Best Arcana Cards to Unlock First

Arcana Cards are upgrades that can be unlocked and activated through the Altar of Ashes in Hades 2. Read on to learn what Arcana Cards are the best to unlock in order, what Arcana Cards to select for specific builds, as well as the list of all Arcana Cards in Hades 2.

Best Arcana Cards to Unlock in Order

Listed down is our recommendation of Arcana you should equip based on the number of Grasp you acquire throughout the game.

1. Best Arcana for 10 - 12 Grasp
2. Best Arcana for 14 - 16 Grasp
3. Best Arcana for 18 - 20 Grasp

Best Arcana Cards for 10 - 12 Grasp

Best Arcana for 10 - 12 Grasp

The numbers listed above are the best order to unlock the Arcana within the amount of Grasp.

Arcana Grasp Cost	Ability	Cost
I: The Sorceress (Cost: 1)	While you channel your Omega Moves, everything moves slower for 2/3/4 Sec.	Rank 1: ・Ash x1 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x1 Rank 3: ・Moly x6 ・M.Dust x3
II: The Wayward Son (Cost: 1)	After you exit a Location, restore 2/3/4 Life, or twice that if you have no more than 30% Life.	Rank 1: ・Ash x3 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x2 Rank 3: ・M.Dust x3 ・Silver x10
III: The Huntress (Cost: 3)	While you have less than 100% Magick, your Attack and Special deal +30/40/50% damage.	Rank 1: ・Ash x10 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x2 Rank 3: ・Lotus x8 ・M.Dust x4
VII: The Titan (Cost: 2)	Gain +20/30/40 Max Life and +20/30/40 Max Magick.	Rank 1: ・Ash x7 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x2 Rank 3: ・Bronze x6 ・M.Dust x4
VIII: The Unseen (Cost: 5)	Restore 2/3/4 Magick every 1 Sec.	Rank 1: ・Ash x20 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x3 Rank 3: ・Cattail x10 ・M.Dust x5

The Sorceress

The Sorceress is the first Arcana you will unlock, but it is also one of the most useful to have.

Using Omega Moves usually requires some charging time, so slowing everything around your vicinity can help you better anticipate enemy attacks if you're targeted.

The Wayward Son

The Wayward Son Arcana helps you gain 2 Life Points each time you exit a room, which can be very valuable as a reliable way to restore health in your runs.

This is especially useful early on where other health regeneration options, such as fountains, are unlikely for you to come by and you likely have a lower max health.
How to Increase Max Health

The Huntress

The Huntress Arcana gives you a boost to your Attack and Special Moves should you have less than 100% of your current Magick.

This Arcana can help you deal surmountable damage with your Attack and Special Moves right after casting an Omega Move to an opponent.

It can also help you improve the synergy between your moveset, by building the habit of switching between Standard and Omega Moves.

Magick Guide and Omega Moves

The Titan

The Titan is a must-have Arcana to equip in the game, as it boasts an additional 20 to increase your Max Life and Magick.

This greatly improves your chances of survival of the game, while also giving you more chances to deal out Omega Moves.

How to Increase Max Magick

The Unseen

Omega Moves can deal great damage to enemies if executed correctly and do not miss.

The Unseen Arcana helps restore Magick every second, so you will only need to stall with Attack and Special Moves if you want to unleash Omega Moves for tougher opponents.

Best Arcana Cards for 14 - 16 Grasp

Best Arcana for 14-16 Grasp

The numbers listed above are the best order to unlock the Arcana within the amount of Grasp.

Arcana Grasp Cost	Ability	Cost
XII: Eternity (Cost: 4)	Set forth each night with 1/2/3 Death Defiance.	Rank 1: ・Ash x20 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x6 Rank 3: ・M.Dust x12 ・S.Dust x1

Eternity

Death Defiance enables you to continue your fight after dying from enemy or Guardian attacks, giving back some of your Life Points in battle.

The Eternity Arcana provides you with 1 Death Defiance for each night you set off for your journey. You will need this Arcana when facing off Guardians in battle and lasting through hordes of enemies in the field.

Best Arcana Cards for 18 - 21 Grasp

Best Arcana for 18 - 21 Grasp

The numbers listed above are the best order to unlock the Arcana within the amount of Grasp.

Arcana Grasp Cost	Ability	Cost
IV: Death (Cost: 3)	Your Omega Moves have +3/4/5% chance to deal Critical damage.	Rank 1: ・Ash x 15 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x4 Rank 3: ・M.Dust x8 ・Moss x10
VI: The Furies (Cost: 2)	Deal +20/25/30% damage to foes in your Casts.	Rank 1: ・Ash x3 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x2 Rank 3: ・M.Dust x4 ・N.Shade x10

Death

Critical Damage adds a whopping +200% damage or greater to your attacks. The Death Arcana stacks up your chances to add Critical Damage to your Omega Moves by a little.

