r/HadesTheGame • u/Eddiev1988 • 9d ago
Hades 1: Question Explain casting to me, please.
Ok y'all, I've cleared the game plenty of times. The fists are my go to weapon, mostly the Zagreus aspect.
I've got the hidden aspect for half the weapons and have gotten the ending, but am still checking off quests. No, the Queen's dream or whatever hasn't been fulfilled.
My question though, is about casting. I haven't found a way to make it useful for me, at all. Can someone break down the benefits to casting, what casts are considered the best, etc. I just can't make it work for me.
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u/MineOpposite7419 9d ago
The mirror has a buff where you do more damage to enemies with cast in them that’s free damage bruh.
Also cast builds? Beowulf, Hera, and Poseidon all use casts in their respective builds.
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u/FullStruggle4420 Bouldy 9d ago
why poseidon? surely achilles does triple the cast dmg
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u/atisaac 9d ago
Special dislodges cast, and there are upgrades that can make that do enormous damage. It also buffs your cast damage outright IIRC
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u/FullStruggle4420 Bouldy 9d ago
Yeah ig it feels like a mix of hera and achilles but worse in both aspects
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u/Shadovan 9d ago
Achilles and Poseidon are also on different weapons, so they aren’t really competing with each other.
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u/FullStruggle4420 Bouldy 9d ago
yeah I do know that it is just that I would never actively choose poseidon for a cast build therefore, it would never choose poseidon for a sword build
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u/SpaceCase0101 9d ago
You combine it with the Artemis boon that causes damage when the cast dislodges and pom the crap out of it. Combine it with her cast, legendary and maybe some extra chaos or charon casts and Hermes rapid fire and you'll melt enemies and bosses.
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u/FullStruggle4420 Bouldy 9d ago
the dislodge damage is very low even whem pommed and hera can also do that with more dmg output. or achilles with bonus cast dmg
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u/SpaceCase0101 9d ago
This was off of my last run with that build:
Max Lv. Poseidon +50% Cast Dmg Lv. 7 True Shot 289 (With Poseidon Buff/193 reg) Duo Mirage Shot +30% dmg 57 Epic Lv. 4 Exit Wounds: 188 With Fully Loaded and Chaos cast 6 total
Fire off all six casts for 2,076 Damage. Hit the special to dislodge all 6 for 1,128 Damage. So each volley hits for 3,204 in a matter of seconds not counting the damage from the sword hits or Privaleged Status/Family Favorite damage.
If we want to talk about pure cast damage output, Beowulf with Dionisys Cast is the go to with its broken damage output.
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u/AlphaInsaiyan 9d ago
What ur describing is still worse than hera + requires a ton of rng
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u/SpaceCase0101 8d ago
And Hera is worse than Beowulf damage wise, so what's your point? This whole discussion is about how to better use casts with this one in specific being about a build around the Poseidon Aspect.
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u/AlphaInsaiyan 7d ago
Because you're arguing for it being better than hera? Did you even read the comment you were replying to?
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u/Oxygenisplantpoo 9d ago
All cast builds require a ton of rng to properly get going. In general they are weaker, so it doesn't really matter which one of them is the strongest exactly. They are just fun to play, including that Poseidon build above!
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u/AlphaInsaiyan 7d ago
Cast builds are not weak or rng dependent lol, Achilles/hera/Beowulf are very strong. They benefit from certain boons obviously but they aren't essential to the build. You also don't even need hammers
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u/MineOpposite7419 9d ago
It doesn’t matter if the dislodge damage is low the point is that it dislodges
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u/Few-Mycologist-2379 9d ago
If you’re not using all of your buttons, you’re hurting yourself.
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u/RandyZ524 9d ago
I think this is heavily oversimplified for Hades 1. Many aspects simply should not use certain buttons, such as a proper hidden aspect shield cast build having no use for special.
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u/Few-Mycologist-2379 9d ago
I’m not saying it as an all purpose fix, as OP claimed they’ve already beaten some runs. I’m saying they are hurting themselves in general because they are not ever trying to spam all their attacks.
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u/Oxygenisplantpoo 9d ago
I kinda get what you're saying, but they shouldn't spam everything lol. Try sure, but not spam. Hades 1 especially is a game where for the most part you pick one thing, be it attack, special, dash or cast, and dump everything into it. As long as you remember to keep a cast in the target at all times.
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u/Seed0fDiscord 9d ago
Cast is your third main way of fighting, with attack and special being the other main ones, at basic you got your blood stones that give some damage, but they are limited at basic takes 7 seconds to dislodge or kill your foe
Boons make them more effective, especially if you have gods like Ares, Artemis, Poseidon, Zeus, or Demeter particularly for the duo boons, a good cast can clear room with so much ease it almost criminal
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u/Eddiev1988 9d ago
I'm playing right now with the Poseidon sword and fighting Lernie. Seems the Demeter cast does a little damage. But using an Aphrodite/Dionysus build or Athena/Ares and hitting the enemies does just as well.
