Cast

This article is about the Cast ability. For the voice actors of Hades, see Voice Cast.

Cast is an attack ability that is innate to Zagreus and thus does not depend on Infernal Arms for the base damage, though a few aspects, most notably Beowulf and Hera do modify how casting works. By default Cast is a slow long-range spell that launches a bloodstone , dealing 50 base damage on impact. Casting costs one from the bloodstone magazine. Zagreus has up to three reusable when using Infernal Soul with the Mirror of Night, or only one that regenerates after 3-5 seconds when using Stygian Soul. When Cast hits an enemy, it stays lodged inside the foe until they are killed or 15 seconds elapse, giving them a status effect. When the bloodstone falls it can be collected to be launched again, or will disappear when using Stygian Soul. Cast is a boon slot and can be upgraded using Poms of Power, however unlike other boons, cast upgrades do not give a % increase, but rather a large base damage increase. Each god's Cast also modifies the speed, area of effect and additional mechanics of the cast. Three casts, Dionysus, Demeter and Ares, create a projectile that does damage on its own instead of lodging into enemies.

Mirror of Night

The Mirror of Night can modify Cast in several ways. The biggest impact is from choosing between Infernal Soul and Stygian Soul as it changes the way are collected. Infernal Soul gives three that will stay present in game once launched and have to be recollected on the ground in order to be launched again. Meanwhile Stygian Soul gives only one , but it regenerates after three seconds, regardless of where the previously launched is. This bloodstone does not drop from enemies to be collected.
Regardless of the choice, it is always possible to augment the number of during an escape attempt with Chaos Boons, Artemis’ Legendary Boon and Prometheus Stones from the Well of Charon.
The second choice is between Boiling Blood and Abyssal Blood, it affects the status given to enemies with at least one lodged in them. Boiling Blood gives +50% Attack and Special damage, while Abyssal Blood reduces the enemy’s speed and damage by 30%.

Ability	Description	Ranks	Cost	Ability	Description	Ranks	Cost	Unlock Cost
Boiling Blood	Each rank gives you +10% Attack & Special damage to foes with in them.	5 (+50% damage)	10 / 30 / 50 / 70 / 90 (Total: 250)	Abyssal Blood	Each rank reduces foes' speed and damage by -6% while they have in them.	5 (-30% speed and damage)	20 / 40 / 60 / 80 / 100 (Total: 300)	5 Chthonic Keys
Infernal Soul	Each rank gives you +1 for your Cast.	2 (+2 )	20 / 80 (Total: 100)	Stygian Soul	Your regenerates, but no longer drops. Each rank makes this 1 Sec. faster.	3 (5 / 4 / 3 Sec.)	0 / 60 / 120 / (Total: 180)

Shots

Rather than providing a % damage increase, cast boons increase the base damage of the cast. Because upgrades which apply % damage augementation in Hades stack additavely based on the base damage of the abilities which they affect, additional upgrades which provide a % damage increase synergize much more effectively with cast boons than they do with Zagreus' attack or special boons.
Cast boons also affect the mechanics of the cast more significantly than other core boons affect their respective abilities. Five of the cast boons (Aphrodite, Artemis, Athena, Poseidon, and Zeus) retain some of the mechanics of the unmodified cast, most notably the ability of the cast to lodge in foes. These five therefore function similarly in some respects, although even they have more significant mechanical differences from the unmodified cast than do Zagreus' other core boons; Athena's cast, for example, inflicts a bust of AOE damage on impact, whereas Artemis' cast tracks foes, and Zeus' cast bounces between foes. Three of the casts, however (Ares, Demeter, and Dionysus) retain none of the mechanics of the unmodified cast. In addition, many cast boons can themselves be mechanically altered through the use of duo boons, such as Hunting blades for Ares cast and Blizzard Shot for Poseidon cast. The functional variety found in cast boons is, therefore, more significant than that of any of Zagreus' other core slots.

Boon	Description	Rarity	Notes	Prerequisites
Electric Shot	Your Cast is a burst of chain-lightning that bounces between foes.	Common: Cast Damage: 60 Rare: Cast Damage: 70 Epic: Cast Damage: 81 Heroic: Cast Damage: 90	Tier 1 Bounces: 5 Bounce Range: 720 Cannot be combined with Aspect of Beowulf	None
Flood Shot	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	Tier 1 Damage Radius: 500 Impact Velocity: 2500 Cannot be combined with Aspect of Beowulf	None
True Shot	Your Cast seeks foes, with a 10% chance to deal Critical damage.	Common: Cast Damage: 70 Rare: Cast Damage: 80 Epic: Cast Damage: 90 Heroic: Cast Damage: 100	Tier 1 Unblockable by shield-bearing foes Cannot be combined with Aspect of Beowulf	None
Phalanx Shot	Your Cast damages foes in a small area, and can Deflect.	Common: Cast Damage: 85 Rare: Cast Damage: 102 Epic: Cast Damage: 119 Heroic: Cast Damage: 136	Tier 1 Damage Radius: 250 Cannot be combined with Aspect of Beowulf	None
Crush Shot	Your Cast is a wide, short-range blast that inflicts Weak.	Common: Cast Damage: 90 Rare: Cast Damage: 100 Epic: Cast Damage: 110 Heroic: Cast Damage: 120	Tier 1 Range: 300 Weak Duration: 3 Sec. Cannot be combined with Aspect of Beowulf	None
Trippy Shot	Your Cast lobs a projectile that bursts into Festive Fog.	Common: Blast Damage: 100 Rare: Blast Damage: 120 Epic: Blast Damage: 140 Heroic: Blast Damage: 160	Tier 1 Duration: 5 Sec. Stun Frequency: 0.25 Sec. Cannot be combined with Aspect of Beowulf	None
Crystal Beam	Your Cast drops a crystal that fires a beam straight ahead for 5 sec.	Common: Cast Damage: 8 (every 0.2 sec) Rare: Cast Damage: 9.2 (every 0.2 sec) Epic: Cast Damage: 10.4 (every 0.2 sec) Heroic: Cast Damage: 11.6 (every 0.2 sec)	Tier 1 Beam slowly alters trajectory to hit nearest enemy. Cannot be combined with Aspect of Beowulf	None
Slicing Shot	Your Cast sends a Blade Rift hurling ahead.	Common: Rift Damage per Hit: 20 Rare: Rift Damage per Hit: 22 Epic: Rift Damage per Hit: 24 Heroic: Rift Damage per Hit: 26	Tier 1 Duration: 4 Sec. Damage Interval: 0.2 Sec. Damage Radius: 150 Speed: 250 Cannot be combined with Aspect of Beowulf	None

