Hades 2 weapons: Six Nocturnal Arms, Builds, and Combat

How Hades 2 weapons shape a run

Your weapon affects which moves and boon combinations define a run. Knowing how Hades 2 weapons and their aspects work gives you a clearer picture of the options described in the game reference and player video.

Melinoë’s Nocturnal Arms have Attacks, Specials, and Omega moves; the wiki explains that aspects can alter a weapon’s abilities. The player video describes three standard aspects and one hidden aspect for each weapon. Its examples span close-range attacks, ranged Specials, explosive skulls, and Cast-focused setups.

Nocturnal Arm	Source-backed details
Witch’s Staff	Its quick Attack is close-range; its Specials and Omega moves reach farther. The video discusses Cast builds with the Aspect of Circe and a damaging field with the Aspect of Anubis.
Sister Blades	The wiki describes furious Attacks and a flurry of Specials. The video discusses multi-hit attacks and burst damage with the Aspect of the Morrigan.
Umbral Flames	The video discusses aspect builds using Omega Specials, attacks that trigger explosions, and on-hit effects.
Moonstone Axe	The video discusses Omega Attack builds, the Omega-cast effect of the Aspect of Charon, and the Aspect of Thanatos’s critical-damage mechanic.
Argent Skull	The video describes explosive skull attacks and discusses the Aspect of Medea’s movement and Special.
Black Coat	The video describes the Aspect of Nyx splitting attacks and Specials with its Night Spawn mechanic.

These details apply to particular weapons or aspects, rather than every possible build. For example, the Aspect of Medea’s Special has a specific movement risk, while the Aspect of Circe’s setup centers on Casts. Hades 2 weapons can therefore play differently depending on the aspect and moves described in the source.

The six Nocturnal Arms at a glance

The Witch’s Staff is available by default among Hades 2 weapons. The wiki says the other Nocturnal Arms can be unlocked in the training grounds by spending reagents. Unlocking all of them requires 19 Silver, 5 Cinder, 1 Bronze, 2 Glassrock, and 2 Adamant. Weapons can also receive upgrades during a run from a Daedalus Hammer.

Image: Steam / Supergiant Games

Weapon	What the sources describe	Related detail
Witch’s Staff	Quick close-range Attacks; long-range Specials and Omega moves	Circe’s aspect is discussed with high-damage Casts.
Sister Blades	Furious Attacks and flurries of Specials	Morrigan’s aspect is discussed with multi-hit attacks and burst damage.
Umbral Flames	Attack and Special builds, including Omega Special setups	Moros’s aspect uses an Omega Special followed by attacks to trigger explosions.
Moonstone Axe	Omega attacks and aspect-specific setups	Charon’s aspect pairs an Omega Special with an Omega Cast.
Argent Skull	Skull attacks and aspect-specific effects	Medea’s aspect has increased explosion size compared with Melinoë’s skull aspect.
Black Coat	Aspect-specific attack and Special effects	Nyx’s aspect creates a Night Spawn that splits attacks and Specials.

The wiki names the Witch’s Staff as Descura and the Moonstone Axe as Zorephet. It also notes that Daedalus Hammer upgrades can modify weapons during a run. The reference lists these weapon names and their descriptions; it does not provide a complete list of each arm’s move properties, so the table sticks to details supplied by the wiki or video.

Aspects and build ideas from the player video

For Hades 2 weapons, the player video ranks aspects by power, flexibility, and effectiveness for its own tier list. That ranking reflects the player video’s assessment, not a game rule. Its specific build examples show how an aspect can shift attention toward a move, boon, or combat mechanic.

Image: Steam / Supergiant Games

Aspect discussed in the video	Build detail from the player video	Limitation or mechanic described
Aspect of Medea (Argent Skull)	The video describes a 90% damage boost to Attacks and Spells, larger explosions than Melinoë’s skull aspect, and frequent use of Heaven Flourish.	Its Special moves into the target and has no invulnerability frames, so the video emphasizes learning its timing.
Aspect of Circe (Witch’s Staff)	The video names Storm Ring and Smolder Ring for a high-damage Cast setup.	It describes the double Cast and psychic leash as central to the setup.
Aspect of Moros (Umbral Flames)	Activate an Omega Special, then attack to trigger explosions; percentage-based damage boons can complement this approach.	The video calls out magic demands and channeling time.
Aspect of Charon (Moonstone Axe)	An Omega Special also produces an Omega Cast with increased area of effect.	The video identifies channeling time as a cost.
Aspect of Nyx (Black Coat)	The Night Spawn splits attacks and Specials; the video names Wave Strike and Flame Strike as options.	It says the Night Spawn contributes less in one-on-one Guardian encounters.
Aspect of Anubis (Witch’s Staff)	Place a damaging field, then use Special to pull enemies into it.	The video describes using this sequence with standard or Omega moves.

