Daedalus Hammers rank among my absolute favorite upgrades in Hades and Hades 2. They have the power to change the behavior of weapons in entertaining ways and are often the key part of a winning build. Here are the best Daedalus Hammer upgrades for each weapon in Hades 2.
There are five weapons in Hades 2, and each comes with its own set of Daedalus Hammer upgrades. Said Hammers will alter how your weapons work, either by changing the way they attack or by affecting your other abilities in some substantial way. Let’s just say that, if you spot the Hammer symbol on a door, you should absolutely go for it unless you feel your build is good enough. If you’re chasing down those Hammers, scroll to the section below to find out which ones we recommend the most.
Hades 2: Best Daedalus Hammer upgrades for each weapon
As mentioned, there are five weapons in Hades 2 with unique Hammer upgrades. We’ll go over each weapon along with what I feel to be the best upgrades you can obtain. I decided to go with three upgrades per weapon and offered suggestions where applicable on how best to wield them.
The Witch’s Staff
The Witch’s Staff brings a good balance of Magick ability and attack power, either of which (or both at once) can be improved with Daedalus Hammer upgrades. If you’re rocking the staff, look for these during your next run:
- Extending Wallop
- The upgrade increases your attack range and deals 100% additional damage to foes at a distance. This is perfect for the non-melee-focused Staff.
- Aetheric Moonburst
- Your Omega Special gains a Power Shot that deals +50% damage and restores 20 Magick. This upgrade allows you to get into the flow of attacking and regaining Magick.
- Dual Moonshot
- Though not as powerful as the Double Moonshot it replaced, Dual Moonshot is still strong for those who have confidence in their dodges. Your Specials fire two projectiles but with a 40% reduction in range.
Sister Blades
The Sister Blades are my favorite weapons in the game. Why? Well, not only are they fun to use, but their Daedalus Hammer upgrades are some of the most impressive in the game. Consider these next time you rock the blades:
- Spiral Knives
- Your Specials deal +20% damage and your Omega Special fires up to 16 shots around you in a circular pattern. Combined with the Aspect of Pan, Spiral Knives is an absolute killer of elites and Guardians.
- Melting Sickle
- Perfect for encounters with armored elites, Melting Sickle causes your Special to destroy 50% of any Armor based on the total amount.
- Dancing Knives
- This upgrade makes it so your Special moves deal 15% more damage and each hit will bounce toward up to two more enemies.
Truth be told, most (if not all) Daedalus Hammer upgrades for the Sister Blades are incredible in their own right. You could replace my list above with any other combination and you should do just as well or even better, depending on your build. Mix and match, and just enjoy the stabbing.
Umbral Flames
As the most maligned of Melinoë’s weapons, figuring out the best Umbral Flames’ Hammer upgrades is a bit tricky. I do feel these are the best for the time being:
- Sustained Spark
- The Umbral Flames can be hard to use since you need to channel attacks, and often in close range to enemies. Sustained Spark helps by allowing you to move 20% faster while you charge Attacks.
- Mega Spark
- This upgrade works on the idea of the former, allowing you to fire your Attacks 20% further for +30% more damage.
- Rising Coil
- With Rising Coil, your Specials grow larger and deal up to 25% more damage the longer they are active. Your Special is something you should be using often with the Flames, so the more damage, the better.
Moonstone Axe
Ah, the Moonstone Axe, my beloved. It’s fun to create builds for the Moonstone Axe, as the damage it deals can knock the wind out of most foes and bosses alike.
- Psychic Whirlwind
- Psychic Whirlwind almost feels like a win button to me. When equipped, you can continue using your Attacks and Specials while your Omega Attack is active. This causes your damage to increase exponentially and even lets you dash around. It’s bliss.
- Giga Cleaver
- This upgrade lets you fire off your Omega Special twice in a row for +15 Magick. If you’re basing your build around the Omega Special, Giga Cleaver is a necessity.
- Seething Marauder
- The Omega Attack is my favorite with the axe, so something like Seething Marauder is ideal. It’s an upgrade that causes your Attacks to deal 60 damage to foes all around you. Combine this with the Psychic Whirlwind and maybe Apollo’s Boons and you are a hurricane of blades and death, my friends.
Argent Skull
As weird as it is, I actually adore the Argent Skull weapon. It’s deceptively powerful and has taken me to some satisfying victories in Hades 2. To earn your own wins with the Skulls, look for these upgrades to try:
- Twisting Crash
- Twisting Crash activates the Omega Special move again, this time bringing the waves back toward you. It allows you to dish out twice the damage whenever you use the move.
- Bolstered Array
- The Argent Skull fires magical “skulls,” called Shells, to damage enemies. By default, you get three shots before you need to pick the Shells up or wait for them to return. Having only three shells makes good aim and patience critical for using the Skull. Bolstered Array eases things up by adding two more Shells, letting you spam for damage or fire and reposition yourself for another attack.
- Mega Driver
- I will deny any accusation that I chose the Mega Driver upgrade merely due to my love of Sega’s greatest console. But I won’t say that the thought didn’t cross my mind. Mega Driver is a top pick for me, a person who uses the Omega Special of the Argent Skull as often as he breathes. The upgrade allows the move to travel further while dishing out an additional 50% damage. For those who love scooting across the screen with the Skull, this one’s for you.
The Black Coat
If you ever thought about how a rocket-firing jetpack would fare in ancient Greece (who hasn’t?), wonder no more. Xinth – The Black Coat is an admittedly anachronistic weapon that allows Melinoë to zip around the screen softening up foes with a barrage of rockets before delivering a devastating punch. To increase the weapon’s immense power, try:
- Ripper Rockets
- Ripper Rockets grants your Special Attacks +5 Power for up to five consecutive hits on the same enemy. Armor or not, the upgrade helps you shred enemies if you focus on Special damage.
- World Collider
- Want to know what happens when worlds collide? In the context of the Black Coat, we’re talking hundreds of points of damage (or more, depending). When equipped, World Collider gives your fully-charged Omega Attack +100 Power damage. Float like a butterfly, sting like a freakin’ cannon.
- Counter Barrage
- The Black Coat has many great hammer upgrades, which made things more challenging for me. But for the third choice, I have to go with Counter Barrage. When used, Counter Barrage allows you to automatically fire five Omega Special rockets while blocking. It’s a one-two punch between rockets and a, um, punch that sends enemies reeling. Runner up: Launcher Frame.
Keep in mind that this list is subjective and liable to change. For the most part, the best Daedalus Hammer upgrades in Hades 2 are the ones that suit your play style and build the most. The list above, however, does contain what I feel to be the absolute most essential upgrades, so I encourage you to check them out on your way to kill Time.
