Combat in Hades 2 is a comprehensive and extensive guide, as well as an added bonus of tips and tricks, that teaches players how to master fast-paced Hades 2's Combat. Players will learn how to take advantage of the game's mechanics, avoid hazardous situations, and progress during Melinoe's journey. Both beginners and veterans can benefit from the information covered in our combat guide.
Hades 2 Combat Guide
The Basics of Combat in Hades 2
Hades 2's combat can be quite fun and challenging due to its meticulous attention to detail and execution especially when talking about its combat elements. Hades 2 harnessed and mastered almost every element of an ARPG by adding its twist and engaging features and implementations. Players are required to manage staple resources or parameters to succeed in combat. Basic Parameters such as HP, Magick, or perhaps mana points. The core combat revolves around real-time actions such as Dashes, lightning-fast attacks, varying special moves, and more. Individuals who engage in Hades 2 are expected to face hordes of enemies, engaging bosses that can be challenging.
Health is Everything in Hades 2
The most important tip and also a basic one for doing well in Hades 2 is to keep your character healthy. If your health runs out, you'll have to start over from the beginning, which can be frustrating if you've made a lot of progress. You can keep your character healthy by finding Centaur's Hearts, buying snacks from Charon, and drinking from fountains after beating a boss. There are also permanent upgrades that give you more health and abilities that heal you a bit.
Managing Your Magick or Mana Points In Hades 2
Magic or mana points are crucial in Hades 2, allowing you to cast powerful Omega Abilities that can change the course of a battle. Therefore, it's important to manage your magic wisely. Each special or ability does consume Magick thus, managing your abilities or using them at the right time is a must. Using them without paying attention can put you in dire situations wherein you can't use your abilities since you've already used them beforehand.
Dash is Your Friend
Among these are fundamental maneuvers like swift dodges through dashing and executing dash attacks. Dash attacks not only offer an advantage in targeting enemies but also ensure continued agility, rendering you elusive in combat. So Dashing should be part of your usual combat routine. By doing so, you will not only maintain proper distancing from enemies but also connect more attacks by performing Dash attacks in conjunction with your normal attack combos. Melinoe's dash move is pivotal in evading incoming attacks, granting a momentary respite. Furthermore, boons offer additional perks, such as debuffing foes or pushing them away.
Precasting should be Part of your Routine
One thing that players need to master is precasting. The casting action triggers Melinoe to generate a circular vortex at her present location. This vortex renders any adversaries entering its range immobile, proving highly advantageous when evading pursuit by multiple foes. This will give you the advantage over the next batch of enemies so keep this in mind.
Over time, this maneuver becomes ingrained like muscle memory. Given that fresh enemies materialize following the defeat of the initial group, it is prudent to preemptively deploy the vortex just as the next wave of adversaries is about to emerge.
Omega Abilities in Hades 2
Omega Abilities are often the hardest damaging abilities in the game. It usually has unique animations when casting it, making it pleasing to watch. Not only does it nail the presentation but also can turn the tides of battle. In Hades 2, there are three kinds of Omega moves, which are supercharged versions of your regular attack, special attack, and cast. To perform an Omega move, you need to hold down the button for the attack you want to make stronger. For instance, to use the Omega version of your regular attack, hold down the attack button, and you'll see a blue circle above your head showing the amount of Magick it will use.
Death is Part of the Game
In Hades 2, dying is expected since it's a roguelike game. When Melinoe dies, she comes back to the Crossroads. You lose your God Boons, gold coins, and temporary boosts. But you don't lose everything. You can use the stuff you've collected to improve your abilities, unlock new things, and buy items for your next try. Learn from your mistakes and surely you will overcome your adversaries in your following attempts.
Tools Will Help You Progress
Hades 2 requires a lot of material gathering and crafting to aid players in their progression. As you collect different resources like minerals, you'll unlock new weapons and tools. Tools are used to gather various materials inside dungeons. For instance, the Crescent Pick is for stones and minerals, the Silver Spade is for digging up reagents and seeds, the Tablet of Peace lets you interact with lone shades to gain Psyche, and the Rod of Fishing helps catch aquatic creatures.
