Part 30

Unleash the Adamant Rail's power in Hades! Learn the best aspects, boons, and upgrades for the Exagryph weapon to dominate your escape attempts.

Alright, let’s talk about the Adamant Rail, also known as the Exagryph. This gun is a bit of a unique beast, and honestly, it can feel a little clunky at first. Its main Attack is a rapid-fire projectile stream that eats through ammo, and the Special is a lobbed grenade. The trick with the Rail is figuring out how to make these two work together, or leaning hard into one of them with the right Aspect and boons.

You’ll want to steer clear of two specific upgrades for any Aspect of the Rail: Rocket Bomb and Spread Fire. Rocket Bomb just gives you another straight-ahead shot, which doesn’t add much when you already have that with your Attack. Spread Fire messes with your Attack’s range, fire rate, and ammo for an area-of-effect that your Special can already do better. Trust me, save those upgrade slots for something more impactful.

Exagryph – Aspects

Aspect of Zagreus

This is your starting point for the Adamant Rail. The main draw here is the increased ammo capacity, pushing it up to 24 shots at max level. The idea is to make your Attack the star of the show. To really make this work, you're going to want boons that boost your projectiles, specifically Lightning Strike. Forget about status effects or stacking boons, because their effects get capped too quickly with all those shots. Percentage-based damage boons from Artemis, Athena, or Poseidon aren't super effective either, since each individual bullet hits like a wet noodle. And Ares' Doom? Well, it's Doom.

The real magic happens when you combine Aspect of Zagreus with Lightning Strike. Imagine unloading a full clip of 24 bullets, and each one zaps out a chain lightning bolt that bounces between enemies. If you get the Flurry Fire upgrade (faster firing, better accuracy, +6 ammo) and the Storm Lightning boon (more chain lightning bounces), you're looking at some serious screen-clearing potential. And if you're lucky enough to snag Splitting Bolt, which adds another bolt to all lightning effects for a hefty 40 damage, get ready for some alarmingly quick carnage!

However, this build isn't without its downsides. Your Attack doesn't stagger enemies, and you're stuck in place while firing. This makes it tough to dodge incoming attacks, especially when the screen is filled with bright lightning bolts. It’s a bit of a glass cannon setup, really. The Explosive Fire upgrade can help a little by adding some splash damage, but you'll still be vulnerable to groups of enemies and armored foes. So, while it’s a decent intro to the Rail, this Aspect is best suited for those early, low-heat runs where you can afford to be a little less defensive.