Many of Hades 2' s more interesting characters are completely new additions to the sequel. In the original Hades, players would often encounter helpful shades that were stuck in various parts of the underworld. These characters - often classic figures from Greek mythology - would offer special boons that were unavailable anywhere else. Hades 2 brings this mechanic back in a big way, with far more characters and opportunities to encounter them.

Icarus is one such character, and instead of offering the typical boons, he offers Inventions. Icarus is famous – or infamous – for flying too close to the sun with wings made of wax. This did not end well for Icarus. In Hades 2, it would appear that his engineering skills have vastly improved. Found in the Rift of Thessaly on the surface, Icarus is announced by the 'Death From Above' title card. Like Artemis' hunt, Icarus will help Melinoë during the encounter, before offering an Invention at the end. This guide will explore the entire list, and rank the best boons from Icarus in Hades 2.

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Hades 2 is currently in Early Access. This means that most aspects of the game are subject to changes leading up to the official 1.0 launch. Should any changes be made to Icarus' boons, this guide will be updated accordingly.

7 Ingenious Flourish

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  • Ingenious Flourish

    • After you enter a location, Prime 40 Magick to give your Specials +20 Power.

  • First, the chances of Melinoë not having a boon affecting her Special attack by the time you reach Icarus, seem low. If the 'Death From Above' notice does appear before receiving a Special boon, players should still consider avoiding Ingenious Flourish. There are far better options that will still be available, especially if the Icarus encounter occurs early in the Rift of Thessaly.
  • The cherry on top is that it is very rarely worth sacrificing. 40 Max Magick for a base increase in Power. If you have a huge amount of Magick, there are some boons that may justify it, but this isn't it.

6 Ingenious Strike

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  • Ingenious Strike

    • After you enter a location, Prime 20 Magick to give your Attacks +10 Power.

  • The same reasons that Ingenious Flourish is in the last spot also apply here. There are far better Attack boons, and players will likely already have one by the time they reach Icarus. It is absolutely not worth sacrificing any attack boon for this. The Prime cost is not as bad, so that issue is not as much of a problem here. Still, there are other boons offered by Icarus that will not take up such a vitally important slot.
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5 Explosive Intent

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  • Explosive Intent

    • Your Ω Moves also deal 50 damage in an area around foes they hit, but cost +10 Magick.

  • Explosive Intent is the first of several helpful Inventions from Icarus. It is only because it adds the extra Magick cost that it sits this low on the list. Some players may like this boon more than Hazard Boom, which has the potential to damage Melinoë. This is the reason that these two inventions are back to back on the list. Ten extra Magick is not that much, especially for a boon that increases the utility of all Omega moves. It is worth trying Explosive Intent and Hazard Boom to see which boon you prefer.

4 Hazard Boom

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  • Hazard Boom

    • Your Casts also blast the area after 4 seconds, dealing 500 damage to foes, but also 20 to you.

  • Some players may shy away from Hazard Boom because they think the 20 damage to Melinoë is unavoidable. The description can be slightly confusing, given that it doesn't state that the damage is only applied if you are within the blast. With 4 seconds to get outside the ring, the risk is well worth the massive damage this boon will add to any cast , not just Omega casts. This boon can definitely destroy the large groups that attack in the close quarters of the Rift of Thessaly. This is definitely the best offensive boon Icarus has on offer.

3 Supply Chain

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  • Supply Chain

    • Each time you clear 5 encounters, gain +10 healing and 3 Pom Slices.

  • If Hades 2 was not currently in Early Access, it's entirely possible that it would top the list. Because Eris is found at the end of the Rift of Thessaly, effectively ending the surface run, players will likely only get one use of this boon per run. Still, even without the healing, getting 3 Pom Slices every 5 encounters allows you to massively upgrade your boons. Though Pom Slices choose which boons to upgrade at random, there is no denying the power of this Invention. It will only become more powerful as Hades 2 continues to develop the surface regions.

2 Protective Coating

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  • Protective Coating

    • Gain +80 Armor. The next time you lose all your Armor, become impervious for 8 seconds.

  • Protective Coating and Destructive Coating are essentially equally capable of topping this list. It all depends on how far you are able to make it into the Rift of Thessaly. If you are struggling to reach Eris, then Protective Coating will be the better choice, as it offers more Armor, and has a bonus at the end that will help you clear a large group of enemies quickly if you are trapped. Becoming impervious for 8 seconds will be more useful on the ships than it will be against Eris. Ultimately, despite the fact that they are both powerful, Destructive Coating will help more with Eris if you are able to make it through the Rift of Thessaly with ease.

1 Destructive Coating

H2-Icarus-Boons-Destructive

  • Destructive Coating

    • Gain +40 Armor. The next time you lose all your Armor, deal 4000 damage to nearby foes.

  • Destructive Coating tops this list for the simple reason that it can be a huge help in the fight with Eris, especially if you have been reaching her with ease, but are unable to finish the fight. Some players may argue that having less Armor makes it too difficult to reach Eris with the 4000 damage still available. These players are right, and should probably stick with Protective Coating. But the players who are either looking for help finishing Eris for the first time, or simply want to cut some time off the fight, will find Destructive Coating the most helpful.
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Hades 2
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Released
September 25, 2025
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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Developer(s)
Supergiant Games
Publisher(s)
Supergiant Games
Franchise
Hades
Genre(s)
Action, Roguelite, Hack and Slash, RPG
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