Adding this Arcana to already powerful Omega Moves will simply devastate your enemies if you're lucky enough to activate the RNG for it.

The Furies

Your Casts enable you to secure your enemies in areas where they are caught within the borders of the binding spell. Holding the Cast button will unleash the Omega version of the spell.

The Furies Arcana adds additional damage to enemies seized in the binding spell, which can deal further damage should you decide to cast its Omega version.

This Arcana is a huge advantage against weaker enemies trying to swarm you in numbers. Using the Omega version equipped with the Arcana can eliminate this threat.

Best Arcana Cards for Specific Builds

Listed down is our recommendation for specific Arcana Builds that you might want to try out in the game.

1. Health-Focused Arcana Build
2. Magick-Focused Arcana Build
3. Boon-Focused Arcana Build

Health-Focused Arcana Build

Health Build
Recommended Grasp: 9

The checkmarks listed above are the cards you'll be unlocking for this specific build.

Arcana Grasp Cost	Ability	Cost
II: The Wayward Son (Cost: 1)	After you exit a Location, restore 2/3/4 Life, or twice that if you have no more than 30% Life.	Rank 1: ・Ash x3 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x2 Rank 3: ・M.Dust x3 ・Silver x10
VII: The Titan (Cost: 2)	Gain +20/30/40 Max Life and +20/30/40 Max Magick.	Rank 1: ・Ash x7 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x2 Rank 3: ・Bronze x6 ・M.Dust x4
X: The Lovers (Cost: 2)	In Guardian Encounters, you take 0 damage the first 1/2/3 time(s) you are hit.	Rank 1: ・Ash x30 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x3 Rank 3: ・Lime x15 ・M.Dust x6
XII: Eternity (Cost: 4)	Set forth each night with 1/2/3 Death Defiance.	Rank 1: ・Ash x20 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x6 Rank 3: ・M.Dust x12 ・S.Dust x1
XIII: The Centaur (Cost: 0)	After every 5 Locations, gain +3/4/5 Max Life and +3/4/5 Max Magick. Awakening: Activate Cards that use 1 through 5 Grasp.	Rank 1: ・Ash x25 ・Cinder x1 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x3 Rank 3: ・G.Rock x8 ・M.Dust x6

The Wayward Son Arcana is a good choice to start with for this Build, given that it's one of the Arcana you can unlock early. The Titan Arcana and Centaur Arcana both increase your Max Life Points and Magick, so they're recommended to be equipped.

The Eternity Arcana can act as a failsafe should your enemies manage to chunk a huge deal of your life and kill you. This Arcana gives you a second chance if you die in the game, giving you an opening to counterattack when needed.

The Lovers Arcana is a great way to maintain your Life Points as well as dealing with Guardians, negating its first attack to help keep your health in a manageable state while progressing through the battle.

Magick-Focused Arcana Build

Magick Build
Recommended Grasp: 11

The checkmarks listed above are the cards you'll be unlocking for this specific build.

Arcana Grasp Cost	Ability	Cost
I: The Sorceress (Cost: 1)	While you channel your Omega Moves, everything moves slower for 2/3/4 Sec.	Rank 1: ・Ash x1 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x1 Rank 3: ・Moly x6 ・M.Dust x3
IV: Death (Cost: 3)	Your Omega Moves have +3/4/5% chance to deal Critical damage.	Rank 1: ・Ash x 15 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x4 Rank 3: ・M.Dust x8 ・Moss x10
VII: The Titan (Cost: 2)	Gain +20/30/40 Max Life and +20/30/40 Max Magick.	Rank 1: ・Ash x7 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x2 Rank 3: ・Bronze x6 ・M.Dust x4
VIII: The Unseen (Cost: 5)	Restore 2/3/4 Magick every 1 Sec.	Rank 1: ・Ash x20 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x3 Rank 3: ・Cattail x10 ・M.Dust x5
XIII: The Centaur (Cost: 0)	After every 5 Locations, gain +3/4/5 Max Life and +3/4/5 Max Magick. Awakening: Activate Cards that use 1 through 5 Grasp.	Rank 1: ・Ash x25 ・Cinder x1 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x3 Rank 3: ・G.Rock x8 ・M.Dust x6

The Sorceress is the very first Arcana you can unlock, and it is greatly recommended for those who want to anticipate and counter enemy attacks after unleashing Omega moves that require charging time.

The Titan Arcana and Centaur Arcana boost your max Magick, enabling you more opportunities to use Omega Moves whenever possible.

