Build for 32 fear

[Fash Falath]

I tried a Zeus build centered around his cast (when lightning bolts were shot faster than they are now) for the underground and completely obliterated 32 fear. I think I killed Chronos in 20 seconds...
But it just doesn't make it for the surface, which is both nice that there is a hard path in the game, but also frustrating.

Any suggestion for the surface? I can't find any combination that works.

Also, which fear do you lock in? At first, I thought that mobs from the next tier was a better idea than perks, but now I doubt it. Rocket launchers and death robots are fine on the summit because there is plenty of place. But the ships are quite smaller and they get me everytime

[Crow Buddy]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybxnh8cb6WE

This may give you some inspiration and ideas for a 32 fear build. Pan knives are a ton of fun to use in general.

Ranged attacks in general are much safer than melee, especially while learning.
You can see how easily he handles the surface minions once the build comes online, and safely engages bosses without getting in their face too much.

The Black Coat is another solid option, or the skulls.

Skip to 00:30 seconds into the beginning of video to see his Vows:

He's really avoiding +enemy HP and +hordes (additional foes). And Return, the Vow where they turn into little green spirits and can resurrect.

He runs the timer Vow all the way maxed out. I personally think that's too much for a new person trying their first 32 fear clear. I guess this one is highly variable on the player and their style.

I'd say 1/2 points tops in the Time Vow for your very first clear. That's a lot of additional mental pressure when you're already trying to adjust to a harder Surface.

Avoid putting Vow points in +Hordes, maybe 1 point tops. That's definitely the most annoying in my experience, and adds immense difficulty.

Hecuba is very good for mana regen and keeping Mel's mana pool healthy while running the rank II Hubris Vows. The Silver Wheel keepsake is also excellent here.

[Pixel]

I feel like best weapons in general is either pan daggers or moros torches. Both are insane damage dealers and can fight from a decent range. But I think you can make things work with a cast build, I just can't say from experience.

As for fears:
2 on time, you can go for 3 if you're confident but you may run into issues if you pick wards/hordes/grit
Forfeit, typically fine since you get a lot more boons on the surface anyways
2 on hubris
2 on debt
2 on menace, as much as I'm not a fan of it on surface it's probably the best return on fear. You can sub it out for some pain/wards/hordes, but this is entirely dependant on your build
Denial, just pay attention to what you pick unlike I do
Shadows
2 on fangs
2 on frenzy
2 on scars
This gives you 30 fear and you can add 2 from pain/wards/hordes/maaaaybe return but I don't like that one. If you do 3 on time you should be able to take one off of scars for additional help and not take addditional vows. Again tho, that's up to you.

[Fire walk with me]

Zeus has a great kit and while his cast is good I wouldn't focus a run around that per se. A high rarity attack or special along with static shock and air quality can do a lot of heavy lifting.

Take your time with it and build consistency. You want to find the place where you are winning a run no matter the rng again and again. Maybe losing one run out of ten. If that means practicing at zero fear then so be it. The first thing I really focused on was running 40% frenzy which gives a solid number of levels. Once you adapt to that you can start adding in others. Honestly the 5:00 timer sounds very daunting, but frenzy actually makes this easier to accomplish and max frenzy along with max timer add almost a third of your total required fear alone. After that start adding in others slowly. Increased cost is easy, and 2 scars gets easier the better you get. I personally avoid forfeit at all cost. Hubris and denial can be annoying, but if you focus on a manaless build hubris loses a lot of teeth. Practice makes perfect. Experiment. See what works for you and adapt accordingly. Good luck.

[EgoSonic]

For me, easiest 32 surface is Moros Torches with Hera's attack, gain and fine line.
You can reset seed if you need it for Dem for cast (big safety) and Plentiful Forage for health pickups now that resources are everywhere, Zeus special (big damage) or Heph for safety (Mint, Trusty, UNCANNY FORTITUDE with strength = a lot of health for magick focused build).

Take Hecuba.

Hera should be on at least one door in Ephyra (with her keepsake you can get attack / gain in first chamber, whatever in the second), take it, roll for Hera again and dig for Fine Line
After you have these three you can go for whatever else, if any of the 3 mentioned before are there go for them, extra Magick is also a good option (after Fine you'll burn a lot of magick).

