My first clear took 40 attempts. Not because I'm bad at games (okay, maybe a little) — because I was upgrading the wrong things in the Mirror of Night and picking terrible boon combinations. I was investing in the purple options when the green ones were better. I was taking Poseidon's knockback against [REDACTED] and wondering why it didn't work.

Here's exactly what changed between run 39 (failed) and run 40 (first clear). If you're stuck, it's probably one of these things.

The Mirror of Night — I Wasted 10,000 Darkness on the Wrong Side

The Mirror has green and purple choices. The game makes them look like equal options. They are not. For your first clear, prioritize the green choices every time:

Death Defiance (green) > Stubborn Defiance (purple): Death Defiance gives you 3 revives per attempt. Stubborn Defiance gives 1 revive per room, which sounds good until you realize you need 3 lives for the final boss. Max this first — 1,140 darkness for all 3 ranks.

Thick Skin (green) > / Heart (purple): +250 HP at max rank. More HP = more mistakes allowed. Simple math.

Privileged Status (green) > Family Favorite (purple): +40% damage to enemies with 2+ status effects. This single upgrade doubled my damage output once I learned to stack statuses (Weak + Hangover = 40% free damage on everything).

Boiling Blood (green) > Abyssal Blood (purple): +50% damage to enemies with bloodstones stuck in them. Massive damage boost for minimal effort.

I spent 10,000 darkness on purple options before I realized green was better. Don't be like me.

The Shield — The Weapon That Finally Got Me Out

I tried Sword for my first 20 runs because it's the starter weapon. Kept dying in Elysium. Then I switched to the Shield of Chaos (Aspect of Zeus) and suddenly everything clicked.

Why the shield works: Hold attack to block. Release to bash. You can block boss combos, then attack during their recovery. The Zeus aspect creates lightning bolts around you while you block — free damage while you hide. It's the safest weapon in the game and the best for learning boss patterns.

My first clear build: Athena on Attack (deflect everything), Ares on Special (Doom on throw), Divine Dash. The combo is simple — throw shield for Doom, block attacks, deflect projectiles. Ares deals damage while you stay safe behind the shield. This build doesn't require great reflexes, just patience.

Boss Fights — I Was Fighting Them All Wrong

Meg (Fury) — Tartarus: Phase 1, dodge her dash attack. Phase 2, hide behind pillars during bullet hell. Phase 3, kill the adds immediately. Don't use Death Defiance here if you can avoid it — you'll get it back from a Well of Charon later.

Bone Hydra — Asphodel: Hit the heads. That's literally it. Phase 2, kill summoned heads quickly. Phase 3 laser attack? Dodge TOWARD the center head — the safe spot is right underneath it. I used to run away and get hit every time.

Theseus & Asterius — Elysium: Kill Asterius first. His attacks are charge, slam, sweep — dodge THROUGH him, not away. Theseus throws spears from range, use pillars. Phase 2, Theseus calls a god's aid — watch the symbol above his head to know the AoE pattern. Zeus = circles, Poseidon = waves, Athena = projectile rings.

[REDACTED] — Final Boss: Phase 1 (100%-50%): dash-slash combo (dodge the second swing), skull throw (dodge sideways), spin attack (back away). Attack after his 3-hit combo ends — he's vulnerable for 2 seconds. Phase 2 (50%-0%): skulls explode into AoE zones. His spin covers half the arena. When he disappears, stand in the center and dodge the laser beam. Phase 3: adds spawn that heal him — ignore them, focus damage. If you have 2+ Death Defiances at Phase 2, you win.

Build Templates That Work

The Safe Build (Shield): Athena Attack + Ares Special + Divine Dash = deflect everything, Doom on special, hide behind shield. This is how I got my first clear.

The Ranged Build (Bow, Aspect of Chiron): Artemis Attack + Dionysus Special + Support Fire = crit arrows, hangover on special, bonus arrows on every action.

The Melt Build (Fists): Zeus Attack + Athena Dash + Aphrodite Call = lightning on every punch, deflect on dash, invincibility on call. High risk, high reward.

If you're stuck, it's probably the Mirror or the shield. Max those green Mirror options, pick up the Shield of Chaos, and take Athena + Ares. You'll get your first clear in no time. I went from 0 clears in 39 attempts to 3 clears in my next 10 runs after making these changes.

Go ahead, keep picking purple Mirror upgrades and using the Sword. I dare you. It took me 40 attempts with that strategy — but at least now you know why.