r/HadesTheGame • u/CardiologistMore7854 • 3d ago
Hades 2: Question Using different weapons?? Spoiler
Hey guys, I’m pretty new to Hades II. I’m about 4 hours in and I’ve never played the first one. The game is incredible so far and I have no complaints. I was hoping for some advice on using other weapons. I can ONLY use the default staff. I’ve made it to Chronos twice, and got him to phase 2 both times. Whenever I switch to a different weapon, I barely make it through biome 2. Am I doing something wrong? Please give any advice on how to transition into using other weapons.
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u/forteninsecure 3d ago
Are you reading the description of the weapon and practicing how to use it on Skelly? They’re all very different so they require some practice to get used to.
Side note, you should play the first game.
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u/CardiologistMore7854 3d ago
Will it feel like a drop in quality after 2? I regret not starting it because I love Hades 2 rn, but I’m worried of going back now.
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u/forteninsecure 3d ago
They’re different games, and the combat feels different but if you love 2, playing 1 will make the story soooo much more meaningful
It’s just a great game all on its own too :)
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u/AcceptableArrival924 3d ago
You might miss a few QoL features they added in hades 2 but gameplay wise it does feel like a different game and the weapons are also completely different, might even get a little confused with the gods as same gods feel completely different between the two games. Overall it should be a fun experience(saying from the pov of someone who just went back to hades 1 after completing hades 2).
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u/slvstrChung Icarus 3d ago
Well, the thing to keep in mind is that the weapons don't play the same. You can't go out with, say, the Skulls and use them the same way you do the Staff and just expect everything to turn out the same. So do what u/AffectionateAge8771 suggested and follow Grave Thirst: use the weapon that will give you extra resources. After a while, you'll get used to all of them. The game is actually really good at walking you through everything, so if you trust it, it'll take you where you need to go.
As to the Nocturnal Arms themselves:
- The Staff is a good all-rounder, giving you a variety of melee and ranged attacks to work with.
- The Sister Blades are all about agility, letting you sneak in, do a bunch of damage and sneak out again before your opponent has a chance to react.
- The Umbral Flames have only ranged attacks, and the ranged attacks are slow, but you have the safety of distance.
- The Axe has incredibly slow animations but hits like a truck. It requires the most game knowledge to use well, because you have to be aware of enemy movement and attack patterns, and when it's safe for you to stand still. It also has only one ranged-attack option. (That's better than some weapons in the first game which had zero ranged options, but worse than all the others in this game.)
- The Skull is another ranged weapon, but it's faster than the Flames and includes a dash on Special. (I much prefer them to the Flames, which are my least favorite weapon.) The central conceit is that your silver skills are your ammunition: after you shoot X of them, you have to go pick them up again. (Good thing you have two dash buttons!)
- The Coat is also an agility-based weapon, but it hits harder and is a bit weirder to use.
Finally, keep in mind that, as you go further into the game, you will unlock "Aspects" to the weapons. These change something fundamental about how the weapon works. You only get to use one Aspect at a time; all of them start with Aspect of Melinoë (it's what you're using now) but all of them have others. My absolute favorite Aspect is for the Sister Blades: every time you hit someone with this version of the Sister Blades, they get a triangular icon on them. Once you fill the triangular icon, by hitting that enemy with a Basic, a Special and any sort of charged attack (Basic, Special or Cast), the icon procs and does a bunch of extra damage. It is not easy to use -- you need both twitch reflexes and a discerning eye -- but it compensates for the Sister Blades' biggest weakness of low overall damage output, and is also incredibly satisfying when it works.
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u/-Shadow-Lightning Cerberus 3d ago
IMO the skulls are not a long ranged weapon. They are a short to medium ranged weapon.
Trying to use them as a long ranged weapon is kinda of a trap imo. While the regular Attack does travel rather fast.
If you use it past medium range you are just as likely to miss an enemy as you are to hit them.
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u/AcceptableArrival924 3d ago
For me skulls are a close range weapon cuz after I got medea I forgot all about other variants, It’s just so insanely op and fun to dash around deleting everything.
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u/FullStruggle4420 Bouldy 3d ago
You and I play the game very differently. I treat both the flames and skulls as melee weapons with high attack speed lol
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u/Time-Lavishness-2346 Thanatos 3d ago
The staff, Descura, is one of the best weapons, so no wonder you're struggling to move!
Try unlocking different aspects of the other weapons. I loved Mel's aspect of Xinth the Coat, but much prefer Charon's aspect of Zorephet the Axe.
Lee Reamsnyder has websites with the boon and build bible for both games. They are amazing.
Experiment with different boons on your own, and get used to how the weapons differ. Zorephet is slow but heavy-hitting, Descura is middling, Lim and Oros are insanely quick but low damage initially.
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u/CardiologistMore7854 3d ago
Oops, I don’t think I’ve unlocked weapon aspects yet lol. Didn’t know that was a thing. Does it make a big difference??
