While Hades 2 is a direct sequel to the original game, it's introduced a lot of new mechanics that aren't explained super well in the Early Access state of the game; perhaps the most confusing new mechanic to learn is the Elemental Essences that come with each boon. These essences didn't exist in the original game, and as of now are only briefly explained upon being unlocked in the midgame of the sequel. As Hades 2 is only in early access, it's understandable that things will be confusing for the time being.
Elemental Essences rely on Infusion Boons to truly make your build come alive. While you won't be able to see each boon's element in your early runs, once you unlock the ability to see them, you'll start to receive Infusion Boons that will require your build to include certain elements in order to function. These boons often provide a more ive benefit than traditional boons, acting as small buffs rather than outright changing the way an ability or weapon strike functions.
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Each Elemental Essence and Infusion Boon in Hades 2
There are five Elemental Essence types in Hades 2 and a boon's elemental type seems to be consistent, but arbitrary. Here are the five types and what they look like:
| Icon |
Elemental Essence |
|---|---|
|
Fire Essence |
|
Water Essence |
|
Air Essence |
|
Earth Essence |
|
Aether Essence |
Every boon in Hades 2 has an essence that they're associated with, but these essences do nothing on their own. In order to properly see the essences tied to each boon, you'll have to complete the "Divination of the Elements" incantation at the cauldron in the Crossroads. This spell only costs five Psyche, so it's relatively easy to unlock. Once you go on your next run, you'll get a quick popup explaining that each boon has an element associated with it and that these elements are relevant to Infusion Boons.
Infusion Boons are special boons that require you to have a certain number of elemental essences in your build in order to function. Each element has its own Infusion Boons, so this mechanic encourages you to pick boons of the same elemental type. Here's each Infusion Boon that's been seen so far, it's type requirement, and what it does:
God |
Boon |
Requirement |
What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
Poseidon |
Water Fitness |
4 Water Boons |
Gain +100 Max Life |
Aphrodite |
Wispy Wiles |
4 Air Boons |
Gain +15% dodge chance |
Zeus |
Air Quality |
5 Air Boons |
Every hit deals at least 30 damage |
Apollo |
Self Healing |
3 Fire Boons |
Heal 30% life over five seconds after you take damage |
Hestia |
Slow Cooker |
Any number of Fire Boons |
Attacks and Specials gain +2 power for every fire boon you have |
Demeter |
Coarse Grit |
6 Earth Boons |
When you have at least six earth boons, you can only take a maximum of 15 damage from any hit |
Hephaestus |
Martial Art |
Any number of Earth Boons |
Attacks and Specials deal +5% damage for every earth boon you have |
Hera |
Proper Upbringing |
3 Earth Boons |
All of your common boons become rare |
While there are only a few infusion boons right now, odds are high that this list will expand upon full release of the game. This, paired with the fact that Infusion Boons can be pretty rare to stumble upon, means that they're by no means a make-or-break for any of your builds. However, some of the stronger boons can really impact the difficulty of later-game fights, so it's worthwhile to at least keep an eye on the elements of the boons you're picking up.
Rarely, you'll be able to pick these elements up on their own, as room rewards in Ephrya. Keep an eye out for any open doors!
Which Element is the Strongest?
Whenever asking the "what is the strongest?" question in roguelikes, it's important to understand that at the end of the day, it comes down to playstyle. That being said, broadly speaking, Earth is the best all-around elemental type to pick up if you're not looking for any boons in particular. This is for a few reasons, the first reason being it has the most Infusion Boons, meaning you'll have higher chances of picking one up than if you built into an element like Water, which only has one.
Additionally, Earth's Infusion Boons balance attack and defense, and can be applied broadly to work with most builds. Additionally, the Coarse Grit Infusion Boon is truly insane in later fights, where enemies like Chronos can do hundreds of damage per hit. This boon will protect you from the huge chunks of damage that would otherwise end a good run, so holding onto the hope for this superpowered defensive boon is usually worth your time.
If you're hoping for a certain Infusion Boon, grab the Keepsake belonging to the God/Goddess who gives it! This will make the deity show up more often, giving you more chances to grab the Infusion Boon you're looking for.
If you don't find yourself in a position to pick up Earth boons, try to grab some Fire boons instead. These Infusion Boons focus on attack and defense but are a little less impactful than the Earth Infusion Boons currently in the game. Fire Boons are a bit more common than Earth Boons, which makes it a bit easier to collect enough Fire Essences to make Hestia's "Slow Cooker" super strong.
In all, Elemental Essences will not make or break your run. They're a side mechanic added on in Hades 2 to add a little more complexity to the way Boons work and can interact with one another. Whether you collect a certain type of Boon religiously in hopes that you'll get the Infusion Boon you want, or if you pay the Elemental Essence on each Boon no mind, you'll still have a very good Hades 2 experience.
This new mechanic simply adds a layer of complexity to an already-rich combat and upgrade system. Hades 2 is a worthy successor to the original game, and may even beat out the original Hades in of pure build customization. While the Elemental Essence system may be confusing at first, it's something to keep in mind as you complete your runs, die, run again, die, run again, switch weapons, die, run again, and finally beat Chronos once and for all!
