Verified against Hades 2 Early Access, May 2026. Values may change with future updates.
The Daedalus Hammer offers one of the most impactful decisions in a Hades 2 run: upgrade a core weapon mechanic, sometimes in a way that rewires your entire combat rotation. The problem is you get two hammers per run at most — a third only if you buy an Anvil of Fates from Charon. Take Marauder Wallop on the Witch’s Staff and your Omega Attack is gone for the rest of the run. Take Furious Whirlwind on the Moonstone Axe and the game’s slowest weapon becomes its most mobile.
Most guides give you a top-three list per weapon and move on. This one covers all six weapons with S-tier picks and exact numerical values, which upgrades to skip and why, boon synergies that compound with the best picks, and a player-type table so new players and min-max optimisers get genuinely different answers. For how weapons interact with aspects and longer-term build theory, see the Hades 2 Complete Guide.
Quick Start: Hammer Priorities at a Glance
- Hammers appear as encounter rewards in Erebus and beyond, or can be bought from Charon for 200 Gold Crowns — budget for one if your first offer is bad.
- Maximum two hammer effects per run; a third slot requires buying the Anvil of Fates from Charon to reroll and stack a new pick.
- All hammer effects vanish when a run ends (death or successful completion) — they don’t carry between runs.
- Before taking a playstyle-changer (Hell Splitter, Marauder Wallop), check whether your current boons still fire on the new attack pattern.
- Never skip a hammer entirely — even a B-tier upgrade multiplies with your existing boon stack and is always a net positive.
- Use the Anvil of Fates to reroll when both offers conflict with your build, not just because one looks underwhelming.
Witch’s Staff — Hammer Rankings
The Staff has the longest natural range of the six weapons, which means distance-based multipliers hit harder here than anywhere else. The two S-tier picks leverage this in different ways: one blankets the entire room in a single Omega, the other doubles your damage on anything you’re already reaching.
| Tier | Upgrade | Effect | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | Cross Cataclysm | Omega Special fires in 4 cardinal directions, +40% damage, no extra Magick cost | Room clear, any build |
| S | Extending Wallop | +100% damage to distant enemies, extended attack range | Ranged boon builds, general use |
| A | Aetheric Moonburst | Restores 20 Magick per Omega Special hit | Magick-intensive builds |
| A | Shimmering Moonshot | Special projectiles bounce between enemies with scaling damage each bounce | Grouped enemies, corridor fights |
| B | Double Moonshot | Special fires two projectiles, auto-tracking; -40% range | Players who struggle with aim |
| Skip | Marauder Wallop | Faster attack strikes, Omega Attack disabled | No one — costs your highest-damage ability |
Boon synergy: Cross Cataclysm with Zeus, Poseidon, or Demeter boons on your Omega Special. Each of the four beams procs the boon effect independently, so a single Omega activation triggers four boon applications instead of one.
Best two-hammer combo: Cross Cataclysm + Extending Wallop. Your Omega four-beams every room cluster while normal attacks deal double damage on anything beyond melee range — which on the Staff is most enemies.
Skip reasoning: Marauder Wallop is the Staff’s trap upgrade. Faster normal attack speed sounds useful but the Staff’s Omega Attack is your highest-damage moment by a wide margin. Trading it for a speed buff on a weapon that already outranges everything is a net loss on every run where a boss is the bottleneck.
Sister Blades — Hammer Rankings
The blades have the shortest range of the six weapons, so upgrades that add AoE or eliminate the need for precise positioning are disproportionately strong. Final Slice and Skulking Slice stack directly: landing your combo-ender from behind means a single hit carries both bonuses, putting it at 6× your base attack damage.
| Tier | Upgrade | Effect | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | Final Slice | Last combo hit deals +400% damage in an AoE | Boss fights, crowd clears |
| S | Skulking Slice | +200% damage when attacking from behind | Bosses with long attack windup |
| A | Boundless Flurry | Omega Special costs 66% less Magick, near-instant charge | Ranged threat handling |
| A | Explosive Ambush | Omega Attack becomes AoE, +400% damage, costs 20 Magick | Boss burst phases with Magick reserves |
| B | Melting Sickle | Each Special hit deals +500 Armor damage | Armored enemy-heavy runs only |
| Skip | Hook Knives | Thrown projectiles return to you dealing bonus damage on return | Return path rarely connects |
Boon synergy: Final Slice with Aphrodite boons — you’re already in close range to complete the combo, so close-range damage bonuses apply naturally. Skulking Slice with Hermes speed boons to reposition behind bosses fast enough to land consistently before they reset their facing.
