Arcana cards in Hades 2 serve as powerful permanent upgrades that activate before each run, granting passive bonuses that can dramatically improve your success rate. With 25 unique cards to unlock and limited Grasp to activate them, choosing the right combination is essential for conquering Chronos and mastering both the Underworld and Olympus.
| Card | Grasp Cost | Primary Effect | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Sorceress (I) | 1 | +30% Omega charge speed | All builds |
| Persistence (VII) | 2 | +40 HP, +40 Magic | All stages |
| Origination (XIV) | 3 | +50% damage to cursed enemies | Late game |
| Strength (XXIII) | 5 | -40% damage taken, +20% damage dealt | Endgame |
| Divinity (XXIV) | 0* | +20% Epic boon chance | All builds |
*Requires specific card activations
Contents
This comprehensive guide breaks down every Arcana card, provides proven loadouts for beginners through veterans, and explains how to maximize your Grasp investment for consistent victories. Whether you're struggling in Erebus or pushing high Fear levels, understanding Arcana optimization is your path to success.
Before diving into tier lists and loadouts, let's clarify how Arcana cards actually work in Hades 2's meta-progression system.
The Altar of Ashes serves as your Arcana management hub, located in the Crossroads training grounds. Here's what you need to know:
Unlocking Cards: Each card requires Ashes (and sometimes rare materials like Cinders from boss defeats) to unlock. Unlocking one card reveals adjacent cards in the 5×5 grid, gradually expanding your options.
Grasp System: Your total Grasp determines how many cards you can activate simultaneously. Increase Grasp by collecting Psyche from shades throughout your runs. Cards cost 0-6 Grasp to activate, with more powerful effects typically requiring more Grasp.
Insights (Upgrades): After unlocking the Consecration of Ashes incantation (requires 6 Ash, 1 Cinder, 6 Fate Fabric), you can enhance cards with Moon Dust and later Star Dust for significantly improved effects.
Awakening Conditions: Some powerful cards (Grasp cost: 0) only activate when specific conditions are met, such as having cards active at multiple Grasp levels or activating entire rows/columns.
Our tier list evaluates cards based on Grasp efficiency, universal applicability, and impact on run success. This ranking reflects the current meta as of October 2025, following the v1.0 release.
These cards define the meta and should be prioritized in nearly every build.
Effect: Omega moves charge 30% faster (50% at max Insight)
The single most important card in Hades 2. Omega attacks and specials represent your highest damage potential, and faster charging means more opportunities to unleash devastating combos. At only 1 Grasp, this is the best value in the entire Arcana system.
Why It's S-Tier: Works with every weapon, every build, every playstyle. The efficiency is unmatched.
Effect: +40 HP, +40 Magic (upgrades to +80 each at max Insight)
Simple, powerful, universally beneficial. More health means more survivability; more magic means more cast opportunities and special attacks. At 2 Grasp, this represents incredible value for both offensive and defensive capabilities.
Why It's S-Tier: Every run benefits from additional resources. This card essentially gives you a free mid-game power spike before you even start.
Effect: Deal +50% damage to foes with at least 2 Curses (upgrades to +75%)
The Hades 2 equivalent of Privileged Status from the original game. Once you build around applying multiple curse effects through boons (from gods like Aphrodite, Ares, Dionysus, Demeter), this becomes an absurd damage multiplier.
Why It's S-Tier: Transforms good builds into dominant ones. The damage increase is multiplicative with other bonuses, creating exponential scaling.
Effect: Remove Death Defiances; take 40% less damage and deal 20% more damage when below 30% HP (upgrades to 50% less damage taken, 30% more dealt)
This might seem counterintuitive—removing your safety net? However, the defensive boost makes you effectively tankier while the damage increase speeds up encounters. Combined with healing boons, this outperforms Death Defiance in skilled hands.
Why It's S-Tier: Game-changing for experienced players. Makes healing more efficient and rewards aggressive play.
