The Arcana Wheel
Hades II replaces Hades I’s mirror with the Arcana Wheel. Before a run you place cards on it. Each card costs Grasp to slot, and your total Grasp is limited — so you are choosing a loadout, not stacking everything.
Card tiers
Each card can be upgraded through Common → Rare → Epic tiers. The costs for each tier are listed on the card, and higher tiers strengthen the listed effect. The scaling values are written into the effect text, so you can see exactly what a higher tier adds.
Awakening
The deeper system is Awakening. Some cards gain an extra effect when the right neighbouring cards sit next to them on the wheel. A card’s Awakening text tells you what it needs. Planning the wheel so your key cards can Awaken is one of the biggest pre-run levers in the game.
By the numbers
- 24 Arcana Cards in total, numbered I through XXIV on the wheel.
- 6 cards can Awaken when the right neighbours sit beside them — placing those neighbours is what unlocks the bonus.
- Grasp cost to slot a card runs from 0 Grasp (The Moon) up to 3 Grasp (Eternity), so your Grasp budget decides how many cards you can field.
- Each card upgrades Common → Rare → Epic, spending Ashes, Moon Dust, Pearl, Cinder, Wool, and Tears rather than Grasp.
| # | Card | Grasp | Awakens? |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | The Sorceress | 1 | No |
| III | The Huntress | 2 | No |
| IV | Eternity | 3 | No |
| V | The Moon | 0 | Yes |
| VI | The Furies | 2 | No |
How to use it
Start with a few cards whose effects you understand, then build the wheel so your strongest card can Awaken. Do not fill every slot with random cards just because you have Grasp — a tight, Awakened layout beats a wide, passive one.
The Arcana Cards database has all 24 cards with costs and Awakenings laid out so you can plan before you enter a run.
Build a focused board
Prioritise cards that boost your core loop — Omega damage, Magick regen, or survivability — over a crowded board of weak effects. A tight arcana layout beats a full one, because each slot should earn its place. Swap cards between attempts when a run needs a different shape.