When it comes to dealing the most damage in Hades, players may think that they are going to have to collect regular Boons and Duo Boons, though this is not fully true.
A few days ago I covered all the Artifacts that players can collect in order to upgrade their characters, including passive perks and upgrades for specific Weapons, one of these Artifacts being the Daedalus Hammer.
Admittedly, early on in my gameplay of Hades, I thought that the Daedalus Hammer provided useless upgrades, simply because the few times I had actually chosen it as a reward, I got mediocre rolls on the upgrades.
At the time, I was still playing with “no spoilers” on Twitch, so folks in chat were definitely facepalming at me, because I truly didn’t understand the impact that the Daedalus Hammer could have on me and my Weapons.
The following guide will take you through everything you need to know about the Daedalus Hammer, including the different skills that the Daedalus Hammer will provide you. While it does not completely matter what passives a player receives from the Daedalus Hammer, as any passive is going to raise the utility of the Weapon a player yields, there are going to be some passives that a player focusses on, especially if they struggle with particular Weapons. 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.
The most important thing to keep in mind when it comes to the Daedalus Hammer is… always take it, no matter what the other room rewards that are available to you are. The Daedalus Hammer will almost always trump a Boon.
It should be noted that the Daedalus Hammer will always affect a player’s Attack and Special, this means that it never has an effect on a player’s Cast.
HOW TO GET A DAEDALUS HAMMER
There are a few ways a player can receive a Daedalus Hammer in Hades, the first being a typical chamber reward once a player completes the challenge ahead of them.
Completing Chamber Trials is going to be the most efficient way of successfully getting Daedalus Hammers, though a Daedalus Hammer appearing as a room reward is not guaranteed and in many cases if a player is trying to farm all of their Daedalus Hammers this way, they will not be able to do so.
While missing out on upgrades from a Daedalus Hammer may be game changing, players will have to bite their lip and take it as only a single Daedalus Hammer can be received in 2 of the 3 areas before the Temple of Styx. This means that no matter how lucky a player is, players will only have 2 Daedalus Hammer upgrades by the time they see the Anvil of Fates in the Temple of Styx.
If players are worried that they are not going to locate a Daedalus Hammer as a room reward, players can choose to visit Charon in any area that hasn’t provided them with a Daedalus Hammer for a chance to purchase it for 200 Charon’s Obols before reaching the Temple of Styx.
Once players have reached the Temple of Styx, they have the chance for the Anvil of Fates to appear, which will swap a single upgrade from the Daedalus Hammer and provide the player with 2 new ones. This means that technically a player can have 3 traits from the Daedalus Hammer, though due to the RNG this may not always be the choice a player wants to make.
If you want to read my opinions on the Anvil of Fates I strongly recommend that you check out my post on Artifacts.
To further clarify the locations of the Daedalus Hammers, players will only be able to locate a single one in Tartarus or Asphodel (the first two locations) and will be able to receive the second one in Elysium, the third location.
There is some chance that if a player doesn’t 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. 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.
HOW TO RAISE THE CHANCES OF GETTING A DAEDALUS HAMMER
Players will notice that in the early game they may not be able to successfully locate Daedalus Hammers. The main reality is that there are too many options for players to receive as room rewards, essentially cluttering up a player’s ability to actually locate a Daedalus Hammer.
While not always a problem, as in the early game, most sets of Boons will be able to carry a player through an escape, in the late game players are going to want to ensure that they have the best types of Boons set up so they can guarantee a successful escape, this including the Daedalus Hammer.
Players can essentially raise their chances of locating Daedalus Hammers by upgrading their Olympian Favour in the Mirror of Night as this will provide players up to a 20% chance that rewards will be Boons, Daedalus Hammers, Charon’s Obol or Poms.
Again, players will not need this upgrade early on, however, in the late game all the rewards mentioned will be the better choices, especially when players have purchased enough upgrades from the House Contractor to provide them with other rewards that equally as useful.
CAN YOU REROLL THE PASSIVES OF A DAEDALUS HAMMER?
Unfortunately the reality is that there is no way that players can re-roll the passives of the Daedalus Hammer. Once players are provided with the three choices, players will not be able to select a new three choices, even if they are unhappy with the passives rolled.
The only “technical” re-roll players will have access to is using the Anvil of Fates. The Anvil of Fates as mentioned will re-roll a single passive at random, providing players with two random traits. While this can be helpful in situations where a player has bad rolls, it can also be harmful to players who have a single good passive, so make your decision wisely.
DAEDALUS HAMMER UPGRADES FOR THE STYGIAN BLADE
The following are all of the upgrades players can get for the Stygian Blade. It should be noted that some upgrades will not be available to a player if they are using certain Aspects on the Stygian Blade:
BREACHING SLASH
With Breaching Slash, players will deal 300% damage to an enemy’s Armour, especially being able to burst through enemies in the late-game.
In my opinion, Breaching Slash is one of the better upgrades players can receive with the Daedalus Hammer as it will allow players to get through the third and fourth area of Hades a lot easier.
Players will want avoid this upgrade if they already have ways of dealing with an enemy’s Armour.
The best thing about Breaching Slash is that it will also work if players are Dash-Striking, which many other Armour breaking passives won’t.
CRUEL THRUST
The Cruel Thrust can be an interesting upgrade, though players should note that it only affects the third attack in a Combo, being the Thrust.
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. Quite frankly, this upgrade is phenomenal if players are lucky and are powering up their basic-attacks. Being that the Cruel Thrust is so powerful it does come with some “set backs” or “limitations” that players should be aware of.
Players will not be able to obtain Cruel Thrust if they have the Weapon upgrade “Aspect of Arthur,” which makes sense as the Aspect of Arthur Stygian Blade already deals an obscene amount of damage with it’s Thrust.
Players will also be unable to combine the Cruel Thrust with World Splitter or Flurry Slash.
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.
CURSED SLASH
Cursed Slash is going to heavily depend on a player’s play style as it can be overwhelming risky for those who do not have Deflect or some means of ensuring that they have stability.
Essentially, players must trade 60% of their maximum health for the ability to regain 2 Health for each hit.
Realistically, this can help a player with sustain, especially if they are good at ensuring that they are consistently dealing damage, but when a player is against ranged enemies this can actually be a hinderance if not a worry.
Players should note that the Cursed Slash upgrade takes into account any Health that is obtained by Centaur Heart or the Old Spiked Collar, meaning that players with extra Health will still see a drastic cut in their Health. Having a good amount of Health can actually be useful, though may also feel like a bite of your tongue.
