Welcome, Witch 🧙♀️
Time itself has declared war on Olympus 🏛️, and you, Melinoë, are the last line of defense. As the Princess of the Underworld, you have been trained in the shadowy arts by the formidable witch Hecate. Your mission is not one of escape, but of reclamation. You must descend into the Underworld to dethrone the Titan of Time, Chronos ⏳, and ascend to Mount Olympus to break his siege. This is a war on two fronts, and you are its champion. ⚔️
This guide is your grimoire. 📖 It contains the strategies, secrets, and systems you must master to succeed. Whether this is your first foray into the ever-shifting paths of the Underworld or you are a seasoned veteran of your brother’s escapades, the path ahead is treacherous. But fear not. In Hades II, every failure is a lesson, and every death is a homecoming. Let us begin. 🔥
Welcome to the Crossroads, Witch crossroads
Hades II builds upon the god-like foundation of its predecessor but introduces a profound shift in gameplay philosophy. This change is rooted in its new protagonist. Where Zagreus was a brash warrior fighting his way out, you are Melinoë, a disciplined witch fighting her way in. This distinction is crucial. Your journey is not a rebellious whim; it is a calculated, lifelong mission to defeat a singular, overwhelming foe. This narrative shift directly informs the combat, which is slower, more tactical, and deeply reliant on your mastery of magick. 🪄
The Cycle of Death and Rebirth 🔄
The core gameplay loop of Hades II is a cycle of relentless attempts. You will venture forth from your base, the Crossroads, into procedurally generated chambers filled with enemies. In each chamber, you will earn rewards—Boons from the gods, resources for permanent upgrades, or temporary power-ups. Inevitably, you will fall in battle. 💀
However, death is not the end. It is the engine of your progress. Upon defeat, you return to the Crossroads, where you can invest the resources you gathered into permanent upgrades, interact with a cast of gods and spirits, and unlock new layers of the game’s systems. Each run, successful or not, pushes the story forward and makes you stronger for the next attempt. This sequel expands this concept significantly; failure now fuels a complex economy of crafting 🛠️, gardening 🌱, and spellcasting ếm, making every return to the Crossroads a meaningful step toward your ultimate goal. 📈
What’s New for Veterans? 🤔
If you are familiar with Zagreus’s journey, you will find the core structure familiar but the execution refreshingly different. Melinoë’s identity as a witch introduces three game-changing mechanics:
- The Magick Bar and Omega Moves: Below your health is a blue Magick bar 🟦. This new resource fuels your Omega Moves—powerful, chargeable versions of your standard attacks that form the backbone of your combat strategy.
- A Tactical Pace: Combat is less about frantic dashing and more about battlefield control. You must identify openings to safely charge your Omega Moves, manage your Magick, and use your abilities to control enemy positions.
- Two Paths to War: Early in your quest, you will unlock the ability to choose your path each night: descend into the Underworld to face Chronos (👇) or ascend to the surface to aid the Olympians (👆). These two distinct routes feature unique environments, enemies, and bosses, effectively doubling the game’s variety from the start.
First Steps into the Fray: A Beginner’s Guide to Survival
Mastering combat in Hades II begins with understanding your fundamental tools: movement and your core attacks. Survival depends less on raw power and more on controlling the flow of battle.
The Rhythm of Movement: Dash and Sprint 🏃♀️
Your primary defensive tool is the Dash. It grants a brief moment of invincibility, allowing you to phase through enemies and their attacks. Unlike in the first game, Melinoë’s Dash has a noticeable cooldown, indicated by the trail that follows her. You cannot spam it to escape danger.
This limitation makes your other movement option, the Sprint, essential. By holding the Dash button, Melinoë will sprint, moving significantly faster across the battlefield. The core defensive skill in Hades II is learning the “Sprint-Dash Cadence.” Use the Sprint to create distance and reposition around attacks, saving the Dash for its precious invincibility frames to pass through an unavoidable projectile or enemy swing. ✨
The Witch’s Core Abilities
Melinoë has three primary combat actions, which are then modified by your chosen weapon and Boons.
- Attack: Your standard, quick-hitting primary move. Its form depends entirely on your equipped weapon. ⚔️
- Special: Your secondary move. This is often a ranged or area-of-effect ability that complements your primary Attack. 💥
- Cast: This is a universal ability, independent of your weapon. Melinoë creates a magickal binding circle on the ground ⭕. Enemies caught within it are slowed and take damage over time. Treat this not as a simple damage spell, but as a crucial setup tool. Use your Cast to trap and group enemies, making them vulnerable to your more powerful attacks.
