harvest while being better agaainst single targets as well because itd be slowing them, plus it could apply Killing Freeze by itself. I dunno if that'd get overpowered tho.

[@JawlessPaul]

Might be, but I like it! I think they either need to Pierce or apply chill to be interesting

[@Vkyle1]

I've only gotten the Demeter cast once and it just felt so incorrect that it didn't apply chill. Maybe there should be an extra boon that Demeter could give that adds that feature at a minimum. If not just buffing it outright in a patch.

[@bluexco]

Wooo sea storm!! Also YES embrace the whoopsie!

[@JawlessPaul]

Haha, always!

[@haroldareyou]

Vengeful mood works great with Deadly reversal, it triggers deadly reversal which means free bonus crit dmg

[@JawlessPaul]

That's something I hadn't thought of! Cheers!

[@haroldareyou]

Jawless Paul i noticed it accidentally, try it if you’re going on a crit build. Btw im watching your content everyday keep it up man!

[@techn0screamer]

I ran the merciful end build with the area shield that bounces 5 times with doom on special and I cleared rooms so fast I couldn’t take damage

[@Vladi_AK47]

Just picked up the game from Game Pass, been studying ur vids. This game is too addictive I can’t stop playing 🤣 Like & sub as my appreciation 👍

[@JawlessPaul]

Nice! Thank you!

[@taylereasdon4765]

If you have blade rift cast does that take away the possibility for boiling blood effects?

[@JawlessPaul]

It does! Same with dionysus and demeter's cast

[@somegamer4071]

I want Apollo for a god or something, the cast would be a straight fire beam with upgrade to let it fire off in different directions but for less damage. fire damage and burn on melee strike. special where you make an area scorched briefly. and an aid where you have a light follow you while you move, dealing fire damage to anyone hit by that beam

[@JawlessPaul]

Sounds cool!

[@greyrifterrellik5837]

The penultimate tip for any roguelike, action or otherwise, that trumps all other advice: "If it works, it works." Even things that are considered "bad" have a habit of carrying you through a run in the right setup, in nearly every single game within the genre. And Hades is no exception.

[@danielbak5186]

Is this guide still up-to-date? I only started a few months ago so I don't know if anything's been nerfed/buffed since this vid.

[@AtriumComplex]

It's mostly the same. There were a few slight nerfs to the S tiers (Merciful End went from 50 to 40 bonus damage) and some of the best boons have harder requirements. Check the codex

[@fellymae2864]

Level 7-10 Ice Wine is a pretty solid combo that shreds through with 500+ dmg per cast.

[@JawlessPaul]

It's pretty amazing!

[@williamreely3455]

Sea Storm is definitely top tier for me because it's the only duo boon that lets you apply two curses with a single attack or cast (Ruptured and Jolted). Merciful End technically does too but since the doom effect is consumed you don't get Privileged Status from it. Also I don't think you're giving Heart Rend enough credit. Hestia Aspect Hunter's Mark builds are ridiculously fun.

[@JawlessPaul]

I'll give heart rend another look! I definitely like those big numbers!

[@cepahreinholt8710]

Does the athena demeter duo boon wasn't a thing a year ago? Because it's amazing and I didn't see it.

[@JawlessPaul]

It was not a thing a year ago

[@cepahreinholt8710]

@@JawlessPaul I started the game like 2 or 3 weeks ago. I'm kinda late. But stubborn roots are really good for beginers. It gave me 2 of my 4 first win :D.

[@hatakekakashi199]

you were right at the start Sweet Nectar its poseidon + Aphrodite

[@JawlessPaul]

Lol, you are right! Geez! 🤦‍♂️

[@brianschun]

@@JawlessPaul I got Sweet Nectar very early in the run while using the rail gun -Heartbreak Flourish Lv. 19 -Cluster Bomb -Inescapable Blast -Razor Shoals "Heroic" -Tidal Dash "Heroic" This was my first run beating Hades other than dash it was a 1 button victory :)

[@DrGandW]

I got Hunting Blades and Epic Greatest Reflex two days ago and I didn’t even fight anymore I just threw giant Hunting Blades and Dashed cross room to grab the Bloodstones when it was done

[@JawlessPaul]

Hunting blades feels unfair 😂

[@asiamangape4311]

You should do a dark mirror ability tier list

[@Vkyle1]

WOULD ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS!

[@imranramdzan2140]

Do you think Supergiant Games will actually make all 28 possible combinations of duo boons? We got 18 so far.

[@JawlessPaul]

I would be super happy if they did! Duo boons are the best! It's a lot of boons to add though. Right now I think Zeus has the most duo boons of any god. 6 total!

[@qsdfghjklm363]

Lighting Rod is stupidly strong if you're not very good. Always had trouble with the Theseus and Asterius fight when I just started. Lighting rod + Support Fire on Chiron bow just killed Theseus by accident while fighting Asterius.

[@CeruleanAether]

Merciful end with the Zeus shield is fking insane lol.