I’ll be honest, Cursed Slash is an upgrade I never take because there’s too many factors at play that leave me vulnerable. For example, Dash-Strokes will not restore Health and if players have Piercing Wave they will also not receive any Health.
To me, this is an “avoid at all costs” kind of upgrade, and I always hope I don’t get it if I have rolled the Anvil of Fates.
DASH NOVA
The Dash Nova is a hit or miss for me as it essentially changes the way that your Special works.
With Dash Nova, instead of jumping and damaging enemies, players will lunge ahead, dealing damage and becoming Sturdy for 0.8 seconds.
While this can be useful for players to catch up to quick enemies and will provide them with some extra durability when they use it, the reality is that there are plenty of times that the Dash Nova can put a player into danger (ie. lava).
In my opinion, the Dash Nova is an upgrade I take if there’s nothing else I want as it doesn’t really provide you with a whole lot of bonuses.
DOUBLE EDGE
Double Edge can be a useful upgrade for players to use if they are regularly using their Dash-Strike to deal damage.
For those of you who are flighty or simply love to dodge with Athena’s Dash Deflect, look forward to dealing damage twice and also deal an extra 20% damage with your Dash-Strikes.
Although not a top contender for me, this is an upgrade I wouldn’t look past if I’m not seeing something I absolutely love.
DOUBLE NOVA
Double Nova is a particular kind of upgrade in my opinion as it will allow players to deal damage with their Special twice in a row (automatically), however it takes away the Special’s ability to Knockback enemies.
I’m personally not a huge fan of Knockback, though I’m also not a huge fan of primarily dealing damage with my Special on the 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. If yes, then I take Double Nova, if not, I see if there’s a better option.
Technically there is no downside to choosing this upgrade as the reality is that players will not be relying on the Knockback in most situations.
FLURRY SLASH
I’ll be honest… I hate Flurry Slash. While Flurry Slash doesn’t reduce any of the damage you deal, the reality is that it doesn’t raise any of the damage that you deal.
Essentially, with Flurry Slash, players can now hold down their Attack button in order to strike rapidly dealing 25 damage for each hit instead of 20/25/30.
I understand using Flurry Slash if you’re struggling to land Combos, but if you’re not… well, don’t take it!
It should be noted that Flurry Slash cannot be obtained if payers have World Splitter or Cruel Thrust. Players will also not be able to get Flurry Slash if they have Aspect of Arthur, admittedly for good reasons.
HOARDING SLASH
Admittedly, not an upgrade I take often, Hoarding Slash is one of the best upgrades players can choose in the late game when they are hoarding Charon’s Obol to purchase in the Temple of Styx.
Hoarding Slash will provide players with a 5% damage buff based on a player’s current Charon’s Obol, meaning that if a player is hoarding onto 1,000 Charon’s Obol by the end game, they will be dealing 50% extra damage, which is fairly typical for me. Realistically these days, I’m hoarding between 1,500-2,000 Charon’s Obol, making this increase even more substantial.
The only issue with Hoarding Slash, in my opinion, is the fact that it’s not useful against Hades, the final boss, since players will typically spend all of their Charon’s Obol by this point, though depending on what upgrades and rewards players have received along the way, it might not be a bad idea to keep a good amount of Charon’s Obol just to deal more damage.
Realistically there are better upgrades to use, however, if the options given aren’t ideal for players, this isn’t a terrible choice.
The best thing about the Hoarding Slash is it both affects the regular attack of a player as well as the Dash-Strike, meaning that players will be dealing bonus damage for almost all of their attacks.
PIERCING WAVE
Piercing Wave is one of my favourite upgrades to get on the Stygian Blade simply because it provides players with a good amount of range.
Essentially with Piercing Wave, players will still be able to deal the regular amounts of damage using their Weapon, however, will gain an additional “wave” attack that deals 30 damage and pierces through enemies, meaning that it can hit all enemies in line with the attack.
While not the best tactic, if players are struggling with dodging enemies, they can use the Piercing Wave to deal damage from afar. 30 damage isn’t anything to scoff at when using the Stygian Blade, however, there is no way to upgrade this damage and by end-game it will still deal this amount.
I strongly recommend choosing Piercing Wave, as it becomes very helpful in the final two areas of your escape and proves to be one of the best upgrades in the game.
Players will still be able to activate Piercing Wave while using their Dash-Strike, being one of the best ways to activate Piercing Wave.
It should be noted that if players have Cursed Slash they will not be able to heal off of their Piercing Wave.
SHADOW SLASH
Shadow Slash is an upgrade that more skilled players will want to focus on. While Shadow Slash provides players with a massive increase in damage, the reality is that newer players may struggle with it as it requires players to strike foes from behind, or essentially Backstab.
When players successfully Backstab an opponent they will deal 200% damage to that enemy.
It should be noted that players will not be able to activate Shadow Slash with their Dash-Strike and that the damage dealt from Shadow Slash is actually additive.
SUPER NOVA
Super Nova is an upgrade I typically avoid, as I’m not someone who relies on the Stygian Blade’s Special.
Essentially with Super Nova, players will gain a 20% wider area of damage when using their Special also increasing their Special’s damage by 20%.
Realistically, 20% isn’t much, but if players are focussing on Special damage or have like to rely on their Special for the majority of their damage, this isn’t a bad choice as the potential for dealing more AoE damage is greatly heightened.
It should be noted that if players are using the Aspect of Arthur, they will not see an increase in their Special’s Hallow Ground aura. While this is true, it’s not a big deal, as there are other ways to make the aura larger.
WORLD SPLITTER
World Splitter is one of the best upgrades players can get using the Daedalus Hammer as it will provide players with 90 base damage for all of their Attacks, though it should be noted that this changes the way that your Stygian Blade works.
Instead of having the typical attacks, players will now have a Big Chop that deals more DPS, though acts slower.
Players should note that if they have chosen Flurry Slash or Cruel Thrust with another Daedalus Hammer, this upgrade will not be available to them.
Players should also note that if they have chosen the upgrade Aspect of Arthur for their Stygian Blade, they will not be able to access this upgrade at all.
GREATER CONSECRATION
Something that I didn’t expect, but should have expected is that various forms of a Weapon have different passives from the Daedalus Hammer. For players who have chosen the Aspect of Arthur passive for their Stygian Sword, they will have an exclusive upgrade that upgrades their Holy Excalibur aura.
In my opinion, this upgrade is necessary and should always be chosen.
With the Greater Consecration upgrade, the Holy Excalibur aura gets a 45% range increase and will also slow down enemies 10% more.
While this might not seem like much, especially with the slow, the reality is that all projectiles are also affected, making it much easier to Deflect and making gods like Athena less important.