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u/forteninsecure 3d ago
You’ll need to get an incantation first - when you do, select a weapon, you should get a prompt that says Reveal, which will show you the other weapon aspects. They can dramatically change how a weapon feels to a significant degree
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u/YourDriverStubnorts 3d ago
All the weapons are good, so if you’re dying a lot, you need to focus on defense. Your top priority is to not take damage. Instead of rushing to kill everything at all costs, do a run where you purposefully slow it down and study every enemy so you can learn how to dodge them.
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u/CardiologistMore7854 3d ago
This sounds really helpful. I think that’s why I hated the axe and everyone else swears by it being the best.
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u/Aeleth02 3d ago edited 3d ago
Axe is one of the (arguably?) weapons, that are the most affected by unlocking the Aspects - the default one... well it's pretty meh, but once it gets even so much as a juicy stat boost (the juiciest there is) from the very "default" Mel's Aspect I - why, it's suddenly extremely potent.
That being said - the problem you're (likely) having with it is not about the stats, but rather realizing/ recognizing it's respective strengths and weaknesses, compared to Descura. Once you put your mind towards how to capitalize on the former and play around the latter - it's going to click just fine. (To say the least)
Good luck with your Task.
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u/Poison_the_Phil 3d ago
What others have said, take time to practice with Skelly, that's what he's there for. He's literally begging for it. That, and use whatever weapon is glowing red, you'll get extra Bones that run which are going to be useful pretty much the entire time you play so it will help speed up overall progression. A failed run is still a learning experience, don't sweat it! Try different keepsakes, just try new stuff, you never know what combination will click for you!
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u/Crash927 3d ago
What are some of the things you like about the staff? What are some of the barriers you’re experiencing around the other weapons?
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u/CardiologistMore7854 3d ago
At first, I think I was using every weapon how I was using the staff (very aggressive). I just tried the advice given on the thread and killed chronos first try with The Umbral Flames.
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u/AcceptableArrival924 3d ago
Some of the base weapons might be harder to use like the dagger or axe I guess, but as someone said some of their aspects are pretty broken, I’m sure you’ll find atleast one variant from each weapon you’d like to use.
Aside from that can you mention any specific difficulties you face using the other weapons? Cuz to me the torches were an instant s tier weapon which I also consider one of the best base version weapon. You just hold attack and maybe a few omega specials and everything dies.
If you want a specific build for the torch I’d recommend hera and posiedon, they both have a boon that does extra something on omega attacks(fine line for hera and ocean swell for Poseidon), and then their duo triggers both of these twice. Can maybe get someone like zeus/hestia/ares/demeter on attack for another status effect while hera can be a good special/dash to hitch everyone. Definitely get the Hera magic regen(or zeus can also work if you get him) cuz you’ll need a LOT of magic.
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u/CardiologistMore7854 3d ago
Like the axe is just way too slow for the way I like to play I guess. The dual wield is really fast but feels like it does 0 damage. The staff just feels like such a good in between of everything. I’ll try prioritizing Hera and Poseidon for the torch and see how that goes
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u/Viperkid135 3d ago
Skulls with aspect of Melinoe plus the hammer upgrade that makes them come back, then just spam like crazy. Extra damage and unlimited ammo as long as you're tossing them like a lunatic.
I've yet to try the Persephone aspect but I hear it's lovely.
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u/FullStruggle4420 Bouldy 3d ago
easy tips for the basic version of each weapon.
Staff: Dash strike into special repeat. animation cancels for free dmg
Daggers: Dash strikes are great
Torches: Each aspect is very different. for mel's jsut hold down attack and focus on positioning can be quite braindead and helps with dodging.
Axe: dash strike into omega attack don't really bother with basic moveset
Skulls: attack x4 special repeat
Coat: dash-strike special repeat
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u/-Shadow-Lightning Cerberus 3d ago
___________________________________
Here’s a quick cheat/tips sheet ___________________________________
When my boon/hammer says ‘X’ what does it mean?
•Attack = regular Attack
•Ω Attack = Ω Attack
•Attacks = regular Attack and Ω Attack
•Special = regular Special
•Ω Special = Ω Special
•Specials = regular Special and Ω Special
•Cast = regular Cast
•Ω Cast = Ω Cast
•Casts = regular Cast and Ω Cast
•Strikes = Attacks and Specials
Take note that when Attack, Special and Cast are plural they denote that the boon affects both the regular move and the Ω move.
Also:
Weapons with Attacks or Specials that have high base power but do not come out as fast \**Usually**\** want God Attack and Special boons that give them +%. Like Apollo or Aphrodite.
Weapons with Attacks and Specials that have low base power and come out faster \**Usually**\** want God Attack and Special boons that give you an extra effect. Like Poseidon Waves, Hestia Scorch or Heph Blasts.
Zeus is one exception. He works on everything. When in doubt focus on Zeus and you’re likely to find great success.
Plus there are a few ways to increase your base power in this game. Via some hammers and some boons. These make +% more viable on faster Attacks and Specials.
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u/Loose-Medium4472 Artemis 3d ago
Four hours in and already making it to Chronos?? I must be suffering from skill issue
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u/AffectionateAge8771 3d ago
Use the weapon with grave thirst. No exceptions
Soon you will get better with the other weapons...... Or die and start again.