There are a lot of ways to get stronger in Hades 2, but unlocking new Arcana Cards is the best way to prepare yourself for the battles to come.
New to Hades 2, Arcana Cards let you design a custom loadout of perks that you can take with you on your next run. Each card has a certain Grasp cost associated with it and Melinoe has a Grasp limit, so you can’t just take them all. Picking and choosing the best ones for your play style is key to success in Hades 2.
Which Arcana Should You Unlock in Hades 2?
The best Arcana for you will depend on your play style and the amount of Grasp that you have to spare, but there are a few that stand out among the crowd as the best of the best. The first is Eternity, which grants you Death Defiance and allows you to revive once after death during a run. The Titan is another solid choice, granting you +20 health and magic and giving you a nice boost for the beginning of your next run.
If you’re doing a magic build, then The Unseen allows you to restore two magic every second. There are godly boons that let you restore magic, but this Arcana Card will free up a slot for a more useful upgrade down the line.
Finally, any Arcana Card that grants you Changes of Fate will fit nicely into any loadout. These let you reroll your rewards so you can choose boons and items that better suit your build. You could also take Excellence or Divinity with you as well, which increases your chances of encountering rare and epic boons.
Every Arcana in Hades 2
| Arcana | Effect |
|---|---|
| The Sorceress | While you Channel your Omega Moves, everything moves slower for 2 seconds. |
| The Wayward Son | After you exit a Location, restore 2 health or twice that if you have no more than 30% health. |
| The Huntress | While you have less than 100% Magick, your Attack and Special deal +30% damage. |
| Death | Your Omega Moves have a 3% chance to deal critical damage. |
| The Messenger | You have a +6% chance to Dodge. |
| The Furies | Deal +20% damage to foes in your Casts. |
| The Titan | Gain +20 health and +20 Magick. |
| The Unseen | Restore 2 Magick every 1 second. |
| Night | Your Hex also charges up automatically as you used 2 Magick every 1 second. |
| The Lovers | In Guardian Encounters, you take 0 damage the first time you are hit. |
|
| |
| The Swift Runner | Your Sprint is +20% faster. |
| Eternity | Set forth each night with 1 Death Defiance. |
| The Centaur | After every 5 locations, gain +3 health and magic. |
| The Moon | Your Omega Cast has +50 power whenever it detonates. |
| Strength | While you have no more than 30% health, you take -30% damage and deal +30%. |
| The Fates | Set forth each night with one Change of Fate. You can alter Location Rewards. |
| The Boatman | Set Forth each night with +200 Coins. |
| Origination | Deal +25% damage to foes afflicted with at least 2 Curse effects. |
| Excellence | Any Boons you are offered have a +30% chance to be improved to Rare. |
| The Queen | Any Boons you are offered have a +6% chance to be a Duo. |
| The Seer | Set forth each night with a +2 Change of Fate. |
| The Champions | Set forth each night with 1 Change of Fate. You can alter Boons and certain other choices. |
| The Artificer | Set forth each night with 1 chance to turn any Minor Find into a random Major Find. |
| Divinity | Any Boons you are offered have a +10% chance to be improved to Epic. |
| Judgement | After you vanquish a Guardian, activate 3 random inactive Arcana Cards. |
Unlocking Arcana Cards requires you to spend Ashes, which can be obtained as common rewards throughout Erebus and other regions in Hades 2. Don’t forget that you can trade Bones to the Broker to purchase Ashes if you’re short a few, too.
