‘Boil, bubble, toil, and trouble.’ That’s the kind of nonsense that witches chant as they concoct spells in their cauldron, right? Well, you too can speak pure gobbledygook and get rewarded for it no less inHades 2. This new iteration of the roguelike hack and slasher allows you to gather resources on your runs, and with these resources, you can performIncantations.
Hades II: How to Get Nectar
Nectar plays a pivotal role as a gift item used to strengthen relationships with the myriad characters you encounter throughout your journey.
However, much like every unlockable in Hades 2, it’s often difficult to decide which thing you should unlock first. So we have done the heavy lifting for you and have listed the best Incantations in Hades 2 below, meaning you’re able to focus on gathering the needed items and sticking it to Chronos!
1Night’s Craftwork
Unlocks the Gathering Tools panel in the Silver Pool.
We begin with what will most likely be the first Incantation you concoct, or at the very least, will be the first one available to you. This one allows you to engage with another new feature that comes courtesy of this sequel, the Tools section of the Silver Pool. These tools are your means of harvesting valuable resources when out on runs, whether that be Psyche from lost spirits, Silver from ore veins, or a spade to dig up seeds to plant later; tools are your ticket to a wealth of goodies.
So, for the measly cost of one Moly Plant, which is readily available in Erebus, you may unlock the Crescent Pick and really lean into those hoarding tendencies that gaming tends to bring out in all of us.
2Rise of Stygian Wells
1x Moly and 1x Nightshade
Some locations in the Underworld might have a Well of Charon.
Charon’s Shop is a rare moment of peace and tranquility in the Underworld, and on top of that, his wares tend to be very useful indeed. But sadly, there aren’t that many opportunities to spend those hard-earned Obols. But, if you unlock the Rise of Stygian Wells Incantation, you’ll then give yourself a chance to encounter a Well of Charon, which is basically a mini-shop where you purchase a variety of things, like items, health and increase the rarity of your next boons, to name a few.
This can then be further upgraded through the Surge of Stygian Wells Incantation later down the line, which guarantees one of these wells between regions. Having the option to spend those Obols on the fly is a welcome one, so be sure to cast this Incantation when you get the chance!
3Summoning of Mercantile Fortune
10x Bones.
Spawns the Wretched Broker vendor, who sells materials and gifts in exchange for Bones.
Again, we have another Incantation that will come very early in your playthrough, but it deserves a mention due to the fact that The Broker in The Crossroads is a brilliant option to have, especially if you in pursuit of different Keepsakes and Arcana Cards. This Incantation unlocks a permanent merchant to the Crossroads that initially sells Ash, Psyche, Fate Fabric, and Nectar.
You’ll gain more ways to engage with the broker through future Incantations, but getting him to The Crossroads is the real game-changer, as this will allow you to give gifts to get your hands on greatbeginner Keepsakes, and unlocking Arcana Cards early will stretch those initial runs so much further. So don’t hesitate to invite The Broker to your witchy abode.
4Faith of Familiar Spirits
2x Nectar and 1x Lotus.
Allows you to bring animal familiars/pets to your dungeon runs.
Being out there in the Underworld can be a pretty lonely time. Sure, you’re regularly talking to NPCS and Gods, but no one ever sticks around to offer moral support, which is just plain rude, honestly. But, you know who will?Your pets and familiars. You may have seen them hovering around The Crossroads, and you may have given them a much-deserved pat on the head, but it may shock you to know that you may take them out on runs, too.
These familiars (Frinos and Toula at the time of writing) offer a variety of different interchangeable effects when out with the player, which are as follows:
These pets/familiars are helpful both when out with you and when left at home. Other Incantations can be used to make them harvest double materials at the Crossroads as well, so gathering the resources to cast this Incantation is a no-brainer.
5Kindred Keepsakes
4x Lime, 2x Moly, and 1x Lotus.
Spawns your Keepsake repository so you may change equipped accessories after each major boss fight.
We all have our favorite Keepsakes to take with us when we begin a run in Hades 2. Usually, this will be the one you have leveled up the most, or the one that you’re most familiar with. Keeping things consistent and not rocking the boat is like a safety blanket from run to run. However, when you gain access to the Kindred Keepsakes Incantation, suddenly it becomes a much less daunting notion to change your keepsakes, because you’ll be able to do it every time you slay a boss.
Hades II: Beginner’s Guide
As you guide Melinoe through the underworld, these tips will help you navigate the game effectively.