Unleashing Your Power: Omega Moves and Magick 🪄
The most significant addition to combat is the Magick system. By holding down the button for your Attack, Special, or Cast, you will begin to channel an Omega Move. These enhanced abilities are devastating, often adding new properties like larger areas of effect, more projectiles, or unique behaviors.
Using an Omega Move consumes a portion of your blue Magick bar 🟦. Crucially, your Magick regenerates to full at the start of every new encounter. This encourages you to expend your Magick freely in each fight. A core strategy is to unleash your most powerful Omega Moves to end encounters quickly, knowing your resources will be replenished for the next battle.
Using the Environment to Your Advantage 🌳
The arenas of the Underworld and Olympus are not just static backgrounds. Many contain destructible elements like pillars or trees. Luring an enemy near one and then striking it can cause it to collapse, dealing a large burst of damage to any foe caught underneath. Always be aware of your surroundings; a well-placed environmental attack can turn the tide of a difficult fight.
The Witch’s Toolkit: Mastering Melinoë’s Nocturnal Arms ⚔️
Your choice of weapon, or Nocturnal Arm, defines your playstyle for each run. You begin with the Witch’s Staff, but you will soon unlock five additional arms at the Silver Pool in the Crossroads, each requiring specific resources. Experimenting with each is key to discovering what suits you best.
- Witch’s Staff (Descura) 🪄The starter weapon is a reliable and versatile choice for any situation. Its standard Attack is a three-hit combo of quick jabs and a final spinning strike. Its Special fires a long-range projectile. This balance of melee and ranged capabilities makes it an excellent weapon for learning the game’s fundamentals.
- Sister Blades (Lim and Oros) 🔪For players who prefer a fast, aggressive playstyle, the Sister Blades are ideal. These dual daggers unleash a flurry of rapid, close-range strikes. Their Omega Attack is a defining feature: you teleport behind an enemy for a powerful backstab, making it a fantastic tool for both damage and evasion.
- Umbral Flames (Ygnium) 🔥The Umbral Flames are a unique ranged weapon. The standard Attack fires long-range projectiles, while the Special creates two revolving fireballs that circle Melinoë, damaging any enemy that gets too close. This weapon excels at controlling space and dealing damage from a safe distance.
- Moonstone Axe (Zorephet) 🪓The Moonstone Axe is the epitome of a heavy-hitter. Its attacks are slow but deal immense damage in a wide arc. Its Special is a defensive block that can be charged to retaliate with a powerful shockwave. This weapon rewards patience and careful timing, punishing enemies who leave themselves open.
- Argent Skull (Revaal) 💀This weapon introduces a unique ammo mechanic. The Argent Skull fires explosive projectiles but only holds a limited number of “shells”. After firing them, you must run across the battlefield to retrieve them. Its Special is a lunging dash that helps you close distances and collect your spent shells, making it a dynamic and high-skill weapon.
- Black Coat (Xinth) 🧥The final weapon is a magickal exosuit that transforms Melinoë’s moveset. It grants powerful punches for its Attack and a seeking missile swarm for its Special. It also provides a defensive block and boosts Melinoë’s movement speed, making it an incredibly versatile and powerful option for any situation.
| Nocturnal Arm | Unlock Materials | Core Playstyle | Strengths | Weaknesses |
| Witch’s Staff 🪄 | Default | Balanced Melee/Ranged | Versatility, good range | Moderate damage output |
| Sister Blades 🔪 | 1 Silver 🪙 | Fast Melee, Assassin | High attack speed, mobility | Requires close range |
| Umbral Flames 🔥 | 3 Silver 🪙, 3 Cinder 🔥 | Ranged, Area Control | Safe positioning, sustained damage | Awkward close-quarters combat |
| Moonstone Axe 🪓 | 15 Silver 🪙 | Slow Heavy-Hitter | Massive damage, wide swings | Very slow, leaves you vulnerable |
| Argent Skull 💀 | 1 Bronze 🥉, 2 Glassrock 💎 | Ranged, Explosive | High burst damage, mobility | Requires ammo management |
| Black Coat 🧥 | 2 Cinder 🔥, 2 Adamant 🔩 | All-Rounder, Brawler | Versatility, defense, mobility | Can be resource-intensive |
Forging Your Legend: Unlocking and Upgrading Weapon Aspects ✨
Once you progress far enough to gather Bronze from the surface, you can perform the “Aspects of Night and Darkness” Incantation at the Cauldron. This unlocks Weapon Aspects, a system that dramatically deepens combat and replayability. Each Nocturnal Arm has multiple Aspects, which are alternate forms that fundamentally change how the weapon works.
