While mechanically similar to Zagreus, Melinoe’s weapon arsenal is also drastically different due to her mana-powered Omega attacks and various ranged abilities. As always the weapon choice comes to personal preference but some are slightly more accessible than others. Here is my Hades 2 best weapon tier list.
Best Weapons in Hades 2 Ranked
As with our best Seline Hexes list, I’ll be using a linear ranking order with the first entry being the best and the last one being situational to rate the best Hades 2 weapons. As we know from the original, no weapon is technically the best or worst as they all come down to personal preference and playstyle. However, some Nocturnal Arms are more accessible and optimal universally while some are more situational and awkward to use in these early stages of development.
1. Moonstone Axe
The Moonstone Axe has it all, excellent damage, great defenses, and amazing AOE options. Even though it’s a melee-focused weapon, the sweeping basic Attack covers a massive area hitting multiple foes with excellent DPS. Even though it’s slightly slower than Sister Blades, you’re hitting drastically more targets for better damage and the Omega Attack is incredible for dealing fast damage AOE. I highly recommend you pick up the Omega Attack Daedeuls upgrade that lets you shoot out the Axe’s Omega Attack while you move away.
Furthermore, you can defend with the Special against all manner of attacks, even some AOE ones if they’re mostly in the front of you. The shield effect even damages enemies in front of you and holding it for a few seconds allows you to use the ranged Omega Special AOE blast attack. As for general strategy, the Moonstone Axe is best used in crowds that you’ve immobilized with your Cast. Go in, drop a Cast, attack a few times or Omega Attack while keeping track of enemy armor and telegraphed attacks so you don’t get damaged, then go out, and repeat. There’s even a Daedalus Upgrade that lets you use your Special block while you mow down hordes with the Omega Attack.
In terms of aspects, I prefer the Charon Axe since it gives you even more AOE options allowing you to detonate your regular Cast with an Omega Special. Moreover, if the longer recoveries after Omega abilities bother you, then the Melinoe aspect is the way to go, as it improves recovery speed.
2. Witch’s Staff
The Witch’s Staff is second because it’s perfectly balanced for both melee and ranged damage and offers incredible sustain options. Besides its versatility, the Daedalus Hammer upgrade for the Witch’s Staff called Vampiric Cataclysm allows you to regain 5 HP each time you kill an enemy with an Omega Attack. I usually combine this with the Staff’s Aspect of Momus HP restoration effect along with the Skelly Trinket and the Death’s Defiance Arcana to reach the final boss every run. It’s just an incredible amount of sustain effects.
That said, I also recommend the Circe Aspect on the Witch’s Staff that drastically speeds up your Omega Moves and restores your Magick. This versatility is what landed the staff second place.
3. Argent Skull
Available after you unlock the other weapons and reach the Fields of Mourning, the Argent Skull is the go-to ranged-focused option. I drastically prefer it over Umbral Flames for reasons we’ll discuss below. Essentially, it offers reliable DPS from afar using your AOE damage shells. You even get some mobility options to pick those shells back up. The Omega Attack and Special allow for an AOE high-damage dealing playstyle that dashes around the battlefield allowing you to output Moonstone Axe levels of AOE damage with the safety and distance of a ranged weapon.
That said, if you don’t mind getting closer then I highly recommend the Medea Aspect for the Argent Skull which increases your Attack and Special damage as well as the explosion AOE. This comes at the cost of a shorter range for your shells.
4. Sister Blades
The Sister Blades can be a powerful burst damage melee weapon in the late game but take a while to power up. The Moonstone Axe is drastically better in melee while the Argent Skull and Witch’s Staff offer better ranged options. Therefore, the strength of Sister Blades comes from the ability to switch between a ranged and melee playstyle swiftly and the melee attack speed, which can benefit a lot from Attack-oriented Boons. That said, the short-range, mediocre ranged Special and low melee damage make the Sister Blades a slower weapon to power up than the ones above.
If you really like the playstyle of the Sister Blades then I would suggest mastering the Artemis Aspect that can Parry and Riposte. This mechanic makes the blades drastically stronger since it gives you an incredibly powerful skill-based defensive and offensive option. Otherwise, I would stick with the weapons above.
5. Umbral Flames
The idea of the Umbral Flames is incredible, a powerful ranged weapon that fires increasingly faster and more powerful projectiles at the cost of Magick if you channel it. However, there’s a massive mechanical flaw that makes this weapon extremely situational and suboptimal to me. As you hold down the Omega Attack, you have to move to avoid damage but the Umbral Flames only allow you to move forward since that’s the direction they’re shooting in.
This means that if you want to move and hit creatures at the same time while sustaining the powerful Omega Attacks, you have to move toward enemies. In a game where Mourning Field mobs hit for tons of damage and you want to keep away from most boss attacks, this mechanic kills the Umbral Flames for me. I’ve only used it for a dozen runs or so, but so far, the fact that you have to move toward enemies or stand still to channel the Omega Attack defeats the point of a ranged weapon for me.
I’d much rather just use the Argent Skull though that’s a personal preference. As a disclaimer, I can definitely see the Umbral Flames being a high-risk, high-reward weapon, and the Eos Aspect sounds quite powerful, with your attacks returning to you as you sprint.
That’s it for my Hades 2 best weapons tier list. Stay tuned to our Hades 2 hub for more guides like what is Path of Stars and Moonglow.
