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In the firstHades, Zagreus had the twin fists of Malphon, and now, after the Olympic Update inHades 2, his younger sister hasthe Black Coat- a pair of powered fists to help Melinoe punch her way through the Underworld. This new weapon’s speed and raw firepower make it an addictive addition to an already incredible Roguelike.
Building around this weapon can be a daunting task at first because it has so many unique elements to it. It can block attacks, its rockets have strange homing properties, and it has a unique dash attack that can be tricky to make the most of at first. However, with the right understanding of what boons will elevate this already terrifying weapon into a brutal force of nature, players will be able toshred through Chronosand the new boss guarding the path to Olympus.
Xinth, the Black Coat Overview: Regular Attacks, Ω Moves, Aspects
Power Punches, Shields, Missiles, And More
From the shadows the Nocturnal Arms were born, but those shadows never dissipated; they congealed into one final form. We call them Arms for a reason; they are extensions of ourselves and our will. Xinth is simply that idea made manifest.
The Black Coat uses powered fists and missile launchers to obliterate the minions of Chronos. Its fast normal attacks, “homing” rockets, unique dash attack, and powerful Omega moves allow it to be built around in a variety of different ways.
The Black Coat receives theMoonstone Axe’sformer guard ability on its Ω Attack. This guard can be finicky to use, but it encourages Melinoe to get into the thick of a fight, block any incoming attacks, and then unleash a powerful punch in return.
Black Coat Aspects
Out of the three, Aspect of Melinoe and Selene tend to create the most powerful builds. Aspect of Melinoe is fairly self-sufficient and doesn’t require too many other resources/boons to work well. In comparison, Aspect of Selene starts out weak and is heavily reliant on Omega attacks, but with enough Selene boons, this aspect becomes a powerhouse in the later stages of the run.
Aspect of Nyx can hit like a truck because of the raw power behind its Omega Sprint, but building around it doesn’t match the simple destructive power of Melinoe’s Aspect nor the ranged damage potential of Selene’s Aspect. Additionally, Nyx’s Aspect is still reliant on getting a good Gain Boon early, and a decent Sprint Boon later to make the most of its unique ability.
Bolded choicesshould be prioritized over the rest.
Best Boons For Aspect of Melinoe
The Aspect of Melinoewants to attack and use its special as often as possible. As a result, boons that can increase how much damage Melinoe does with each attack or special usage are perfect for it.
Attack
Wave Strikeis the best boon to use with this aspect. The Aspect of Melinoe strikes fast enough to make the most of the splash damage, and dash attacks hitting multiple times will also hit with multiple splashes for a megaton of damage.
Acceptable alternatives can buff attack damage output or set up other parts of the build to deal more damage.
Special
In an ideal world,Wave StrikeandHeaven Flourishwould always be paired together. These two can build into the Killer Current duo boon and complement each other extremely well. One dash attack with a Rare-level Wave Strike and a single attack will activate Blitz.
If Heaven’s flourish is unattainable,Flame Flourishis a good alternative since it also activates the Origination Arcana Card and builds intoScalding Vapor.
Cast
Smolder Ringis the best here because it also helps build into Scalding Vapor, and deals more damage to enemies as they stand in the cast.
Arctic Ringis a good alternative just for its ability to apply freeze to enemies.
Sprint
There are no wrong options for Sprint boons.Soot Sprintis best for surface runs since itmakes Eris a much easierfight to handle. In comparison,Breaker Sprintwill help build towardKing Tideand is another source of splash damage forSlippery Slope.
Passion Dash is nice to have for the additional damage it provides, and for applying weak to enemies.
Gain
Aspect of Melinoe doesn’t use very much magick, and doesn’t need any gain boons. If you had to pick one, Hestia’sHearth Gainwould be the best, but it still remains wholly unnecessary.
Additional Boons
Poseidon boons in general are just good for the Aspect of Melinoe. GettingSlippery Slopeis necessary for more damage, and if the player findsBreaker Sprint,Fluid Gain, orGeyser Spout, they can getKing Tidenext to maximize their damage.
Static Shockis also an amazing boon to have because of how often Aspect of Melinoe will attack.
Nimble Limbsis also great, because it helps Melinoe attack more often.
Best Boons For Aspect of Selene
The Aspect of Selenewants to use Magick as often as possible to charge its unique Hex, Sky Fall. Then, when its Hex is fully charged, Melinoe can unleash it, repeatedly damaging nearby enemies and increasing the damage they take from Ω moves by 50%.
Aspect of Selene’s Hex can sometimes have an upgrade in its Path of Stars that gives its rays of light the same effect as Melinoe’s attack.
