How to equip 0 Grasp Arcana Cards in Hades 2

In your tumultuous journey through the underworld of Hades 2, Arcana Cards can make or break your run.

In Hades 2, Melinoë’s Arcana Cards bestow permanent bonuses. These can grant extra life and speed or buff your special attacks and casts. But before you can enjoy the benefits of being a tarot witch, you must craft and equip these Arcana Cards. Some cards, however, are easier to equip than others. I’m talking, of course, about 0 Grasp Arcana Cards, like The Centaur, which simply refuse to be equipped. In this guide, I’ll explain how Arcana Cards work and how you can equip Awakening Cards in Hades 2.

How Arcana Cards work in Hades 2

You can unlock Arcana Cards in the Stone Slab at the entrance of the Training Grounds at The Crossroads. This is where you find Skelly in Hades 2.

With Ashes, and a few other resources later on, you can unlock passive buffs in the form of Arcana Cards. Once unlocked, you must equip them for the passive buffs to start working.

The Grasp meter on the far right serves as a gatekeeper. It determines the number of Arcana Cards that can be wielded simultaneously. 

As you overcome challenges, clear bosses, and compel Shades, you accumulate Psyche. If you hover over the Grasp meter, you can increase your Grasp in exchange for Psyche. More Grasp means more active Arcana Cards. In most cases.

The exception lies in Arcana Cards that cost zero Grasp. While some cards demand a Grasp cost, others possess an ethereal quality, awakening under specific conditions without consuming any Grasp points. These cards, aptly named Awakening Cards, award you benefits without the burden of manual activation.

How to Awaken 0 Grasp Cards in Hades 2

Arcana Cards that cost 0 Grasp must be activated by meeting the Awakening condition shown on the bottom half of the card in Hades 2.

In the image above, you can see the Centaur card. It grants three hearts and three magic points every five locations. It doesn’t cost any Grasp, but instead, before you can equip The Centaur, you must activate every other Arcana Card that costs from one to five Grasp. Until then, it’ll just sit there collecting dust among your other cards.

Each 0 Grasp Arcana Card has its own condition, so before you invest in unlocking one of the Awakening Cards, I suggest you figure out whether you’ll be able to equip it first. If you can’t use right now, just focus on unlocking other regular Arcana Cards and increasing your Grasp.