Hades

## Overview

*Zagreus, son of the reclusive god of the underworld, doggedly tries to break free from his father's realm time and again. While he is all alone, his companions and family on Mount Olympus send him their aid in the form of boons and other gifts. After stepping through a strange portal, Zag finds himself in the realm of Smash Up! And despite the fact that he is, once again, all alone, the gods support him through actions he can equip to bolster his strength and overcome the likes of Zombies, Dinosaurs, and even those other Greeks. He's a resilient lad, and whether victorious or defeated he shrugs off death and jumps right back into the fray. Fear is for the weak!*

Hades' lone minion, Zagreus, breaks bases after being powered up by boons from the Olympian and Chthonic gods.

### Details

#### General

* Name: Hades
* Author: AndIQuote
* Complexity: 3/5
* Version: 6
* Last updated: May 15, 2023

#### Mechanics

* +1 Power Counters
* Minion modifiers

## Cards

    Download full-sized cards in .png format here!

#### Breakdown

Hades has only 1 minion and 19 actions. While their total base minion power is 3, most of their actions add power, and Zagreus gains power from having actions played on him. They also feature an optional titan that makes it easier to keep Zagreus in play consistently.
Among their actions, there are:

* 12 play-on-minion actions: Bloodstone, Cosmic Egg, Divine Protection, Festive Fog, Frozen Touch, Greatest Reflex, Hydraulic Might, Lucky Tooth, Static Discharge, Support Fire, Unhealthy Fixation, Urge to Kill
* 1 play-on-base action: Pool of Purging
* 6 standard actions (2 that affect one or more minions, **in bold**): Charon's Bargain, Chthonic Companion, **Daedalus Hammer** **(2x)**, Extreme Measures, There Is No Escape
* 9 actions that directly increase a minion's power: Cosmic Egg, Daedalus Hammer (2x), Divine Protection, Frozen Touch, Hydraulic Might, Static Discharge, Support Fire, Urge to Kill

#### Minions

* **1x Zagreus (3):** Search your deck for an action that can be played on a minion and place it into your hand. Ongoing: This minion has +1 power for each action on it. After this minion goes to the discard pile from play, shuffle it into your deck.

#### Actions

* **1x Bloodstone:** Play on a minion. If it is another player's minion of 3 or less power, destroy it. Ongoing: If this minion is not Zagreus, it has -2 power. When this card goes to the discard pile from play, place it on the bottom of your deck.
* **1x Charon's Bargain:** Discard a card from your hand to play an action that can be played on a minion from your discard pile as an extra action.
* **1x Chthonic Companion:** Search your deck and/or discard pile for a minion of power 3 or less and place it into your hand. If that minion is Zagreus, you may play an extra action. You may shuffle this card into your deck.
* **1x Cosmic Egg:** Discard a card from your hand to play on your minion. Place a +1 power counter on it. Talent: Remove a +1 power counter from this minion to play an extra action OR discard a card to place a card from your discard pile on the bottom of your deck.
* **2x Daedalus Hammer:** Choose one of your minions with an action on it. You may place three +1 power counters on it, OR give it +2 power for each action on it until the end of the turn, OR destroy an action on it to play up to two extra actions.
* **1x Divine Protection:** Play on your minion. Place a +1 power counter on it. Ongoing: This minion and other actions on it are not affected by other players' cards.
* **1x Extreme Measures:** Reveal the bottom three cards of your deck. Draw any actions revealed; you may play one of them that can be played on a minion as an extra action. Shuffle the rest into your deck.
* **1x Festive Fog:** Play on your minion. You may move another player's minion to or from here. Talent: Choose a minion here. +1 power counters on it do not add to its power until the start of your next turn.
* **1x Frozen Touch:** Play on a minion and place a +1 power counter on a minion here. Ongoing: This minion cannot be moved or returned to its owner's hand by other players' cards. Talent: This minion has no abilities until the start of your next turn.
* **1x Greatest Reflex:** Play on your minion. Draw a card and play an extra action. Ongoing: At the start of your turn, you may move this minion to another base to draw a card.
* **1x Hydraulic Might:** Play on your minion. You may move it to another base. Talent: Place a +1 power counter on this minion. Ongoing: After this minion moves, place a +1 power counter on it.
* **1x Lucky Tooth:** Play on your minion. Talent: Destroy this action to return one of your actions on a minion to your hand. You must play it as an extra action. Ongoing: When this minion goes to the discard pile from play, return it to your hand.
* **1x Pool of Purging:** Play on a base. Talent: Place an action played on one of your minions here on the bottom of your deck to draw two cards.
* **1x Static Discharge:** Play on your minion. Place two +1 power counters on it. Talent: Remove any number of +1 power counters from this minion to reduce the breakpoint of this base by 2 per counter until the end of the turn.
* **1x Support Fire:** Play on your minion. Talent: Transfer any number of your actions on other minions to this minion OR give this minion +2 power until the end of the turn if you have played an action on it this turn.
* **1x There Is No Escape:** Shuffle up to three actions from your discard pile into your deck and draw a card OR search your deck for a minion of power 3 or less and draw it.
* **1x Unhealthy Fixation:** Play on your minion. Search your deck for a minion of power 3 or less and place it on top of your deck. Talent: Move a minion of power 3 or less here.
* **1x Urge to Kill:** Play on your minion. Destroy another minion here of power 3 or less. Ongoing: After each time another minion here is destroyed, place two +1 power counters on this minion.

#### Titan

* **Deus ex Machina:** Special: At the start of the game, you may shuffle one card from your hand into your deck to draw Zagreus. After Zagreus leaves play while this card is not in play, you may play this titan. Ongoing: After you play an action on your minion here, place a +1 power counter on it. Talent: Discard a card to search your deck for Zagreus and draw it.