In my opinion, Greater Consecration is one of the best ways to protect a player from taking too much damage as in the Holy Excalibur aura, players take less damage, even without the slow.
DAEDALUS HAMMER UPGRADES FOR THE ETERNAL SPEAR
The following are all of the upgrades players can get for the Eternal Spear. It should be noted that some upgrades will not be available to a player if they are using certain Aspects on the Eternal Spear:
EXTENDING JAB
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.
With Extending Jab, players will see a 40% increase to their range and a 40% increase to damage to distant foes, essentially being those who are more than 475 distance away.
To put this into relation for players, the Eternal Spear normally has 430 range, so enemies a bit further from this distance are able to receive this damage.
Much like many of the other upgrades, the damage dealt by Extending Jab is going to be additive, though it is extremely useful, especially for those who aren’t interested in a tank and spank.
CHAIN SKEWER
Admittedly, I’m a fan of Chain Skewer, especially when learning how to use the Eternal Spear.
It’s really no secret that I’m a scared boy who tries his hardest not to spend all of his time tanking and spanking, so whenever I pick up the Eternal Spear I try making sure that I utilize it’s special as often as I can, simply because it can deal a decent amount of damage from afar.
With Chain Skewer, essentially players will be able to damage up to 7 foes for each of the uses players use on their Special.
While realistically the player is not going to deal a whole lot of damage to enemies using Chain Skewer, being that it will only deal 30% damage to enemies that are effected, this can be very helpful when up against hoards, especially if players are finding it difficult to fully secure a kill with them.
Chain Skewer is most useful for finishing off an enemy or as an “opener for damage,” however, it’s not going to be where the majority of your damage comes from.
Players should note that they will not be able to access Chain Skewer if they are using the Exploding Launcher upgrade or if they are using Aspect of Guan Yu or Aspect of Achilles, making it an upgrade you don’t see fairly often in the late-game depending on your playstyle.
BREACHING SKEWER
Breaching Skewer, in my opinion, is a must have.
With Breaching Skewer players will deal 400% damage to Armour and while this isn’t useful for enemies that don’t have Armour, the reality is that it can get tricky to burst down an enemy’s shield in many situations.
Essentially, Breaching Skewer will make it so a player rotates between attacking armoured enemies while trying to take down those who’s Armour has already shattered. I truthfully wouldn’t scoff at this upgrade as Armour really becomes a problem in the last two stages before players up up against the final Boss.
Take it, you’re not going to regret it.
VICIOUS SKEWER
Vicious Skewer is realistically not a favourite for me, although admittedly it can help a player deal a good amount of damage while trying to use their Special.
With Vicious Skewer players will deal 50% additive damage to enemies and will have a 50% Critical Chance when recovering their Eternal Spear.
I have to admit, this can be a good amount of damage, especially if players are using Boons to get their Special Damage up, though as much as I use the Eternal Spear’s Special quite a bit more than I use the Special of other Weapons, I prefer to deal more damage using my regular attacks.
Now, don’t let me dissuade you on using this upgrade, as if I was to ignore my playstyle it would be one of the better upgrades, though take note that players will not be able to use Vicious Skewer if they are using the Exploding Launcher upgrade or the Aspect of Guan Yu.
A good upgrade, although I typically don’t use it.
EXPLODING LAUNCHER
Exploding Launcher is a very interesting upgrade for players to choose as it changes the way that a player’s Special works.
With Exploding Launcher, players will begin dealing 50 damage in an area, dealing AoE damage and being one of the best ways to deal damage with your Special. In my opinion, this is a very worth it upgrade and one that I haven’t seen often, but would absolutely use.
It should be noted that players will not be able to receive Exploding Launcher if they are using Chain Skewer or Vicious Skewer, similarly players will not be able to use it with Aspect of Achilles and Aspect of Guan Yu, making it one of those elusive upgrades you don’t really see in the end-game.
MASSIVE SPIN
Alright. A lot of you are going to hate me for saying this. I hate the Spin Attack. I hate, hate, hate it. Admittedly, it’s very powerful, but I hate the feeling of using it, making Massive Spin, something I rarely take, unless I’m willing to go out of my comfort zone.
With Massive Spin, players will be able to deal 125% extra damage with their Spin attack and will also gain a 30% radius on their Spin Attack, making it very powerful.
Admittedly, there are some Aspects players will absolutely want to to put the Massive Spin on and I also have to admit that I need to get better at using my Spin Attack, because I’m just a lazy bastard.
It should be noted that players will not be able to use Massive Spin when they use Flurry Jab.
QUICK SPIN
Quick Spin makes the utility of the Spin Attack more accessible and while it doesn’t deal more damage, it does help players who are not used to the mechanic deal more damage.
With Quick Spin, players no longer have to deal with the first charge state of the Quick Spin and will only have to wait 0.15 seconds for the second stage or 0.3 seconds for the third state.
Quite frankly, although the Quick Spin doesn’t add damage, it will really help a player manipulate the way they move a lot easier and is truly the only way you’re going to see me using the Spin Attack. I’m sorry for being lazy.
It should be noted that Quick Spin cannot be used with Flurry Jab.
FLURRY JAB
Flurry Jab is realistically the upgrade I used to choose always, but I realized that it’s not actually that useful as I kept using it.
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. 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 I’d be happy about this, the reality is that you get rid of a good amount of AoE range from using Flurry Jab.
I would strongly recommend against Flurry Jab in the late game because you’re going to have to get used to using Spin Attacks for some of the Aspects that are available to you, but… call me a hypocrite because I’ve admitted so many times how lazy I am to properly learn how to Spin Attack. #WatchMeDie
It should be noted that Flurry Jab cannot be used with Flaring Spin, Massive Spin, or Quick Spin. Players using Aspect of Hades or Aspect of Guan Yu rightfully will also not see this upgrade.
CHARGED SKEWER
With Charged Skewer players will see a 200% increase on base damage if they fully charge the Eternal Spear’s Special.
While admittedly, 200% base damage is phenomenal, being likened to a Critical Hit, the reality is that the nice thing about the Special is simply how quick it is at dealing damage.
With Charged Skewer, players can rely on their Special for the majority of their damage, though this will simply come down to play style. IF you’re building a good amount of damage for your Special, this may be the choice for you, however, if you’re using your Special to finish off enemies or open up damage against them, this is not the upgrade for you.
SERRATED POINT
With Serrated Point, players will be able to deal damage with their Dash-Strike 3 times, though they will lose 25% of their range while Dashing.