Poly shouldn't be an issue with Moros / Fine Line combo, attack from mid-range so you're mostly out of melee and have easier time to dash through quakes.

Athena keepsake for Rift, she's up in the second encounter, dig for Righteous Pike.
I usually keep 3 total rolls for her, so you can re-roll her twice, didn't have too much issue with it but if you don't get Righteous Pikes you can opt for a reset or try to move forward.
It's still very doable without her but Hitch + Righteous Pike explodes everything.

If you didn't get Dem or Heph in Ephyra, force them in Olympus via keepsakes, I prioritize Uncanny or Mint then Trusty (it's basically a one-block per chamber so it's less relevant for me)
Uncanny (especially high rarity) can add a ton of health right away by this point.
Mint is very good for the Summit where the chambers are tiny, even at common you can burst down every chamber before expiration except the mini-bosses.

Summit keepsakes depend on amount of magick I have, I take either Silver Wheel for extra magick (and 20-50 hp with Uncanny) to make sure I don't prime out at Typhon (and I'm usually nowhere near regardless) or Metallic Droplet for channel speed (don't know if Pikes have internal cooldown, it doesn't seem like it so more magick spent equals a lot more damage).

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Throughout the run I don't prioritize poms at all and only take them when given a choice between them or Hex (which you can take if you want specific utility but it's usually DPS loss), only blitz if you have it or Fine Line scale well with them but the major damage dealer will be Moros explosions and Pikes, which do not. (though 1-2 poms on Fine Line is great)

Hermes I go for Racing Thoughts / Travel Deal (better earlier than later) and boon additions in shops.

If you get 6 water you can aim for Dem's Frosty Veneer, you can reach 400-500 hp with this set up so you'll be able to just stand under Typhon's chin and tank everything.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

My fear setup is timer at 5, frenzy at 40%, shadows, full menace, full fangs, full hubris (which is why magick pumping is important), 1 scars, full debt, full grit and full wards (they're just two added hits on enemies, with Dem's cast and Hitch it's negligible).

You can swap 3 worth of fear for Forfeit, as in surface it only affects the first chamber anyway, which an easy one and in the rest of the biomes boons aren't as important.
You'll get Hera on the second chamber.

I try to avoid denial due to needing several boons from both Hera and Heph

[Fash Falath]

Originally posted by Fire walk with me:

Zeus has a great kit and while his cast is good I wouldn't focus a run around that per se. A high rarity attack or special along with static shock and air quality can do a lot of heavy lifting.

Take your time with it and build consistency. You want to find the place where you are winning a run no matter the rng again and again. Maybe losing one run out of ten. If that means practicing at zero fear then so be it. The first thing I really focused on was running 40% frenzy which gives a solid number of levels. Once you adapt to that you can start adding in others. Honestly the 5:00 timer sounds very daunting, but frenzy actually makes this easier to accomplish and max frenzy along with max timer add almost a third of your total required fear alone. After that start adding in others slowly. Increased cost is easy, and 2 scars gets easier the better you get. I personally avoid forfeit at all cost. Hubris and denial can be annoying, but if you focus on a manaless build hubris loses a lot of teeth. Practice makes perfect. Experiment. See what works for you and adapt accordingly. Good luck.

I'll try using double frenzy and timer without anything else and see if I can manage it. Without fear, I can have "no build" (i.e., take whatever without synergies) and succeed everytime with all weapons.

[Fash Falath]

Originally posted by Crow Buddy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybxnh8cb6WE

This may give you some inspiration and ideas for a 32 fear build. Pan knives are a ton of fun to use in general.

Ranged attacks in general are much safer than melee, especially while learning.
You can see how easily he handles the surface minions once the build comes online, and safely engages bosses without getting in their face too much.

The Black Coat is another solid option, or the skulls.

Skip to 00:30 seconds into the beginning of video to see his Vows:

He's really avoiding +enemy HP and +hordes (additional foes). And Return, the Vow where they turn into little green spirits and can resurrect.

He runs the timer Vow all the way maxed out. I personally think that's too much for a new person trying their first 32 fear clear. I guess this one is highly variable on the player and their style.

I'd say 1/2 points tops in the Time Vow for your very first clear. That's a lot of additional mental pressure when you're already trying to adjust to a harder Surface.

Avoid putting Vow points in +Hordes, maybe 1 point tops. That's definitely the most annoying in my experience, and adds immense difficulty.

