Bronze is a crucial crafting material in Hades 2, essential for unlocking some of the game’s key features and powerful items. Obtaining Bronze, however, requires venturing to the surface, a region initially inaccessible in the underworld. This guide will walk you through the steps to locate and mine Bronze in Hades 2, ensuring you have the resources needed to craft vital tools and weapons.
Unlocking the Surface: Paving Your Way to Bronze
Hades 2 Bronze surface stairway entrance
Hades 2 Bronze surface stairway entrance, showing the path to the surface region.
Initially, the surface in Hades 2 is sealed off by magical wards. To break these barriers and access the surface, you need to perform the “Permeation of Witching-Wards” Incantation at the Cauldron in The Crossroads. This incantation requires specific materials gathered from your journeys in the underworld:
- 1 Cinder: Acquired by defeating Hecate, the first boss in Erebus.
- 1 Shadow: Obtained through the Shadow Extraction Incantation at the Cauldron, requiring 30 Bones.
- 3 Moly: Foraged in Erebus using the Silver Spade gathering tool.
Hades 2 character portrait of Selene in a white dress and moon iconography
Hades 2 character portrait of Selene, who plays a role in guiding you towards the surface.
The surface storyline and the quest to gather Bronze are subtly introduced as you progress through Hades 2. After several runs into the underworld and interactions with various gods, you’ll begin to hear whispers of events occurring on the surface. Hermes, the messenger god, will eventually prompt you to aid the fight above ground, signaling that the “Permeation of Witching-Wards” Incantation is now available. While the exact trigger for Hermes’ appearance is still being explored, it generally occurs around 10 hours of gameplay, or after a significant number of runs and boss encounters in the underworld.
Once the incantation is complete, a new stairway will appear in The Crossroads, leading you to the surface region of Ephyra, the sole location to mine Bronze in Hades 2.
Prospecting for Bronze in Ephyra: Finding the Shiny Ore
Hades 2 screenshot of a character standing next to Bronze crafting material
Hades 2 gameplay screenshot highlighting the sparkling Bronze deposit on the surface.
Upon arriving in Ephyra, keep an eye out for distinctive, sparkling piles of brownish-yellow metal debris scattered throughout the environment. These deposits are your source of Bronze. To extract Bronze, you must use the Crescent Pick, one of the initial gathering tools available in Hades 2. Mining a Bronze deposit will yield three Bronze chunks at a time.
Be aware that the surface in Hades 2 presents a unique challenge: environmental damage. You will periodically take damage to your health while on the surface unless you counteract this effect. To mitigate surface damage, you can perform the “Unraveling A Fateful Bond” Incantation, which requires Moss, a resource also found on the surface. Completing this incantation will make surface exploration significantly easier and safer for prolonged Bronze gathering sessions.
Forging Ahead with Bronze: Key Uses and Crafting Recipes
Hades 2 Bronze crafting material discription
Hades 2 in-game description of Bronze, emphasizing its importance for crafting.
Bronze is a vital crafting component in Hades 2, used in recipes for essential tools, powerful weapons, and weapon upgrades:
- Rod of Fishing Tool: Requires 1 Bronze and 2 Fate Fabric. The fishing rod unlocks the fishing mechanic, allowing you to gather fish ingredients for various recipes and fulfill prophecies.
- Argent Skull Weapon: Requires 1 Bronze and 2 Glassrock. The Argent Skull is currently the fifth hidden weapon in Hades 2 Early Access, offering a unique combat style and powerful abilities.
- Aspect of Night and Darkness Incantation: Requires 5 Bronze and 1 Nightshade. This incantation unlocks the weapon aspects system, allowing you to enhance your weapons with different aspects, significantly changing their properties and playstyles.
- Aspect of Moros (Umbral Flames): Requires 2 Bronze and 2 Tear. Upgrades the Umbral Flames weapon aspect, enhancing its power.
- Aspect of Melinoë (Moonstone Greataxe): Requires 1 Bronze and Silver (amount increases with each upgrade). Upgrades the Moonstone Greataxe weapon aspect, increasing its effectiveness.
Bronze is fundamental for progression in Hades 2. Gathering this resource in Ephyra is crucial for crafting essential tools like the fishing rod and unlocking powerful weapons and upgrades, ensuring you are well-equipped for the challenges that lie ahead in the game.