Essentially Serrated Point is going to be an upgrade players choose based on their playstyle. I would say that it isn’t a bad upgrade for players to choose if they have Boons like Deflect on their Dash, but when players are using their Dash to escape damage it can feel deadly, just because your range is cut so significantly.
I don’t really choose Serrated Point as an upgrade to be honest, unless there’s nothing better, simply because I don’t feel like it really enhances my gameplay. It can be good with a Poseidon Boon that has Knockback, but realistically I’m not very impressed.
FLARING SPIN
Flaring Spin is undeniably a good upgrade to have as it will ensure that a player is Sturdy while charging up their Spin Attack, essentially meaning that a player cannot be interrupted from their Spin Attack and will also have some extra Defense.
In my opinion, this is a great upgrade to have if a player is simply trying to get used to their Spin Attack, but it’s not massively necessary. I would say it’s more necessary for the Aspect of Guan Yu, but that’s the only time I always choose it.
The other benefit to having Flaring Spin is the fact that players will release a pulse that deals 40 damage to enemies, which essentially will increase the DPS a player is able to output while running a Spin Attack.
TRIPLE JAB
Triple Jab is by far one of my favourite upgrades to have for the Eternal Spear as it changes the way that your basic attack works, striking with 3 attacks every time a player uses their attack.
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.
The Triple Tab becomes extra important when players are in the fourth area, right before Hades as dealing with rats gets annoying and having more of the ability to deal area damage is crucial.
WINGED SERPENT
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.
I would always take this, because it’s so powerful and makes using the Aspect of Guan Yu feel a lot more worth it, as it is by far one of the more difficult Weapon Aspects that players can choose.
DAEDALUS HAMMER UPGRADES FOR THE HEART-SEEKING BOW
The following are all of the upgrades players can get for the Heart-Seeking Bow. It should be noted that some upgrades will not be available to a player if they are using certain Aspects with the Heart-Seeking Bow:
TWIN SHOT
Twin Shot is honestly the worst upgrade players can choose when using the Daedalus Hammer in my opinion.
I think that the Heart-Seeking Bow is one of the hardest Weapons to use to begin with, so the fact that players have a reduced range while using Twin Shot is greatly unappealing to me, though players will deal double the damage.
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. Honestly, eh…
I would say that it’s pretty niche for a player to use this, and is honestly going to depend on your playstyle.
If you have no better options, go for it honestly.
Players should note that if they have selected Triple Shot or Sniper Shot they will not be able to use Twin Shot.
SNIPER SHOT
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.
Essentially the Sniper Shot is like a guaranteed Critical Attack, though players should note that they will have to attack enemies that are further than 675 distance away. This will be marked for players with an Attack line, allowing players to know when they have enough range from the enemy.
Players should note that they will not be able to combine Sniper Shot with Point-Blank Shot or Twin Shot.
EXPLOSIVE SHOT
Explosive Shot seems like a good idea to have, but in my experience isn’t as good as it sounds.
While players will deal 300% damage in an area, players will lose the speed in which the Heart-Seeking Bow charges, essentially making it take 100% longer to charge.
Admittedly, the damage radius is fairly significant, sitting at 350 units, it’s already hard to charge up the Heart-Seeking Bow, at least for me, so I recommend avoiding it.
Note that players will not be able to combine Explosive Shot with Flurry Shot or Chain Shot and that the damage increase is additive.
FLURRY SHOT
As the basic person that I am, Flurry Shot is an upgrade I rely on, even though it’s admittedly not a great upgrade.
Essentially, Flurry Shot makes it so a player simply has to hold down their Attack button to rapidly strike with the Heart-Seeking Bow, but this removes the ability to use their Power Shot.
With Flurry Shot players will always deal 60 damage while standing still or 40 when dashing.
If you’re someone who struggles with the Heart-Seeking Bow, I strongly recommend this upgrade as it makes it a lot more accessible, however, if you’re good at landing Power Shots (which is the best way to deal damage using the Heart-Seeking Bow) avoid it.
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.
PIERCING VOLLEY
Piercing Volley strongly increases the usability of the Heart-Seeking Bow’s Special as it will make it so it deals 400% damage to Armour.
While this might not sound great, especially because you’ll be wanting to use your Special on Shielded enemies, players should note that the Special becomes unblockable, essentially making it so every Special lands.
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.
Quite frankly, this is one of my favourite utilities for the Heart-Seeking Bow as it outweighs the very low damage of the Special and makes it much more useful.
PERFECT SHOT
With Perfect Shot players will be able to activate their Power Shot quicker and will also deal 150% extra damage.
Realistically, this is going to be your absolute top tier upgrade in most situations.
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. Essentially you will want to make sure that you have to use your Power Shot as little as possible due to how much damage you’re dealing with it.
Quite frankly, while there are other upgrades you can use to upgrade your damage and the speed of your Power Shot, Perfect Shot seems to be the most useful.
It should be noted that Perfect Shot cannot be accessible if players are using Flurry Shot.
RELENTLESS VOLLEY
Relentless Volley is going to be an upgrade that players only use if they are stacking damage on their Special or are using Piercing Volley as it simply adds 4 extra projectiles while players use their Special.
As the Heart-Seeking Bow’s special doesn’t deal a whole lot of damage, this isn’t the most useful upgrade for most players, but when used for niche uses it can be a great idea. This upgrade is best used when players have the Aspect that causes the player’s Special to become a homing attack on the most recently damaged enemy.
It should be noted that Relentless Volley cannot be used in tandem with Charged Volley.
TRIPLE SHOT
Triple Shot can be an extremely useful upgrade to have as it will essentially make it so every Attack will shoot in a V formation. 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.
With Triple Shot players will be able to manage hoards of enemies at once, though battles against hoards tend to be better when enemies are clumped rather than when enemies are spread apart, simply due to the significant amount of space between the arrows.
I’m personally not a huge fan of Triple Shot, simply from a play style perspective, but I have to admit that I take it fairly often because I’m not really offered any alternatives.
With Triple Shot players will not be able to use Twin Shot, though I personally prefer Twin Shot to Triple Shot.
CHARGED VOLLEY
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.
Unfortunately, Charged Volley cannot be used with the Aspect of Chiron or Aspect of Rama, meaning that player will not have the ability to maximize damage using it. This greatly reduces the use of Charged Volley as realistically these are the two Aspects that would greatly increase the amount of damage of the player’s Special.
Due to the fact that these two Aspects cause Charged Volley not to appear, I typically would recommend against using Charged Volley unless you are a player who is focussing all of their damage increase when using Boons on the Special. Otherwise, it’s just a bit of a waste, even with a 250% base damage boost.