Choosing an Aspect is the first and most important step in crafting a build for your run. It is not just a minor tweak; it defines your entire strategy. Think of Aspects as choosing a character class at the start of each run.
Witch’s Staff Aspects 🪄
| Aspect | Unlock Materials | Core Mechanic Change | Recommended Playstyle |
| Aspect of Melinoë | Default | Channels all Omega Moves faster. | A balanced, all-around style focusing on safe Omega Move usage. |
| Aspect of Circe | 5 Silver 🪙, 5 Lotus 🌸 | After landing enough hits, you enter a “Serenity” state with faster, stronger Omega Moves and rapid Magick restoration. | Aggressive, weaving between attacks to build Serenity, then unleashing a flurry of Omega Moves. |
| Aspect of Momus | 2 Limestone 🧱, 1 Pearl ⚪ | Your Omega Moves fire additional times from their original location after a short delay. | A tactical, zoning playstyle. Place your Omega Moves and reposition while the echoes deal damage. |
Sister Blades Aspects 🔪
| Aspect | Unlock Materials | Core Mechanic Change | Recommended Playstyle |
| Aspect of Melinoë | Default | Attacks and Specials deal bonus damage when striking foes from behind. | A classic assassin style. Use the Omega Attack to teleport behind enemies and maximize backstab damage. |
| Aspect of Artemis | 15 Silver 🪙, 1 Glassrock 💎 | While channeling your Omega Attack, you can Parry incoming attacks, granting a powerful Critical Chance buff. | A high-risk, high-reward duelist. Time your Omega Attacks perfectly to parry and unleash devastating criticals. |
| Aspect of Pan | 1 Wool 🐑, 2 Shaderot 🍄 | Your Specials will seek out enemies standing inside your Cast circle. | A Cast-and-Special combo style. Trap enemies with your Cast, then unleash seeking Specials from afar. |
Umbral Flames Aspects 🔥
| Aspect | Unlock Materials | Core Mechanic Change | Recommended Playstyle |
| Aspect of Melinoë | Default | The orbiting flames from your Omega Special last longer. | A defensive, attrition-based style. Maintain your fiery shield while chipping away at enemies. |
| Aspect of Moros | 2 Bronze 🥉, 2 Tears 💧 | Your Attacks leave behind lingering projectiles that explode when hit by your Special. | A setup-and-detonate playstyle. Litter the battlefield with projectiles, then trigger a chain reaction. |
| Aspect of Eos | 2 Driftwood 🪵, 2 Golden Apples 🍎 | Your Attacks grow larger and stronger over time, and return to you when you Sprint. | A kiting and positioning style. Keep your distance to let Attacks grow to full power before recalling them. |
Moonstone Axe Aspects 🪓
| Aspect | Unlock Materials | Core Mechanic Change | Recommended Playstyle |
| Aspect of Melinoë | Default | You recover more quickly, and gain bonus Health and Attack Power for the run. | A straightforward brawler style focused on making the slow Axe more forgiving and powerful. |
| Aspect of Charon | 5 Pearl ⚪, 1 Obol Points 💰 | Your Cast lasts longer and erupts in a massive explosion if struck by your Omega Special. | A powerful ranged spellcaster. Focus on trapping enemies in your Cast and detonating it for huge damage. |
| Aspect of Thanatos | 3 Glassrock 💎, 1 Darkness ⚫ | Your Attacks are faster, and each hit grants a stacking Critical Chance bonus for your Omega Moves until you take damage. | A “perfect run” style that rewards flawless dodging with ever-increasing critical damage. |
Argent Skull Aspects 💀
| Aspect | Unlock Materials | Core Mechanic Change | Recommended Playstyle |
| Aspect of Melinoë | Default | Your Attacks gain bonus power for each shell you have already fired and not yet retrieved. | A high-risk burst style. Fire all shells to maximize your last shot’s power, then dash in to retrieve. |
| Aspect of Medea | 4 Iron ⛓️, 1 Nightshade 🌿 | Your Attack projectile stays closer to you and explodes in a larger area. | A close-range shotgun style. Get right next to enemies to hit them with the empowered, wide-area blast. |
| Aspect of Persephone | 1 Moss 🌱, 5 Poppy 🌺 | Dealing damage generates “Glory,” which allows you to unleash a continuous, devastating beam with your Omega Special. | A “super beam” playstyle. Build up Glory, then unleash a massive laser to clear the screen. |
Power from Beyond: A Guide to Olympian Boons 🎁
As you clear encounters, the gods of Olympus will offer you their aid in the form of Boons. Understanding the general theme of each god is the first step to crafting a powerful build. A critical concept is the difference between flat damage (great for fast weapons 🔪) and percentage damage (best for slow weapons 🪓).