#### Bases

* **(22) Tartarus (4 2 1):** Once per turn if you do not have a minion here, you may discard a card from your hand to reveal cards from the top of your deck until you reveal a minion of power 3 or less. Play it here as an extra minion.

* **(20) Elysium (2 1 0):** After another base scores, the winner may move one of their minions to here.

## Clarifications

* **Daedalus Hammer:** When using this card with Spirit of the Forest's Ongoing ability, you may choose two of the three options.
* **Deus ex Machina:** At the start of the game, you may only shuffle in a card and search for Zagreus if you do not have him in your hand already, and the card you shuffle in must be one of the five cards in your starting hand.

## Strategy

### General

Hades' gameplan depends heavily on getting Zagreus into play as early and often as possible. There are a few actions that can help locate him; namely, Chthonic Companion, There Is No Escape, and Unhealthy Fixation. Lucky Tooth can put Zagreus back into your hand when he would go to the discard pile, and Chthonic Companion can grab him from the discard pile if he somehow winds up there. Crucially, Chthonic Companion can also shuffle *itself* back into the deck, leading to easier access to Zagreus as the game continues.

Zagreus' on-play ability allows you to search for any action in your deck that can be played on a minion. This allows for a lot of flexibility in matching up against different opponents. For example, when facing decks that feature a lot of removal, it would be prudent to grab Divine Protection early on so Zagreus isn't eliminated while he is weaker. Otherwise, Greatest Reflex and Hydraulic Might are also strong early options as they allow for more card draw and +1 power counters, respectively. Depending on Hades' partner and opponents, even more aggressive options like Urge to Kill and Frozen Touch may be suitable. Support Fire and Static Discharge, while viable early on, are likely best left for later in the game to help you break bases when you have established more board presence to take advantage of their powerful talents. For example, since Zagreus gains power for each action played on him, he can receive a surge of power if Support Fire is used to transfer multiple actions to him at once.

The two Daedalus Hammers are the other best means to drop a lot of power all at once, and they each provide three flexible options for doing so. Destroying an action to play two extra actions may seem like a steep cost, but many of the play-on-minion actions in Hades have abilities that can be triggered prior to their destruction in the same turn for maximum usage. If leaving too much power on a base without breaking it is a concern, Festive Fog can be used on your own minion to minimize your +1 power counter footprint before you are ready for a big play.

Finally, the titan Deus ex Machina is available for players who are intimidated by the idea of manning a faction with only a single minion. This optional "God Mode" gives you a head start on Hades' gameplan by getting Zagreus in your opening hand, giving him (and other minions) additional power when playing actions on them, and trivializing the effort to get him back into your hand to replay.

### Partner Suggestions

Hades primarily wants two things in a partner: more ways to play actions and more ways to get Zagreus into play. These are not requirements, however, and the diverse array of actions Hades provides can also act as support to a headlining faction.

#### Published

* **Wizards:** Wizards provide Hades with coveted extra action plays and helpful card draw to get through their deck as quickly as they can. Hades gives Wizards a little more strength, a little more searching power, and even some recursion for minions like Archmage with Lucky Tooth.
* **Grannies** provide extra card sorting, protection, and recursion to get the most out of Hades' actions, especially Extreme Measures. As a minion of power 3, Zagreus is compatible with Great Grandma's talent if you happen to get him on the bottom of the deck. The addition of nineteen actions also means Nana and Granny's Purse have significantly higher chances of succeeding, which helps more modifiers get into play faster.
* **Kung Fu Fighters:** A strange pairing on paper, as Kung Fu Fighters provide no additional draw, searching, or extra action plays. However, Kung Fu Fighting Hades thrives on power counter manipulation, and Urge to Kill gives additional value to all the Kung Fu Fighters' destruction cards.
* **Big Hero 6:** Big Hades 6 goes far with their surplus of and emphasis on minions with 3 power or less. Big Hero 6 provides some consistency for Hades with their Microbot Swarms that recur each other, making it very likely that there will always be a minion to play. Honey Lemon's talent-based extra actions are appreciated, as are Hades' numerous cards that provide power counters.

#### Custom

* **Narwhals:** Hades' numerous minion modifiers allow Narwhals to continue saving up standard actions for an optimal burst. Narwhals appreciate the Daedalus Hammers for extra action plays and the on-play abilities of the Hades modifiers for their immediacy and allowing Narwhallace and Hornball to trigger their abilities at the end-of-turn phase.
* **Paladins:** Two factions with an emphasis on minion modifiers will naturally thrive together. Hades in particular likes Consecrated Ground to more easily reclaim the unique boons. Radiant Armor is a global buff that allows for more flexibility with the Daedalus Hammers. The extra actions provided by Champion and the two Vindicators greatly accelerate Hades' gameplan and make Zagreus an imminent threat.
* **X-Nauts:** The X-Nauts appreciate Hades' multiple power-boosting boons to activate their powerful breakpoint and destruction abilities. Zagreus can make excellent use of the two Crystal Stars, although Grodus-X may be better saved for a different minion as activating its talent causes Zagreus to lose his power boosting and recursive abilities.

## Author Notes

* The font used for this faction is "Caesar Dressing", which is the font seen throughout Hades video game.
* **Deus Ex Machina** is intended to be used as training wheels for players who have reservations about using a faction with a single minion. The rest of the faction was not balanced around this titan and as such may present as overly strong if used once players get more experience with Hades' play style. Don't forget that the various minion modifiers in this faction can perform well even when played on minions who aren't Zagreus, and once new Hades players feel comfortable please consider trying the faction without the titan on its own merits.