Hecuba is very good for mana regen and keeping Mel's mana pool healthy while running the rank II Hubris Vows. The Silver Wheel keepsake is also excellent here.

I'll try with Hecuba. I've only really used Frinos on 32 fear...
I also usually try with melee. I like Pan's weapon, but I hate the torches. This a big difference for me between Hades 1 and Hades 2; I used to play almost only with ranged weapons and now I much prefer the melee ones...
I'll look at that vid for inspiration

[Fash Falath]

Originally posted by EgoSonic:

For me, easiest 32 surface is Moros Torches with Hera's attack, gain and fine line.
You can reset seed if you need it for Dem for cast (big safety) and Plentiful Forage for health pickups now that resources are everywhere, Zeus special (big damage) or Heph for safety (Mint, Trusty, UNCANNY FORTITUDE with strength = a lot of health for magick focused build).

Take Hecuba.

Hera should be on at least one door in Ephyra (with her keepsake you can get attack / gain in first chamber, whatever in the second), take it, roll for Hera again and dig for Fine Line
After you have these three you can go for whatever else, if any of the 3 mentioned before are there go for them, extra Magick is also a good option (after Fine you'll burn a lot of magick).

Poly shouldn't be an issue with Moros / Fine Line combo, attack from mid-range so you're mostly out of melee and have easier time to dash through quakes.

Athena keepsake for Rift, she's up in the second encounter, dig for Righteous Pike.
I usually keep 3 total rolls for her, so you can re-roll her twice, didn't have too much issue with it but if you don't get Righteous Pikes you can opt for a reset or try to move forward.
It's still very doable without her but Hitch + Righteous Pike explodes everything.

If you didn't get Dem or Heph in Ephyra, force them in Olympus via keepsakes, I prioritize Uncanny or Mint then Trusty (it's basically a one-block per chamber so it's less relevant for me)
Uncanny (especially high rarity) can add a ton of health right away by this point.
Mint is very good for the Summit where the chambers are tiny, even at common you can burst down every chamber before expiration except the mini-bosses.

Summit keepsakes depend on amount of magick I have, I take either Silver Wheel for extra magick (and 20-50 hp with Uncanny) to make sure I don't prime out at Typhon (and I'm usually nowhere near regardless) or Metallic Droplet for channel speed (don't know if Pikes have internal cooldown, it doesn't seem like it so more magick spent equals a lot more damage).

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Throughout the run I don't prioritize poms at all and only take them when given a choice between them or Hex (which you can take if you want specific utility but it's usually DPS loss), only blitz if you have it or Fine Line scale well with them but the major damage dealer will be Moros explosions and Pikes, which do not. (though 1-2 poms on Fine Line is great)

Hermes I go for Racing Thoughts / Travel Deal (better earlier than later) and boon additions in shops.

If you get 6 water you can aim for Dem's Frosty Veneer, you can reach 400-500 hp with this set up so you'll be able to just stand under Typhon's chin and tank everything.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

My fear setup is timer at 5, frenzy at 40%, shadows, full menace, full fangs, full hubris (which is why magick pumping is important), 1 scars, full debt, full grit and full wards (they're just two added hits on enemies, with Dem's cast and Hitch it's negligible).

You can swap 3 worth of fear for Forfeit, as in surface it only affects the first chamber anyway, which an easy one and in the rest of the biomes boons aren't as important.
You'll get Hera on the second chamber.

I try to avoid denial due to needing several boons from both Hera and Heph

Quick question for fine line. As soon as the fine line triggers, you stop the omega attack and start again to recast the fracture line asap?

[EgoSonic]

Originally posted by Fash Falath:

Originally posted by EgoSonic:

For me, easiest 32 surface is Moros Torches with Hera's attack, gain and fine line.
You can reset seed if you need it for Dem for cast (big safety) and Plentiful Forage for health pickups now that resources are everywhere, Zeus special (big damage) or Heph for safety (Mint, Trusty, UNCANNY FORTITUDE with strength = a lot of health for magick focused build).

Take Hecuba.

Hera should be on at least one door in Ephyra (with her keepsake you can get attack / gain in first chamber, whatever in the second), take it, roll for Hera again and dig for Fine Line
After you have these three you can go for whatever else, if any of the 3 mentioned before are there go for them, extra Magick is also a good option (after Fine you'll burn a lot of magick).