Best two-hammer combo: Final Slice + Skulking Slice. Hit your full combo from behind and the last strike carries a 6× multiplier. Against bosses with extended wind-up animations — where repositioning is easy — this combination ends encounters 30–40% faster in testing.
Skip reasoning: Hook Knives’ return path assumes enemies hold position between your throw and the knife’s return arc. Hades 2 enemies track and move constantly. In practice the return strike connects on roughly 1 in 4 throws against standard enemies and almost never against bosses that actively chase you. It’s a bonus that rarely pays out.
Moonstone Axe — Hammer Rankings
The axe hits hardest of any weapon but leaves you exposed during the Omega Attack wind-up. Both S-tier picks target this vulnerability — Furious Whirlwind removes it by cutting charge time and adding mobility; Psychic Whirlwind converts the vulnerability window into an offensive opportunity. One reduces the skill floor, the other raises the skill ceiling.
| Tier | Upgrade | Effect | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | Furious Whirlwind | Omega Attack channels faster, +60% movement speed while spinning | New players, any build — lowers skill floor |
| S | Psychic Whirlwind | Normal Attacks and Specials remain usable during Omega Attack | Boon-heavy builds, dual-output rotations |
| A | Hell Splitter | Replaces 3-hit combo with a single +300 Power slam | Percentage-based boon builds (Aphrodite, Apollo) only |
| B | Unyielding Slash | Enhanced attacks with incoming damage reduction during strikes | Defensive learners, survivability builds |
| Skip | Executioner’s Chop | Final combo hit strikes twice, costs extra Magick | Magick cost outweighs the double-hit benefit |
Furious vs. Psychic Whirlwind: Take Furious Whirlwind if you’re still learning axe timing — it makes the Omega safe before you’ve mastered positioning. Take Psychic Whirlwind if you’ve already internalised the Omega timing and want to fire boons during the spin window instead of just waiting it out.
Hell Splitter note — this is the axe’s playstyle-changer: Dropping your 3-hit combo for a single +300 Power slam only improves DPS if your boons apply percentage bonuses per hit. With Aphrodite’s 200% multiplier on an attack, one massive slam is better than three smaller hits. With Zeus’ Static (procs per hit in the combo sequence), Hell Splitter cuts your proc count from 3 to 1 — a clear net loss. Check your boons before committing.
Boon synergy: Furious Whirlwind with Hecate Hex, Poseidon, or Zeus boons on Omega. The extended spin window from faster channeling gives these boons more time to stack damage before the attack resolves.
Umbral Flames — Hammer Rankings
The Flames have no hard combo-ender — your attack fires continuously while held. This means any upgrade that multiplies each projectile’s damage compounds across the entire hold window rather than applying to a single hit. Split Fire is the most efficient upgrade in the game by this measure: it costs nothing and doubles your projectile count on every fireball that contacts an enemy.
| Tier | Upgrade | Effect | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | Split Fire | Each fireball splits into two on first enemy contact | Any Flames build — no downside condition |
| S | Melting Comet | Special fires straight, destroys 80% of enemy Armor on hit | Runs heavy with armored enemies |
| A | Mega Spark | +20% range, +30% damage per fireball | General damage builds, second hammer slot |
| A | Growing Coils | Orbiting Special flames grow larger | Passive zone control, tanking runs |
| B | Sustained Spark | +20% movement speed while channeling attack | Mobility builds, kiting playstyle |
| Skip | Rising Coil | Up to +25% more damage the longer the coil stays active | Only relevant if enemies survive 5+ seconds |
Boon synergy: Split Fire with Apollo boons on Attack — each split projectile triggers the Apollo effect independently. A boon that applies a 30% bonus per projectile hit doubles its total output from a single fireball burst with no extra Magick cost.