I would say about 3 Boons on a Special should be able to significantly make the Special worth focussing on, though it depends what stage of the game you are in and whether or not you’re simply not able to use Power Shots regularly. *cough* that’s mostly a read on me.
It should also be noted that players cannot use Charged Volley when they are using Relentless Volley.
CHAIN SHOT
Chain Shot greatly increases the amount of Area of Effect your Attack has, causing it to bounce across enemies dealing 15% damage for each enemy hit.
With Chain Shot players will no longer need to focus merely on piercing enemies and ensuring that they are lined up and instead will want to make sure that enemies are close enough for the arrow to ricochet.
Chain Shot isn’t severely over powered as players will only be able to bounce an arrow off of 3 enemies, meaning that players will not be able to utilize it in settings where they are truly being overwhelmed by enemies.
Players will also want to note that this can negatively effect them if mobs are already lined up and ready to be attacked, though this usually isn’t outweighed by the shear ability to damage 3 nearby enemies.
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.
It should be noted that Chain Shot cannot be combined with Explosive Shot.
POINT-BLANK SHOT
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.
I really like Point-Blank Shot because it can help you deal with enemies that are starting to close in on you, while still having the range of the regular Attack.
In my opinion this can be great for players, especially due to the issue of players getting overwhelmed with mobs before they fully reach a player especially because it can be easy for players to get overwhelmed while wielding a ranged weapon that needs to be charged up.
Luckily for players, the range of the Point-Blank Shot’s damage increase is fairly large, affecting enemies that are within 330 units away from the player. Realistically this is the best part of the Point-Blank Shot as players will be able to deal a good amount of damage to close enemies (that are actually farther than a player expects) while still being able to access the full amount of range on their Attack.
If players are unaware of how far 330 units is, they will be indicated with an attack line, making it much easier to place yourself around the map.
It must be noted that players will not be able to acquire Point-Blank Shot if they already have Sniper Shot,
CONCENTRATED VOLLEY
With Concentrated Volley players will be able to amplify the amount of damage that they deal with their Special.
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 Concentrated Volley players will be able to deal a bonus 3 base damage for each consecutive hit to a foe. Unfortunately players will not be able to do this with Aspect of Rama. Though with Aspect Chiron players would have the best chance to deal the most damage with Concentrated Volley. Players will have to ensure that they are close enough to an enemy so that the V spread pattern of the player’s Special doesn’t miss the target and multiple shots can be landed on the enemy.
Although an additional 3 base damage doesn’t seem like much, players are able to amplify this damage simply by building their Special’s damage using Boons. 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.
Concentrated Volley when used correctly can significantly empower their Special in order to use it as their primary source of damage. This can be especially helpful for players who struggle to get their Power Shot off.
REPULSE SHOT
Repulse Shot is an upgrade that is only available when players have the Aspect of Rama, causing the Celestial Sharanga Attack, which usually causes shared suffering (damaging all enemies marked every time one is hit) to also cause a Blast Wave around the player.
Essentially with Repulse Shot players will be able to Knockback enemies while focussing on far off enemies whenever they attack.
While this may not seem like a great upgrade to have, in my opinion it can be especially useful for players yielding the Heart-Seeking Bow as it can be difficult for to keep their health up when also being concerned with charging up their shots to deal damage.
DAEDALUS HAMMER UPGRADES FOR THE SHIELD OF CHAOS
The following are all of the upgrades players can get for the Shield of Chaos. 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
Dread Flight provides players with a bit more utility when using the Shield of Chaos’ Special.
While Dread Flight does not deal any extra damage, it provides players the ability to strike up to 4 additional enemies before it returns to the player.
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 isn’t really a great option for the Shield of Chaos.
In most cases, I would strongly recommend avoiding trying to focus your damage output on using your Special, as realistically it’s not going to be able to be powered up significantly enough to use solely, but using it to apply Status Curses works extremely well.
Players should note that Dread Flight will not work with Aspect of Zeus and will not work with Chaos Aspect’s multi-shield Special, though if players are using Chao’s Aspect, they will still be able to use it for the normal Special.
SUDDEN RUSH
Sudden Rush is an upgrade that I believe is most useful in the early game, however, doesn’t really serve a big purpose in the late game.
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.
With Sudden Rush players will not have to wait as long for their Bull Rush to fully charge.
While it can be useful to be able to knock enemies into walls faster, the chances of having a wall around your or an enemy to do this on is sometimes sparing.
If you’re someone who never uses Bull Rush, I strongly recommend taking Sudden Rush as it can help teach you how important it can be to use when playing with the Shield of Chaos as it is simply one of the harder Weapons to deal a good amount of damage with.
When players are comfortable with using Bull Rush I recommend moving away from it as the upgrade isn’t the most powerful one a player can choose when playing with the Shield of Chaos.
PULVERIZING BLOW
Pulverizing Blow can help a player deal some extra damage while using the Shield of Chaos.
Essentially with Pulverizing Blow players will be able to Bash enemies twice, losing it’s knockback feature.
Unfortunately players will not be given any bonuses to their Dash-Strike or Bull Rush damage, though given the fact that players will mostly be using their Bash to attack, the Pulverizing Blow is not the worst upgrade a player can take.
DASHING WALLOP
Dashing Wallop is an interesting upgrade to take as it will increase a player’s Dash Attack by 50%. Not only that, Dashing Wallop will also damage enemies in a larger radius, essentially making it a more useable for players.
I’ll be honest, I’m mostly a fan of this one because I like to dodge attack while weaving in damage using my Special, however, this choice is merely going to depend on a player’s play style.
EXPLOSIVE RETURN
Explosive Return can be a good upgrade if players are in certain situations.
Essentially with Explosive Return when players catch their Special they will deal 50 damage to nearby foes.
The issue with Explosive Return is that players will not always be surrounded by enemies, though this isn’t the biggest problem as a player’s Special can be used fairly frequently.
In my opinion, Explosive Return tends to be best when a player is utilizing their Special to place Status Curses on enemies, essentially marking them and finishing them off with the Explosive Return.
This cannot always be the case, so just be aware of it as Explosive Return is pretty niche.
MINOTAUR RUSH
Minotaur Rush provides players with extra damage when they use their Bull Rush, transforming the Bull Rush into a Power Rush.
With Power Rush players will be dealing 500% extra damage, ultimately making the Power Rush a very good source of damage, especially if players upgrade it with other means.
Power Rush is a hit and miss skill as players will want to ensure that they knock enemies into walls to deal even more damage, but at the end of the day with a 500% boost on this damage it still deals a good amount without smashing into a wall.
BREACHING RUSH
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.