The Olympian Pantheon
- Aphrodite ❤️: Empowers close-range attacks and applies Weak, causing enemies to deal less damage.
- Apollo ☀️: Increases the size and area of your abilities and applies Daze, giving enemies a chance to miss.
- Artemis 🏹: Grants you a chance to deal devastating Critical damage.
- Demeter ❄️: Slows and Freezes your foes, providing excellent crowd control.
- Hephaestus 🔨: Offers defensive buffs like Armor and powerful explosive blasts on a cooldown.
- Hera 👑: Applies Hitch, linking enemies so damage to one is shared among all.
- Hermes 👟: Provides invaluable utility, increasing your speed, Dash frequency, or attack rate.
- Hestia 🔥: Allows you to inflict Scorch, a potent damage-over-time effect.
- Poseidon 🌊: Adds powerful knockback and splash damage, great for crowd control.
- Zeus ⚡: Imbues your attacks with lightning, applying Blitz, which causes a secondary lightning strike.
The Crossroads Economy: Your Guide to Resources and Currencies 💰
Hades II features a vast and complex economy of resources. Understanding what each material does and where to find it is essential. You can only equip one Tool of the Unseen per run, so choose wisely!
Core Currencies
- Ashes 잿더미: Used to unlock and upgrade Arcana Cards.
- Psyche 🧠: Used to increase your Grasp (how many Arcana Cards you can equip).
- Bones 🦴: Used to trade with the Wretched Broker.
- Obols (Gold Crowns) 🪙: Temporary currency for Charon’s shops. Lost on death.
| Resource | Primary Use(s) | Location(s) | Required Tool |
| Ashes 잿더미 | Unlock/Upgrade Arcana Cards | Encounter Reward | None |
| Psyche 🧠 | Increase Grasp (Arcana Capacity) | Encounter Reward, Shades | Tablet of Peace 📜 |
| Bones 🦴 | Wretched Broker Currency | Encounter Reward, Fishing | None / Rod of Fishing 🎣 |
| Silver 🪙 | Unlock Weapons & Tools | Erebus | Crescent Pick ⛏️ |
| Cinder 🔥 | Incantations, Weapon Unlocks | Hecate (Erebus Boss) | None |
| Bronze 🥉 | Unlock Weapon Aspects | City of Ephyra (Surface) | Crescent Pick ⛏️ |
| Nectar 🍯 | Gift to Characters (unlocks Keepsakes) | Encounter Reward, Wretched Broker | None |
| Moon Dust 🌙 | Upgrade Arcana Cards | Wretched Broker, Alchemy | None |
| Nightmare 👻 | Upgrade Weapon Aspects | Oath of the Unseen | None |
Foundational Magick: Prioritizing Incantations and Arcana Cards ✨
Your two most important hubs for permanent progression are the Cauldron 🍵 and the Altar of Ashes 🃏.
The Cauldron: Unlocking the Game 🍵
The Cauldron is where you perform Incantations. Prioritize these essential early-game unlocks:
- Night’s Craftwork: Unlocks the Gathering Tools (⛏️♠️📜🎣). Your #1 priority!
- Fated Intervention: Unlocks the Fated List of Minor Prophecies (✅), a great source of rewards.
- Permeation of Witching-Wards: Unlocks the path to the surface (👆), giving you access to the second major region.
The Altar of Ashes: Your Arcana Deck 🃏
The Altar of Ashes is where you manage your Arcana Cards. For new players, focus on cards that boost survivability and power.
| Card Name | Grasp Cost | Effect | Strategic Value |
| The Wayward Son (II) ❤️🩹 | 1 | Restore a small amount of Health after each encounter. | The most efficient source of healing. An absolute must-have. |
| Eternity (IV) ❤️ | 3 | Grants you one or more uses of Death Defiance. | Your safety net. Extra lives are invaluable for learning. |
| The Sorceress (I) ✨ | 1 | Your Omega Moves charge significantly faster. | A massive quality-of-life and defensive upgrade. Less time vulnerable! |
| Persistence (VII) 💪 | 2 | Increases your maximum Health and Magick. | A straightforward and effective boost to your core stats. |
| The Furies (VI) 💥 | 2 | Deal significantly more damage to enemies in your Cast. | A consistent and powerful damage boost for little investment. |
Advanced Combat: Creating Devastating Builds 🤯
A truly powerful build is a web of synergistic effects that amplify each other.
