Athena Character Guide
Defensive Character That Becomes More Dangerous When Injured.
This build weaponizes Athena's passive ability to become a defensive powerhouse who excels at AFK challenges. Her core mechanic is a low-HP damage bonus and a passive that grants +1 Thorns damage per level, which makes her one of the most defensive characters in Megabonk. The core strategy is to stack armor, health, and thorns to become an unkillable monster who deals damage by simply being hit. The main challenge is her unlock, which requires tome progression and blocking damage as another character.
- Primary Mechanic: Her passive grants more damage on lower HP and +1 Thorns per level.
- Scaling Strategy: The build scales by stacking thorns and armor items, which makes her a great choice for long survival runs.
- Core Playstyle: A high-survivability playstyle that focuses on damage reflection and managing her health for a damage bonus.
- Power Curve: The build is weak and vulnerable in the early game but becomes an immortal fortress in the late game.
Passive Ability
Deal more damage on lower HP. Gain 2 Thorns per level.
Quick Tips
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Her mechanics require taking damage, so don't be afraid to get hit.
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Prioritize Thorns Tome immediately to begin her unlock.
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The Aegis shield is a mandatory core weapon.
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Health management is key to mastering her playstyle.
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Use her tankiness to clear waves and bosses.
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The unlock is a grind, so be patient.
Strengths & Weaknesses
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Her passive grants her a low-HP damage bonus and +1 Thorns per level.
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She is a great character for AFK challenges and endless wave survival.
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She has incredible survivability and passive damage to attackers.
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Her playstyle requires low mechanical skill.
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The Aegis Shield and Thorns synergize perfectly with her abilities.
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Her mechanics require taking damage, which can be risky in a game where you can go from full HP to nothing in less than a second.
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The unlock is a grind, requiring you to level up the Thorns Tome to Level 9 and block 500 damage as Sir Oofie.
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She has a slow start, as her passive takes time to accumulate.
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She can be vulnerable to ranged enemies that do not trigger Thorns.
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She is less versatile than other characters and is locked into a Thorns-based build.
Build Core
Blocks incoming attacks and emits a damaging shockwave.
Defensive weapon with 360° coverage. Damages enemies in area, stuns and prevents damage.
Passive orbital weapon that summons chunky rocks orbiting around you for constant defense.
Athena's default weapon is the Aegis Shield, a defensive weapon that blocks incoming attacks and sends out shockwaves. Her passive, Lock In, deals more damage at lower HP and grants +1 Thorns per level.
- Why these are optimal: The Aegis Shield is the core weapon for this build, as it blocks attacks and its effectiveness scales with her passive armor gain. The Aura is also a great weapon for crowd control, as it deals damage in an area around her and clears trash mobs. The Chunkers is a great weapon for knocking back elite enemies and minibosses.
- Upgrade Priority: Focus on upgrades that increase Aegis charges and duration, as these are crucial for survivability.
- Key Mechanics: Her passive deals more damage when her health is low and grants +1 Thorns damage per level, which stacks with Thorns items.
Deals passive damage back to any enemy that lands an attack on the player.
Adds a regenerating shield layer on top of your HP. The shield absorbs all damage until it breaks and will recharge after a short period of not taking damage.
Increases the Armor stat which reduces the amount of incoming damage taken.
Tomes are essential for amplifying Athena's defense and providing her with the necessary sustain.
- Essential Tomes: The Thorns Tome is a must-have, as it is required to unlock her and amplifies her passive Thorns scaling. The Shield Tome is also a great choice for extra survivability. The Armor Tome is a must-have for amplifying her defense and scaling.
- Acquisition Order: The Thorns Tome should be a top priority, as it is needed to unlock her. After unlocking her, focus on Shield Tome and Armor Tome to maximize her defense.
- Tome Synergies: The XP Tome and Luck Tome are also great for speeding up your progression.
These items are critical for a defensive build and are essential for reaching Athena's full potential.
- Item Priority: Health Regeneration and Armor upgrades are top priority to boost her survivability. Thorns Damage Boosters, like the Spiky Shield, are crucial for maximizing her damage output.
- Stacking: Stack as many defensive items as possible to amplify the effects of her passive.
- Item Breakpoints: With enough armor and thorns, she can become nearly unkillable in the late game.
Defensive weapon with 360° coverage. Damages enemies in area, stuns and prevents damage.
Passive orbital weapon that summons chunky rocks orbiting around you for constant defense.
Fast melee weapon optimized for critical hits. Sharp blade targeting closest enemy with superb crit scaling.
These are strong supporting options that significantly enhance the build.
- How they amplify the build: The Aura is great for single-target damage, as it clears trash mobs that would otherwise block the Aegis. The Chunkers weapon provides knockback against elite enemies. The Katana is also a great secondary weapon, as its high damage and fast attack speed can help you clear enemies quickly.
- Situational Use: You can use these items to fill out your build if you are struggling with specific enemy types.
Defensive weapon with 360° coverage. Damages enemies in area, stuns and prevents damage.
These are optional items that provide quality of life improvements.
- Benefits: A Lifesteal Tome or Lifesteal can help you survive in the early game. The Aura is great for single-target damage.
- Why they're not essential: The build can function and scale without these items, but they make the run smoother and more consistent.
Game Phase Strategies
Focus on getting the Thorns Tome to Level 9. You should also focus on survival, as you are fragile without lifesteal and a full build.
- Primary Objectives: Get the Thorns Tome to Level 9.
- Survival Tactics: Take any defensive items you find and play cautiously.
- What to Avoid: Do not play aggressively, as your passive is still building.
💡 Quick Tips:
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Focus on thorns and survivability.
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Take any armor or health items you find.
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Play cautiously.
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The Aegis shield is a good defensive tool.
You should now have a good foundation of thorns and armor. You can now start managing your health for a damage bonus.
- Power Spikes: Your armor will begin to accumulate, and your survivability will increase.
- Build Goals: Maximize thorns multiplier items.
- Boss Approach: You can begin to engage bosses, but be careful and use your Aegis to block their attacks.
💡 Quick Tips:
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Start managing your health for a damage bonus.
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Your armor will make a difference.
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Look for thorns multiplier items.
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Consider secondary weapons for range.
Your build should be near-complete. You can now become a tank powerhouse with a significant armor bonus.
- Optimal Positioning: Use her tankiness to position aggressively and deal damage.
- Farming Patterns: Focus on damage items to complement your survivability and clear enemies more efficiently.
- Build Completion: At this point, you should be a tank powerhouse.
💡 Quick Tips:
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Your armor makes you a tank.
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Focus on damage items.
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Master advanced positioning techniques.
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You can now tackle higher difficulty content.
Your build is now a true powerhouse. Your focus shifts to damage optimization and mastery.
- Final Build State: Your armor bonus will make you nearly invulnerable.
- Final Boss Strategy: You can now tank boss attacks and massive enemy swarms while focusing purely on damage optimization.
- Endless Wave Tactics: Use your tankiness to protect other players or simply survive as long as possible.
- Victory Conditions: Your ultimate goal is to achieve true mastery and become an immortal fortress.
💡 Quick Tips:
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Your armor makes you nearly invulnerable.
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Focus on damage optimization.
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You can tank massive enemy swarms.
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Your ultimate goal is to achieve mastery.