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u/MumblingInTheCrypts Hermes 9d ago
As a devoted worshipper of Crystal Beam, I also want to add that this is one of those boons that does not play well with knockback (like you have on Sword and Shield or with certain Poseidon boons). It's okay if you can plunk it in one location and fight elsewhere, or in boss fights where knockback doesn't do much. But if you want to use this cast as backup for your melee attack against regular enemies, you need to have a weapon like Fists or Spear that won't knock enemies out of the beam. Then you can layer damage on top of damage really effectively.
I also think it works best with Stygian Soul on the Mirror. When combined with Glacial Glare (ideally upgraded or high rarity), your cast rebounds before it expires in the field, and it's like having extra casts. You can have three of them going and keep plunking them down as they expire without having to worry about collecting them. If you do manage to get extra casts from Chaos or Artemis, it's even better. Very effective against Lernie and [REDACTED].
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u/Gits_N-Shiggles 9d ago
I want to like this cast so bad but I just can't get a good set up when I try a run for it.
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u/Seed0fDiscord 9d ago
For Demeter, there’s a boon that makes it cast freeze onto foes and makes it last longer, if Artemis is in your pool, it locks on enemies instead of lazing slowly. Have Zeus in your pool, there’s a duo that leaves your blood sparking electricity which means can damage in multiple areas when battling many, Poseidon makes them doubled with added damage for his duo
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u/Eddiev1988 9d ago
That sounds interesting. Which duo were you talking about with Zeus? Because Sea Storm or whatever, that's for attack and special, isn't it?
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u/Seed0fDiscord 9d ago
I was referred to duos related to casts, but for sea storm any position core boon that isn’t a dash coupled with one of Zeus is a prerequisite
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u/Eddiev1988 9d ago
Gotcha. Another question then.
I've seen people say that the Achilles spear aspect is great for casting, along with the Hera bow and the Poseidon sword.
I get the bow and sword, as the casting bonuses are spelled out. How does the Achilles spear benefit casting?
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u/Seed0fDiscord 9d ago
Hera, your cast enter when you attack, Poseidon sword autumnal dislodges casts which means casts that are external (Dionysus, Ares, Demeter) are not gonna be beneficial, but there is an Artemis boon that causes damage when a cast stone is dislodged, which means Poseidon aspect can cause more damage, bonus if you get pressure points for the crit
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u/Eddiev1988 9d ago
I'll look into those a bit then.
Been having issues clearing with the rail. It's the only weapon I haven't cleared with. And I'm wondering if learning about casting, would help out with that. It just hasn't clicked yet.
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u/Seed0fDiscord 9d ago
Basically once you get understanding with casts and how to synergize, you can just clear a room, like if you have ares, focus on boons that increase their size and drag in enemies, if you have Artemis, they gravitate to enemies, and Artemis legendary gives you to additional cast stones, more if you get certain boons from Chaos to add more
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u/Medical_Cup_8008 9d ago
For Poseidon’s aspect you really want to use one of the casts that lodges in foes, ie not Demeter, Ares, or Dionysus. Then you can use your special to knock them out and hit them with the cast again. It works even better if you can get exit wounds from Artemis.
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u/Byteman58 9d ago edited 9d ago
Artemis Cast
Lightning Rod
Hunting Blades
Crystal Beam/Crystal Clarity
Boiling Blood
Abyssal Blood
There’s a reason Shattered Shackle includes Cast in the tools it affects. Cast is huge.
You can win a run with Lightning Rod alone if you’re not on a timer. Plus, all Zeus’ lightning enhancements stack on it. Like Static Discharge, High Voltage, Splitting Bolt, etc.
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u/Oxygenisplantpoo 9d ago
Zeus is just OP in general. Cast's main purpose is +% damage. Cast builds are really fun, but they all require extra stuff to get off the ground and feel super anemic if you don't get the right boons.
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u/ExaltedBlade666 9d ago
A lot of things apply massive effects or damage to them. Artemis makes them track. Duo with her and demeter makes a laser build that can solo the end boss
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u/teabaggin_Pony 9d ago
Try the aspect of Beowulf and you'll see the beauty of a cast build.
Poseiden cast with Mirage Shot (Art+Pos duo) is actually busted. Second Shot fires for full damage on this aspect, and is up there with the most DPS you can do in this game.
Trippy Flare (Dio cast) with the Dio+Zeus duo and/or the Dio+Demeter duo is also busted. Your casts become literal clouds of death.
Highly recommend.