Effect: +20% chance for Epic boons (upgrades to +30%)
Awakening Requirement: Activate all cards in the middle row OR left column
Zero Grasp cost for substantially better boon quality throughout your run. Epic boons provide dramatically better values than Common/Rare variants, making this free upgrade essential.
Why It's S-Tier: Free power with no downside. Epic boons can make mediocre builds excellent and excellent builds unstoppable.
Strong cards that shine in most situations but may have slight limitations.
Effect: Deal 30% more damage to foes trapped in your Cast area
Incredibly Grasp-efficient for cast-focused builds. If you're using Cast regularly (and you should be), this is nearly mandatory.
Effect: While below 100% Magic, Attack and Special deal 50% more damage
Exceptional for non-Magic-intensive playstyles. If you're primarily using Attack and Special rather than Cast or Omega moves, this provides massive damage increases.
Effect: Restore 5 HP after each room (double when below 30% HP)
Outstanding for beginners or survival-focused runs. The healing adds up quickly—clearing 40+ rooms means 200+ health restored. Less valuable once you master damage avoidance.
Effect: Start with 3 boon rerolls (upgrades to 10 at max Insight)
Build flexibility incarnate. Rerolls let you hunt for specific god combinations, avoid unwanted boons, and fish for Duo/Legendary offerings. Essential for optimization.
Effect: Start with 3 location reward rerolls (upgrades to 6)
Complements Champions perfectly. Control which encounters you face, which rewards you receive, and optimize your path through each region.
Effect: +10% movement speed, phase through enemies
Defensive utility that improves positioning and escape options. The enemy phase-through is surprisingly valuable during chaotic multi-enemy encounters.
Good cards that excel in specific builds or situations.
Effect: Omega Attack has 50% Critical chance (upgrades to 75%)
Build-defining for Attack-focused weapons but too expensive for general use. Pairs excellently with Sister Blades and certain Aspects.
Effect: Alternating between Omega Attack and Omega Special grants Critical chance
Powerful when playing weapons that encourage Omega alternation. Requires intentional playstyle adaptation.
Effect: First 2 hits in Guardian encounters deal no damage (upgrades to 3 hits)
Excellent insurance policy for boss fights, especially at high Fear levels where mistakes are punishing.
Effect: Cast travels 70% faster, +6% Dodge chance
Great for Cast builds. The dodge chance provides passive defense.
Effect: Every 5 chambers, gain +5 HP and +5 Magic permanently
Awakening Requirement: Activate cards using 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 Grasp
Slow but steady scaling. Provides 50-75 HP/Magic over a full run.
These cards work in specialized builds but aren't generally recommended.
Effect: Grants 1 Death Defiance (upgrades to 3)
Awakening Requirement: Automatically active early game
Excellent for beginners but becomes less valuable as skill improves. Eventually replaced by Strength.
Effect: Restore 2 Magic per second, Hex charges automatically
Build-specific for Hex-focused strategies. Too narrow for general use.
Effect: Bonus damage to structures and traps
Too situational—few encounters have exploitable structures.
Effect: Reveals door rewards in advance
Convenient but not worth 5 Grasp. Information is valuable but not as impactful as raw power.
Cards that underperform compared to alternatives.
Effect: Better boon rarity for one god slot
Too expensive. Divinity provides better value at 0 Grasp.
Effect: +10 Magic regeneration per second
Magic management is easily solved through boons and gameplay. 5 Grasp is far too expensive.
Effect: Activates 3 random inactive cards after defeating Guardians
Awakening Requirement: Defeat Chronos and obtain Zodiac Sand
Fun but inconsistent. The randomness limits reliability.
Goal: Maximize survivability while learning mechanics
Cards:
Total: 7 Grasp + 3 reserve
Strategy: This loadout prioritizes consistent healing, increased health pool, and Death Defiances. The Sorceress keeps combat smooth, while Furies and Swift Runner provide damage and mobility. As you improve, gradually reduce reliance on Wayward Sun and Eternity.
