Strong runs commit early to one damage source and stack it, then add defence and utility around it. Here are reliable boon plans, weapon pairings and the meta-progression to back them up β plus how to start climbing Heat once you're escaping consistently.
Reliable damage plans
Defensive & utility core
- Athena Deflect on dash or attack turns projectile rooms and Elysium into a formality.
- Take at least one health source: Centaur Hearts, Fountains, or Poseidon/Aphrodite healing boons.
- Hermes boons (Rush, Greater Haste, Hyper Sprint) add speed, dodge and attack rate to any build.
- Keep a Death Defiance banked for each boss; the Stubborn Defiance Mirror talent restores one per biome.
Progression priorities
- Mirror: buy Death Defiance (all ranks) and Shadow Presence first, then Greater Reflex (extra dash).
- Keepsakes: Old Spiked Collar early for survival; god keepsakes to fish for a specific god's boon in chamber one.
- Titan Blood: focus one Aspect you enjoy rather than spreading it thin across weapons.
- Heat: raise the Pact gradually β Extreme Measures 1 and Convenience Fee are gentle first picks for better rewards.
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