Summary
In the grand tales of Greek myth, Daedalus is one of the more well-known of the less godlike figures. He is known as a great inventor and architect, having created the labyrinth of Minos and the wings on which he and his son, Icarus, attempted to fly, only to be felled by the heat of the sun unravelling their creation.
InHades 2, however, he is never seen, though his work is indeed felt. Found as a random boon, his hammer can be used to bestow powerful, and at times alternate, effects upon your weapons. In Melinoë’s case, the Nocturnal arms gain access to a multitude of powerful effects, though some may be more effective at stopping time than others.
As Hades 2 is currently in Early Access, more Daedalus Hammer upgrades and weapons are likely to be added in future, as well as the current upgrades being changed.
10Extending Wallop - Witch’s Staff
Despite the Sister Blades taking the limelight in all promotional material,the Witch’s Staff is the very first weapon Melinoë starts offwith for her jaunts down to Tartarus. It’s a safe weapon, giving you the ability to attack enemies both up close and at range. It also comes with a great variety of Daedalus Hammer upgrades.
One of the simplest yet most effective of these is Extending Wallop. Just like the name says, it makes all your regular attacks hit even farther. Even better, it deals 50 percent extra damage to those enemies too, making your staff a much more effective ranged tool. It’s simple, but one that will benefit you no matter what.
9Final Slice - Sister Blades
The weapons that Melinoë is seemingly most familiar with,the Sister Blades, Lim and Oros, are personal. Their range is exceedingly small, meaning you have to be very close to the enemy to even deal damage, but those attacks are unleashed fast. Paired with a throwing knife Special, Melinoë can easily close the gap.
Seeing as the Sister Blades are so short-range, the most effective way of improving that would be by extending their range. Well, the Final Slice Hammer upgrade does exactly that. The final attack of Melinoë’s combo will unleash an attack that strikes all around her, dealing massive damage. Crowd control suddenly becomes much easier.
8Growing Coils - Umbral Flames
Of all the weapons added in Hades 2,the Umbral Flames are (so far) undeniably the most unusual. They’re ranged, but also quite slow. Yet the flames are also persistent and don’t really have a combo ender. It’s a hard weapon to wrap your head around, but one that can easily manage hordes of enemies if you master it.
Core to the Umbral Flames is managing the flames it generates, such as your orbiting Special. While it already does a good job of protecting you, the Growing Coils upgrade makes it even better. Not only do the flames get bigger, they deal more damage the bigger they are. No enemy will be able to get close.
7Hell Splitter - Moonstone Axe
Far and away,the Moonstone Axe is the slowest weapon of the Nocturnal Arms, but also the strongest. Each and every swing of the axe will rend an enemy, and the aftershock from each swing has a surprisingly generous reach, meaning Melinoë can still keep a respectable distance from her enemies.
Sometimes, with a weapon as strong as this, though, you want to turn off your brain and just see big damage numbers. In that case, the Hell Splitter upgrade is for you. No more combos; just a very big slam attack that deals hilarious damage. Smash to your heart’s content.
6Bolstered Array - Argent Skull
The original Hades had some odd weapons. No one quite expected the Adamant Rail, which is functionally just a full-auto crossbow. And yet, Hades 2 has managed to bring a new,unusual ranged weapon - the Argent Skull. It is a skull that fires more skulls that act as ammunition you must pick back off. It’s great, and very confusing to use.
Like anything that runs on ammo, it would be better with even more ammo. With that in mind, the Bolstered Array upgrade will give you another two skulls for your magazine, letting you fire freely without having to tactically pick up every skull. Just don’t question where the extra skulls came from.
5Cross Cataclysm - Witch’s Staff
While the Witch’s Staff already excels at range, it can always do more. Its Omega attack fires out room-extending beams, the Special fires off tracking shots, the range of its regular attacks it already quite generous. Yet it can go even further.
Because what is better than two beams that stretch across the length of the room? Four of them. Cross Cataclysm grants your Omega attack beams that shoot in each cardinal direction as well as dealing an extra 40 percent damage without any extra magick cost. It’s a frankly absurd bargain.
4Boundless Flurry - Sister Blades
Though the Sister Blades will mostly have you right beside the enemy tearing them to shreds, being that close is dangerous. That’s where the Sister Blades' Special comes in, letting you throw one of them to quickly stagger the enemy for light damage. It won’t kill them, but it gives you some breathing room.
The Omega Special has Melinoë charge up a series of knives that she throws in a cone in front of her. With Boundless Flurry, she charges the attack almost in an instant and reduces the magick consumed by it by 66 percent. With this, the Sister Blades will have a seemingly endless supply of knives to throw, meaning Melinoë will never be caught at range.
3Split Fire - Umbral Flames
While the Umbral Flames can be quite slow, you can still quite easily coat the entire area in flames with some tactical usage. Combining the orbiting Special with a healthy dose of fireballs thrown out by your regular attack, your enemies will be consumed by flames before they can reach you.
The wonderful Daedalus Hammer upgrade, Split Fire, makes this even easier. Since the Umbral Flames have no combo end, you may throw out flames until your magick runs dry. And with Split Fire, each fireball splits into two as soon as it hits an enemy. Soon enough the whole underworld will be looking like Asphodel.
2Furious Whirlwind - Moonstone Axe
As many characters like to comment, Melinoë is far from a muscular character. She has superhuman strength due to being a Chthonic god, though it was still doubted that one as spindly as her could handle the Moonstone Axe. Yet wield it she does, even if her swings are as slow as the axe is heavy.
Yet what truly makes an axe effective as a weapon? Letting its extreme weight carry you. With Furious Whirlwind, the axe’s Omega attack will charge almost immediately. On top of that, you move 60 percent faster during the attack as well. Watch as Melinoë is carried across the battlefield by the axe like a tornado through the plains.
1Colossus Tackle - Argent Skull
The Argent Skull is already a ponderous weapon. Whose skulls are you throwing? Why are you throwing them? Why does this particular skull command all the other ones? And perhaps most concerningly, why did Nyx create this as a Nocturnal Arm in the first place?
Of course, most people don’t throw skulls, and Melinoë instead has the means to deliver an unconventional headbutt in the form of the Argent Skull’s Special, a damaging dash. With the Colossus Tackle upgrade, the Special dash deals 45 extra damage and reduces the damage you take by 30 percent. It’s like coating your skull in titanium.