Death Arcana increases your chance to inflict Critical Damage when using Omega Moves, so it's a must-have Arcana to equip in case you want to crank up the damage output of your Omega Moves.

The Unseen Arcana restores your Magick every 1 second you're in battle, which is valuable if you can avoid getting hit long enough for you to charge your Magick for some Omega Moves.

Magick Guide and Omega Moves

Boon-Focused Arcana Build

Boon Build
Recommended Grasp: 5

The checkmarks listed above are the cards you'll be unlocking for this specific build.

Arcana Grasp Cost	Ability	Cost
XIX: Excellence (Cost: 5)	Any Boons you are offered have +30/40/50% chance to be improved to Rare.	Rank 1: ・Ash x35 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x3 Rank 3: ・F.Fabric x6 ・M.Dust x6
XX: The Queen (Cost: 0)	Any Boons you are offered have +6/8/10% chance to be a Duo (whenever possible). Awakening: Activate no more than 2 cards that use the same amount of Grasp.	Rank 1: ・Ash x40 ・Tears x1 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x2 Rank 3: ・F.Fabric x12 ・M.Dust x4
XXIV: Divinity (Cost: 0)	Any Boons you are offered have +10/15/20% chance to be improved to Epic. Awakening: Activate all 5 cards in any other row.	Rank 1: ・Ash x40 ・G.Apple x1 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x3 Rank 3: ・M.Dust x5 ・Tears x5

Do note that this specific build will require you to unlock the farthest cards in the Arcana, so this particular build should only be considered in the late-game stages of your progress.

The Excellence Arcana and Divinity Arcana increase your chances of acquiring Rare and Epic Boons during your progression in the game, which is ideal if you're optimizing your playstyle based on the Boons you've encountered.

The Queen Arcana doesn't offer upgrades in terms of rarity, but it offers you an opportunity to acquire Duo Boons if you're looking for a unique ability that synergizes effects from the gods combined.