Poly shouldn't be an issue with Moros / Fine Line combo, attack from mid-range so you're mostly out of melee and have easier time to dash through quakes.

Athena keepsake for Rift, she's up in the second encounter, dig for Righteous Pike.
I usually keep 3 total rolls for her, so you can re-roll her twice, didn't have too much issue with it but if you don't get Righteous Pikes you can opt for a reset or try to move forward.
It's still very doable without her but Hitch + Righteous Pike explodes everything.

If you didn't get Dem or Heph in Ephyra, force them in Olympus via keepsakes, I prioritize Uncanny or Mint then Trusty (it's basically a one-block per chamber so it's less relevant for me)
Uncanny (especially high rarity) can add a ton of health right away by this point.
Mint is very good for the Summit where the chambers are tiny, even at common you can burst down every chamber before expiration except the mini-bosses.

Summit keepsakes depend on amount of magick I have, I take either Silver Wheel for extra magick (and 20-50 hp with Uncanny) to make sure I don't prime out at Typhon (and I'm usually nowhere near regardless) or Metallic Droplet for channel speed (don't know if Pikes have internal cooldown, it doesn't seem like it so more magick spent equals a lot more damage).

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Throughout the run I don't prioritize poms at all and only take them when given a choice between them or Hex (which you can take if you want specific utility but it's usually DPS loss), only blitz if you have it or Fine Line scale well with them but the major damage dealer will be Moros explosions and Pikes, which do not. (though 1-2 poms on Fine Line is great)

Hermes I go for Racing Thoughts / Travel Deal (better earlier than later) and boon additions in shops.

If you get 6 water you can aim for Dem's Frosty Veneer, you can reach 400-500 hp with this set up so you'll be able to just stand under Typhon's chin and tank everything.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

My fear setup is timer at 5, frenzy at 40%, shadows, full menace, full fangs, full hubris (which is why magick pumping is important), 1 scars, full debt, full grit and full wards (they're just two added hits on enemies, with Dem's cast and Hitch it's negligible).

You can swap 3 worth of fear for Forfeit, as in surface it only affects the first chamber anyway, which an easy one and in the rest of the biomes boons aren't as important.
You'll get Hera on the second chamber.

I try to avoid denial due to needing several boons from both Hera and Heph

Quick question for fine line. As soon as the fine line triggers, you stop the omega attack and start again to recast the fracture line asap?

The entire point of the build is to put everything on Omega Attack spam.
So each Omega individually will trigger a Fine Line which is very good for damage output and also for magick burn.
You only need to stop channeling Omega attack every couple of seconds when the Omega Special runs out.
You can cast and dash while omega channeling the attack, that's also a plus!

Try playing around with it to get a feel for it, it's very easy imo.

[Fire walk with me]

I like to add my 2 cents to the Moros fine line, born gain build conversation cause I am not a purist about it, but agree it is very solid. I prefer cardio gain because it is technically unlimited regain and torches bar none work best with it due to fast attack speed.

My problem with born gain is it has a limit/cap per room. Most rooms this never comes up. However during at least one Typhon fight I procced fine line so fast so many times my mana tapped out at first egg wave and then I was SOL for my main dps vector for at least 50% of the fight.

[EgoSonic]

Originally posted by Fire walk with me:

I like to add my 2 cents to the Moros fine line, born gain build conversation cause I am not a purist about it, but agree it is very solid. I prefer cardio gain because it is technically unlimited regain and torches bar none work best with it due to fast attack speed.

My problem with born gain is it has a limit/cap per room. Most rooms this never comes up. However during at least one Typhon fight I procced fine line so fast so many times my mana tapped out at first egg wave and then I was SOL for my main dps vector for at least 50% of the fight.

Adding Hestia to the pool is way more of a downside than it's worth as she has nothing else of note to offer (other than perhaps controlled burn)
Plus, does cardio gain work with omegas? Given that only the first two or three attacks are regular before the channel, if it doesn't i don't see how it will work.
(not including the fact that when you add fine line your omega attack is 18 per channel which will not be negated by Cardio).

If it doesn't work than it's not even a discussion, born gain lets you burn through all your magick + priming without letting go of the attack button if you want.
Not channelling Omega Attack is a net dps loss with this build.