With Breaching Rush, players will deal 400% damage to Armour, essentially making it so players can more accessibly defeat enemies quickly without spending too much time trying to break the Armour. While essentially Breaching Rush will not be adding a whole lot of base damage for a player, players will be happy in the final few stages of their escape as Armour can significantly increase the amount of time it takes to clear these areas.
I strongly recommend this upgrade as it gives more importance to Bull Rush without the need to push enemies into Walls.
CHARGED SHOT
Charged Shot was a skill that I originally liked a lot, but ended up not using very often as it essentially removes the Bull Rush from a player.
With Charged Shot, players will be able to shoot an arrow that pierces enemies and deals 80 base damage, which is fairly significant, however it still takes a good amount of time to charge up. Essentially players can use this to ensure damage on enemies, especially if they are all lined up and it’s especially nice because it is not blockable. However, if you didn’t already know from now, I’m not a huge fan of charged up attacks and I actually prefer the ability to smash enemies into walls.
CHARGED FLIGHT
With Charged Flight players will be able to hold down their Special to charge it and essentially deal 200% more damage. While this greatly increases the time it takes to throw a Special, players the increase isn’t too bad for the amount of damage it deals.
Realistically I’m 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.
It should be noted that players will not be able to merge Charged Flight with Dashing Flight and will not be able to combine it with Aspect of Chaos or Aspect of Zeus.
Realistically this is going to be a niche kind of upgrade for players.
EMPOWERING FLIGHT
Empowering Flight is interestingly a great upgrade to have as players will be able to make use of the rotation that they use to deal damage to enemies.
Essentially players will want to throw their Special in between regular attacks in order to deal 80% extra damage to the next two attacks.
As much as 80% isn’t 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.
Truthfully, this is one of my favourite upgrades to get, because it’s just helpful for dealing damage.
DASHING FLIGHT
Dashing Flight is a bit of a hit and miss for me. Admittedly, this is one of the better ways to deal damage using your Special.
Essentially while players are using their Dash, players will retrieve their Special faster, making it easier to quickly deal damage with. Dashing Flight will also provide players with 200% damage using their Special.
Players should note that they will have to first Dash and then use their Special as players will not receive the bonus retrieval speed or damage when they use their Special first and then Dash. This is very important as you will be shooting yourself in the foot otherwise.
I strongly recommend this upgrade for players who are trying to place multiple tiers of Status Curses on enemies, as this will help them get to a maximum Status Curse faster. It can also be useful for players who are stacking damage on their Special and hoping to use it as their main source of damage.
Players should note that Dashing Flight cannot be combined with Charged Flight and will not be able to use it with the Aspect of Zeus.
FEROCIOUS GUARD
With Ferocious Guard players will receive 2-% more damage and movement speed for 10 seconds after they block a foe. Quite frankly, this isn’t that bad of an upgrade if players are good enough at blocking damage, as 10 seconds of boosting damage will actually prove to be more than you think.
What I like the most about Ferocious Guard is the fact that players will get used to blocking and will be able to still deal a decent amount of damage, especially because it won’t matter where or how that damage occurs or comes from.
UNYIELDING DEFENSE
Being an Aspect of Beowulf Exclusive upgrade, players can use Unyielding Defense to gain Sturdy for 3 seconds every time they use their Cast.
Being one of the only upgrades that has to do with a player’s Cast, the Unyielding Defense can be very useful for players who want a bit of extra security from damage and being interrupted.
I strongly recommend it when players have quick Cast times or when players are able to get their Casts back quickly without having to pick them up.
Admittedly, this is one of the Exclusives that I feel is less overpowered then the rest.
DAEDALUS HAMMER UPGRADES FOR THE ADAMANT RAIL
The following are all of the upgrades players can get for the Adamant Rail. It should be noted that some upgrades will not be available to a player if they are using certain Aspects with the Adamant Rail:
FLURRY FIRE
Flurry Fire to me is a pretty good upgrade for players to choose, especially because it will provide players with 6 extra ammo and will allow players to deal damage more rapidly as well as more accurately.
Admittedly, Flurry Fire is not going to be the absolute best upgrade, though if players are good at reloading or weaving in their Special, this tends to be one of the most powerful upgrades.
Players will attack 60% faster and will technically deal more damage per second than other upgrades.
It should be noted that Flurry Fire will not be compatible with Spread Fire or Delta Chamber.
Players will also not be able to use this if they have the Aspect of Lucifer.
RICOCHET FIRE
Ricochet Fire is a hit and miss kind of upgrade for me as it provides players with more capability to deal AoE damage, however does not actually provide players with that much more damage.
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.
Luckily for players, this damage will be 100% of the normal attack, meaning that players will still be dealing a good amount of damage, however, for me I tend to get Boons that provide this skill.
If there is no other choice in upgrades, this one tends to be the best.
It should be noted that Ricochet Fire cannot be combined with Explosive Fire, Spread Fire or Seeking Fire.
It should also be noted players will not be able to use Ricochet Fire with the Aspect of Lucifer.
SPREAD FIRE
Honestly, I hate Spread Fire.
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.
Admittedly, Spread Fire is great against hoards of enemies and I will sometimes take it if I’m willing to try my luck at an Anvil of Fates later on, but in most circumstances I get screwed over.
Each shot from Spread Fire will deal 40 damage and a player’s ammo capacity will be reduced by 6.
A player’s Attack range will be reduced to 320 and it’s attack cooldown will be increased by 150%.
It should be noted that players will not be able to use Spread Fire with Flurry Fire, Delta Chamber, Ricochet Fire, Seeking Fire or Concentrated Fire.
Players will also be unable to use Spread Fire if they have the Aspect of Lucifer.
EXPLOSIVE FIRE
With Explosive Fire players will deal damage in an area instead of a single target and will briefly slow enemies.
Admittedly, Explosive Fire is a good upgrade to have so you can deal damage to multiple enemies, but it’s… eh. The damage radius is pretty large sitting at 275.
Realistically one of the best parts of Explosive Fire is the amount of slow that it provides players, essentially making sure that players are safer from mobs before they reach them and take damage. Due to the fact that Explosive Fire has a bit of AoE, players will be able to slow more enemies than they initially expect, making it a great upgrade for players to choose.
It should be noted that Explosive Fire cannot be used if players have Ricochet Fire or Piercing Fire. Players will also be unable to access Explosive Fire if they have the Aspect of Lucifer on.
DELTA CHAMBER
Delta Chamber is by far my favourite upgrade because I’m a lazy boy.
Essentially with Delta Chamber, players will no longer be required to reload their gun and have infinite ammo.