Best two-hammer combo: Split Fire + Mega Spark. Doubled projectile count from Split Fire, then each of those projectiles hits 30% harder and travels 20% further. The compound effect means room-clearing changes from sustained fire to near-instant elimination of clustered enemies.
Skip reasoning: Rising Coil’s +25% ramp requires sustained contact with the same coil — contact that standard enemies rarely survive long enough to provide. Mega Spark delivers the same rough damage gain (30%) without any uptime condition. Take Mega Spark over Rising Coil every time both are offered.
Argent Skull — Hammer Rankings
The Skull fires 3-shell bursts before requiring a reload pickup. Its hammer upgrades fall into two categories: expand the magazine (remove the tactical reload pressure entirely) or improve what you do with each shell (damage, speed, dash). Bolstered Array is the clearest unambiguous S-tier in the game because it eliminates the weapon’s primary friction point without any trade-off.
| Tier | Upgrade | Effect | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | Bolstered Array | +2 shells to magazine (3 → 5 total before reload) | All players, all builds |
| S | Colossus Tackle | Special dash deals +45 damage, -30% incoming damage during dash | Close-range plays, survivability |
| A | Mega Driver | +50% Special damage, extended travel range | Direct damage builds |
| A | Sudden Driver | Specials fire 35% faster | Tight ammo builds, speed runs |
| Skip | Fetching Array | Shells auto-return after firing, magazine size reduced | Convenience at the cost of total output |
Boon synergy: Bolstered Array with any boon that procs on Attack. Five shells instead of three means 67% more boon procs before the reload window forces a break. If your boon applies a DoT (Ares bleed, Hestia fire), five applications per cycle versus three meaningfully extends status effect uptime through the reload gap.
Best two-hammer combo: Bolstered Array + Colossus Tackle. Five shells of sustained fire before reload, with the Special dash generating damage and reducing counterattack risk simultaneously. The combination solves both the reload pressure and the Skull’s exposure window when closing distance.
Skip reasoning: Fetching Array trades magazine size for auto-collection convenience. Fewer shots per cycle means fewer boon procs and lower burst damage per engage. The auto-return path also frequently misses a second target since enemies move after taking the initial hit. It’s a downgrade dressed up as a quality-of-life feature.
Black Coat — Hammer Rankings
The Black Coat builds Power with consecutive hits and releases it through the Omega. Both S-tier picks amplify different parts of this loop — World Collider raises the ceiling on the release, Ripper Rockets accelerates the accumulation. Counter Barrage is the A-tier defensive pivot that converts forced block phases (which bosses impose regularly) into offensive moments.
| Tier | Upgrade | Effect | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | World Collider | +100 Power damage on fully-charged Omega Attack | Any build — direct burst ceiling raise |
| S | Ripper Rockets | +5 Power per consecutive hit, up to 5 hits (+25 Power total) | Percentage boon builds with strong combo uptime |
| A | Counter Barrage | Fires 5 rockets while blocking | Boss-heavy runs, aggressive boss patterns |
Boon synergy: Ripper Rockets with Ares boons — each of the 5 consecutive hits applies Ares’ Doom or bleed effect. At max stacks you trigger 5 DoT activations in a single combo before the boss can reset position, compressing what would be spread damage into a single burst window.
Best two-hammer combo: World Collider + Ripper Rockets. Ripper Rockets adds +25 Power at the top of the accumulation phase; World Collider then adds +100 Power on top when you release. Combined that’s +125 Power on your highest-damage moment of the run, and it compounds with any percentage-based boons attached to your Omega.