[@JawlessPaul]

Totally!

[@purplatypus7405]

Jawless Paul Videos - S Tier Rest of my life - C tier

[@JawlessPaul]

LOL, tier list for daily life activities incoming 😂

[@beppu5156]

nice video, i subscribe

[@JawlessPaul]

Thank you very much!

[@TheLateral18]

How do you load the cast into the hera bow

[@JawlessPaul]

Just push the cast button

[@daniellemurnett2534]

On the topic of Exclusive Access; Wouldn't a Thread of Ariadne make all boons you find Heroic?

[@JawlessPaul]

No, unfortunately thread doesn't get you heroics. Only exchanges or upgrades with rare crop or from Eurydice can get you those.

[@daniellemurnett2534]

@@JawlessPaul Oh well, too bad.

[@WolvericCatkin]

*Sweet Nectar* is an Aphrodite + Poseidon, he got it right the first time... 😂 Dionysus + Aphrodite is additional Hangover stacks on Weak enemies... Edit: Also of note for *Lightning Rod:* Playing with it, it seems to have the hidden effect of decreasing Bloodstone pickup radius, so you're also less likely to pick them back up, which makes it slightly more useful... probably depends on your cast, such as probably working well with *Slicing Blades.*

[@JawlessPaul]

Yeah, lightning rod has grown on my a bit. I like it with scintillating feast festive fog. That way the lightning never stops!!

[@WolvericCatkin]

@@JawlessPaul Interesting one about that, is complaints about aiming reticle for lobbed attacks are very widespread, including from the friend who bought me Hades... that being said, I can say from experience, the assumption it's better with M+KB is true, which could make that more viable... in fact, Festive Fog has to be one of the most fun boons to choose in my eyes,

[@inkdew5620]

Curse of longing with shield or rail can get insanely nasty

[@JawlessPaul]

Definitely!

[@ZapSnap]

19:36 I couldn't disagree with this assessment more. Yes, it only works on crits, but that just means it should be part of your damage calculation formula. The bonus is currently +150%, and let's say you've got an Artemis attack boon with a 15% chance to crit. Well, the +150% will proc 15% of the time, so multiplying those two together, you get a 22.5% increase in overall damage. That's still SUPER good compared to other boons, and it only gets better the higher your crit chance is. (Ex: a special boosted by Heart Rend deals +30% average damage, a boosted call does +52.5%, and none of those factor in bonus crit chance mods, which you're likely to have if you're going Artemis anyway). For reference, the Ares damage boon gives +10% damage, the Dinoysus boon gives +3% per fountain (so 12% on an average run), Hermes gives a 10% speed increase (which is roughly +10% DPS)... idk about this one chief.

[@JawlessPaul]

Fair enough Sam.

[@aidanderson53X]

What about unshakable mettle? It seems kinda meh on paper but I'm not sure how good it is to not be stunned.

[@JawlessPaul]

Yeah, I need to update my duo boons. This was before that boon existed. I think it could be good for charge up weapons especially.

[@aidanderson53X]

@@JawlessPaul that makes sense. Something to make the spear spin less bad.

[@floatingpointz5903]

Seastorm on Lucy with infinite ammo daedulus, add rupture and jolted..... It's just hilariously OP. Get your maniacal-laugh power fantasy on. Only downside is how much flashy stuff floods the screen.

[@JawlessPaul]

Oh yes, that is a favorite for sure! :)

[@yoshoverse]

i'll type this before i hear your grade and explanations. we approach this game quite differently. it'll be fun to see the differences. hunting blades (A) i'm always happy to see it but you are stuck with a crappy build until/if you get it. sea storm (SS) this might be my favourite duo. i love poseidon so much. it's always a disappointment, if you don't get both curses though. merciful end (C) is not something i get often. the damage is alright. both athena and ares can stay on olympus. go away! curse of longing (B) i wanted to give it an A for aphrodite. curse of longing doesn't do all that much imo. aphrodite carries the run. ares is only tolerated, because he provides privileged. i really don't like ares' boons >_< sweet nectar (D) i don't usually go for poms all that often. this boon does nothing on it's own, and sometimes nothing at all. the good part is that is that you still have aphrodite and dionysus. that's a guaranteed win. needs a buff tier. lightning phalanx (A) athena's cast does a ton of damage. the annoying part is finding your spells again. i agree that it should apply both their curses, if you have them. this is what i go for, when i pick athena. deadly reversal (D) it doesn't do much imo. the run won't be good unless you get privileged from another god. athena stinks. needs a buff tier. heart rend (B) it's alright. needs a lucky setup to get it to work though. i don't have much to say about it. the run's fine, if you don't get it either wayl. nice with hide breaker for photos. exclusive access (D) basically the same as sweet nectar. epic quality isn't too rare once the mirror is powered up. spent spirit (B) the worse you are at the game, the better this boon is. B because, there've been a lot of situations when i've picked something else over it. i like this boon a lot. i wanted to give it an A but then i looked that the other As an couldn't justify it. scintillating feast (SS) your run will be good without it. you run will be stellar with it. your run will be silly, if you have demeter as well. low tolerance (S) your run already has dionysus and aphrodite. low tolerance will just make you win more. it's really good, and it's absolute overkill. vengeful mood (D) i like this boon a lot but it's not good. needs all kinds of buffs tier. lightning rod (C) too much setup required and too situational. almost needs a buff tier. crystal clarity (B) it's really good. the problem is that the base spell isn't great. your run might not be amazing, if you go for crystal clarity. cold fusion (SSS) your run will be good without it. it doesn't require setup to make it work. it deals a lot of damage. it's the strongest duo boon in the game. ice wine (B) it exists. the boon itself isn't great or terrible. your run will always be good, regardless of wether you get it or not. blizzard shot (A) it's surprisingly hard to get. i never got it myself. your run will always be fine. i rate it this high, sight unseen, because it's part of the world ending zeus, poseidon & demeter trio. this is under the assumption that it can apply both curses on hit. all three with sea storm would be the dream.

