Hades II Keepsake Tier List: Best Picks for Every Run

Which Keepsakes Deserve a Slot?

A powerful keepsake can rescue a shaky night—or turn a working build into a boss killer. This Hades II keepsake tier list helps you weigh survival, damage, and boon control before committing a valuable equipment slot. The practical lesson behind this Hades II keepsake tier list is simple: choose an effect that solves your current problem.

Use the rankings below to choose your keepsakes, with differences explained where they affect your decision. For another ranking, see the Mobalytics Hades 2 keepsakes guide. Results may vary.

Spoilers follow for post-credits keepsakes and late-game encounters.

Tier	Keepsakes	Ranking rationale
S	Engraved Pin, White Antler, Jeweled Pom, Time Piece, Gorgon Amulet, Metallic Droplet, standard god keepsakes	Strong defensive, offensive, and build-control selections; Time Piece also has an S ranking
A	Fig Leaf, Moon Beam, Silver Wheel, Ghost Onion, Luckier Tooth, Silken Sash, Aromatic Phial, Knuckle Bones, Transcendent Embryo	The first eight placements may suit your runs; Transcendent Embryo also has an A ranking
B	Calling Card, Lion Fang, Experimental Hammer	Useful benefits held back by competition, decay, or randomness
C	Concave Stone, Blackened Fleece, Crystal Figurine	Narrow applications or unreliable payoff
D	Gold Purse, Evil Eye, Discordant Bell	Low priority in this consistency-focused ranking

These placements are a starting point. Rankings vary substantially for several items, especially standard god keepsakes.

One ranking prioritizes reliable defensive tools and keepsakes that influence a run immediately. Mobalytics gives more weight to some temporary rewards and evaluates god keepsakes differently after Fates' Whim becomes available. That distinction explains why one fixed ranking cannot capture every build.

Official page: Hades II (supergiantgames.com)

Defensive Keepsakes: Recovering a Run

For survival, this Hades II keepsake tier list puts Engraved Pin ahead of one-time recovery options. Its protection is repeatable: reaching zero health triggers a ten-second invulnerability window, and clearing the encounter during that window restores health without spending a Death Defiance.

Recover to 60 HP; completing Chronos's first phase during the window can end the doomed state while preserving the Death Defiance. It also notes that the effect counts as a Death Defiance effect, making its interaction with Strength important.

Choose the Pin when your damage can finish an encounter during its protection window. Its value depends partly on what you can accomplish after it activates.

Keepsake	Relevant effect	Decision to consider
Engraved Pin	Ten seconds of invulnerability after reaching zero HP; successful encounter completion restores health	Can your build finish the remaining enemies quickly?
Luckier Tooth	A one-time revival; recovery up to 151 HP depending on rank	Would an additional revival address your survival problem?
Ghost Onion	A total healing allowance of 100 HP; can heal through Vow of Scars	Are you entering the next region already injured?
Knuckle Bones	Removes 15% of the next Guardian's maximum HP and reduces Guardian damage taken by 10%	Is the upcoming boss your main obstacle?
Silken Sash	Grants 30 initial Armor and four Armor after each location while Armor remains	Are you protecting a valuable Arachne dress?

Ghost Onion is much stronger because its healing works through Vow of Scars. Consider it after a damaging region, especially when recovering health supports a Strength setup.

Luckier Tooth offers a different advantage: recovery when you actually fall. Strength's bonuses become active only after the Tooth's revival has been used. Account for that interaction before adding it to a Strength loadout.

Silken Sash deserves attention when Armor carries another benefit. Use it to preserve an Arachne dress and retain the dress's effect longer. Preserving that dress can matter more than the Armor alone.

Knuckle Bones is more focused. One player values its combination of Guardian health reduction and damage resistance. Consider it when surviving the upcoming Guardian matters more than gaining protection throughout ordinary encounters.

Build Control, Fates' Whim, and Opening Choices

The largest strategic split in this Hades II keepsake tier list is between choosing your god pool and accepting randomness for stronger rewards.

Standard god keepsakes bring their associated god into your boon offerings and allow a rarity upgrade. They do not guarantee every specific boon you might want. Their appeal is controlling part of the selection process.

Choose from these options:

• Cloud Bangle: Zeus.
• Iridescent Fan: Hera.
• Barley Sheaf: Freeze and Cold Storage are suggested options.
• Adamant Shard: Hephaestus.

Choose the associated keepsake when your build depends on that god's contributions. Mobalytics specifically emphasizes starting with Adamant Shard for a Hephaestus Blast build and investing in the relevant Attack or Special boon.

One player ranks standard god keepsakes in S because their control helps establish or complete a build. Mobalytics places them in B, highlighting the opportunity cost of disabling Fates' Whim once its keepsakes are available.

That alternative centers on three items:

Keepsake	Benefit	Main constraint
Jeweled Pom	A random Hades blessing and extra levels on most boon offerings; three extra levels at rank three	Requires Fates' Whim; the added levels are not retroactive
Calling Card	Rarity upgrades for Olympian blessings; six uses at maximum rank	Competes with early Jeweled Pom investment and applies to new offerings
Time Piece	Purges eligible rewards for gold; four uses at maximum rank	Requires Fates' Whim and useful opportunities to spend the gold

Fates' Whim requires no rerolls and avoiding god keepsakes, including Gorgon Amulet. Its preferred sequence begins with Jeweled Pom and follows with Time Piece.