Per-Player-Type Priority Table
Same weapons, different first hammer priorities depending on how you approach the game. New players and hardcore builds genuinely diverge on Sister Blades, Moonstone Axe, and Black Coat:
| Weapon | New Player (safe) | Casual (efficient) | Hardcore (min-max) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Witch’s Staff | Extending Wallop | Cross Cataclysm | Cross Cataclysm |
| Sister Blades | Final Slice | Boundless Flurry | Skulking Slice |
| Moonstone Axe | Furious Whirlwind | Furious Whirlwind | Psychic Whirlwind |
| Umbral Flames | Mega Spark | Split Fire | Split Fire |
| Argent Skull | Bolstered Array | Bolstered Array | Colossus Tackle |
| Black Coat | Counter Barrage | World Collider | Ripper Rockets |
The divergences tell you something about each weapon. Skulking Slice is the highest ceiling upgrade for Sister Blades — but its +200% from-behind bonus only pays out if you’ve mastered repositioning against bosses. New players who can’t yet consistently position during boss combos get more total damage from Final Slice’s AoE, which fires regardless of facing. Ripper Rockets over World Collider follows the same logic: Ripper Rockets requires maintaining consecutive hits, which demands combat patience most new players haven’t built yet.
Should You Take a Playstyle-Changer?
Three upgrades fundamentally change how their weapon fires: Hell Splitter (axe), Marauder Wallop (staff), and any upgrade that removes or disables an existing attack pattern. Before accepting one, run through this check:
- What do your boons proc on? If your boons trigger on individual hits in a combo sequence (Zeus Static, Hephaestus Smolder), any upgrade that reduces your hit count cuts your boon output proportionally. If your boons apply percentage multipliers per attack (Aphrodite, Apollo), consolidating three weak hits into one massive hit is often a net gain.
- Which hammer is this — first or second? Your first hammer should almost never be a playstyle-changer unless you’re deliberately building around it from the start. Your second hammer can be, but only if your first hammer and current boons already point in the same direction.
- Is the Anvil of Fates available? If both hammer offers conflict with your build, buying the Anvil from Charon to reroll is usually worth the cost. A hammer that fights your boon build doesn’t just fail to help — it actively breaks synergies you’ve spent Magick and shop gold to construct.
For deeper weapon build theory including aspect synergies, see our Hades 2 Weapon Aspects guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Daedalus Hammer upgrades can you hold at once?
Two hammer effects per run from encounter rewards. A third is possible only if you buy the Anvil of Fates from Charon — this item rerolls your hammer offer and allows you to stack a new choice as a third effect. You won’t see the Anvil every run, so plan around two hammers as your baseline.
Can you get the same hammer upgrade twice in one run?
No. Each upgrade is unique per run — passing on an S-tier pick hoping it reappears is a mistake, because it’s gone for that run the moment you decline it. The only way to get a different set of options is through the Anvil of Fates reroll.
Should you always take a hammer, or is it ever right to skip?
Always take a hammer. The weakest B-tier upgrade still multiplies with your boon stack and improves your clear speed. The only situation that resembles a genuine skip is when both offers actively conflict with your build — but the right response there is to use the Anvil of Fates to reroll, not to walk away with nothing.
Do two hammer upgrades stack if they both affect the same attack?
Yes, additively, when both upgrades modify the same attack without redefining it. Two damage bonuses on your Omega Attack stack as separate multipliers. However, playstyle-changer upgrades (Hell Splitter, Marauder Wallop) replace the attack pattern entirely — you can’t hold both your original 3-hit combo and Hell Splitter’s slam simultaneously. Check whether a second pick overrides or adds to your first.
Sources
- All Daedalus Hammer Upgrades | Hades 2 — Game8
- Best Daedalus Hammer Upgrades for Each Weapon — Destructoid
- Hades 2: 10 Best Daedalus Hammer Upgrades — TheGamer
- Sister Blades Guide: Best Boons and Hammer Upgrades — Game8
- Witch’s Staff Guide: Best Boons and Hammer Upgrades — Game8
- Daedalus Hammer Upgrades Wiki — Mobalytics
I've been playing video games for over 20 years, spanning everything from early PC titles to modern open-world games. I started Switchblade Gaming to publish the kind of accurate, well-researched guides I always wanted to find — built on primary sources, tested in-game, and kept up to date after patches. I currently focus on Minecraft and Pokémon GO.