Hades 2: The best Tarot Cards you should always equip

In Hades 2, one of the only ways that you can gain power between runs is through the Tarot Card system. These unlockable buffs can be a huge help in your runs, giving you abilities like mana/health regeneration, dodge chance, and even the ability to defy death. Plus, they can all be upgraded into even more powerful versions of themselves.

That said, you can only have a limited number active at the same time, so you have to choose wisely – especially as some will only activate under specific conditions. We’ve picked out the very best Tarot Cards available in Hades 2 so you know what to prioritize.

Tarot Cards are just one part of your build though. Make sure to check out our guide on all Keepsakes in Hades 2 for more items you can use.

The Sorceress

The very first card you unlock, and you may as well keep it all the way to the end of the game. Omega moves are really useful, and upgrading them is how you pump out major damage in Hades 2, so a base increase to how quickly you can cast them is invaluable, up to 30% once you max it out.

The Wayward Son

Passive healing is always helpful; that’s all there is to it. 3HP per room may not sound like a lot, but that adds up over the course of a run, especially if you upgrade the card to heal 5HP per room instead. It may only help you out a little bit, but we’ve all had boss fights where the line between victory and miserable failure is that thin.

The Huntress

If you’re playing the game right, then your mana will almost always be below 100%. You should be using your Omega moves at every opportunity, especially against bosses. This means that you’ll be constantly getting that big buff to your attack and special damage, and you don’t need us to explain how that can help.

The Furies

Your Cast is one of the best tools in your arsenal, especially once you’ve got a few upgrades on it during a run. Catching foes in your cast locks them down and makes them more vulnerable to your attacks, so increasing the damage you do to anything inside it is a perfect way to cut through even the most resilient of enemies quickly.

Persistence

This is another base buff card that is just always a huge help. A base increase to your default HP and Mana – up to 40 for each if you upgrade it all the way – is going to keep you alive for longer and be able to deal more damage while you’re at it. While a more skilled player can perhaps forgo this in favor of something more complex,  most of us should have this one on at all times.

Death

If your goal is to defeat the final boss, then having Death Defiance makes that so much easier. Quite simply, it lets you revive if your health ever falls to zero. Even just one use of it will massively increase how far you can get each run, and once you upgrade it you can get up to three. There’s no reason to turn down what is effectively an extra life for every run.

The Queen

Duo boons are some of the most powerful in the entire game. They combine the abilities of two of the gods and all of them pair up in unique ways. The Queen boosts the odds of you finding these rare boons, which will give you incredible abilities.

Strength

While you generally want to stack up  as  many uses of Death Defiance as you can, this is a great card that will  help you out if you’re on your last legs. When you’re so close to defeating a boss but are out of extra lives and on the brink of death, the boost from this card might just turn a crushing defeat into a glorious victory.