Curious about all the Hades 2 Arcana Cards and what they do? Melinoë begins her quest against Chronos feeling a bit outmatched, but that changes the moment you discover Arcana Cards, a game-changing new mechanic. These unique card sets provide incredible power-ups, capable of transforming Melinoë into an unstoppable force.
Beyond Arcana Cards, building the ultimate character in Hades 2 involves understanding various mechanics. While we won’t go into other guides here, remember that integrating these cards with other systems is key. This guide will break down the absolute best Hades 2 Arcana Cards, list every single one available in the game, explain how they function, and detail the steps to upgrade them.
- II – The Wayward Son: After you exit a Location, restore 2 Life (1 Grasp).
- VII – Persistence: Gain 20 Max Life and 20 Max Magick (2 Grasp).
- XI – The Swift Runner: Your Sprint is faster and lets you pass right through most dangers in your way (1 Grasp).
- XII – Death: You have 1 Death Defiance (4 Grasp).
- XXIII – Strength: While you have no Death Defiance, you take -20% damage and deal +20% (4 Grasp).
Our top picks for Hades 2 Arcana Cards are all about boosting your survival, giving you the best shot at staying alive throughout your challenging runs. The Wayward Son is fantastic for keeping your health high as you clear rooms, and Persistence makes you significantly tougher to take down.
Don’t underestimate The Swift Runner – its ability to let you dash through attacks is a total game-changer, especially as you delve deeper into the endgame where dodging is crucial. Finally, Death offers precious extra lives when you’re on the brink, and Strength provides a powerful damage and defense boost precisely when you need it most, during your final life.
All Hades 2 Arcana Cards
Here are all the Hades 2 Arcana Cards and their effects:
| Card Name | Description | Unlock Cost | Cost (Grasp) |
| I – The Sorceress | Your Omega Moves are 20/25/30% faster. | 1x Ash | 1 |
| II – The Wayward Son | After you exit a Location, restore 2/4/5 Life. | 3x Ash | 1 |
| III – The Huntress | While you have less than 100 Magick, your Attack and Special deal 30/40/50/60% damage. | 15x Ash | 3 |
| IV – Eternity | While you channel your Omega Moves, everything moves slower for 0.8/1.0/1.2/1.5 seconds. | 30x Ash | 3 |
| V – The Moon |
Your Hex also charges up automatically as though you used 1/2/3/4 Magick every second. Awakening: Activate any surrounding Card. |
30x Ash 1x Pearl |
0 |
| VI – The Furies | You deal 20/25/30% damage to foes in your Casts. | 3x Ash | 2 |
| VII – Persistence | Gain 20/30/40 Max Life and 20/30/40 Max Magick. | 10x Ash | 2 |
| VIII – The Messenger | You Casts momentarily make you Impervious and move 50/60/70% faster. | 20x Ash | 1 |
| IX – The Unseen | You restore 6/8/10 Magick every second. | 30x Ash | 5 |
| X – Night | You have 9/12/15% chance to deal Critical damage with each move in an Omega combo. | 35x Ash | 2 |
| XI – The Swift Runner | Your Sprint is 5/7/10% faster and lets you pass right through most dangers in your way. | 15x Ash | 1 |
| XII – Death | You have 1/2/3 Death Defiance. | 25x Ash | 4 |
| XIII – The Centaur |
After every 5 Locations, gain 3/4/5 Life and 3/4/5 Magick. Awakening: Activate Cards that use 1 – 5 Grasp. |
25x Ash, 1x Cinder | 0 |
| XIV – Origination | You deal 25/38/50% damage to foes afflicted with at least 2 Curses from different Olympians. | 35x Ash | 5 |
| XV – The Lovers | You take 0 damage the first 1/2/3 time(s) you are hit in Guardian Encounters. | 40x Ash | 3 |
| XVI – The Enchantress | You have 1/2/3 Change of Fate, and can alter Location Rewards. | 25x Ash | 3 |
| XVII – The Boatman | Start each run with 200/250/300 Gold. | 30x Ash | 5 |
| XVIII – The Artificer | You have 1/2/3 chance(s) this night to turn any Minor Find into a random Major Find. | 35x Ash | 3 |
| XIX – Excellence | Any Boons you are offered have a 30/40/50% chance to include Legendary or at least Rare blessings. | 35x Ash | 5 |
| XX – The Queen |
Any Boons you are offered have 6/8/10% chance to be a Duo (whenever possible). Awakening: Activate no more than 2 Cards that use the same Grasp cost. |
45x Ash 1x Tears |
0 |
| XXI – The Fates |
You have 2/3/4 Change of Fate. Awakening: Activate all surrounding Cards. |
30x Ash 1x Wool |
0 |
| XXII – The Champions | While you have no Death Defiance, you take -20/-30/-40% damage and deal +20%. | 40x Ash | 4 |
| XXIII – Strength | While you have no Death Defiance, you take -20/-30/-40% damage and deal +20%. | 40x Ash | 4 |
| XXIV – Divinity |
Any Boons you are offered have 10/15/20% chance to be improved to Epic. Awakening: Activate all 5 cards in any other row. |
45x Ash 1x Golden Apple |
0 |
| XXV – Judgement |
After you vanquish a Guardian, activate three random inactive Arcana cards. Awakening: Activate no more than 3 Cards. |
50x Ashes 1x Zodiac Sand |
0 |
What are Hades 2 Arcana Cards?
Arcana Cards are the very first major power-up system you’ll encounter in Hades 2. These powerful enhancements can significantly boost both your survivability and your damage output, making your choice of cards crucial to your success. Remember, your Arcana Card selections aren’t set in stone; you can freely activate or deactivate any card to experiment with different setups as you unlock them.
While you can equip multiple Arcana Cards simultaneously, you must pay close attention to your ‘Grasp’ gauge. This gauge dictates how many power-ups can be active at any given moment. To increase your maximum Grasp, simply spend Psyche by interacting with Melinoë’s portrait and selecting the upgrade option.
How do you unlock Hades 2 Arcana Cards?
After your very first demise, you’ll discover an Altar awaiting you in the Underworld. Meditate at this Altar to unlock your initial Arcana Card. This action will also reveal two more cards that become available for unlocking once you’ve gathered their specific resource requirements.
How to upgrade Hades 2 Arcana cards
Once you successfully vanquish the Infernal Beast in the Mourning Fields, you’ll gain access to the ‘Consecration of Ashes’ incantation at the cauldron in your hub area. Activating this ritual costs six Ash, one Cinder, and six Fate Fabrics, and it unlocks the cauldron’s full potential, generously rewarding you with three Moon Dust.
Moon Dust is absolutely essential for enhancing your Arcana Cards with powerful buffs. You can improve an Arcana Card multiple times, provided you have the necessary materials, which often include Moon Dust and other rare finds. To get your hands on Moon Dust, you can either purchase it from the Broker at your hub for 80 Bones, or use the ‘Moonlit Essence from Shadow Alchemy’ incantation to convert one Cinder and one Shadow. For those aiming for the highest-tier Arcana Card upgrades, you’ll also need Star Dust, acquired by converting two Moly, two Nightshades, two Fate Fabrics, and two Pearls through the ‘Abyssal Insight’ incantation.
And there you have it – everything you need to know about the most impactful Hades 2 Arcana Cards. With this knowledge, you’re well on your way to mastering Melinoë’s journey through the Underworld!