[@JawlessPaul]

Awesome list! Yep we disagree on a couple of them but there's a lot that is similar! Thanks for sharing your opinions!

[@gyrozeppeli7813]

What was name of that duo that make two casts

[@JawlessPaul]

Mirage shot, at the point that this video was made it was a tier two boon from Artemis

[@xombiemike]

what about athena + demeter? Did I miss that in the video?

[@JawlessPaul]

This was made before all the duo boons had come out! I need to make an updated video... 😂

[@xombiemike]

@@JawlessPaul No pressure. If ya do, consider putting them in a tier list. I guess if I have a suggestion like that it needs to come with a sub... so, well, welcome to my regular youtube feed. Enjoy some Premium revenue.

[@okonkwochibuzo6061]

25:12 seems really useful, I'd honestly give it an S or A 🤔

[@JawlessPaul]

Everyone has different preferences! It depends on your play style I suppose

[@Ryan-is-me]

I came here because I'm wanting a guide on how to manipulate the RNG to get Duo Boons. Does anyone know of a guide on that?

[@JawlessPaul]

I have a boon guide for that.

[@alexwansss]

Thunder Daddy has lit powers

[@JawlessPaul]

Indeed he does!

[@YhelloWish]

I love Crystal Clarity because it make me feel like playing Star Craft 2 LOL

[@JawlessPaul]

That's funny! 😆

[@God69a]

The problem with crystal clarity is to get big damage, you just have to construct additional pylons

[@alexwansss]

I wonder what made them change Poison to Hangover, seems like a clunky name for an effect

[@williamreely3455]

Because Dionysus is the god of wine and revelry, not poison. Thematically it didn't make sense.

[@alexwansss]

@@williamreely3455 I thought that might be the reason, but alcohol is also a poison and party drugs are probably not that good for you either, that how I justified poison in my mind haha

[@williamreely3455]

@@alexwansss Yes well I didn't expect too much scientific accuracy in a game like this 🤪

[@JawlessPaul]

Yeah, I think hangover is a bit off as well. Maybe we should just call it stacks of "blood alcohol" 😂

[@alexwansss]

@@JawlessPaul Full on Blood Alcohol Concentration or nothing. Now we REALLY adding syllables to the effect

[@TheRavenlhelix]

No one ever talks about my favorite duo of Demeter and Athena 🥲

[@JawlessPaul]

Is that stubborn roots?

[@knightlyfighter3990]

I believe Sweet nectar is a duo boon that gets activated by Aphrodite and Poseidon, not Aphrodite and Dionysus I believe

[@JawlessPaul]

I think you are right

[@scod16pranavnair24]

where's stubborn roots, what's your rank for it

[@JawlessPaul]

I'd put it in c if you have death defiance and a if you have stubborn defiance.

[@yuuhanmicu5737]

@@JawlessPaul S tier with the shield without timer. You can't die.

[@kaiserschnitzel89]

Lightning Rod is so hilarious.

[@JawlessPaul]

It is a great and funny joke

[@JarheadRidgeway]

Stubborn Roots?

[@doomguy8235]

Nothing is C or less?😊

[@talongrein2111]

use crystals from demer an arrows from artimis they have a duo where they will auto track better its so braindead an easy to play

[@JawlessPaul]

Yeah! it's pretty good for bosses and bigger enemies, but it's annoying when you are trying to clear rooms with it. Cheers!

[@MarsJakehall]

Has any changed since this? I'm playing on Switch and basically took no damage against Hades with the Demeter+Artemis duo, it was extremely strong imo

[@JawlessPaul]

Tons of changes! I need to update it!

[@baiatu5169]

Next tier list should be cutest gods maybe? 😶

[@JawlessPaul]

Ha! That's a controversy I wouldn't touch! 😂 But seriously, Supergiant can't help but make cute characters :)

[@FullRamenAlch3mist]

Curse of Nausea?

[@JawlessPaul]

LOVE curse of Nausea!