I specifically mentioned the high Magick needed and it's very easily obtainable on the surface to not prime out.

[Fire walk with me]

Originally posted by EgoSonic:

Originally posted by Fire walk with me:

I like to add my 2 cents to the Moros fine line, born gain build conversation cause I am not a purist about it, but agree it is very solid. I prefer cardio gain because it is technically unlimited regain and torches bar none work best with it due to fast attack speed.

My problem with born gain is it has a limit/cap per room. Most rooms this never comes up. However during at least one Typhon fight I procced fine line so fast so many times my mana tapped out at first egg wave and then I was SOL for my main dps vector for at least 50% of the fight.

Adding Hestia to the pool is way more of a downside than it's worth as she has nothing else of note to offer (other than perhaps controlled burn)
Plus, does cardio gain work with omegas? Given that only the first two or three attacks are regular before the channel, if it doesn't i don't see how it will work.
(not including the fact that when you add fine line your omega attack is 18 per channel which will not be negated by Cardio).

If it doesn't work than it's not even a discussion, born gain lets you burn through all your magick + priming without letting go of the attack button if you want.
Not channelling Omega Attack is a net dps loss with this build.

I specifically mentioned the high Magick needed and it's very easily obtainable on the surface to not prime out.

I mean, soot sprint basically makes Eris the easiest fight in game. That might be attractive to some folks.

I also just enjoy scorch as extra dps and assisting with proccing origination.

You are correct. Omegas do not proc and yes it does drop off in dps overall, but I enjoy the infinite sustainability vs the possibility of capping out and needing to take magic as a reward as often.

Imo they are both fine builds and perfectly reasonable I simply have my preference on this matter.

[Fash Falath]

I'm trying the build, but I'm having issues with the omega attack. At some point, it just stop moving. I'm still firing them but they don't move, they right up in my face. Is this normal or a bug?

[EgoSonic]

I'm not sure what you mean.

Moros play loop is throwing out omega special (which will spiral around you) and then sending out omega attacks that will be exploded by the special.
If you are at the point of omega attacks lingering, just omega special again to start exploding them again.

Refer to any youtube video to see how it's supoosed fo go.

Good luck to ya

[SerithBloodrain]

I just finished a 16 Fear Olympus Run after MANY fails, and figuring out exactly what setup I prefer. I feel rather confident that I could take 32 Fear, now having done extensive research on boons based on my playstyle, as well as my weapon setup. I'm going to take this same general setup to my 32 Fear Olympus Run and see how it fares...I'm curious, honestly. >)

(32 Fear research notes gathered from getting to Typhon at 16 Fear, as well as reading this thread will be added alongside the 16 Fear breakdown. I'm typing this out for myself just as much as I'd like to share this with you all...it's going to be an important reference for 32 Fear challenge. As well, I will update this as I think of more that I remember about this build, and/or notes on my 32 Fear research as I test this further.)

My 16 Fear Winning Setup

Summary: So, I beat Chronos using the philosophy of avoiding damage at all costs. It ended up working over time, and I just kept spanking Chronos at some point, cause all my boons were geared towards MAXIMUM damage output, or as much as the gods would let me have.

Typhon did not work the same for me, though...and I ended up deciding to go for a tank-type build, which ultimately paid off as it finally led to me beating him at 16 Fear. Both times I beat him I used a similar tanky build. What you are about to read is the overall setup and philosophy behind my boon preferences that got me the win, and will hopefully carry me to the 32 Fear Gold!

Arcana
-The Sorceress
-The Wayward Son
-The Moon
-The Furies
-Night
-Death
-The Centaur
-The Enchantress
-The Boatman
-The Artificer
-Excellence
-The Queen
-The Fates
-The Champions
-Divinity

Weapon: Xinth, Aspect Of Melinoe

Pet: Hecuba (UPDATE: I'm now using Toula for more Death Defiance, as well as a different Arcana set. I will give the updated Arcana set ASAP. Busy still pushing my 32 Olympus/Typhon Run.)