Commit to that trade before starting. If a particular god is essential to your plan, forcing that god may be worth more than extra levels on unpredictable offerings.

Gorgon Amulet creates another tradeoff. Athena's defensive boons are strong choices, including Renewed Faith for restoring spent Death Defiances. However, the keepsake's appearance condition requires having no Death Defiances, and equipping it deactivates Fates' Whim.

Damage and Utility: Match the Effect to the Problem

Offensive placement in a Hades II keepsake tier list needs context. Critical hits, faster channeling, and additional Magick solve different problems.

White Antler offers the most dramatic tradeoff. Grants a 30% critical chance for the next region while limiting health to 30. Mobalytics also stresses the severe health restriction.

One player values White Antler highly in speedruns and high-Fear attempts when defensive tools support it. Mobalytics cautions against casual use in dangerous Vow of Rivals encounters. Reserve it for situations where you understand the incoming threats and can exploit the damage increase.

Keepsake	Effect	Practical consideration
Metallic Droplet	Grants 20% faster movement, striking, and channeling for 300 seconds	Its benefit may expire before the Guardian
Silver Wheel	Grants 100 additional Magick	Consider it when priming leaves too little usable Magick
Moon Beam	Makes a Selene reward likely and adds five upgrades to the next Path of Stars	Its value depends on your Hex and Magick use
Lion Fang	Grants +50% damage, decreasing by five percentage points after each encounter	Earlier fights receive more benefit than later ones
Blackened Fleece	+40% Omega damage at maximum rank after the 250-damage threshold	Check eligibility before equipping
Aromatic Phial	Increased fountain healing and a random Common boon upgraded to Heroic	The rarity result depends on your eligible boon pool

Metallic Droplet ranks S because its combined speed bonuses support both offense and movement. Mobalytics places it in A, warning that slower region clears can exhaust its duration before the boss.

Choose Droplet for immediate tempo and Silver Wheel for Magick capacity. More capacity alone does not replace a functioning Magick recovery plan.

Moon Beam is similarly conditional. It has an A ranking here; its extra Path of Stars upgrades can benefit Hex-focused runs. Consider whether those upgrades support a Hex you actually use before choosing it over a broader defensive option.

Aromatic Phial offers a more controllable gamble than it initially appears. Having only one Common boon makes the Heroic upgrade target predictable. Inspect your boon rarities before selecting it.

Planning Swaps and Avoiding Weak Payoffs

Using this Hades II keepsake tier list effectively means comparing the next region's needs with the effects already supporting your build.

Consider Jeweled Pom early because its level bonuses do not apply retroactively. It then values Time Piece for buying flexibility before moving toward defensive or offensive options later.

For a god-focused run, establish your core boon first, then reassess whether another god, recovery, or boss protection addresses the next obstacle. Avoid choosing damage simply because a keepsake sits higher on the chart.

Fig Leaf illustrates why timing matters. Consider taking it after the first region to pursue encounter skips across later regions. The skips are chance-based; don't count on them to save time.

Experimental Hammer adds a different risk. Its random upgrade can dramatically improve a weapon, but mechanic-changing Hammers can disrupt an existing build. Mobalytics recommends the third region and notes that the temporary upgrade can remain after swapping keepsakes.

Transcendent Embryo offers another temporary-reward decision. Mobalytics ranks it A and emphasizes that the current Epic Chaos blessing remains after unequipping. A random blessing may offer resource benefits instead of something your combat build needs. Weigh that retention benefit against the possibility of receiving an irrelevant blessing.

The remaining lower-ranked options have clearer limitations:

• Concave Stone: A chance to receive an additional random boon after choosing one. Weigh that possible extra reward against a keepsake with a more predictable effect.
• Crystal Figurine: Two random inactive Arcana activate after the next Guardian, making the benefit delayed and unpredictable.
• Evil Eye: Its damage bonus targets only the last foe that defeated you.
• Gold Purse: Gain 100 gold at level one. Consider it when that money would support a specific purchase.
• Discordant Bell: Damage dealt and damage taken increase together after encounters, but the scaling is slow.

Use this Hades II keepsake tier list to favor a clear solution over a speculative bonus when a run already has a workable damage engine.

FAQ

What is the strongest option in this Hades II keepsake tier list?

Engraved Pin takes the top position. Its repeatable invulnerability and recovery offer substantial survival value, although you still need to finish the encounter within its ten-second window.

Should I always start with Jeweled Pom?

It is a strong choice for Fates' Whim runs. Choose it early when you accept the loss of rerolls and god-keepsake control. A build requiring a particular god presents a different tradeoff.

Is White Antler worth the 30 HP restriction?

It can be, but the restriction is severe. Pair it with supporting defenses and strong execution to get the most value. Choose it deliberately for a damage-focused plan rather than as an automatic final-region pick.

Why is Transcendent Embryo a situational choice?

Mobalytics values retaining the current Chaos blessing after unequipping, but also highlights the randomness of its rewards. Consider it when a useful temporary blessing would help, while recognizing that the offered effect may not support your build.