Hades 2 Master Guide: Raise Grasp Quickly and Unlock All 25 Arcana Cards
Use grasp to boost Melinoë’s passive perks. Arcana Cards are a big part of Hades 2: they give passive benefits, unlock in a branching grid, and depend on a grasp meter to equip. Below you’ll find how to unlock them, how to raise your grasp so you can equip more, and a full list of all 25 Arcana Cards with their effects and costs.
How to unlock Arcana Cards with grasp in Hades 2
How to increase grasp and equip more Arcana Cards in Hades 2
- How to unlock Arcana Cards with grasp in Hades 2
- How to increase grasp and equip more Arcana Cards in Hades 2
- All Arcana Cards and abilities in Hades 2
How to unlock Arcana Cards with grasp in Hades 2
You unlock Arcana Cards at a stone slab located at the entrance to the room right before you start a run. To buy cards you spend ashes, the main currency for Arcana unlocks. Ashes are most commonly earned by clearing combat chambers — look for rooms marked with a gray flourish of sand.
When you unlock a card for the first time, it reveals the cards adjacent to it on the Arcana board. Thus, unlocking strategically opens paths to stronger cards later on. The board is branching, so which cards you pick matters.
How to increase grasp and equip more Arcana Cards in Hades 2
Your grasp meter controls how many Arcana Cards you can equip. Each card lists a grasp cost from 1 to 5; stronger cards usually cost more. You start the game with 10 grasp, and you can raise that limit by spending psyche.
Psyche is earned in several ways: by clearing chambers that reward it (look for rooms with a small green will-o-wisp), by interacting with certain shades during runs, or by buying it from the Wretched Broker at the Crossroads. Some Arcana cost no grasp and instead require an awakening — these only become equipable once specific prerequisites are met. The awakenings are noted in the full list below.
All Arcana Cards and abilities in Hades 2
There are 25 Arcana Cards arranged in five rows of five. Below are each card’s base effect, grasp cost, and the ash (and item) cost to unlock the card at its first rank. Card values shown are the card’s lowest rank and do not include upgrades.
| Card number | Card name | Card Effect | Grasp cost | Unlock cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | The Sorceress | Your Omega moves are 20% faster. | 1 | 1 Ash |
| II | The Wayward Son | After you exit a Location, restore 3 health. | 1 | 3 Ash |
| III | The Huntress | While you have less than 100% magick, your attack and special deal 30% more damage. | 2 | 15 Ash |
| IV | Eternity | While you channel your Omega moves, everything moves slower for 0.8 seconds. | 3 | 30 Ash |
| V | The Moon | Your Hex also charges up automatically as though you used 1 magick every 1 second. 0, Awakening: Activate any surrounding card | 0 | 30 Ash, 1 Pearl |
| VI | The Furies | Deal 20% damage to foes in your casts. | 2 | 3 Ash |
| VII | Persistence | You gain 20 max health and 20 max magick. | 2 | 7 Ash |
| VIII | The Messenger | Your casts momentarily make you Impervious and you move 50% faster. | 1 | 20 Ash |
| IX | The Unseen | Restore 6 magick every 1 second. | 5 | 25 Ash |
| X | Night | You have 9% chance to deal Critical damage with each move in an Omega combo. | 2 | 35 Ash |
| XI | The Swift Runner | You sprint 5% faster and lets you pass through most foes in your way. | 1 | 10 Ash |
| XII | Death | You have +1 Death Defiance. | 4 | 35 Ash |
| XIII | The Centaur | After every five locations, gain +3 max health and +3 magick. 0, Awakening: Activate cards that use 1 grasp through 5 grasp | 0 | 30 Ash, 1 Cinder |
| XIV | Origination | Deal 25% more damage to foes afflicted with at least 2 curses from different Olympians. | 5 | 35 Ash |
| XV | The Lovers | In Guardian (area boss) fights, you take no damage the first time you are hit. | 3 | 40 Ash |
| XVI | The Enchantress | Start each run with one Change of Fate, which can alter location rewards. | 3 | 30 Ash, 1 Wool |
| XVII | The Boatman | Start each run with +200 gold. | 5 | 30 Ash |
| XVIII | The Artificer | Start each run with one chance to turn any minor find into a random major find. | 3 | 30 Ash |
| XIX | Excellence | Any boons you’re offered have a 30% chance to include Legendary or at least Rare blessings. | 5 | 35 Ash |
| XX | The Queen | Any boons you’re offered have a 6% chance to be a Duo (whenever possible). 0, Awakening: Activate no more than two cards that use the same amount of grasp | 0 | 40 Ash, 1 Tear |
| XXI | The Fates | You have two bonus Changes of Fate. 0, Awakening: Activate each surrounding card | 0 | 30 Ash, 1 Wool |
| XXII | The Champions | Start each run with one Change of Fate, which allows you to alter boons and other choices. | 4 | 35 Ash |
| XXIII | Strength | If you have no Death Defiance effects, you take 30% less damage and deal 20% more damage. | 4 | 35 Ash |
| XXIV | Divinity | Any boons you’re offered have a 5% chance to be epic. 0, Awakening: Activate all five cards in any other column | 0 | 45 Ash, 1 Golden Apple |
| XXV | Judgement | Activate three random inactive Arcana Cards whenever you defeat a Guardian (area boss). 0, Awakening: Activate three cards at most | 0 | 50 Ash, 1 Feather |
That covers the base unlock costs, grasp costs, and effects for all Arcana Cards. Use ashes to expand the grid, and use psyche to raise your grasp so you can run with more and better Arcana. Good luck experimenting — the right combination can change a run in surprising ways.