Infernal Arms changes

While Cast boons deal big bursts of damage, the long time they stay stuck in enemies make them unreliable as the primary damage dealer against bosses if using Infernal Soul. Several weapons aspects remedy this by changing the ammo and firing mechanics.

Aspect of Poseidon

The third aspect of the Stygian Blade allows to dislodge from enemies by hitting them with the Special. The weapon also gives upgradable Cast Damage, from +10% to +50% Cast Damage. This aspect works great with high burst damage casts, but the Special’s ability to dislodge is useless with projectile casts or if using Stygian Soul.

Aspect	Description	Upgrade	Cost
Aspect of Poseidon	Your Special dislodges from foes. Even before he ruled the seas, the blade's first bearer liked making a splash.	Cast Damage (+10% / +20% / +30% / +40% / +50%)	2 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 Titan Blood (Total: 16)

Aspect of Hera

The third aspect of the Bow allows to load in the next attack, releasing it on impact. Like Beowulf, this allows for massive burst damage, but the does lodge into enemies, keeping a delay between loaded attacks. The Aspect of Hera does not modify the cast boons, but it reduces the drop time of the lodged in enemies, from 10 to 5 seconds when fully upgraded.

Aspect	Description	Upgrade	Cost	Appearance
Aspect of Hera	Your Cast loads into your next Attack, firing on impact. None dared approach the queen of the gods, a reputation she cultivated.	Ammo Drop Time (10s / 8s / 6.67s / 6.15s / 5s)	2 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 (Total: 16 )

Aspect of Beowulf

The hidden aspect of Aegis allows the player to load into the Attack, releasing all the casts loaded in an area of damage burst at the end of a Dragon Rush. (Dragon rush is Beowulf's modified Bull Rush). The cannot lodge itself in enemies and falls instantly, greatly reducing the delay to reuse it. Using the Aspect of Beowulf modifies all casts, including the base cast, into flare attacks which have similar damage to their shot equivalent, but work differently to put more emphasis on AOE damage. Zeus' chain-lightning becomes a lightning bolt, and Demeter's Crystal beam is replaced by AOE chilling damage.

Aspect	Description	Upgrade	Cost	Appearance
Aspect of Beowulf	You have Naegling's Board** but take +10% damage Would that the stalwart warrior-king's sword offered similar protection.	Dragon Rush Bonus Damage & Area (+20% / +40% / +60% / +80% / +100%)	3 / 3 / 3 / 3 / 3 (Total: 15 )

Boon	Description	Rarity	Notes	Prerequisites
Thunder Flare	Your Cast causes a lightning bolt to strike nearby foes.	Common: Cast Damage: 60 Rare: Cast Damage: 72 Epic: Cast Damage: 84 Heroic: Cast Damage: 96	Tier 1	Unique to Aspect of Beowulf
Flood Flare	Your Cast damages foes around you and knocks them away.	Common: Cast Damage: 60 Rare: Cast Damage: 72 Epic: Cast Damage: 84 Heroic: Cast Damage: 96	Tier 1	Unique to Aspect of Beowulf
Hunter's Flare	Your Cast damages foes around you, with a 10% Critical chance.	Common: Cast Damage: 55 Rare: Cast Damage: 63 Epic: Cast Damage: 71 Heroic: Cast Damage: 79	Tier 1	Unique to Aspect of Beowulf
Phalanx Flare	Your Cast damages foes around you, and can Deflect.	Common: Cast Damage: 80 Rare: Cast Damage: 90 Epic: Cast Damage: 100 Heroic: Cast Damage: 110	Tier 1	Unique to Aspect of Beowulf
Passion Flare	Your Cast damages foes around you and inflicts Weak.	Common: Cast Damage: 80 Rare: Cast Damage: 96 Epic: Cast Damage: 112 Heroic: Cast Damage: 128	Tier 1	Unique to Aspect of Beowulf
Trippy Flare	Your Cast damages foes around you, leaving behind Festive Fog.	Common: Blast Damage: 120 Rare: Blast Damage: 144 Epic: Blast Damage: 168 Heroic: Blast Damage: 192	Tier 1	Unique to Aspect of Beowulf
Icy Flare	Your Cast damages foes around you and inflicts Chill.	Common: Cast Damage: 70 Rare: Cast Damage: 80 Epic: Cast Damage: 90 Heroic: Cast Damage: 100	Tier 1	Unique to Aspect of Beowulf
Slicing Flare	Your Cast sends a large Blade Rift hurling ahead for a brief time.	Common: Rift Damage per Hit: 30 Rare: Rift Damage per Hit: 36 Epic: Rift Damage per Hit: 42 Heroic: Rift Damage per Hit: 46	Tier 1	Unique to Aspect of Beowulf