Starting Keepsake: Ares

Highest Priority Boons (Obtained before Rift of Thessaly)
Ares
-Blood Spree

Demeter
-Steady Growth

First Ares Boon I tend to pick his Dash if it is available. I DO NOT use Rarify here. I enter Ephyra, and seek the second Ares Boon ASAP. Goal is Blood Spree, and rarify it. I use as many Fate dice as it takes to get it. If for some reason I DO NOT get it, I restart the night, and try again. Yes, I do this all for one specific boon. Yes, in my honest opinion, if you're not a perfect acrobatic master of dodging attacks and/or you wanna be the female goddess death version of Rambo to some degree, then Blood Spree is almost mandatory. Almost. At least in my setup, it absolutely is, as it has gotten me to finally beat Typhon, after getting to Olympus many times before finally realizing a formula that I think people can get some juice from...

(32 Fear Note: I'm running Vow of Forfeit, so my first boon ends up being an onion. This being the case, I make sure that the Ares boon I pick up is at least the SECOND overall boon in my run. I'll get Hermes or another high priority boon first to make sure Ares is second...unless the room before Ephyra gives me a boon before entering the city. I've noticed the RNG calculations on Fate dice rolls for first boon Ares almost NEVER yield Blood Spree, no matter how many rolls. I have gotten Blood Spree ONCE on first boon throughout all the times I've attempted to re-roll for it, and that was early on in my realization that Blood Spree is in my top 5 boons of all time.)

Long Story Short: Wait until second overall boon to pick up Ares. First boon has an incredibly high chance of NOT giving you Blood Spree. You might have a chance at Blood Spree without even rolling for it. It's happened to me about 45% of the time.

Steady Growth is ALMOST mandatory, depending on the rarity I can get Blood Spree at. As long as I get Steady Growth before Rift of Thessaly, I feel pretty golden. If for some reason I cannot get it before Rift of Thessaly, The Sheaf becomes my second Keepsake to increase my chances of finding it. This boon is so powerful it is worth having in most builds.

Once I have my core two Boons that will carry me, I then jump to my preferred boons/hexs/daedelus hammers as they appear, rolling only when I feel like I could get closer to what I'm actually looking for.

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Before getting to my boon priorities after Blood Spree and Steady Growth, here is my Death Defiance protocol on my Olympus run:

-Always have 336+ in the bank for +1 death defiance insurance policy from Hermes booths
-If you lose a death defiance before Rift Of Thessaly, you lost too many death defiance. Start over. Polyphemus does NOT get to take a death defiance from you. It is not allowed.
-If you lose a death defiance during Rift Of Thessaly, keep going. If you lose two, keep going anyway, but you're probably not going to make it.
-If you make it to Strife with at least one death defiance, and keep it, you might still make it. (I HOPE YOU REMEMBERED YOUR DEATH DEFIANCE INSURANCE POLICY. Also Athena Keepsake might help here.)
-Ideally, you want all your death defiance (OF COURSE?!) The minimum accepted death defiance to fight Typhon is 2, but 1 death defiance can work if you have Frosty Veneer and/or Uncanny Fortitude along with a buttload of Centaur Hearts.
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I will prioritize HIGH PRIORITY tank boons over damage boons if they are presented. The goal is to be nearly unkillable, or as much as possible.

NOTICE FOR ALL PLAYERS OF ANY FEAR LEVEL: Try Vow of Hubris IMMEDIATELY. It's supposed to HINDER you...but honestly this is a secret trick to having even more honed-in custom tailored builds to your liking. You might find this Vow to actually help much more than hurt if you already know what kind of build you want to play, as the elimination of other boons narrows down your choices to more of what you're looking for overall. Give it a show regardless of your Fear level, and see if it does for you what it's doing for me. :D

Attack: Demeter preferred. Runner-ups include Poseidon, Apollo, Aphrodite, Zeus, or Hephaestus. Demeter was my winning attack boon for 16 Fear.

Special: Demeter, Hera, or Hephaestus preferred. Runner-ups include Aphrodite, Zeus, Poseidon, Apollo, Hestia. (Note: I won the actual 16 Fear run with Aphrodite Special.)

Cast: Aphrodite or Demeter preferred. Runner-ups include Poseidon, Ares, Hestia, or Zeus. Hephaestus also works, but only damage without additional effects...but you take what is given if it works. (Funny enough, Apollo didn't make this list, but his Cast is what I ended up using for my winning 16 Fear run...ironically. I still don't recommend it if you can get Light Smite instead for Daze effect, and save cast for better options.)

