Weapons — also known as Nocturnal Arms in the game — are Melinoë’s main means of dealing damage in Hades 2. While boons, Keepsakes, and Arcana Cards significantly alter the way you play, the weapon you choose is what determines the foundation of each run.
Every weapon is unique, from the quick and nimble Sister Blades to the slow-but-deadly Moonstone Axe. Some need you to specialise in close-range combat, while others allow you to attack from a distance. Adding to this, Daedalus Hammers are drop-able in runs, giving you upgrades that entirely change how your chosen weapon behaves.
This handbook covers all Nocturnal Arms in Hades 2, how to unlock them, and the resources you will be required to track down. Six weapons form the whole list at the time of the game’s official release.
All Weapons in Hades 2
To unlock a weapon, proceed to the pool of light within the staging area. From here, you can view accessible arms, pay the cost required, and equip them prior to starting a run.
The six Nocturnal Arms are:
- Witch’s Staff (Descura): Your starting weapon, with a basic melee combo and an Omega special shot with a ranged impact. Its Omega projectile explodes, making it harmless for beginners.
- Sister Blades (Lim and Oros): Very agile but less in raw damage. Their Omega basic attack teleports the player behind enemies, providing backstab opportunities.
- Umbral Flames (Flames of Ygnium): An orb-based magical ranged attack. You can fire projectiles or surround yourself with orbiting flames, so it’s better for distance fighters.
- Moonstone Axe (Zorephet): Slow-speed but high-damage, making sweeping area-of-effect attacks that cleave mobs in half cleanly. Against bosses, its slow speed is painful.
- Argent Skull (Revaal): A unique weapon where skulls are fired like bullets. They remain on the ground until they are picked up, offering a balance between offence and resource utilisation. Lost skulls are recovered by the special dash.
- Black Coat (Xinth): A mechanical suit-like weapon that turns Melinoë into a bruiser. The basic attack is a punch that can block when charged, while its special unleashes rockets, with Omega rockets homing in on marked targets.
Unlock Requirements for Each Weapon
Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll need to unlock each Nocturnal Arm:
- Witch’s Staff (Descura): Unlocked from the start.
- Sister Blades (Lim and Oros): Costs 1 Silver.
- Umbral Flames (Flames of Ygnium): Requires 2 Silver and 2 Cinder.
- Moonstone Axe (Zorephet): Requires 10 Silver.
- Argent Skull (Revaal): Costs 1 Bronze and 2 Glassrock, but only after you’ve crafted both Umbral Flames and Moonstone Axe.
- Black Coat (Xinth): Requires 2 Cinder and 2 Adamant, and can only be unlocked after crafting the Argent Skull.
Each weapon also has a standard attack and special attack, both of which can be charged into an Omega move by holding the button and expending Magick. This maintains flexibility in combat, even on a per-weapon basis.
Resource Collection for Unlocking Weapons
Unlocking weapons involves farming a number of uncommon crafting materials.
Here’s where to obtain each:
Silver
Silver is one of the earliest resources you’ll need. It appears as mounds of silvery crescents in Erebus, the first region of the Underworld. Each mound yields three Silver.
- The Crescent Pick (unlocked with 1 Ash) is required to mine it.
- To make farming easier, craft the Reagent Sensing incantation (1 Moly), which highlights Silver deposits after a room is cleared.
- Narcissus, which is located in Oceanus, occasionally rewards 6 Silver, but this is not consistent compared to mining.
Cinder
Cinder is linked directly with boss progression. One piece will be rewarded each time you kill Hecate, who is the game’s first boss. Since the Umbral Flames and
Black Coat requires multiple Cinders; you will need to kill her repeatedly.
Glassrock (G Rock)
Glassrock can only be mined in the Fields of Mourning. With the Crescent Pick and Reagent Sensing, you’ll easily spot sparkling deposits after clearing rooms.
This material is needed for the Argent Skull.
Bronze
Bronze is located in the City of Ephyra, which becomes accessible after unlocking the Surface. As with other ores, Reagent Sensing will reveal its deposits. Because the Argent Skull requires Bronze, you’ll need to progress the story far enough to survive above ground first.
Adamant
The final and hardest-to-obtain material, Adamant, is located in the Mount Olympus region. This is Surface late-game material, so do not expect to come across it until later. Black and blue glinting rocks show areas where Adamant can be found. Once mined, you can craft the Black Coat, the final weapon in the set.
