Best weapons in early access

Zagreu's iconic starting weapon from the original Hades was a broadsword. It's a common weapon to give heroes in games from roguelikes to good old-fashioned turn-based RPGs. Eventually, players were able to unlock other weapons for Zagreus, such as a bow that added range to his attacks and made things a little easier for some players who aren't used to the roguelike challenge loop. Hades 2 gives the heroine, Melinoë, a ranged weapon right from the start, which is a staff that shoots magic. Melinoë is a witch, so giving her a magical weapon from the start makes sense.

She eventually gets some other weapons as well. Each weapon in the game has four attacks. There is Basic attack and Special attack, and both of these can be charged. Melinoë also gains a fifth attack, a Cast, but this attack does not change with the weapons she gains. It changes based on Boons acquired during a run-in Hades 2. For example, Poseidon can channel watery waves to explode within the Cast ring. That's all players need to know about the basics of offense, so let's go to the five weapons in the game and see how they stack up against each other.

Updated December 6, 2024 by Erik Petrovich: Throughout Hades 2 Early Access weapons have slowly but surely received new updates, including new aspects and changes to how each weapon works. With the Olympic update, the list of all Hades 2 weapons has been expanded with a new option for Melinoe to use: Xinth, the Black Coat. This mech suit-like armament is one of the most powerful weapons in Hades 2 as of the Olympic update, and it's worth unlocking as soon as you can to experience its incredibly unique (and strong) moveset. This list of all weapons in Hades 2 has been updated to include a basic overview of the Black Coat, as well as unlock requirements and a list of aspects for all Hades 2 weapons listed below.

6 Umbral Flames

Dual-Wielding the Firepower

• Umbral Flames Aspects: Aspect of Melinoë, Aspect of Moros, Aspect of Eos
• How to unlock Umbral Flames: Requires 3x Silver and 3x Cinder

The Umbral Flames are two twin rods that look a bit like batons on fire. The name may be a fun nod to Bayonetta in her title series, who was an Umbra witch. These are mostly mid-range weapons that specialize in protecting Melinoë's body. Their basic attack will shoot out small fireballs, and if players continue to hold down the attack button, these fireballs will grow in size. This will use Melinoë's Magick energy, as all charged attacks do.

The special attack will send out a flame, which will protect Melinoë but then quickly fade. If the Special is charged, flames will surround Melinoë for an extended period. This charged effect is the best thing about Umbral Flames, otherwise they are a tricky weapon to use. Since the flames move in an arc, it can be difficult to hit enemies with reasonable accuracy.

5 The Witch's Staff

Powered by Melinoe's natural magical talents

• The witch's personnel aspects: Aspect of Melinoe, Aspect of Circe, Aspect of Momus
• How to unlock Witch's Staff: Unlocked by default

The The Witch's Staff will be Melinoë's starting weapon, which is different from Zagreu's charge from the first Hades. He had a sword, while Melinoë starts with a ranged weapon. Like most magical staffs in game, the Witch's Staff will shoot out bursts of non-elemental magic for a Basic attack, which has a shorter range and functions more as a melee weapon.

A strong beam will erupt when the basic attack is charged, giving it more range as well. Players can use the special attack to fire a larger stream of energy, and then the charged version will cover an even greater distance if aimed well. It's an okay starting weapon, but it only gets better from here.

4 Argent Skull

A long-range grenade launcher that uses legs

• Argent Skull Aspects: Aspect of Melinoë, Aspect of Medea, Aspect of Persephone
• How to unlock Argent Skull: Requires 1x Bronze and 2x Ice Rock (G. Rock)

The Argent Skull is a weird weapon because it's literally just a skull with a bunch of markings on it. The Basic attack will send a skull forward, and it will explode as if it had a grenade or rocket in it Call of Duty. The area of ​​effect is decent, and the attack power is also deadly. Players will be equipped with three skulls, and they must be reset after launching them.

If these skulls go out of bounds, they will eventually return to Melinoë, so it's no big deal. The charged Basic attack for this will make the skulls act like a mortar, making players want a more accurate attack. The special attack is a forward dash, and the charged version will make this dash stronger and throw skulls out of the sides of the dash's wake. Overall, this is a very powerful weapon with good range, and the only downside is the limited starting ammo that must be picked up.

3 Sister Blades

Blades that give Melinoë the best of both worlds

• Sister Blade's Aspects: Aspect of Melinoë, Aspect of Artemis, Aspect of Pan
• How to unlock sister blade: Requires 1x Silver

The Sister Blades are the weapons used in the cover art for hades 2, which is strange to science since Melinoë is a witch who starts the game using a wand. Cover weirdness aside, these twin blades are amazing; one is a sickle while the other is a dagger. Their basic attack pattern makes Melinoë a bit of a villain, and the charged version looks like an assassination attempt that will deal critical damage.

This weapon's special attack will cause Melinoë to throw her dagger at enemies, giving the weapon an overall good balance between ranged and close range attacks. The loaded version will create a fan pattern of daggers that players can shoot at a group of enemies. If players use this charged Special at close range, each Phantom Dagger will hit the target instead. It's kind of like how shotguns are more effective in close range games.

2 Moonstone axe

Close range power with a defensive twist

• Moonstone ax aspects: Aspect of Melinoë, Aspect of Charon, Aspect of Thanatos
• How to unlock Moonstone Axe: Requires 15x Silver

The Moonstone axe just narrowly beating out Sister Blades. The great power of this mighty ax compensates for the slow swing speed of the Basic attack, and it is not as bad as similar axes in action games such as Dark souls. The Moonstone Ax's charged attack can send Melinoë into a swinging arc like a deadly axe-based tornado.

The special attack is interesting, as Melinoë will start spinning and create a shield that blocks most attacks. After the charging period, a large arc will burst forward much like dominoes falling into place. It's good for dealing with large onslaughts of enemies, along with quickly bringing down the hefty boss health bars. The defensive spin is a nice bonus on top of the attack power of this weapon, making it the best weapon in Hades 2 as it looks right now.

1 The black coat

It's a mech suit with power fists – what's not to love?

• The Black Coat Aspects: Aspect of Melinoë, Aspect of Selene, Aspect of Nyx
• How to unlock the black cloak: Requires 2x Cinder and 1x Adamant

The Black coat is a new weapon added Hades 2 in the olympic patch for Hades 2 Early access – and it's great. Black Coat is one of the strongest Hades 2 weapons and one of the most spotty, as Melinoë basically dons a gundam suit with charged attacks, missiles it can fire at targeted enemies, and fast speed that makes it easy to escape from overwhelming combat situations.

While the Black Coat is greatly enhanced with the right boons, it is one of the few weapons in the Hades 2 which makes it easy to reach the endgame areas (including the new Olympus zone with its new Titan boss). While it can struggle in these high-level zones without a good build, it's relatively easy to get there on both surface and underground routes.