How to get Mandrake in Hades 2

You’ll need Mandrake to unlock several late-game incantations in Hades 2. These will buff up Melinoe’s combat chops and open up new areas at the Crossroads for you to explore between runs. Here’s what you need to know about finding seeds, how to plant them, and what their roots are used for.

Where to find Mandrake

You can get Mandrake seeds at dig spots in the Rift of Thessaly biome on the surface. You’ll need to craft the with the Silver Spade before you can dig. You can craft the Silver Spade with 10 Silver, mined from the underworld once you have the Crescent Pick. Note that dig spots are random and don’t necessarily have Mandrake seeds, though you can increase the spawn rate by equipping the Silver Spade before a run. Mystery Seeds found in rare digging spots can also turn into these seeds. 

To plant Mandrake seeds, you need the Flourishing Soil incantation (x1 Moly from Erebus) to unlock two soil plots near Odysseus. Increase this to four plots with the Rich Soil Incantation (x3 Lotus from Oceanus region). They take 17 encounters to form so go on another run or spend time with an NPC at the Hot Springs to pass the time.

At first, you won’t be able to pass the seal on the stairway to the surface next to the underworld entrance. This is dispelled with the Permeation of Witching-Wards incantation at Hecate’s cauldron. It needs reagents like x1 Cinder (from defeating Hecate), x1 Shadow, and x3 Moly which is found in Erebus. Shadow is crafted after Hecate offers you the Shadow Extraction recipe. It costs x30 Ashes, x30 Psyche, and 3 Fate Fabric.

How to use Mandrake in Hades 2

As a mid-game to end game crafting item, the plant unlocks incantations and powerful upgrades. Getting Warding Circles and Shrines to Hermes help your odds against the bosses in Hades 2. You can also sell them at the Wretched Broker for x12 Bones each. These can be used at the same shop for Nectar, Bath Salts, and other resources. Here are the upgrades that require these roots: