Choose weapon and opener keepsake before entering Tartarus.
Avoid: Accept unrelated rare boons.Hades · Guides
Hades beginner guide: stabilize weapons, Mirror and keepsakes before Heat
Use this when repeated runs feel random and you need a stable first-clear loop.
Primary sections
Start with your problem
New Hades players often change weapons, boons, Mirror spending and keepsakes all at once, so the real blocker stays hidden.
Rotate Infernal Arms, spend Darkness on repeated failure points, use Nectar keepsakes to control boon direction and delay Heat until clear consistency exists.
Spend Darkness on the repeated failure pattern.
Avoid: Add Heat or new mods.Keep route stable and practice the phase.
Avoid: Change every system at once.Problem solver
Diagnose the Beginner guide blocker
Start from the run state that changes your next action.
Random runs
No weapon/boon target is defined.
Choose weapon and opener keepsake before entering Tartarus.
Do not: Accept unrelated rare boons. beginnerFactsEarly deaths
Mirror survival or room choices lag behind.
Spend Darkness on the repeated failure pattern.
Do not: Add Heat or new mods. mirrorFactsNear-clear deaths
Boss pattern or defensive layer is the blocker.
Keep route stable and practice the phase.
Do not: Change every system at once. bossesPlayable tools
Use this while planning your route
These tools turn the guide into a quick decision surface for boss attempts, builds, quests and backups.
Decision tool
Beginner guide next-action selector
Pick the current blocker and get the safest next action.
Choose the current state to get the next action.
Checklist
Beginner guide verification checklist
Use this before changing weapon route, Heat, keepsake or save state.
Video
Hades official Steam trailers and media
Open the official Steam store media section for current trailers, screenshots and publisher-provided video assets.
Open official Steam mediaPlayer problem
New Hades players often change weapons, boons, Mirror spending and keepsakes all at once, so the real blocker stays hidden.
Rotate Infernal Arms, spend Darkness on repeated failure points, use Nectar keepsakes to control boon direction and delay Heat until clear consistency exists.
Create a repeatable run loop
First clears improve when each run has one learning target.
- Try every Infernal Arm.
- Use Darkness to repair recurring deaths.
- Use god keepsakes to guide the first boon.
Track failures by system
A boss death, room death and damage shortage need different fixes.
- Boss phase deaths point to practice or defense.
- Room deaths point to chamber choices or mobility.
- Damage failures point to weapon/boon fit.
Do not start with Heat pressure
Heat planning belongs after victory consistency unless playing Hell Mode.
- Clear once before normal Pact routing.
- Track bounties per weapon.
- Raise one condition at a time.
First-clear route
| Run state | Do next | Stop sign |
|---|---|---|
| No weapon preference | Rotate Infernal Arms. | Do not spend Titan Blood yet. |
| Dying early | Upgrade Mirror survival and learn enemy rooms. | Do not chase rare boons. |
| Missing build direction | Open with a god keepsake. | Do not accept every rare boon. |
| Reached final boss | Study boss pattern and keep route stable. | Do not add Heat yet. |
Action checklist
Do this in order
- Try each Infernal Arm at least once.
- Identify the repeated death point.
- Spend Darkness on the matching Mirror fix.
- Equip a keepsake that matches the boon plan.
- Delay Heat until one clear is done.
FAQ
Common questions
What should I focus on first in Hades?
Stabilize weapon comfort, Mirror survival, keepsake targeting and boss learning before Heat.
Are failed runs wasted?
No. Darkness, Keys, Nectar, prophecies, keepsakes and pattern learning all move progression forward.
Sources