The Greek god Poseidon is the god of sea and storms. Poseidon is one of the many gods that assist Zagreus in his quest to reach the surface. Poseidon gives Zagreus the ability of knock-back and to rupture enemies. In this Poseidon Boon Guide, I will outline all boons and the use cases for them.
General Poseidon Advice
Poseidon is Great Early Game
The boons of Poseidon specializes in adding knock-back to your attacks and abilities. In Hades, enemies take Wall Slam damage if they are pushed into the wall, so this can help you add on the damage. However, this effect can be made stronger with additional boons. Despite this, the boons become worse when spaces become larger with fewer walls. The boons also do small amounts of damage to bosses without additional help.
Knock-back is Useful
Knock-back is a pretty good ability to have. The amount of pressure enemies put on you increases as the game goes on. However, you can use knock-back to isolate enemies and push enemies away from you. Despite this, other gods’ boons debatably do a better job of this than the Poseidon boons. A Poseidon knock-back boon can easily slot into a lot of different builds, and if you know you are weak it might be a good choice.
What Weapons are best with Poseidon?
Poseidon is a great helper god and pairs well with gods that deal a lot of damage. Another aspect is that the boons work well with weapons we large hitbox in order to get knockback effects. The weapon that works the best in my experience is the Stygian Blade and the Shield of Chaos. A Zeus and Poseidon Stygian Blade build is actually pretty easy to run and can give you a good path to the surface.
What does Ruptured do?
Ruptured is a status effect given to enemies. However, only one boon in the game gives foes that debuff. When an enemy is ruptured it takes rapid damage every 0.2 seconds while moving. However, this effect only lasts for 3 seconds.
The Boons
Tempest Strike
Description: Your Attack deals more damage and knocks foes away
Common: Attack Damage +30% / Rare: Attack Damage +39% / Epic: Attack Damage +54% / Heroic: Attack Damage +69%
Analysis
Tempest Strike is alright. The bar for attacks is pretty high, and this falls towards the middle of the back. It can be very annoying to work with, and you need more Poseidon boons to make it really good. However, this works well with the Bow, Blade, and Shield as you can constantly keep enemies at a distance. Despite this, it is an meh recommendation unless you get a high rarity.
Tempest Flourish
Description: Your Special deals more damage and knocks foes away.
Common: Special Damage +70% / Rare: Special Damage +91% / Epic: Special Damage +126% / Heroic: Special Damage +161%
Analysis
The criticism of this boon is similar to Tempest Strike. However, I think the knock-back on a special is more useful than an attack. You want to push back only some enemies. Despite this, I would say consider this one more if you have a lot of good Poseidon boons. Some boons, later on, make the earlier boons way more worthwhile.
Flood Shot
Description: Your Cast damages foes in an area and knocks them away.
Common: Cast Damage 60 / Rare: Cast Damage 72 / Epic: Cast Damage 84 / Heroic: Cast Damage 96
Analysis
I think this cast is not that great. I personally don’t use casts a whole lot in my playstyle, and this is not one of the casts I am drawn to. The knockback and damage are good, but plenty of the other boons do it better. However, this gives you a knockback on a cast instead of taking an attack or special slot. I tend to not want to push back enemies that are far away me already/
Flood Flare
Description: Your Cast damages foes in an area around you and knocks them away.
Common: Blast Damage 60 / Rare: Blast Damage 72 / Epic: Blast Damage 84 / Heroic: Blast Damage 96
Analysis
Flood Flare is completely unique to the Beowulf Aspect. I think this is a great boon if you are using the Beowulf Aspect Shield. The damage is good, and I would push foes away from me then fire off a knock-away cast. However, some of the other casts are better and more useful. Despite this, if you are using the Beowulf Aspect you should try it out.
Tidal Dash
Description: Your Dash damages foes in an area and knocks them away.
Common: Dash Damage 35 / Rare: Dash Damage 42 / Epic: Dash Damage 49 / Heroic: Dash Damage 56
Analysis
One of my favorite Dashes. When I dash I want to get away from where I am, and this does that but also pushes the enemies away. The knockback is at your endpoint which is for the best. This gives you a good reset, and you are normally in a better position. The boon also pairs really well with the other top Poseidon boons. You can also get some additional damage to enemies by knocking them into walls. This is a boon that is both offensive, utility, and defensive.
Poseidon’s Aid
Description: Your Call makes you surge into foes while Impervious for 1.2 Sec
Common: Impact Damage 250 / Rare: Impact Damage 300 / Epic: Impact Damage 350 / Heroic: Impact Damage 400
Analysis
Poseidon’s Aid is one of the best boons overall, and one of the best Calls. The combination of Impervious and good damage output is always useful. This boon at high rarities can be a menace in boss battles. It is amazing in the Hydra fight, as you can knock out a couple of the heads without worrying about taking damage. The problem is that the boon is hard to control, but it is manageable.
Boiling Point
Description: Your God Gauge charges up faster when you take damage.
Common: Faster Gauge Gain When Hit: 40% / Rare: Faster Gauge Gain When Hit: 50% / Epic: Faster Gauge Gain When Hit: 60% / Heroic: Faster Gauge Gain When Hit: 70%
Analysis
This is a boon that is only as good as your Call, and in order to get this boon, you first need a call. If you have one of the really good Calls then this might be a good pick. However, if you have one of the lower quality Calls then this is a skip. The fact that you are getting it on hit is pretty good. At higher rarities, this means that the call will charge way faster. A hit from a boss could get you to be able to activate the call immediately.
Hydraulic Might
Description: Your Attack and Special are stronger the first 10 Sec. in Encounter(s).
