Hades 2: How To Unlock The Argent Skull

With the surprise release of the highly-anticipated Hades 2 from Supergiant this week comes a flood of new gameplay and mysteries to explore; one such mystery is the newest weapon added to the Hades roster, the Argent Skull. This is arguably the most complicated of the new weapons at Melinoe's disposal, but before players can engage with the new combat style it offers, they have to unlock it at the Nocturnal Arms pool. Alongside the other weapons players are able to wield, the Argent Skull must be unlocked using location-specific resources, some of which require the player to push pretty far into the game's levels.

Before the player unlocks the Argent Skull, there are four other weapons provided to Melinoe first. You start out with Descura, a witch's staff that has ranged and melee attacks. Next is the Moonstone Axe, which prioritizes close-range attack and defense moves, alongside the Sister Blades, which are a sickle and dagger combo that allow Melinoe to execute fast and light attacks that can do devastating damage. Finally, you'll need to unlock the Umbral Flames, a magic-based weapon with both AoE and single-target damage.

After all four of these weapons have been unlocked, the Argent Skull will appear as an option in the armory for players to unlock.

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Finding the Resources for the Argent Skull in Hades 2

After you've grabbed the previous four weapons and also unlocked the surface by dispelling Hecate's Wards, the spot for the Argent Skull will appear in the armory and the menu when you interact with it. Here, players will learn that in order to unlock the Argent Skull, they'll need two Glassrock and one Bronze in order to craft it. One of these resources, Bronze, comes from the surface, so you'll have to head towards Olympus in order to gather the material you need.

Getting to the Surface

In order to safely fight your way towards Olympus and gather all the resources you'll need to unlock the Skull in Hades 2, there are a few things you'll need to do. Firstly, you'll need to dispel the ward preventing you from heading up. This will take one Cinder (obtained by beating Hecate), one Shadow (crafted at the Cauldron using 30 Ash, 30 Psyche, and 3 Fate Fabric), and one Moly (found in Erebus). After you complete this conjuration, the way to the surface will be opened up to you.

Once you arrive at the surface and complete your first Encounter, Melinoe will start taking damage over time. This starts small, with two to four damage every few seconds, but will quickly increase. This means that Melinoe will only have a little bit of time to spend on the surface before she is sent back to the Crossroads.

In the space between death and the Crossroads, Lord Moros will appear to you and tell you that there might be an incantation that will allow Melinoe to remain on the surface against the wishes of the Fates. Once you've had this conversation, the recipe for the "Unraveling a Fateful Bond" incantation will appear in the Cauldron menu.

Staying on the Surface

This recipe will take a resource that can only be found on the surface, so make your way back up and move as quickly as you can, prioritizing resource collection over going super far in your runs. The spell requires two Lotus (found in Oceanus), two Moss (found on the Surface), two Nightshade (found in seed form when you dig in Erebus), and two Thalamus.

Thalamus is pretty tricky to find, as you can only find the seeds behind the Chaos gates that spawn in certain Encounters. Before you head out on runs searching for it, make sure you have the Silver Spade with you so that you'll be able to dig up the seeds in Chaos's realm. Plant them in your seed plots once you get back to the Crossroads, where they'll grow into Thalamus that you can harvest.

Finally, you have everything you need to actually find the Glassrock and Bronze to unlock the Argent Skull. No one ever promised anything in Hades 2 would be simple, and this fifth weapon is no different. Once you're this far, all that remains is to find the Glassrock in the Mourning Fields of the Underworld and Bronze on the surface, both of which require the Crescent Pick to harvest.

Bronze is pretty obvious to find; look for large piles of metal lying around the edges of each encounter room, and interact with it to harvest three pieces of it from each pile. As for Glassrock, you'll need to head down pretty deep into the Underworld; this resource can only be mined in the Mourning Fields, which is the location after Oceanus.

Here, be on the lookout for large grey stones sticking out of the ground, as this is where you'll need to interact and harvest Glassrock. Thankfully, you only need two, so you should be able to grab everything you need in just one harvest. Head as deeply as you can, as the Mourning Fields is all that stands between yourself and Chronos, but if you're not ready to fight the Titan of Time, feel free to die right after you get the resources you need and head back to the Crossroads to unlock your prize.

The Argent Skull's Fighting Style

This unique weapon is one of the most confusing of the new weapons introduced in Hades 2, with a playstyle that requires a bit more micromanaging than the other weapons. This being said, it has some really cool combos that you can use once you get used to how it works and gets even more utility out of the hammer upgrades offered on runs. Check out SYROBE+'s YouTube video with their best Argent Skull build! Here are all of the attacks and abilities native to The Argent Skull:

Moves Description Normal Attacks Throw out a shell in the direction you aim, with a limit to three shells. You must pick up the thrown shells before they can be thrown again. Omega Attack If you hold your attack, you'll throw a single Shell for more damage and a wider radius, which can be precisely aimed. Special Lunge in a chosen direction and deal damage, without gaining any I-frames. Omega Special Lunge in a specific direction while unleashing destructive waves on both sides of your lunge. You also lunge further.

Of course, there are also upgrades that you can do to change the Skull's playstyle, but before you get too lost in the sauce, make sure you're managing your Shells well with the default weapon style. There is no one right way to play Hades 2, but it's easier when you change your playstyle based on the weapon you're using. Maybe you'll find the Argent Skull's micromanagement to be too tedious, or maybe you'll find it's the weapon for you.

No matter how you feel about this weapon, you'll have to put in the work to unlock it to even try it. Take your time, engage with the beautiful characters and world that Supergiant has created, and take in everything that Hades 2 has to offer.

Source: SYROBE+/YouTube