Master Different Types of Weapons
Weapons on the other hand is a different story. Players will be given the chance to play with five weapons in early access and more on the actual 1.0 release. At first, you begin with the Witch's Staff, but as you advance, you can get more weapons like the Sister Blades, Umbral Flames, and Moonstone Axe. Each of these weapons features strengths and weaknesses and it boils down to the user's preference since each weapon can vastly alter playstyle as well. Here is a quick overview of each weapon's play style and characteristics.
Witch's StaffThe first weapon you get in Hades 2 is Witch's Staff and it is easy to use and great for beginners. You attack with it simply, like in many other action games. It also has a special attack that shoots a projectile far away. When you charge it up for an Omega move, the projectile explodes when it hits, dealing a lot of damage.
The Argent Skull is the standout weapon in Hades 2. It has three skulls that you use as ammo for a strong attack. After you throw a skull, it stays on the ground until you pick it up again. The Special move lets you dash and hurt enemies, which helps you grab the skulls back. Using the Argent Skull has its challenges, but it's really fun. You mainly attack by throwing skulls, but since you have limited ammo, you need to pick them up again to keep attacking.
A weapon with slow movement speed but its attacks pack a punch. It's great for clearing out groups of enemies in rooms, but it's not as good against bosses. Bosses usually need you to stay away and move fast. Learning how to use the Moonstone Axe can be tough at first because it's heavy and slower than other weapons in Hades 2. But once you get the hang of it, you will be shredding enemies into pieces.
The Sister Blades are the fastest of the Nocturnal Arms, being super agile even though they don't do as much damage. But their special attack, the Omega version, is one of the best moves in the game. It lets you teleport behind an enemy nearby. This weapon fits perfectly into the fast-paced fighting style of Hades 2, offering a great choice for players.
Players might find Umbral Flames harder to adjust to when fighting from a distance. But once you get used to it, you'll see big rewards, like better feedback during fights or maybe doing more damage, even though it's slower. The Omega Attack of Umbral Flames is powerful, but using it means you can't move much, and you move slower.
Take Advantage of Arcana Cards
Hades 2 has provided abundant content since its Early Access release, allowing players to unlock numerous Keepsakes, new weapons, and access to twenty-five distinct Arcana Cards. These cards can significantly influence the outcome of battles, making it imperative to unlock them promptly to enhance your chances of victory. To unlock a card, you'll need a specific amount of Ashes. When you unlock one card, its neighboring cards are also unlocked. These activated cards give your character passive advantages.
Each card has a Grasp value, showing its activation level. If you prefer other benefits, you can turn off the ones you don't want. By default, you're restricted to a Grasp of 10, but you can increase this limit by spending Psyche.
Boons Bolster Your Build
In terms of upgrades, Boons is the best feature that you can take advantage of. Boons granted by the gods are essential for a successful run in Hades 2. The Olympian deities are keen on defeating Time, so they lend you their powers for a limited time. Upon getting Boons, it can drastically alter your character build and playstyle as each Boons offers substantial added abilities. One example is a boon that lets Melinoe's regulating sprinting maneuver cause nearby foes to be struck by Lightning.
Or when casting Omega Abilities, an added lightning strike will also hit targets. These are just examples of how Boons work and players can access a ton of Boons. During your runs, you can acquire boons through two methods: either by defeating all enemies in a room or by purchasing them from Charon's shop using gold coins.
Learn and Overcome Your Enemies
In Hades 2, just like any game, many enemies can stop Melinoe from moving forward. These enemies come in different sizes, from small ones to really big ones. Each enemy poses a challenge, and it's up to the player to learn how to beat them, especially the bosses. In each area of the game, you'll face a boss battle, shown by a skull icon or other special symbols. Before you get to the main boss, you might encounter sub-bosses, which are tough opponents found in each area after clearing some rooms.
Being ready for these battles is key to making progress in the game. Boss battles are often the meat of the game not because they are challenging but also fun to learn. Hades 2 offers substantial good bosses so players will surely have tons of fun.
