Cast

**Cast** is an attack ability that is innate to Zagreus and thus does not depend on Infernal Arms for the base damage, though a few aspects, most notably Beowulf and Hera do modify how casting works.
By default **Cast** is a slow long-range spell that launches a bloodstone , dealing 50 base damage on impact. Casting costs one  from the bloodstone magazine. Zagreus has up to three reusable  when using Infernal Soul with the Mirror of Night, or only one  that regenerates after 3-5 seconds when using Stygian Soul. When Cast hits an enemy, it stays lodged inside the foe until they are killed or 15 seconds elapse, giving them a status effect. When the bloodstone falls it can be collected to be launched again, or will disappear when using Stygian Soul.
Cast is a boon slot and can be upgraded using Poms of Power, however unlike other boons, cast upgrades do not give a % increase, but rather a large base damage increase. Each god's Cast also modifies the speed, area of effect and additional mechanics of the cast. Three casts, Dionysus, Demeter and Ares, create a projectile that does damage on its own instead of lodging into enemies.

## Mirror of Night

The **Mirror of Night** can modify Cast in several ways. The biggest impact is from choosing between Infernal Soul and Stygian Soul as it changes the way  are collected. Infernal Soul gives three  that will stay present in game once launched and have to be recollected on the ground in order to be launched again. Meanwhile Stygian Soul gives only one , but it regenerates after three seconds, regardless of where the previously launched  is. This bloodstone does not drop from enemies to be collected.

Regardless of the choice, it is always possible to augment the number of  during an escape attempt with Chaos Boons, Artemis’ Legendary Boon and Prometheus Stones from the Well of Charon.

The second choice is between Boiling Blood and Abyssal Blood, it affects the status given to enemies with at least one lodged in them. Boiling Blood gives +50% Attack and Special damage, while Abyssal Blood reduces the enemy’s speed and damage by 30%.

(5 / 4 / 3 Sec.)

## Shots

Rather than providing a % damage increase, cast boons increase the base damage of the cast. Because upgrades which apply % damage augementation in Hades stack additavely based on the base damage of the abilities which they affect, additional upgrades which provide a % damage increase synergize much more effectively with cast boons than they do with Zagreus' attack or special boons.

Cast boons also affect the mechanics of the cast more significantly than other core boons affect their respective abilities. Five of the cast boons (Aphrodite, Artemis, Athena, Poseidon, and Zeus) retain some of the mechanics of the unmodified cast, most notably the ability of the cast to lodge in foes. These five therefore function similarly in some respects, although even they have more significant mechanical differences from the unmodified cast than do Zagreus' other core boons; Athena's cast, for example, inflicts a bust of AOE damage on impact, whereas Artemis' cast tracks foes, and Zeus' cast bounces between foes. Three of the casts, however (Ares, Demeter, and Dionysus) retain none of the mechanics of the unmodified cast. In addition, many cast boons can themselves be mechanically altered through the use of duo boons, such as Hunting blades for Ares cast and Blizzard Shot for Poseidon cast. The functional variety found in cast boons is, therefore, more significant than that of any of Zagreus' other core slots.

## Infernal Arms changes

While Cast boons deal big bursts of damage, the long time they stay stuck in enemies make them unreliable as the primary damage dealer against bosses if using Infernal Soul. Several weapons aspects remedy this by changing the ammo and firing mechanics.

### Aspect of Poseidon

The third aspect of the Stygian Blade allows to dislodge  from enemies by hitting them with the **Special**. The weapon also gives upgradable Cast Damage, from +10% to +50% Cast Damage.
This aspect works great with high burst damage casts, but the Special’s ability to dislodge is useless with projectile casts or if using Stygian Soul.

*Even before he ruled the seas, the blade's first bearer liked making a splash.*
(+10% / +20% / +30% / +40% / +50%)
Titan Blood
(Total: 16)

### Aspect of Hera

The third aspect of the Bow allows to load  in the next attack, releasing it on impact. Like Beowulf, this allows for massive burst damage, but the  does lodge into enemies, keeping a delay between loaded attacks. The **Aspect of Hera** does not modify the cast boons, but it reduces the drop time of the  lodged in enemies, from 10 to 5 seconds when fully upgraded.

*None dared approach the queen of the gods, a reputation she cultivated.*
(10s / 8s / 6.67s / 6.15s / 5s)
(Total: 16 )

### Aspect of Beowulf

The hidden aspect of Aegis allows the player to load  into the Attack, releasing all the casts loaded in an area of damage burst at the end of a Dragon Rush. (Dragon rush is Beowulf's modified Bull Rush). The  cannot lodge itself in enemies and falls instantly, greatly reducing the delay to reuse it. Using the **Aspect of Beowulf** modifies all casts, including the base cast, into flare attacks which have similar damage to their shot equivalent, but work differently to put more emphasis on AOE damage. Zeus' chain-lightning becomes a lightning bolt, and Demeter's Crystal beam is replaced by AOE chilling damage.

Aspect of Beowulf
*Would that the stalwart warrior-king's sword offered similar protection.*
(+20% / +40% / +60% / +80% / +100%)
(Total: 15 )