One of the many returning mechanics in Hades 2 is the Olympian tradition of gift-giving. More specifically, the act of presenting Nectar to everyone you meet. This golden substance is highly sought after, and required if you want to get to know your companions in greater detail.
It also has a mechanical benefit as the first Nectar you give someone will reward you with a powerful Keepsake. These items can drastically increase your odds of survival, which is pretty darn important when your whole shtick is surviving long enough to kill Time himself. Kinda bonkers when you put it that way.
In this guide, we are going to give you some recommendations for your early Nectar giving so you can have the best start to your Hades 2 experience.
Note: Do be aware that Hades 2 is still in Early Access, so anything and everything is subject to change.
More Hades 2 content:
Beginner Tips | How To Reach The Surface | How To Survive The Surface | How To Get Nectar
Giving Nectar To Odysseus in Hades 2
Odysseus is the Hades 2 equivalent of Achilles. A legendary mortal who is granted residence with the gods in one form or another. Odysseus is a tenacious lad and he’s one of the easiest characters to talk to as he is incredibly grounded. Giving this chap a Nectar will reward you with his lucky Knuckle Bones.
This Keepsake reduces the damage you take when fighting Guardians – or bosses in regular ‘gamer’ terms. Considering bosses are the peak challenge in any region, being able to take an extra hit or two before going down can be the difference between victory and defeat.
Giving Nectar To Schelemeus
Schelemeus can be found in the Crossroads Training Grounds and is the immortal skeleton who just wants to be smacked around a bit. He is a talking training dummy who teaches you the ropes between runs. He’s also one of the more entertaining characters, acting as comic relief.
Giving Schelemeus a Nectar will reward you with his Luckier Tooth. This is a play on the old relic from Hades 1, the Lucky Tooth. The effect is largely the same in Hades 2. Upon death, you are revived with a set amount of HP. Early on, this can drastically increase the length of your run, and it even stacks with the Death Defiance Arcana that unlocks later on. Very, very powerful.
Giving Nectar To Arachne in Hades 2
Arachne is one of our favourite characters in Hades 2. She grants the player various silk weaves that massively enhance a specific part of Melinoe’s skillset. For example, increasing your damage by 1000%. These upgrades are somewhat temporary, however, as once you take too much damage, the buff is lost for the rest of the run.
Giving Arachane a Nectar, however, unlocks her Keepsake. This increases the durability of her weaves AND grants passive regeneration of said weaves. This makes all of her gifts more potent. Even without Arachnae’s gifts, the passive Armour will help keep you alive.
Giving Nectar To Hecate
Finally, Hecate. She is your mentor and mother figure in Hades 2, and she just so happens to have one of the best Keepsakes. The Silver Wheel grants a massive burst of magick regeneration, however, the total amount of mana it will replenish is limited. This limit is increased as the Keepsake levels up, and when you are under its effects, you are far more powerful.
Being able to use your charge attacks more freely drastically increases your power during a run. You are no longer bound to Boons that restore mana, or to your native lack of regeneration. By dealing way more damage, the Silver Wheel is our favourite early Keepsake and our go-to recommendation for your early Nectar.
That’s all we have on Nectar and Hades 2 for now. Be sure to check out our other content for tips, tricks, and guides.