- Duo Boons and Elemental Infusions 🤝When you have prerequisite Boons from two Olympians, they may offer a powerful Duo Boon. Furthermore, every Boon has an elemental affinity: Fire 🔥, Water 💧, Air 💨, or Earth 🌍. Collecting enough Boons of one element unlocks powerful Infusion Boons, like getting +100 max life for collecting four Water Boons.
- Selene’s Hexes: Your Ultimate Ability 🌙During your runs, you may encounter Selene, the Moon Goddess. She grants you a Hex, which functions as an ultimate ability, charged by spending Magick on Omega Moves. You can upgrade your Hex through the Path of Stars, a mini-skill tree.
- The Gates of Chaos ⚫Entering a Chaos Gate requires sacrificing health. Inside, Chaos offers a Boon that first applies a temporary curse. Survive the curse, and you gain a massive, permanent buff for the rest of the run. High risk, game-changing reward!
Know Your Enemy: Spoiler-Free Strategies for Every Guardian 👿
- General Guardian Tips: Many bosses have Armor (a yellow health bar 🟡). While armored, they cannot be staggered. Focus on breaking it quickly. Freeze ❄️ from Demeter is exceptionally effective.
- Guardian of Erebus: Hecate 🧙♀️
- Key Strategy: Stay mobile and get behind her.
- Phase 2: She summons three clones. You must defeat the real one to break her shield.
- Phase 3: She gains a polymorph spell that turns you into a helpless sheep 🐑. Dodge the projectile until it fizzles out.
- Guardians of Oceanus: Scylla and the Sirens 🧜♀️🎸🥁
- Key Strategy: Focus your damage on one siren at a time to simplify the fight.
- Target Priority: The stationary drummer is often the highest threat and the easiest to target.
- Guardian of the Rift of Thessaly: Eris 🔫
- Key Strategy: Use the two large pillars for cover. They block most of her projectile attacks.
- Attack Patterns: Learn her telegraphed moves. Dash through her shotgun-like blast.
- Potent Counters: Hexes that control time, like Phase Shift, are incredibly effective.
- Guardian of Tartarus: Chronos ⏳
- Key Strategy: This is a battle of patience. Focus on dodging his wide scythe attacks.
- Phase 1: His most dangerous attack is a room-wide time explosion. Stand in the single highlighted safe section on the floor clock.
- Phase 2: He summons hourglasses that fire projectiles. Destroy these immediately.
Unseen Advantages: Familiars, Keepsakes, and Final Tips 💖
- Animal Familiars 🐾Recruit animal companions to aid you. They also help you specialize your resource gathering.
- Frinos the Frog 🐸: Bonus max health, blocks projectiles. Great for farming Psyche 🧠.
- Toula the Cat 🐈: Extra Death Defiance. Great for farming Bones 🦴.
- Hecuba the Hound 🐶: Stuns enemies. Ideal for gathering Seeds 🌱.
- Raki the Raven 🐦: Passive Crit chance. Ideal for farming minerals 💎.
- Keepsakes 🎁By gifting Nectar 🍯 to a character, you receive their Keepsake.
- God Keepsakes (e.g., Zeus’s Cloud Bangle ⚡): Guarantees the next Boon is from that god. Essential for forcing a build.
- Utility Keepsakes (e.g., Schelemeus’s Luckier Tooth): Provides an extra Death Defiance.
- Boss Keepsakes (e.g., Hecate’s Silver Wheel): Grants a powerful damage buff that charges up as you clear rooms.
- God Mode and Final Advice 🙏If you find the combat too challenging, God Mode grants you stacking damage resistance each time you die. As you embark on your quest, remember:
- Embrace Failure: Every death is progress. 💀➡️💪
- Prioritize Resources: Focus on Ashes 잿더미 and Psyche 🧠 early on.
- Learn the Patterns: Knowledge is your greatest weapon. 🧐
- Experiment Constantly: The possibilities are nearly limitless! 🧪
The fate of Olympus rests on your shoulders, Princess. Now, go forth and give the Titan of Time a night to remember. ✨
Disclaimer: This is an unofficial fan work, all trademarks and copyrights for Hades II belong to the developer Supergiant Games.
Find the game here! Supergiant Games
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