5 tips to get started for beginners in Hades 2

Hades 2 is pretty difficult, especially if you haven't played the original game, but I'm here to help.

There's a lot of complexity to the game, and it's not always obvious what you need to do to get strong enough to beat Chronos. That's why I've put together some helpful tips to assist you if you're new and looking for some advice!

Tips for beginners in Hades 2

1 - You're not supposed to get far immediately

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You're not very likely to beat Chronos on your first try. The game expects you to fail at first, and offers you upgrades and new features to get further on every trip through the underworld.

If you're still seeing Eris at the start of a new area, the game doesn't expect you to be able to beat it in your current state. After a few runs, she'll disappear and move on to the next one until finally she's gone forever - along with her nasty debuff.

Keep trying and eventually, you'll be strong enough - and skilled enough - to beat the main game.

2 - Use your Cast

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Your three attacks, the Normal, Special, and Cast, are all incredibly useful. Don't neglect your Cast in favour of just spamming regular attacks - it's extremely helpful.

The Cast will trap enemies within its radius, slowing them down and preventing them from reaching you. That's ideal for enemies like the screaming Wailers that chase you, or the Pinheads that swarm you in massive groups.

3 - Upgrade your Tarot cards & Arcana

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You can use Ashes to get more cards, unlocking new abilities, but don't forget you can also use Psyche to upgrade the amount of Tarot cards you can have at any given time. This is really important the more you progress through the game, and can be done by clicking the portrait of Melinoë in the Tarot card screen.

A particularly helpful one to grab is the Eternity card which grants you Death Defiance to survive deadly attacks. You can later unlock the resource Moon Dust to upgrade this card and others, giving you extra uses.

4 - Prioritise health upgrades & survival

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One thing you'll need is extra health to survive for longer. Health is the most valuable resource you have, as once it's gone your run is over.

Prioritise encounters that reward you with health, or use Keepsakes that help with your survivability. Luckier Tooth is ideal as it gives you an extra life, and that can make a huge difference. Armour can also be helpful as it lets you tank some attacks without losing any health.

5 - Choose Boons that synergise with each other

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Lastly, make sure you're not just picking any random Boons you're offered. Think about which ones synergise best with ones you already have, and don't bother with Boons you're unlikely to benefit from.

If you're mainly using your Omega attacks, choose Boons that give them extra damage or let you channel them faster. If you've got a really good Boon for your Specials, prioritise other Boons that can boost it too.

Each run will essentially have its own "build" that you can develop along the way based on what you're offered by the Gods, and finding strong combos between Boons is often the key to smashing encounters.

If you're looking for more tips and tricks, head over to our Hades 2 homepage, where we've got a full list of the bosses, all of the best weapons to use, and everything you need to know about Arcana Cards.