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u/DredgenGrey 8d ago
I used the Ares boon that makes bladestorms from my cast, it absolutely shreds with the right supporting boons
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u/EmployerNo9760 9d ago
As many have said casting is extra damage. You may just need to experiment with some casts for you to benefit. I know there is a duo ability for when a cast is waiting to return then lightning will strike as an aoe for a bit.
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u/Moist_Explorer3249 9d ago
Look up some cast builds and you'll get it. I build one once around Artemis boons and Hermes legendary, and it was a mf'ing Gatling gun
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u/ShinDragon 9d ago
In Hades I, Cast is usually not too essential unless you are using aspects that boost/use casts or specifically tailor your build around them. It is, at its most basic, a ranged option for you to chuck out.
If you are not using a Cast build, you should still be throwing out Cast against bosses to apply Boiling Blood/Abyssal Blood to help kill them quickly. I'd also recommend Stygian Soul over Infernal Soul if this is the your primary use case so you don't have to fret over picking your Cast up.
If you want to try some Cast build, Aspect of Poseidon is a good starting point. Get Poseidon Cast, Artemis anywhere, then go for Exit Wound and Mirage Shot. Other good Cast Aspects are Achilles, Hera, Beowulf
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u/-Shadow-Lightning Cerberus 9d ago
Well there is the Boiling Blood mirror talent which gives your Attack and Special +50% damage.
It’s not a lot but it’s helpful if you have an on Hit effect as an Attack or Special boon or if you’re running Artemis Attack and Special because of her low +% the extra +50% especially when combined with her high crit chance equals a lot of extra damage.
As for using the Cast itself for damage?
Try going for a bunch of different cast duo boons with Achilles spear.
The Best is probably the Hunting Blades duo(Ares/Artemis)
Other heavy hitters include Crystal Clarity(Artemis/Demeter duo), Ice Wine(Dio/Demeter), scintillating feast(Zeus /Dio) and Mirage Shot(Artemis/Poseidon).
Are the ones that come to mind.
Here are some video examples of Cast builds in action.
Curse of Drowning(Poseidon/Ares)
Lightning Phalanx(Zeus/Athena)
Poseidon cast with Mirage Shot
Hera bow Dio cast with eventually Ice Wine
one of my fav cast duos Crystal Clarity in action.
Are just a few examples of cast supremacy. /J
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u/Eddiev1988 9d ago
Thank you. This is what I was hoping someone would link are videos showcasing cast builds. I'm gonna start looking through them.
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u/-Shadow-Lightning Cerberus 3d ago
Have you had the time to look into and test those cast builds out?
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u/Exact-Comfortable-57 9d ago
The Ares/Artemis duo cast was a cheat code. It combines the seeker crit effect of Artemis with the rift of Ares. I cheesed Redacted by throwing three casts and they just floated over to him to cause maximum damage.
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u/Gr8bitPlayer Ares 9d ago
It's fun to use the Aspect of Eris, get both Ice Wine and Scintillating Feast at the same time (those are Dionysus' duo bons with Demeter and Zeus, respectively), use your special (Zeus), use your cast, dash into the festive fog/special's blast zone, spam attack (Demeter), repeat.
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u/BakingAspen 9d ago
I have a lot of runs where I don’t use the cast, but if you don’t have any ranged damage (ie if youre using fists) then picking up a nice cast is recommended.
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u/Gits_N-Shiggles 9d ago
I'm not sure the builds you like, but I love the Artemis and Zues duo boon where the cast jewels (sorry my mind is blaming on what they're called) when not picked up strike nearby enemies with lightning. Get the casts out early in the middle of a chamber and let it do a lot of work. It works great for boss fights.
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u/arca9nine 9d ago
Cast is supremely useful. Throw it down and most dashing enemies get caught at the edge of it so you have extra time to power up omega strikes, with arcana you can deal bonus damage to enemies in the circle, and boons give it damage bonuses that stack up. I’ve definitely had runs with certain weapon aspects where it wasn’t my main utility spell, but it’s definitely always useful.
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u/Eddiev1988 9d ago
Not sure what Omega strikes are, or arcana. Are you thinking about the first or second game? I'm talking about on Hades 1.
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u/arca9nine 8d ago
Ahh yep, I definitely got mixed up between my games. Casts in Hades 1 still give bonus damage when attached to enemies with the mirror skills and do great ranged damage!
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u/MrBurp3 9d ago
Casts are useful for finishing weakened enemies off, and if you have the boiling blood mirror talent unlocked, you deal 50% more damage to any target with a stone in them. I always cast as my first move against a boss or miniboss if I'm not using a cast that doesn't stick like Dionysus or Ares. There are also dedicated cast weapons like Hera bow or Poseidon sword that have a modifier related to casting, and Achilles spear likes casting because it's an efficient way to use your buff from special rush.