For Medea, a tip that follows from the described mechanic is to account for the Special’s movement into a target and its lack of invulnerability frames. For Circe, the video’s named Cast boons are Storm Ring and Smolder Ring. The Aspect of Anubis example gives another clear sequence: establish the damaging field, then pull enemies into it with Special.

The video also describes the Aspect of Thanatos for the Moonstone Axe. Its Mortality critical-damage chance resets when Melinoë is hit, so the video’s build discussion depends on avoiding damage. It notes that the aspect has been buffed since Early Access. This is a specific mechanic and patch comparison from the player video, not a general ranking of all axe aspects.

Choosing boons and managing Omega moves

Omega moves can define a build for Hades 2 weapons, but they also ask you to pay attention to magic and channeling. The player video connects these costs to several aspect setups: Moros uses substantial magic, while some axe and staff builds center on Omega Attacks, Specials, or Casts.

Image: Steam / Supergiant Games

Build detail in the video	Boon or move named	Source-backed consideration
Circe Staff Cast setup	Storm Ring or Smolder Ring	The video describes a high-damage Cast and double-Cast setup.
Moros Flames explosion loop	Omega Special followed by attacks	The video cites magic requirements and channeling time.
Charon Axe Cast setup	Omega Special and enlarged Omega Cast	The video describes the Cast as part of the Special’s effect and notes channeling time.
Medea Skull setup	Heaven Flourish	The video describes the aspect’s Attack and Spell damage boost and the Special’s risky movement.
Some flame builds	Scorch, Blitz, or Splash	The video names these on-hit effects for builds using rapid attacks or Specials.

The video describes Melinoë’s Witch’s Staff as versatile across Omega moves and standard strike combos. For its Aspect of Melinoë, it names Heaven Strike on Attack and a percentage-based damage boon on Special as a common direction. That example ties a boon choice to the move it supports.

The player video also discusses the Aspect of Momus, saying it relies on Omega moves, maximum magic, and a strong Gain boon. It notes that Melinoë cannot dash while channeling Omega moves, which can lead to resetting the channel. Those mechanics explain why a build focused on repeated Omega use calls for attention to both magic and channeling windows.

Using aspect rankings without locking into a tier list

A tier list can give you a build to try, but a ranking does not account for the boons, Hammer upgrades, and play style you encounter in a particular run. The player video gives a tier list, but its build examples also describe specific mechanics and tradeoffs that can be useful without adopting every rating.

Aspect detail from the video	Build or mechanic described
Aspect of the Morrigan (Sister Blades)	The multi-hit Attack can use on-hit effects or increased area from Nova Strike; the video also describes Blood Triad as a source of burst damage.
Aspect of Eos (Umbral Flames)	Daybreaker mimics Special usage; the video says its movement can make some attacks miss.
Aspect of Shiva (Black Coat)	The video describes high single-hit damage with Flutter Strike or Nova Strike and a curse boon on Special. Melinoë blocks attacks from the front while channeling.
Aspect of Persephone (Argent Skull)	The video describes its sprouted effect and says players may use the aspect for bonus boon levels.
Aspect of Pan (Sister Blades)	The video describes a dash-strike build with Trick Knives and says Omega Special recovery can be slow.

The video’s examples show that aspects can have both a payoff and a constraint. The Aspect of the Morrigan’s burst potential comes alongside the need to optimize Blood Triad against Guardians. The Aspect of Eos’s Daybreaker follows Special usage, but the video notes that its movement is not controlled. For Shiva, the video describes a powerful single hit and a directional blocking limitation while channeling.

For source context, see the player video ranking Hades II weapon aspects and the Nocturnal Arms wiki reference.

FAQ

How many Hades 2 weapons are there?

The reference lists six Nocturnal Arms: the Witch’s Staff, Sister Blades, Umbral Flames, Moonstone Axe, Argent Skull, and Black Coat.

Which Hades 2 weapons are available at the start?

The Witch’s Staff is unlocked by default, according to the Nocturnal Arms wiki page. The page says the other weapons can be unlocked in the training grounds with reagents.

What does an aspect do in Hades 2?

The wiki says aspects can affect weapon abilities, and the player video describes three standard aspects and one hidden aspect for each weapon. The video’s examples include changes to damage, movement, Casts, and attack effects.

Which Hades 2 weapons have Omega-focused builds?

The player video describes Omega-focused setups for several aspects, including Charon’s Moonstone Axe and Moros’s Umbral Flames. It also discusses Omega moves for the Witch’s Staff.