List of All Arcana Cards

All Available Arcana Cards

Arcana Grasp Cost	Ability	Cost
I: The Sorceress (Cost: 1)	While you channel your Omega Moves, everything moves slower for 2/3/4 Sec.	Rank 1: ・Ash x1 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x1 Rank 3: ・Moly x6 ・M.Dust x3
II: The Wayward Son (Cost: 1)	After you exit a Location, restore 2/3/4 Life, or twice that if you have no more than 30% Life.	Rank 1: ・Ash x3 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x2 Rank 3: ・M.Dust x3 ・Silver x10
III: The Huntress (Cost: 3)	While you have less than 100% Magick, your Attack and Special deal +30/40/50% damage.	Rank 1: ・Ash x10 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x2 Rank 3: ・Lotus x8 ・M.Dust x4
IV: Death (Cost: 3)	Your Omega Moves have +3/4/5% chance to deal Critical damage.	Rank 1: ・Ash x 15 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x4 Rank 3: ・M.Dust x8 ・Moss x10
V: The Messenger (Cost: 0)	You have +6/8/10% to Dodge. Awakening: Activate at least 3 cards that use the same amount of Grasp.	Rank 1: ・Ash x20 ・Pearl x1 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x3 Rank 3: ・M.Dust x6 ・Pearl x5
VI: The Furies (Cost: 2)	Deal +20/25/30% damage to foes in your Casts.	Rank 1: ・Ash x3 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x2 Rank 3: ・M.Dust x4 ・N.Shade x10
VII: The Titan (Cost: 2)	Gain +20/30/40 Max Life and +20/30/40 Max Magick.	Rank 1: ・Ash x7 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x2 Rank 3: ・Bronze x6 ・M.Dust x4
VIII: The Unseen (Cost: 5)	Restore 2/3/4 Magick every 1 Sec.	Rank 1: ・Ash x20 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x3 Rank 3: ・Cattail x10 ・M.Dust x5
IX: Night (Cost: 4)	Your Hex also charges up automatically as though you used 2/3/4 Magick every 1 Sec.	Rank 1: ・Ash x25 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x5 Rank 3: ・M.Dust x10 ・Myrtle x8
X: The Lovers (Cost: 2)	In Guardian Encounters, you take 0 damage the first 1/2/3 time(s) you are hit.	Rank 1: ・Ash x30 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x3 Rank 3: ・Lime x15 ・M.Dust x6
XI: The Swift Runner (Cost: 1)	Your Dash is immediate and your Sprint is 5/7.5/10% faster.	Rank 1: ・Ash x10 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x1 Rank 3: ・M.Dust x3 ・Wool x3
XII: Eternity (Cost: 4)	Set forth each night with 1/2/3 Death Defiance.	Rank 1: ・Ash x20 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x6 Rank 3: ・M.Dust x12 ・S.Dust x1
XIII: The Centaur (Cost: 0)	After every 5 Locations, gain +3/4/5 Max Life and +3/4/5 Max Magick. Awakening: Activate Cards that use 1 through 5 Grasp.	Rank 1: ・Ash x25 ・Cinder x1 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x3 Rank 3: ・G.Rock x8 ・M.Dust x6
XIV: The Moon (Cost: 3)	Your Omega Cast has +50/75/100 Power whenever it detonates.	Rank 1: ・Ash x30 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x3 Rank 3: ・Garlic x8 ・M.Dust x5
XV: Strength (Cost: 5)	While you have no more than 30% Life, you take -30/40/50% damage and deal +30/40/50%.	Rank 1: ・Ash x35 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x3 Rank 3: ・Iron x8 ・M.Dust x8
XVI: The Fates (Cost: 3)	Set forth each night with +1/2/3 Change of Fate. You can alter Location Rewards.	Rank 1: ・Ash x15 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x3 Rank 3: ・F.Fabric x12 ・M.Dust x6
XVII: The Boatman (Cost: 5)	Set forth each night with +200/250/300 Gold Crowns.	Rank 1: ・Ash x25 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x6 Rank 3: ・Marble x10 ・M.Dust x12
XVIII: Origination (Cost: 3)	Deal +25/38/50% damage to foes afflicted with at least 2 Curse effects.	Rank 1: ・Ash x30 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x3 Rank 3: ・Mandrake x3 ・M.Dust x5
XIX: Excellence (Cost: 5)	Any Boons you are offered have +30/40/50% chance to be improved to Rare.	Rank 1: ・Ash x35 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x3 Rank 3: ・F.Fabric x6 ・M.Dust x6
XX: The Queen (Cost: 0)	Any Boons you are offered have +6/8/10% chance to be a Duo (whenever possible). Awakening: Activate no more than 2 cards that use the same amount of Grasp.	Rank 1: ・Ash x40 ・Tears x1 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x2 Rank 3: ・F.Fabric x12 ・M.Dust x4
XXI: The Seer (Cost: 0)	Set forth each night with +2/3/4 Change of Fate. Awakening: Activate each surrounding Card.	Rank 1: ・Ash x20 ・Wool x1 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x3 Rank 3: ・M.Dust x5 ・Z.Sand x3
XXII: The Champions (Cost: 4)	Set forth each night with +1/2/3 Change of Fate. You can alter Boons and certain other choices.	Rank 1: ・Ash x30 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x5 Rank 3: ・M.Dust x10 ・Shaderot x9
XXIII: The Artificer (Cost: 6)	Set forth each night with 1/2/3 chance(s) to turn any Minor Find into a random Major Find.	Rank 1: ・Ash x35 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x8 Rank 3: ・M.Dust x15 ・Poppy x8
XXIV: Divinity (Cost: 0)	Any Boons you are offered have +10/15/20% chance to be improved to Epic. Awakening: Activate all 5 cards in any other row.	Rank 1: ・Ash x40 ・G.Apple x1 Rank 2: ・M.Dust x3 Rank 3: ・M.Dust x5 ・Tears x5
XXV: Judgement (Cost: 0)	After you vanquish a Guardian, activate 3/4/5 random inactive Arcana Cards. Awakening: Activate no more than 3 Cards.	Rank 1: ・Ash x50 ・Z.Sand x1 Rank 2: ・F.Fabric x10 ・M.Dust x10 ・Thalamus x2 ・Z.Sand x1 Rank 3: ・F.Fabric x25 ・M.Dust x20 ・Thalamus x4 ・Z.Sand x3

Hades 2 Related Guides

Beginner's Guide to Hades 2

Hades 2 Tips and Tricks

Gameplay Guides
Best Arcana to Unlock First	How to Increase Grasp
How to Increase Max Health	How to Increase Max Magick
Armor Guide	Magick Guide and Omega Moves
How to Level Up Boons	How to Unlock the Book of Shadows
Romance and Gifting
Crossroad Guides
What Does Saluting Do?	Why Didn't Fated Intervention Work?
Best Incantations to Get First	List of Prophecies
Keepsakes Tier List	Altar of Ashes
Broker Exchanges	How to Unlock Charon's Gold Rewards Shop
Farming Guide	How to Get Animal Familiars
How to Bathe	How to Go to The Surface and Unseal the Wards
Chaos Trials	Oath of the Unseen
Guides on Run Mechanics
Does Weather Affect the Battlefield?	Door Symbols and Room Rewards
Elite Encounters Explained	Path of Stars Guide: How to Power Up Hexes
Glossary of Gameplay Terms	-
Settings Guides
Best Settings	Is there Autosave?
God Mode Explained	Controls and Combat Guide