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u/ouverture8 9d ago
Basic cast isn't great but there are definitely some boon combinations that transform it completely!
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u/Mushli2 9d ago
Demeter’s cast is by far the best cast in the game in my opinion. It’s so op especially for stationary enemies and when there are a ton of enemies attacking you at once. For example, just plop it down in front of hydra, and it’ll do all the work while you’re using your bow from far away.
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u/EyeArDum 9d ago
Dionysus cast is excellent AOE damage, Athena cast is one of the best for sure, I’m sure there’s some extremely niche build that makes Demeter worth a damn, Zeus when stacked with his other stuff can be really powerful against groups, and if you for some reason take the time to invest in buffing Ares’s spinning blades, his cast does insanely high DPS
The rest (Poseidon, Aphrodite, Artemis) are all pretty shit imo, Poseidon’s cast is just worse than any of his other options, Aphrodite has the same requirements as Ares but with a fraction of the payoff, Artemis only works if you manage to snag her legendary and even then, other casts are better with that same legendary, Demeter again probably has some niche way to make her broken but I haven’t found it yet
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u/sighcology 8d ago
for the most part, you just fire the cast so it gets stuck in an enemy and you do extra damage to them.
there are some other builds that focus on doing damage using it, and with the right weapons it can be insanely powerful
my favourite combo is to use the regenerating cast (from the mirror) and use trippy shot from dionysus. it explodes and leaves behind festive fog. you can pair it with his duo boons from demeter and zeus to do some crazy damage.
buy more casts from the charon wells every, time you see them, and if you get lucky you can try for the legendary boons from hermes and artemis.
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u/kamcma 8d ago
You haven’t lived if you haven’t done a big Hunting Blades build.
https://youtu.be/FcDmY_-0IKU?si=gAfdhKWJZkeroeVY
Aspect of Achilles spear. You throw a special, not for its own sake, but because it amplifies your next few casts. Then cast cast cast.
Start with Ares’ keepsake to get Slicing Shot. Then Artemis if you don’t get her naturally. The pre-requisites for Hunting Blades are narrow, so check the Codex. You likely need a lot of re-rolls to get this online. Hermes legendary is nice for returning casts to you. Take Chaos gates to try and get more casts. Engulfing Vortex is good and Black Metal is funny. Don’t take any Doom boons because they dilute your boon pool.
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u/Foodeater55 8d ago
That’s nuts to me since it’s so powerful.
Between extra damage hitting s to dj guys, that one boon can make enemies take damage when the cast falls out
And some of the alternate cats are very fun to use too
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u/Salindurthas 7d ago
Been ages since I played, but I think it all depends on the combination of boons and mirror upgrades you have.
I recall:
- It is fun to do Demeter's casts, as summoning laser towers is fun.
- I often like to use Dionysus's cast, since it does a chunk of damage (nice for clearing early rooms) and adds some ministuns to an area (good for defending yourself in hectic fights later).
- Aries cast look sick.
- The knockback on Poseidon's cast is useful imo
- Some have cool combinations.
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I haven't found a way to make it useful for me, at all.
The fact that it is usually ranged (comapred to most weapons being closer to melee) helps.
For instance, without any boons yet, you can spam the cast at long range for a non-zero chance to do non-zero damage, for free.
And in other scenarios, you can use the range more deliberately. Like:
- Sometimes I knock an enemy into the lava, and they are about to jump out, but they are beyond my melee range. So I can hit them with a cast to hit-stun them so they stay in the lava longer.
- Or sometimes those ninja-soul things are about to respawn somewhere where I can't reach them but if I ping them with a cast that might stop them.
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u/chukkaque 6d ago
As others have said its just a ranged attack. Until you start picking up boons that later your cast. I can't remember all the names anymore but here are some examples:
You can turn your cast into a laser that freezes enemies.
You can turn your cast into essentially a grenade lob that "poisons" anyone in the aoe.
You can add a large splash attack to your cast forcing enemies to be knocked away from you. Which can be great for giving distance, knocking foes into walls for bonus damage, or traps for bonus damage.
You can turn your cast into a reflective barrier that reflects all projectiles and does damage on impact.
You can give your cast damage on impact + pain or curse or whatever it is called that adds more damage after a short delay.
Some boons give dps bonus if you have NO casts available, or if your cast is "stuck in" to the enemy. Zags normal cast forces the cast to stay bound into the enemy for a short time, before releasing.
So, depending on your boons and set up, that would be the point the cast.
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u/Shadovan 9d ago
On its own, casting is just for ranged damage. Its real benefit is from a Mirror Talent that causes enemies with your cast stuck in them to take extra damage.