Feeling a little lost looking at all the different weapons that exist in Dead Cells and not sure which one to choose? Don't worry, I have provided you with my overview and rating of all weapons in Dead Cells that will help you choose the one that you like and that works well.
Best Weapons in Survivor.io (Tier L...
Best Weapons in Dead Cells (Tier List)
Okay, let's jump straight to the list...
Nivel S
Excellent weapons. They excel in many contexts and will continue to be useful throughout the game.
balanced blade- A player-focused melee option, Balanced Blade is a unique, high-damage, combo-focused boss-killing machine that's unbeatable if you're looking for a high-skill move. Given enough time to master it, this weapon can be incredibly deadly when used properly.
a pure- Pure Nail is an agility-focused weapon based on critically activated downward slashes. Has excellent critical hit chance with very little effort.
laminated tonfas- With a leap slash resulting in a crit based combo, Bladed Tonfas takes a bit of getting used to. Once used, however, they are an incredibly powerful tool for rhythmic mayhem. They deal a lot of damage, are agile enough to minimize a lot of damage, and most importantly, help close the gap in melee combat.
meat skewer– This weapon is frankly amazing. With a first strike that puts you behind the enemy, this weapon can propel you across the battlefield at incredible speed. This even works with projectiles!
frenzy sword- It can be assumed that putting an item in a critical state is strange based on such low health and high uneasiness stats. However, since various items and conditions limit these resources, and the damage is absolutely incredible, this is a no-brainer for many playstyles.
gold digger- The Gold Digger is based on a gold bow. Drops gold on hit and when enough collected, deals critical damage. This is a great weapon - since gold is generally important in Dead Cells, having a weapon that generates it for you while dealing constant critical damage is essential.
a level
good weapons. They are effective in a variety of situations.
Assassin Dagger– The Assassin's Dagger has an incredibly unique critical condition. Ambushing an enemy triggers the critical hit, dealing large damage on impact. It'll force players to change their playstyle, sure, but it'll be incredibly worthy of its placement in damage output alone.
cobra prey- Snake Fangs allow you to teleport around the battlefield and focus on building poison counters with each hit. This is a very deadly option since you're constantly introducing passive damage build levels to enemies.
Rhythm and Bouzouki- This weapon is rhythm based and generates critical hits in exchange for a rhythmic combo. If you're learning the technique, this is a great option for alternate playstyles.
share- This is a classic. Activating a critical hit after dodging or rolling essentially gives players free damage payouts for simply playing the game. This is an amazing option.
Katana by Hattori- With a useful Dash ability that deals instant critical hits, this weapon is great for breaking through groups of enemies and getting close to bosses.
Nutcracker– When the Nutcracker is stunned, frozen or rooted, it deals critical damage. Therefore, this must be combined with a build that supports these conditions. However, once the build is complete, Nutcracker is almost unstoppable.
impaler- While enemy critical hits against walls might seem like oddly specific criteria, the Impaler's long range and quick combos make it easy to position enemies. Overall a great easy choice.
Sensenklauen- Using a staggered system of switching between two different claws, Scythe Calw can create a fast critical hit machine that focuses on quick and immediate attacks.
iron rod- Iron Staff is a very defense-oriented option that favors careful swordplay, and utilizes defense as the main critical mechanic. Not only is this new trick fun to learn, but its critical bonuses are fantastically powerful.
torch- With an impressive DPS time of 27 seconds, the Torch is a passive damage powerhouse. This is incredibly useful for standard enemies and bosses.
very– Bone is a risk-reward weapon and creates a tornado on the third attack of each combo. This creates an exciting cycle of quick thinking and hard decision-making. If chosen correctly, the Bone will sweep the ground with most enemies at an extremely attractive rate.
Perfect- As long as you play it carefully, Flawless can be AWESOME. If you avoid damage for at least 15 seconds, you can periodically critical hit any type of enemy. That should arguably make it the best weapon in Dead Cells. The only problem? 15 seconds is a long time in a fast paced game like Dead Cells. Nevertheless, one should consider it.
Nivel B
Weapons above average. They are useful in certain use cases, but not as good as S-Tier or A-Tier weapons in all cases.
lower trident– Despite being one of the weirder weapons in terms of controls, the Abyssal Trident can be an effective damage powerhouse if used wisely in Dead Cells. Using a quick attack combined with downward slashes and backstabs, players can use this weapon to smash their way through low-level enemies while using their mobility to overpower stronger foes.
furnace axe– This combo-focused weapon requires repetition and forward drive. If you're playing with an elemental build, ignore this element. If not, it might be especially useful for you.
Chicote de Valmont– A whip that deals critical damage and ignores shields can be a good ranged option for players with melee sensitivity.
Hayabusa-Stiefel- Featuring an area of effect combo finisher that deals critical damage when enemies collide with walls, this is a great weapon for crushing enemies, especially on tight maps. Just don't expect to use it very effectively on bosses.
vorpan- The Vorpan is an enemy frontal weapon. As such, it is effective 50% of the time. Just make sure to position yourself correctly during battle!
seismic attack- One of the standard weapons in your arsenal in Dead Cells, the Seismic Strike is a pretty standard sword overall. Creates a root effect that makes it effective against fast enemies.