As a result, Heaven Strike is perfect to increase the damage of this build.
Frost Strike is also useful to have since Melinoe first can freeze enemies, then use an Ω Special to finish them off.
Since the Ω Special is the crux of the build, Melinoe will want anything that can increase her Special’s damage.Heaven Flourishis perfect because 4 lock-ons will trigger Blitz.
Frost FlourishandNova Flourishare used to increase the base damage of Melinoe’s Special attack.
Volcanic Flourishhas a unique interaction where every missile fired can trigger a blast when it’s off cooldown, leading to a large damage burst every few seconds.
Casts aren’t especially important for this aspect. While it helps to have a strong Ω Cast, it’s not a huge priority for this build.
Smolder Ringis useful for additional damage, whileArctic Ringis better for managing mobs.
Soot Sprintis best used for runs on the Surface. Otherwise, any sprints that use Magick likeThunder SprintandBreaker Sprintwill do in this slot.
This boon is the most important part of the build.Hearth Gainprovides constant Magick as long as Melinoe is attacking.
Both the Black Coat’s Dash Attack and Special are perfect for gaining a large amount of Magick in a short amount of time.
The Aspect of Selene wants anything that can reward it for repeatedly spending Magick.Controlled Burnis the best boon for this since Melinoe will want to repeatedly use her Ω Special.
Since the Aspect of Selene comes with a unique Hex, it’s important to plan out which skills are worth upgrading toward in its Path of Stars. Scorn is best used for boss killing, while Cascade is best used for both mobs and bosses alike. Ferocity can be a good addition to a build, but only take it if Melinoe’s Attack Boon is useful and gives multiple hits.Heaven Strikeis the perfect example of this, butFrost StrikeandSworn Strikecan also work too.
Best Boons For Aspect Of Nyx
The Aspect of Nyxdoes best when it sprints into fights, detonates its Ω Sprint, then follows up with a dash attack or a handful of regular attacks before sprinting again to charge its Ω Sprint. Boons should be picked to support this game plan or to increase the damage from sprinting at enemies.
Heaven Strikeis the preferred attack boon because Blitz can be activated in a single Ω Sprint explosion.Wave StrikeandFlutter Strikeare both good choices since they both have high damage output and benefit from having additional attacks.
Heaven Flourishis perfect here since it will increase the Aspect of Nyx’s damage output.Frost Flourishis useful to make enemies hold still so Melinoe can sprint into them, and has the added benefit of increasing Special attack damage.Wave FlourishandSworn Flourishboth increase Special Attack damage but also help this aspect with clearing groups of enemies more efficiently.
Rapture Ringis perfect because it drags enemies towards Melinoe, which can set up for big Ω Sprint explosions.Engagement Ringalso helps clear groups of enemies and further spreads the large damage burst of the Ω Sprint. This cast is also perfect forScylla and the Sirensif players are looking for a quick way to clear that boss.
Soot Sprintremains a useful boon, but having a boon that deals damage during its sprint will help clear rooms more efficiently.Breaker Sprint, Stamp Rush,andPassion Dashall perform this job admirably and fit well into the Ω Sprint’s game plan.
Just like it is with the Aspect of Selene,Hearth Gainis incredibly important for the Aspect of Nyx. It gives Magick back as long as Melinoe continues to attack, allowing her to repeatedly use her Ω Sprint.
Similar to the Aspect of Selene, the Aspect of Nyx wants anything that rewards it for using Magick.Spirit Surge, Splash Fount,andHeart Breakerare all good choices because of how close Melinoe has to be to use her Ω Sprint’s explosion.
Best Black Coat Arcana Cards
Customizing The Black Coat To Your Playstyle
Every build can benefit fromuniversally good Arcana cardslikeXII.EternityandII.The Wayward Son, but there are a few unique cards that the Black Coat aspects can make the most out of.
The Aspect of Selene will benefit from theV.The MoonandI.The Sorceresscards because of Selene’s focus on Ω Specials. Be aware thatIX.The Unseenis not usually used because starting a run with a good Gain boon will make it pointless.
The Aspect of Nyx can benefit from theX.DeathArcana by cycling between its Ω Special and its Ω Sprint.
Finally, the Aspect of Melinoe benefits from any damage-increasing Arcana. However, since this aspect is fairly flexible with what boons it can take after Wave Strike, theXIV.Originationcard is an easy way to increase damage during a run.
V
The Moon
Your Hex also charges up automatically as though you used 3 Magick every 1 second.
X
Death
You have a +15% chance to deal Critical Damage with each move in an Ω Combo.
XIV
Origination
You deal +50% damage to foes with at least 2 curses from different Olympians.