Dash: Ares/Aphrodite for good mana free damage/crowd control, or Apollo for increased speed and Daze. Runner-Ups include Poseidon, Hera, or Zeus. My personal favorite is Ares, tho.

Gain: Hephaestus, almost mandatory for tank build. Good runner-up is Aphrodite

Hermes (I usually prioritize Quick Buck and Travel Deal to buy up as many boons and upgrades as possible. The other boons are if those aren't available as options.)
-Quick Buck
-Travel Deal
-Racing Thoughts
-Nimble Limbs
-Stutter Step
-Success Rate (If I have any chance boons like Wispy Wiles, or Blood Drop boons from Ares, this one comes in clutch.)
-Tall Order (only if I am close to the prerequisite elements)
-Hermes Death Defiance (situational, but I'd most likely take this if it comes up for Typhon at 32 Fear. I need all the tankiness I can get.)

Ares
-Any Blood Drop boons (berserker rage and speed, even better if Aphrodite duo boon comes up later for converting Blood Drops to Heartthrobs)

Poseidon
-High Surf (Auto stun and damage nearby enemies as they attack? YES PLEASE)
-Minor Bounty (Hermes pt.2!!)
-Attack or Cast (Poseidon Cast is unexpected BOSS. Instant high damage plus knockback is nothing to scoff at)

Demeter
-Frosty Veneer (HIGH PRIORITY, requires 4 Water)
-Any Attack/Special/Cast (FREEZE IS GOOD)
-Winter Harvest (10% less damage you have to deal to any minion with freeze, including CHRONOS and TYPHON?! Oh hell yesssss. Cold Storage, Steady Growth, and an Attack/Special/Cast to get the offer.)
-Arctic Gale

Apollo
-Self Healing (HIGH PRIORITY if possible)
-Light Smite (Revenge Damage)

Aphrodite
-Wispy Wiles (if you have enough air element for 10% or more dodge chance, its worth it. Don't take it if the dodge chance is too low.)

Hephaestus
-Trusty Shield (HIGH PRIORITY)
-Uncanny Fortitude (HIGH PRIORITY, take over Trusty Shield in most cases)
-Heavy Metal (only if there are no better tank boons to choose from)
-Martial Art (Damage bonus)

Zeus
-Static Shock (Crowd Control)
-Divine Vengeance (Revenge Damage)
-Cast Launch

Hera
-Extended Family: Great overall damage bonus
-All Together (I just read about the boon right now, and am going to be trying out Hera as a keepsake as a later part of this strategy...very intriguing).

Hestia
-Slow Cooker (Damage Bonus)
-Cast Launch

Athena
-Refilling Death Defiance (HIGH PRIORITY)
-If not her refilling death defiance, then one of her Deflect boons

Dionysus
If you're like me, DO NOT GET DON'T WORRY. I lost to Typhon at 16 Fear before finally winning picking this cause I freaked the hell out not being able to see my health bar, and tanky builds need that kind of information to make tactical decisions. I would love to see someone actually beat 32 Fear while playing with Don't Worry though...that would be something of a spectacle.

My favorite by him is Bounce Back, which was also part of my winning 16 Fear setup. :D

Selene
-Moon Water (more health, can get you more funds, can also become a weapon with instant Q cast fire)
-Dark Side (Brief immortality)
-Wolf Howl (brief time slow + dodge, can be upgraded for split-second impervious)
-Phase Shift (time-slow)

Daedelus Hammer (Any of these to me are excellent, depends on what Attack/Special boons that I already have. Rapid Frame gives higher health regen with Blood Spree, so something to consider.)
-Sudden Salvo
-Furious Rockets
-Reaper Frame
-Siege Frame
-Rapid Frame

I will update this with more information as I think of things I learned and experienced on my 32 Darkness Run. Let's see what happens thus far!!!!

Future FAQ:

Why no Sprint boons?
-Because Aspect of Melinoe covers this, and frees up headroom to select for boons with other needed utility. This might change in the 32 Fear run tho.

Update: I beat Chronos at 32 Fear. Typhon is next. Reading my guide as a reference as I type this, haha.

[Crow Buddy]

Originally posted by SerithBloodrain:

Update: I beat Chronos at 32 Fear. Typhon is next. Reading my guide as a reference as I type this, haha.

Congrats on beating Chronos at 32 fear, it's a good feeling. No doubt Typhon is next at 32F.