Common: Initial Damage Bonus 50% / Rare: Initial Damage Bonus 62.5% / Epic: Initial Damage Bonus 75% / Heroic: Initial Damage Bonus 87.5%
Analysis
10 seconds is actually a good amount of time in this game. In those 10 seconds you could easily knock out a couple of the more troubling enemies, and at least do damage to most of them. In this game, you want to beat enemies as quickly as possible. In the last level of the game the areas are small, and this boon is amazing at that point. The scaling is also pretty good. One of the boons I try to pick up if possible.
Sunken Treasure
Description: Gain a random assortment of rewards
Analysis
Not a great boon. It is hard for me to think about why I would want random drops instead of one of the other boons. I think the best use case is if you are grinding resources in order to unlock new abilities. Despite this, it is more effective for you to just play through the game with stronger abilities than getting this boon. It doesn’t make you any stronger.
Ocean’s Bounty
Description: Any item chamber rewards are worth more.
Common: Reward Value 50% / Rare: Reward Value 55% / Epic: Reward Value 60% / Heroic: Reward Value 65%
Analysis
I like this boon more than Sunken Treasure. This boon gives you delayed returns on the chamber rewards, but it makes it up over time. Gold is one of the best resources to have, as increasing the amount of gold you get is always good. However, this isn’t an amazing boon, it doesn’t increase your power that much. If the other boons aren’t great then pick this.
Typhoon’s Fury
Description: You deal more damage when slamming foes into barriers.
Common: Slam Damage 200% / Rare: Slam Damage 250% / Epic: Slam Damage 300% / Heroic: Slam Damage 350%
Analysis
The scaling is pretty good, but you need to be at a level that has barriers. The second level doesn’t have that much, but the other three do. However, this is not a huge problem as the later returns are worth it. Despite this, it won’t really help you in most of the boss fights. I go back and forth on whether this is a great boon or an alright one. In order to get this boon you first need either Tempest Strike, Tempest Flourish, Flood Shot, Tidal Dash, or Poseidon’s Aid.
Wave Pounding
Description: Your Boons with knock-away effects deal bonus damage to Bosses.
Common: Knock-Away Damage vs. Bosses 20% / Rare: Knock-Away Damage vs. Bosses 30% / Epic: Knock-Away Damage vs. Bosses 40% / Heroic: Knock-Away Damage vs. Bosses 50%
Analysis
One of the most vital boons to the Poseidon builds, and you need either Tempest Strike, Tempest Flourish, Flood Shot, Tidal Dash, or Poseidon’s Aid first. The knock-away effects not doing anything to bosses is not great. Poseidon boons do a lot of damage to enemies, but your damage is really low during the bosses. However, this boon makes the build actually viable, as you can do a lot damage to the bosses. This boon can make a lot of good early boons into really great ones.
Rip Current
Description: Your Call pulls in foes and the effect lasts longer.
Common: Bonus Duration 1 Sec. Duration / Rare: 1.25 Sec. Duration / Epic: 1.5 Sec. Duration / Heroic: 1.75 Sec. Duration
Analysis
This boon is one of the hardest to come across. In research for this article, it took me several runs just to get it. This is because you first need Poseidon’s Aid to even get a chance at picking this up. Despite this, I think the boon is worthwhile if you run into it. It requires you to have the Poseidon’s Aid boon which works well with it. The problem with the boon is that it is only good if you like using the Poseidon’s Aid call. I think it is really good, and worth the pickup.
Breaking Wave
Description: Slamming foes into barriers creates a watery blast in the area.
Common: Blast Damage 100 / Rare: Blast Damage 150 / Epic: Blast Damage 200 / Heroic: Blast Damage 250
Analysis
Not the biggest fan of this boon. It is good, but I don’t pick it up as much as I thought I might. This boon is really good late in the game when you are in those tight corridors, but at that point, you should be plenty powerful enough to handle those enemies. This is a good win more boon, but Poseidon builds typically do well in the last level in my experience. However, in order to get this boon you need either Tempest Strike, Tempest Flourish, Flood Shot, Tidal Dash, or Poseidon’s Aid
Razor Shoals
Description: Your Boons with knock-away effects also Rupture Foes.
Common: Rupture Damage: 10 / Rare: Rupture Damage: 15 / Epic: Rupture Damage: 20 / Heroic: Rupture Damage: 25
Analysis
Ruptured is a good debuff. If you are able to pick this boon up then you probably have a lot of boons that do knock-back. If this is a true statement then you should be able to rupture foes with a lot of your actions. However, if you are running a Poseidon minimal build then I would skip this boon. In order to get this boon you first need either Tempest Strike, Tempest Flourish, Flood Shot, Tidal Dash, or Poseidon’s Aid.
Second Wave
Description: Your Boons with knock-away effects shove foes multiple times
Legendary: Bonus Knock-Away Effects: +1
Analysis
This is one of my favorite boons. If I can pick then I almost always do. For example, if you are knocking away foes they are now even farther away. If you are able to get this boon then you have already committed to knock-back, and this is your big reward for that commitment.
Huge Catch
Description: You have a greater chance to find a Fishing Point in each Chamber
Legendary: Fish Spawn Chance: +20%
Analysis
Do you like fishing? If yes then pick this up. However, if you are not a big fan of fishing then this is a skip.
Conclusion
Poseidon is a really fun God to build around. The best boons are probably Wave Pounding, Hydraulic Might, Second Wave, and Poseidon’s Aid. The worst boons are Huge Catch and Sunken Treasuret. However, those two boons are both situationally useful, but they don’t make you any stronger.