The Adamant Rail will now shoot 3-round bursts and will have their cooldown between shots reduced to 0.035 seconds, though they will have a 0.5 cooldown between the triple rounds. In reality, this trade off is still phenomenal because you’ll never be stuck in a situation where you have to reload and essentially switch over to your Special Damage.
In my opinion, as strong as this is, it’s not absolutely necessary, just makes life a lot easier.
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. Delta Chamber is more about ease of access than anything.
It should be noted that Delta Chamber cannot be combined with Spread Fire, Flurry Fire or Concentrated Fire.
Also, sadly… players cannot use it with the Aspect of Lucifer… making me quite frustrated.
PIERCING FIRE
Piercing Fire is as the name suggests, players will be able to pierce through enemies, dealing 50% damage to Armour. Due to the fact that Piercing Fire actually pierces enemies, a player’s attack cannot be blocked by enemies, making it one of the most powerful upgrades in the game, especially when up against enemies with shields.
Players will always want to choose this upgrade as it is one of the best, though players should note that they will not be able to combine it with Explosive Fire or Seeking Fire.
TRIPLE BOMB
Triple Bomb is another all time favourite for me as it provides players with the ability to shoot their Special 3 times in rapid succession.
Although not automatic, being able to manually shoot your Special this many times is extremely powerful, especially if players are using their Special to boost their damage using Aspects.
It should be noted that players will not be able to use Triple Bomb with Cluster Bomb or Hazard Bomb and while not my all time favourite upgrade that is given to the Special, it is a very close section.
ROCKET BOMB
The Rocket Bomb was an upgrade I initially really liked, though I’ll admit the novelty really wore off on me.
Essentially, with Rocket Bomb, players will be able to shoot a rocket that deals 80 damage in a straight line. This can be very good, but for me feels like a bit of a waste given the fact that I don’t have much difficulty aiming with my special and prefer the standard Special to that. Also on that note, I would much rather take infinite ammo to this.
With Rocket Bomb players will not be able to take Hazard Bomb and will also not be able to use Rocket Bomb if they are running the Aspect of Lucifer.
TARGETING SYSTEM
With Targeting System players will be be able to deal 30% more damage and will also slow down enemies using their Special.
I’ll be honest, this one is a bit of a hit and a miss for me. I strangely prefer it to the other slows players can receive on their Adamant Rail, however, admittedly it’s not my all time favourite and I’d rather the slow be on the basic attack.
Nonetheless, Targeting System is a pretty good upgrade to have yourself.
HAZARD BOMB
Hazard Bomb is a lovely upgrade to have, however, players should note that this is one of the only upgrades that will make a player’s Special actually harm the player.
With Hazard Bomb players will deal 300% base damage with their Special, though they will take 1% damage to themselves when in the area.
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.
Players should be pleased to note that this damage is multiplicative, unlike many other upgrades and they will also receive a damage radius of 145% damage.
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.
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.
CLUSTER BOMB
Cluster Bomb is by far an absolute favourite of mine, though it might not seem as interesting to players as it is to me.
Essentially with Cluster Bomb players will shoot out 5 Bombs using their Special, all at once in spread out pattern. While this seems overpowered, each of the bombs will deal 30% less damage, though this is extremely powerful against hoards of mobs, especially if a Special is built with a lot of damage.
Bombs will be fired in a 150° fashion, firing from right to left.
If I get access to Cluster Bomb, realistically I begin focusing the majority of my damage of my Special, making it my main source of damage. This is extra helpful in the last stage before defeating Hades as the hoards of mobs tend to be difficult to defeat when using the Adamant Rail.
The only downfall to the Cluster Bomb is that their damage radius is smaller, though due to how spread out they are, this isn’t really a major downfall.
It should be noted that players will not be able to combine Cluster Bomb with Hazard Bomb or Triple Bomb and will not be able to be used when running the Aspect of Lucifer.
SEEKING FIRE
Seeking Fire is similar to a Artemis Boon, providing players with the ability to deal 10% more damage to enemies and also making all attacks home to the nearest foe.
Realistically, I don’t care about this upgrade, I think it’s pretty trash and I would recommend against it.
It should be noted that Seeking Fire will not be able to be combined with Piercing Fire, Ricochet Fire or Spread Fire.
It should also be noted that Seeking Fire cannot be used with the Aspect of Lucifer.
CONCENTRATED BEAM
Concentrated Beam is one of the many Aspect of Lucifer Exclusive upgrades players can receive.
With Concentrated Beam players will be able to deal damage to enemies faster, though not in the most straight forward way.
Essentially with the Aspect of Lucifer, the longer a player is damaging enemies the more damage the players will do, so with Concentrated Beam players will be able to ramp up their damage 100% faster.
Though this isn’t technically an increase of damage, it does mean that players will be able to deal the most damage faster and for a bit longer than usual.
It should be noted that players will not be able to use Concentrated Beam with Eternal Chamber.
FLASH FIRE
Flash Fire is the next upgrade for the Aspect of Lucifer and will provide players with the ability to fire 50% faster with 15% range.
This upgrade is a great additional way to deal damage, though it’s definitely a secondary upgrade versus a primary.
I would always strongly recommend taking an Aspect of Lucifer exclusive upgrade to any other as they tend to be more powerful than the typical upgrades, however, I’ll shortly be covering why I feel like this one is a secondary for me.
TRIPLE BEAM
Triple Beam is an alright upgrade for the Aspect of Lucifer and acts like many other upgrades that cause three lines of damage.
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. Realistically, this is great damage output, though it can be difficult to control and a bit unreliable due to the space between the lasers.
I wouldn’t deter you away from this upgrade, it’s just not for me personally.
ETERNAL CHAMBER
The best upgrade you can get, for the Aspect of Lucifer, if you’re a lazy fart like me is Eternal Chamber. Essentially with Eternal Chamber, players lose the damage ramp up, technically dealing less damage, but will be able to always damage and never have to reload.
By far one of the most useful ways to deal damage when wielding the Aspect of Lucifer, which oddly is one of the hardest Weapons for me to use.
Honestly, yes, this lowers your DPS in many situations, but it really helps players who are struggling with this Weapon.
It should be noted that players cannot use Eternal Chamber with Concentrated Beam.
GREATER INFERNO
The final upgrade players can get for the Aspect of Lucifer is the Greater Inferno, which makes your special “Igneous Eden Hellfire” radiate 250% damage in a larger area.
Admittedly, Igneous Eden Hellfire is pretty difficult to use and I strongly recommend taking this upgrade if you’re having difficulty with it.