Goal: Transition to offense while maintaining reasonable defense
Cards:
Total: 12 Grasp + 3 reserve
Strategy: Origination becomes your core damage multiplier. Build around curse-applying gods (Aphrodite's Weak, Dionysus' Hangover, Demeter's Chill). The Huntress provides additional damage when you're not casting. Wayward Sun remains for safety but can be swapped once confident.
Goal: Maximize damage output with selective defense
Cards:
Total: 16 Grasp + 4 reserve
Strategy: Reroll access lets you hunt for optimal boon combinations. Divinity increases Epic chances for better scaling. Awakening Centaur requires having cards at 1-5 Grasp levels (which this loadout satisfies). This setup dominates with proper god selection.
Goal: Push maximum Fear levels and challenge runs
Cards:
Total: 22 Grasp + reserve
Strategy: Strength replaces Death Defiance for superior damage reduction and offense. The Lovers provides Guardian safety. With maximum rerolls and Epic chances, you control your build destiny. This loadout requires mechanical skill but rewards aggression.
Different weapons synergize with different Arcana cards. Here's how to optimize:
Focus: Attack speed, Critical damage
Priority Cards: The Knight (XVIII), Night (X), The Sorceress (I)
Strategy: Alternate Omega Attack and Special to proc Night's Critical bonuses
Focus: High single-target damage, Critical scaling
Priority Cards: The Knight (XVIII), Origination (XIV), The Furies (VI)
Strategy: Maximize Omega Attack damage for massive Critical hits
Focus: Cast synergy, area damage
Priority Cards: The Furies (VI), The Messenger (VIII), Origination (XIV)
Strategy: Cast-centric builds benefit enormously from Furies' damage bonus
Focus: Magic efficiency, sustained damage
Priority Cards: The Moon (V), Persistence (VII), The Huntress (III)
Strategy: Magic regeneration supports Flames' channel-heavy playstyle
Focus: Versatility, balanced approach
Priority Cards: The Sorceress (I), Persistence (VII), Origination (XIV)
Strategy: Staff's flexibility works with general-purpose powerful cards
Phase 1 (0-10 Grasp): Focus exclusively on Sorceress, Persistence, and one survival card (Wayward Sun or Eternity)
Phase 2 (10-15 Grasp): Add Origination and one offensive card (Furies or Huntress)
Phase 3 (15-20 Grasp): Incorporate reroll cards (Champions, Enchantress) for build optimization
Phase 4 (20+ Grasp): Experiment with build-specific cards or swap Eternity for Strength
Divinity Awakening: Easiest method is activating the entire middle row:
Alternative: Activate entire left column (generally less efficient)
Centaur Awakening: Requires cards at all five Grasp costs (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). Our recommended loadouts naturally satisfy this.
When you unlock card upgrades, prioritize in this order:
❌ Spreading Grasp too thin: Activating many weak cards is worse than focusing on a few powerful ones
❌ Ignoring Awakening conditions: Divinity and Centaur provide massive value for 0 Grasp
❌ Neglecting rerolls: Champions and Enchantress dramatically improve build consistency
❌ Overvaluing Death Defiance: Once skilled, Strength provides better overall survivability
❌ Forgetting weapon synergy: Not all cards work equally well with every weapon
Best Gods for Multiple Curses:
Optimal Combo: Get Attack or Special from a curse god, then add Cast from another curse god. This ensures enemies have 2+ curses active, maximizing Origination's damage bonus.
With Champions and Enchantress maxed (16 total rerolls), you can reliably hunt for:
Pro Tip: Use rerolls aggressively early (Tartarus/Erebus) to establish your core build. Save 2-3 for Oceanus/Surface when Legendary boons appear.
Ash Sources:
Psyche Farming:
Moon Dust Acquisition:
Star Dust Unlock: Requires Abyssal Insight incantation:
Unlocks Chaos Trials access—complete trials for Star Dust rewards used in final Insight upgrades.