This can come in handy in a number of different ways. Like, for example, you use your Luckier Tooth’s Death Defiance, and now that it’s of no further use, you can swap it out for something else that offers a constant effect. I will admit that I still tend to stubbornly keep my Keepsakes on for entire runs, but to have the option to change these on the fly is very appreciated.
6Reagent Sensing
After clearing an encounter, a silver wisp will float toward resources that can be collected.
This is a very small feature, and one that many might see as a throwaway one at that, but I’m here to fight in Reagent Sensing’s corner. This Incantation, when unlocked, creates a silver wisp that leads you to any harvestable resources when all enemies are cleared, and you have retrieved your rewards. It is a mechanic that effectively acts as a polite tap on the shoulder before you rush head-on into the next area, and ensures you don’t leave any goodies behind.
I can’t begin to tally up the number of times that I have been a push of a button away from moving on, only for this feature to save my bacon, and in turn, this ability to never miss an item ensures that you’ll unlock all the other incantations on this list much faster. So don’t sleep on this one. It’s more useful than you might think.
7Purification of Fountain-Waters
1x Nightshade and 1x Cattail.
Fountains replenish an additional +10% HP (20HP Total)
I will begin by saying that you’ll need to have a handful of other Incantations that unlock the various Fountain Safe Rooms in the different regions of the Underworld active to truly get the most out of this one, but when you do, Purification of Fountain Waters is a godsend. As Hades veterans will know, health is the rarest commodity within the game, and keeping it topped up is usually the difference between beating Chronos, and ending up back in The Crossroads humbled by a mob enemy.
So, with this incantation, you may up the overall effectiveness of all fountains you encounter within each run, allowing for an additional 20% health boost. This usually means you’ll at least gain a third of your health back with each use unless you have been really focusing on Centaur hearts. The goal of each run is to stay alive, and this is an Incantation that will help you achieve that goal, so it’s a no-brainer.
8Aspects of Night and Darkness
5x Bronze and 1x Nightshade.
Lets you unlock and upgrade weapon aspects.
The weapon you use in Hades 2 will say a lot about you and your overall playstyle. I myself love the dynamic, fast-paced DPS that the Sister Blades bring to the table, but some other players might prefer the Moonstone Axe and its slow but devastating attacks, for example. Being able to choose and experiment with new weapons is great, but when you establish your favorite, chances are you’ll stick with it for most future runs.
This is why Aspects of Night and Darkness is so important to unlock, as this allows you tounlock and upgrade weapon aspectswithin the game, effectively allowing you to lean into your weapon of choice and make it more consistently destructive from run to run. This will only be available to you after a successful Underworld run, as you will need to go to the surface for Bronze, but that trip up top is worth it to improve your arsenal.
9Consecration of Ashes
6x Ashes, 3x Cinder, and 6x Fate Fabric.
Allows you to enhance/upgrade your Arcana Cards; grants +3 Moon Dust.
YourArcana cardsare a vital resource when setting up for the run ahead, and while the base versions of these cards are good, the fact of the matter is, that with a sprinkling of Moon Dust, they could be a lot better. Consecration of Ashes is the Incantation that opens this menu up to the player, allowing them to use Moon Dust to upgrade their Arcana Cards to their full potential.
Provided you use a particular Arcana Card regularly, they are all worth upgrading, but some upgrades are more lucrative than others. Such as Eternity allowing for 3x Death Defiances when fully upgraded, or the Centaur granting a max of 8HP and Magick upon entering a new area, which really adds up. The long and short of it is, if you want to make practically every run in Hades 2 a successful one, you’ll need to stock up on Moon Dust. But the good news is, the first 3x Moon Dust is on the house.
10Rite of Vapor-Cleansing
2x Moly, 2x Lotus, and 2x Nightshade.
Repairs the Crossroads Hot Springs, allowing you to ask a companion to take a bath with you; grants +1 Bath Salts.
Next, we have the Rite of Vapor Cleansing, which allows the player to access The Baths within The Crossroads and, by extension,unlocks romancewithin the game. Who you choose to court within The Crossroads and beyond is up to you, but the Baths are the best place to start. Bath Salts can be purchased from The Broker after this incantation is concocted, and from there, you need to get your flirt on.
This will likely be the first incantation related to romance you unlock, but you’ll also unlock the Taverna and the Pier later down the line, allowing you to add some variety to your date activities. But the bottom line is, if you want to get to know everyone a little better, and enjoy the unique dialogue and exchanges that come part and parcel with that, you’ll need to unlock this Incantation.
