You're bound to do numerous runs in Hades 2. The more you play, the more you become familiarized with the intricacies when it comes to combat and build-crafting. However, there's one particular activity that offers a slight twist. Here's our guide on how to complete Chaos Trials in Hades 2.

Hades 2: Chaos Trials guide - How to complete Chaos Trials and get more Star Dust

The Hades 2 Chaos Trials activities are for those who've reached the mid- to late-game point of their playthroughs. While you're expected to tackle the same old fights, there are some changes that should make for some refreshing runs.

How to unlock the Chaos Trials

You can unlock the Chaos Trials in Hades 2 by completing the Abyssal Insight incantation. In our playthrough, we received this particular incantation after undertaking several dungeon treks:

• We completed the incantation to unlock all weapon aspects.
• We had entered the Realm of Chaos a few times, and we even gave Primordial Chaos a few Nectar gifts.

As of now, we're unable to confirm if both requirements need to be met, or if you just need to speak to Primordial Chaos a few times. In any case, the Abyssal Insight incantation requires the following materials:

• 2x Fate Fabric - Can be purchased from the Wretched Broker.
• 2x Pearl - Dropped by Scylla and the Sirens.
• 2x Moly - A golden flower that can be picked up in Erebus.
• 2x Nightshade - Use the Silver Spade gathering tool to dig for seeds in Erebus, then plant these in your garden. Complete a few encounters until they can be harvested.

Once the Abyssal Insight incantation is finished, a glowing crystal in Melinoe's room will be activated. Interact with it to begin the Chaos Trials.

How do Chaos Trials work

Basically, Chaos Trials are short runs through a specific region. Here's what you need to know:

• There are currently three Chaos Trials available: Trial of Origin, Trial of Salt, and Trial of Humility.
• There are red eye icons at the right-hand side of the panel, which denote the relative difficulty.
• Each activity restricts you to a specific type of weapon.
• There are some changes that occur, so these aren't your run-of-the-mill attempts to get through dungeons.
• The goal is to defeat the boss in a specific region. This nets you the Hades 2 Star Dust item, which is used to upgrade Arcana Cards.

Trial of Origin

• Region: Erebus
• Boss: Hecate
• Weapon: Witch's Staff
• Changes: You're practically unkillable in this encounter, thanks to Primordial Chaos' blessings. You have greatly increased HP and magick, and you regenerate mana easily via the Will boon. This is mostly an easy run so you can get your first Star Dust item.

Trial of Salt

• Region: Oceanus
• Boss: Scylla and the Sirens
• Weapon: Sister Blades
• Changes: What makes this particular trial unique is that the vast majority of your boons come from Poseidon, that means a clear focus on knockback effects. The problem is that you're using the Sister Blades, which entails running toward enemies to attack them, only to push them away with knockbacks. It's a bit annoying, but still manageable.

Trial of Humility

• Region: Erebus
• Boss: Hecate
• Weapon: Witch's Staff
• Changes: Think of this as a trial where you need to defeat Hecate without a single active Arcana Card. It's sort of like a fresh run, in a way. In our case, we were quite lucky since our Concave Stone Keepsake triggered early on, giving us a couple of boons. We then pushed onward, using various abilities and upgrades:
  • Apollo's Lucid Gain boon allowed us to regenerate mana while standing within our cast's radius.
  • The Daedalus Hammer's Vampiric Cataclysm upgrade healed us whenever we defeated foes using our omega attack.

How to get more Star Dust

As mentioned earlier, Star Dust in Hades 2 is used to upgrade some of your Arcana Cards (i.e. extra Death's Defiance). Here's where you can find more of this particular resource:

• Each Chaos Trial rewards 1x Star Dust on your first completion.
• The Wretched Broker sells 1x Star Dust for 800 Bones.

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In any case, that does it for our Hades 2 Chaos Trials and Star Dust guide. Don't forget that there's another late-game activity called the Oath of the Unseen.

Hades 2 stars Melinoe, the Princess of the Underworld. This roguelike game promises challenging encounters as you keep retrying until you can have the perfect run. If you want more tips and tactics, you can head over to our guides hub.