Manoplas Hayabusa– While dealing hits on enemies with 40% HP can be incredibly helpful in reducing their health, you need to get to that point before finishing them off. Use them carefully during battles and they will come in very handy.
Shrapnel Axes– Shard Axes are a fantastic combination of melee and ranged combat. Due to the spreading metal shards, the added range bonus makes them an intriguing option compared to the more common blades.
machete and pistol– This is a standard weapon, except for the combo finisher. On a third attack, a ranged hit causes a critical hit. Generally a standard option, but there are worse.
blood sword- A fairly standard sword, the Blood Sword deals bleed damage. As such, there's not much special about it. Where it becomes powerful is when you stack your build with items that induce the bleed condition. This creates a storm of constant damage resulting in a single, very powerful hit.
symmetrical spear– This is a great enemy weapon in Dead Cells with an identity focused on killing two enemies at once.
pointed boots- This is another option based on rhythm. Dealing out a critical hit when interrupting an enemy attack is a great option, albeit less effective compared to others with similar abilities.
Grabstein- Tombstone condemns nearby enemies after killing one. This is a great default enemy killing machine, but it's functionally simple when used against bosses.
swift sword- Landing a critical hit while gaining a speed bonus allows this sword to be effective at certain times in the game. Your build matters to this one too, so plan your game accordingly.
intermittent fans- An agility based weapon, flashing fans focus on projectile deflection. This is useful against many enemies and bosses and can be essential for low defense builds. As long as you practice clipping, this can be a great option.
Level C
Average weapons in Dead Cells at best. They are only useful in very specific situations.
profit dagger– With a critical state focused on bonuses when collecting gold, it is safe to assume that this is an amazing critical machine. However, the boss problem rears its ugly head again. Therefore, this weapon is best used against common enemies, nothing more.
Spartan sandals- Decent recoil and critical hit value when enemies hit walls aren't enough to make Spartan Sandals an attractive option in Dead Cells, mainly because it depends so much on map design.
Queen's Rapier- While having a weapon geared towards attacking multiple enemies at once might seem like a great advantage, there are other weapons on our list that do the same thing with added bonuses. It's not bad, but it's not a good choice either.
grudge sword– The Spite Sword deals critical damage on hit and is only useful during times of intense sacrifice. Without this dangerous element, the sword is quite normal.
whip– Wrenching Whip is a great high damage melee option as it lures enemies into a punishment-focused finishing combo.
war spear- Warspear only crits when hitting multiple enemies at once, making him a difficult choice for standard fights and a weak choice for bosses.
twin daggers- A simple three-hit combo weapon. While effective overall, there are far better weapons out there than these.
Pennsylvania- With the ability to throw enemies and bombs, the Shovel can be a useful tool, especially when used creatively or for early combat.
longsword- The Greatsword is a slow default weapon and tends to suit slower plays and players with positional playstyles. With no real advantages over other weapons, this is an average choice.
Sadistisches Stilett– In general, this is a standard swamp weapon. Criticizing bleeding or poisoned enemies doesn't do much good unless the player builds around it.
wave sword- This weapon sprays enemies with flammable oil, after which it will critically inflict burning enemies. Getting the fire going is the tricky part though - using this gun properly requires a lot more effort than the gun itself is worth unless you're just going for a flaming barrel.
mouth of the deep- Despite introducing a rooting element towards the end of the combo, Maw of the Deep is too slow to use and too fiddly in the mid-game to be really useful or satisfying.
Panchaku– This weapon focuses on attacking when enemies are facing you and seriously focuses on positioning in a way that might not often be viable. This is likely a leap for many players.
piedra- Flint is weird. While it's a standard weapon on the surface, your critical hit creates a trail of flame. This makes him an odd passive option with very little utility due to weak pavement damage.
huge killers- The giant killer is entirely based on boss fights. Therefore, thanks to multifunctional radiators, almost any other option is better. Ignore this one.
D-Level
bad weapons. It's best to avoid them unless you're doing challenge races.
stand– With a critical state triggered only by opening doors, this weapon becomes effectively useless in many conditions. Also, this weapon becomes essentially useless against bosses compared to other options. Avoid at all costs.
Hand crochet– Just like the lever, the hand hook has an incredibly specific function that makes it redundant in 90% of races.
Tentacle– This is a mobility-focused option that focuses on getting close to enemies and dealing damage based on proximity. Unfortunately, this isn't as useful as it sounds, and other agility-focused abilities do more for less effort on the part of the player.
Zahnstock- With an 8 second cooldown between critical hits, the Toothpick is a nearly useless item for almost any run.
wrecking ball– With an overly specific playstyle and overall weak DPS, Wrecking Ball should only be used for challenge runs.
Diploma
I hope this (not so) brief overview of all weapons in Dead Cells helps you pick a strong one and not waste time on a weak one. If you have any questions or want to add something, you can leave a comment below.
More weapon rankings for similar games:
- The best weapons in the Archero ranking
- The best weapons in Kinja Run
- The best weapons from Survivor.io