Best Hades Sword Build (Stygian Blade): Aspect, Boons & Upgrades

Fighting your way through the bowels of Tartarus is no easy feat in Super Giant's smash hit Hades. Luckily, the game gives you powerful weapons to make your journey somewhat easier, and one of those weapons is the Stygian Blade. 

But players can only get the most out of this weapon when paired with the correct build, and that's exactly what we're here to discuss. In this guide, we'll be breaking down our pick for the best Stygian Blade build you can use in Hades, including its Aspect, Boons, Daedalus Upgrades, and more. 

Update on 1st September 2023: We've updated this article to reflect the latest best build for the Stygian Blade in Hades.

Best Hades Stygian Blade Aspect: Aspect of Zagreus

As the saying goes, the best defense is a good offense, and the Aspect of Zagreus encapsulates this adage quite well. This Aspect focuses on Attack speed and Movement speed, which, when maxed out to +15%, gives you a massive boost to your normal attacks and the mobility needed to overwhelm your enemies. 

Because this Aspect focuses on movement speed and attack speed with some added damage thrown in, the best Boons for it will include those from the gods Hermes, as well as Daedalus upgrades that capitalize on it. So let's take a look at those below. 

Best Hades Stygian Blade: Boons

Although you move faster and can attack more frequently, as you come into contact with enemies that fire projectiles, it can be harder to get close to them and land finishing blows or stay in one place for too long. Luckily, this is where the two Boons from Hermes come into play; Swift Strike and Rush Delivery. 

Swift Strike gives you further increased attack speed, while Greater Haste improves your movement speed once again to avoid ranged damage. Rush Delivery gives you attacks, and special will deal bonus damage and put down enemies faster. 

If you prefer boons that buff damage more, you can go with Demeter’s Frost Strike or Ares’ Urge to Kill, which grant you increased damage. And for defenses, Divine Strike from Athena is not a bad choice. 

Best Hades Stygian Blade: Daedalus Upgrades

When it comes to Daedalus upgrades, we're looking at ones that will put the hammer down on enemies and wipe them out before they become a problem. The first is Breaching Slash, which deals 300% more damage to armor with your attack, and luckily it's compatible with any Aspect. 

Then we have Piercing Wave, which works well together with increased movement and attack speed as your normal attack becomes a wave that deals 25 damage. when combined with other boons from Posiedon, you can essentially corner enemies and keep yourself from getting surrounded while you clean house. 

Best Hades Stygian Blade Alternate Aspect: Aspect of Arthur

The Aspect of Arthur could easily contend with the Aspect of Zagreus, but it falls into the alternate category because you can only access it later in the game and only after some requirements are met. These requirements are listed below: 

• Reveal the Aspect of Guan Yu on Varatha (the spear)
• Have spent 5 Titan’s Blood on the sword
• Speak with Nyx, who tells you the waking phrase “I see your kingly pardon from a prison of stone”

Once you have it unlocked, it's worth considering as your weapon if you want a build that can deal with projectiles by slowing them down, dealing AoE damage, and picking off enemies at a distance with its Boons and Daedalus Upgrades. Below you can find the alternate build focused on the Aspect of Arthur.

• Aspect: Aspect of Arthur
• Boons: Poseidon’s Tempest Flourish, Demeter’s Frost Flourish
• Daedalus Upgrades: Greater Consecration, Super Nova, or Shadow Slash