Players can essentially leave their Igneous Eden Hellfire around the map to deal passive damage, which tends to be pretty over powered, especially if players have fed their Special with a lot of damage, while this isn’t going to be the best way to consistently deal damage, it’s a pretty good idea, especially when players get better and making them explode to deal extra damage.
DAEDALUS HAMMER UPGRADES FOR THE TWIN FISTS
The following are all of the upgrades players can get for the Twin Fists. It should be noted that some upgrades will not be available to a player if they are using certain Aspects with the Twin Fists:
BREACHING GROSS
With Breaching Gross players will upgrade their Dash-Strike will pierce foes and will be able to deal 900% damage to Armour.
Breaching Gross, to me isn’t essential, especially because there are a number of Boons you can get that will pierce through Armour.
As is with all Weapons it’s always nice to have some Armour shredding on them, but maximizing your Armour shred with the Daedalus Hammer isn’t always the best option for the Twin Fists.
ROLLING KNICKLE
Rolling Knuckle will make it so your Dash-Strike deals 60% more damage and will also be added to your Attack sequence.
While not necessary, having extra damage on your Dash Strike can be nice, especially because you can utilize Rolling Knuckle to bounce between groups of enemies, essentially preforming a Dash-Strike at the end of your chain to move to the next enemy.
Honestly, not a bad upgrade for you, though players should note that they will not be able to combine Rolling Knuckle with Heavy Knuckle or Aspect of Gilgamesh.
LONG KNUCKLE
The Long Knuckle is quite a nice upgrade to have on your Twin Fists as it both increases your range and will provide players with a 10% damage boost.
With Long Muscle, players will be able to stand further from enemies, avoiding damage and will still deal a good amount of extra damage.
I personally don’t use Long Knuckle often, but I can’t deny that if there’s nothing else worth it, I generally take it.
DRAINING CUTTER
Draining Cutter is quite frankly one of the hardest upgrades players can get using the Daedalus Hammer.
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.
Players will want to make sure if they want a good amount of healing to regularly weave their Special in and will also want to make sure that their Special has a good amount of damage as the Special takes a bit of time to charge, meaning that players cannot simply spam the Special to burst down enemies.
In my opinion, I don’t like this upgrade, because I don’t really struggle with health, but undeniably it comes in very useful when looking for food for Cerberus.
CONCENTRATED KNUCKLE
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.
Admittedly, players will miss out every so often due to the end of their combo or due to being interrupted, but being able to land 5 successful attacks on an enemy with boosted damage is always a lovely thing.
Players should note that if they break their combo midway through this breaks the stack of damage.
EXPLOSIVE UPPER
Explosive Upper is something I rarely use as it essentially makes your Dash-Upper deal 100% damage in an area, being an attack I don’t really use often.
If you’re someone who uses their Dash-Upper regularly, choose it, but otherwise it’s a bit of a dud.
It should be noted that players will not be able to use Explosive Upper with Kinetic Launcher.
FLYING CUTTER
Flying Cutter essentially adds time to the player’s Special but if charged correctly will raise a player’s Special damage by 100%.
For me, I’m not a fan, but I cannot deny how strong this can be especially if players are building good damage on their Special.
I, personally, like to weave my Special into my damage, but with Flying Cutter, you’re going to have a bit more difficulty with that.
It should be noted that players cannot combine Flying Cutter with Rush Kick or Kinetic Launcher.
Players will also be unable to use Flying Cutter with the Aspect of Talos.
RUSH KICK
Rush Kick is a great upgrade for players as it does not change the way your Special works, though will allow players to deal damage twice, both dealing 40 damage.
Admittedly, Rush Kick makes it much easier to land your Draining Cutter, so if you are using that upgrade, I strongly recommend this combination.
I can’t say I always choose this one, though there aren’t many situations I would void using it.
It should be noted that Rush Kick will shoot a player forward, being able to avoid low barriers, though because of this it can be a bit difficult to control, so just be ready.
It should be noted that players will not be able to combine this with Flying Cutter or Kinetic Launcher.
Similarly, players will not be able to use Rush Kick with the Aspect of Talos.
QUAKE CUTTER
I personally love Quake Cutter, though admittedly it can feel a bit hit and miss.
With Quake Cutter, players will deal 90 damage after using their Special, dealing AoE damage where they land, but this can be extremely useful when against mobs that flood you, essentially being able to completely shatter them if you have enough damage on your Special.
It’s also great to note that the 90 damage can be modified with Special damage, meaning that players can essentially one shot some enemies if they are building correctly.
Quake Cutter is another great combination with Draining Cutter if you are already running that.
It should be noted that players cannot combine Quake Cutter with Kinetic Launcher and will also be unable to acquire it if they are running the Aspect of Demeter.
KINETIC LAUNCHER
Kinetic Launcher is another upgrade that needs to be charged, making it one I avoid.
Essentially players will gain a charged range attack that deals 50 base damage, though players can Power Shot to deal more damage.
This upgrade is pretty niche and will depend on a player’s preferred play style.
It should be noted that players will not be able to combine Kinetic Launcher with Rush Kick, Flying Cutter, Explosive Upper or Quake Cutter.
Players will also be unable to acquire Kinetic Launcher with the Aspect of Gilgamesh or Aspect of Talos.
HEAVY KNUCKLE
Heavy Knuckle changes a player’s combo, essentially making it a slow 3-hit sequence that stabilizes the amount of damage players output.
With Heavy Knuckle players deal 40 damage per hit, making it a bit of a hit and miss for players to choose, though with good enough upgrades on your attacks you can deal a significant amount of damage, making the attack speed reduction not as problematic.
Players should note that they will be unable to use Heavy Knuckle with Rolling Knuckle and will not be able to unlock it with the Aspect of Gilgamesh.
COLOSSUS KNUCKLE
With Colossus Knuckle players will gain Sturdy any time they Attack or use their Special.
Eh. Honestly, eh. I don’t care for Sturdy. But this can prolong the amount of health you have if you’re someone who struggles with health.
RENDING CLAWS
If players are running Aspect of Gilgamesh, they will be able to unlock Rending Claws an exclusive to this Aspect.
I strongly recommend always taking Rending Claws as it will Maim enemies so they take 25% more damage and will move 30% slower.
Both the slow and the extra damage will come in handy for players, especially with a melee Weapon.
CONCLUSION
While the Daedalus Hammer upgrades are going to come down to personal choice and a player’s personal play style, players should be aware that some upgrades feel completely useless.
If players roll a pretty useless upgrade, players are recommended to use the Anvil of Fates to chance their luck on getting something better.
But I’m curious, are there any upgrades you think I’ve judged unfairly? Are there some upgrades I just don’t see the worth in? Let me know in the comments below!
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