Against Specific Guardians:
Hecate: Standard loadout works. Focus on learning attack patterns.
Scylla and the Sirens: The Lovers (XV) for invulnerability during complex attack phases.
Chronos: Maximum damage output. Origination + Strength + offensive boons required.
High Fear Runs: Prioritize Strength, The Lovers, and maximum Insight upgrades for survivability.
Supergiant Games Discord: Join the official Discord server for real-time discussions with developers and players. The #hades-ii-general channel has active build discussions and strategy sharing.
r/HadesTheGame Subreddit: The Hades subreddit hosts comprehensive build guides, achievement hunting tips, and community challenges. Perfect for finding optimal god pairings and advanced strategies.
Steam Community Hub: Hades II Steam page includes community guides, achievement discussions, and patch note analysis.
Hades Wiki: The community-maintained wiki provides detailed data on every card, including exact upgrade values and unlock requirements.
Hades 2 received its v1.0 release on September 25, 2025, marking the end of Early Access. Supergiant Games continues monitoring balance and may adjust card values in future patches. Check the official channels above for the latest meta developments.
After your first run, speak with Hecate at the Crossroads and complete the Consecration of Ashes incantation at her cauldron. The Altar will appear in the training grounds area.
You can increase Grasp to 30 total by collecting Psyche throughout your runs. Early game focuses on reaching 10-15 Grasp; endgame builds typically use 20-25 Grasp.
Beginners: Use Eternity (Death Defiance) while learning enemy patterns.
Intermediate: Continue with Death Defiance until comfortable avoiding most damage.
Advanced: Switch to Strength once skilled—the damage reduction is more valuable than revival.
Unlock the Abyssal Insight incantation (requires 2 Nightshade, 2 Fate Fabric, 2 Pearl), which grants access to Chaos Trials. Complete trials to earn Star Dust for final Insight upgrades.
No. Arcana cards are set at the Altar of Ashes before each run begins. Choose carefully based on your planned weapon and strategy.
Priority Unlock Path:
This establishes your core early-game foundation.
Yes, but some cards synergize better with specific aspects. For example, The Knight works excellently with Attack-focused aspects, while The Furies shines with Cast-heavy aspects.
Early game: Not critical—focus on survival and damage.
Mid-late game: Extremely valuable—rerolls enable consistent god synergies and Duo boon hunting.
Endgame: Essential for optimization and high-Fear completions.
You can freely activate/deactivate cards at the Altar before each run without penalty. Unlocks and Insight upgrades are permanent.
Awakening Divinity by activating the middle row or left column gives +20% Epic boon chance (upgrades to +30%) at 0 Grasp cost. This is one of the best value propositions in the entire system.
Arcana cards represent the foundation of every successful Hades 2 run. While boons provide run-specific power, Arcana gives you guaranteed advantages before entering the first chamber. The key to mastery isn't just knowing which cards are strongest—it's understanding how to build synergistic combinations that complement your weapon choice and god preferences.
Remember these core principles:
✅ Prioritize Grasp efficiency: The Sorceress and Persistence provide exceptional value at low cost
✅ Build around win conditions: Origination transforms curse-focused builds from good to dominant
✅ Adapt to progression: Beginner loadouts differ significantly from endgame optimization
✅ Control RNG with rerolls: Champions and Enchantress enable consistent build execution
✅ Invest in Insights strategically: Upgrade your most-used cards first
The beauty of Hades 2's Arcana system lies in its flexibility. There's no single "correct" loadout—the best build depends on your weapon, god preferences, skill level, and current goals. Experiment with different combinations, adapt based on your progress, and don't be afraid to try unconventional strategies.
Want to dive deeper? Join the Supergiant Games Discord for daily build discussions, check r/HadesTheGame for community strategies, or experiment with the Hades Wiki's detailed card data.
Master your Arcana selections, and even Chronos himself will fall before your power. Good luck, Princess of the Underworld—the Titan of Time awaits!