Stygian Blade

The Stygian Blade (also known as Stygius, the Blade of the Underworld) is an Infernal Arm and the first weapon available in Hades.

Codex entry

'...Stygius, the Blade of the Underworld, must have been among the finest weapons ever wielded, back when it was whole. Back when the six elder gods sealed the Titans in the deepest recesses of Tartarus, that blade evidently played no small role in their success. It must have been Lord Poseidon who brandished that blade before he opted for that trident he so likes. Now the blade lies broken, survived only by its burning soul. I knew that Master Hades would pay little heed if I provided all the shattered remnants of the thing to his own son, who naturally was able to reconstitute them into something more than functional, indeed. It has been long since last the blade had a partner, and as I transported it, I could sense its eagerness to return to battle; to relive its own memories. I am left to wonder, who else shall someday bear this blade? The Master's son, among his charitable qualities, isn't warlike enough to want to use it forever.'

Fighting style

Stygius is a longsword with a mixture of wide and directional swings. It balances speed and strength, with medium range attacks and an AoE special. The special creates a small burst but leaves Zagreus stationary for a short time.

Statistics

Attack	Description	Damage	Effects
Strike	Press Attack button to Strike.	20 Damage	None
Combo	Press Attack > Attack > Attack for Combo.	Strike: 20 Damage Chop: 25 Damage Thrust: 30 Damage	Thrust: Knockback
Dash-Strike	Press Attack quickly after Dashing.	Thrust: 30 Damage	Thrust: Knockback
Nova Smash	Press Special to Nova Smash.	50 Damage	Cannot Backstab Knockback

Aspects

The Stygian Blade has 4 Aspects: Zagreus, Nemesis, Poseidon, and Arthur. Like all other weapons, each Aspect has 5 levels that can be unlocked by spending Titan Blood. An Aspect will not only change the appearance of the Stygian Blade, but will also improve its attacks. The higher the level of the Aspect, the more effective its improvement is. The Aspect of Arthur has a unique move-set which changes the fighting style of the Stygian Blade.

Aspect	Description	Upgrade	Cost
Aspect of Zagreus	The form in which the blade of the underworld first revealed itself. A blade such as this seeks not to remain idle for more than an aeon or two.	Bonus Move Speed & Dash Distance (+10% / +14% / +17% / +23% / +25%)	1 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 Titan Blood (Total: 5)
Aspect of Nemesis	For 3 Sec. after you Special, your Attack may deal Critical damage. One of Nyx's daughters once brandished the blade against the arrogant.	Bonus Critical Chance (+15% / +19% / +22% / +26% / +30%)	1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 Titan Blood (Total: 15)
Aspect of Poseidon	Your Special dislodges from foes. Even before he ruled the seas, the blade's first bearer liked making a splash.	Cast Damage (+10% / +20% / +30% / +40% / +50%)	2 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 Titan Blood (Total: 16)
Aspect of Arthur	You have Holy Excalibur*, and +50 to your Life Total. Peace and destruction await a kingdom governed by the rule of might.	Aura Damage Reduction (+20% / +25% / +30% / +35% / +40%) Not listed: aura significantly slows enemy projectiles, disables floor and wall traps in or near the aura	3 / 3 / 3 / 3 / 3 Titan Blood (Total: 15)

*See below for Holy Excalibur's alternate moveset.

Holy Excalibur Moveset

Attack	Description	Damage	Effects
Heavy Slash	Press Attack button to Strike.	60 Damage	None
Combo	Press Attack > Attack > Attack for Combo. Each subsequent strike has increased windup time.	60 / 80 / 200 Damage	None
Dash-Strike	Press Attack quickly after Dashing.	50 Damage	None
Hallowed Ground	Press Special button to Nova Smash, creating a static aura that gives you damage reduction, disables traps, and slows the speed of enemy projectiles.	70 Damage	Cannot Backstab Knockback Create aura

Upgrades

Upgrade	Description	Notes
World Splitter	Your Attack is replaced with a big chop that deals 90 base damage.	Cannot be combined with Flurry Slash or Cruel Thrust Incompatible with Aspect of Arthur
Flurry Slash	Hold Attack to strike rapidly, dealing 25 base damage per hit.	Cannot be combined with World Splitter or Cruel Thrust Incompatible with Aspect of Arthur
Super Nova	Your Special hits a wider area and deals +20% damage.	Increases damage radius by 20% Does not impact Hallowed Ground aura size
Double Nova	Your Special hits twice in a smaller area; no longer knocks foes away.	Decreases damage radius by 15% Does not impact Hallowed Ground aura size
Double Edge	Your Dash-Strike hits twice and deals +30% damage.
Breaching Slash	Your Attack deals +300% damage to Armor.
Cruel Thrust	Your Thrust deals +200% damage and has a +40% Critical chance.	Cannot be combined with World Splitter or Flurry Slash Although Dash-Strike looks like a thrust, it does not benefit from Cruel Thrust. Incompatible with Aspect of Arthur
Piercing Wave	Your Attack fires a wave that pierces foes, dealing 25 damage.
Cursed Slash	Your Attack restores 2 , but you have -60% .	This upgrade affects all sources of , including Centaur Hearts and Old Spiked Collar, meaning that you'll receive -60% health from those too.
Shadow Slash	Your Attack deals +200% damage when striking foes from behind.
Hoarding Slash	Your Attack deals bonus damage equal to 5% of your current .
Snap Nova	You lunge forward when you use your Special; use again to lunge back. Increases Nova damage.
Greater Consecration	Your Holy Excalibur aura is +75% larger; makes foes +10% slower	Aspect of Arthur exclusive