Mortal Shell 2: Weapons Tier List

In Mortal Shell 2, players can unlock 8 different melee weapons, each with a distinct playstyle and moveset. Players are free to switch between these weapons at any time, but upgrading them is a major commitment involving rare materials and gold.

While it is possible to refund weapon upgrades at the Tarforge after unlocking the Smelt Equipment function, the Gloom cost for doing so can become prohibitively expensive at higher levels. Therefore, choosing to invest in a weapon is not a decision to be made lightly.

Best Weapons in Mortal Shell 2

Weapons Tier List

S Tier Weapons

Axatana

The Axatana has one of the fastest movesets among all weapons in Mortal Shell 2, able to blitz through enemies at lightning-fast speeds. It has a unique gimmick that makes it so that when you perform light attacks, it splits into an axe and a katana, and your character dual wields it, but when you perform heavy attacks, it combines into a large, two-handed axe. A best-of-both-worlds type scenario.

In practice, the light attack version of the Axatana is so much better than the heavy attack version that you’ll almost never use heavy attacks with this weapon. Its running light attack, in particular, is extremely good at dealing a huge amount of damage within seconds, and should be your go-to when starting fights.

Another factor that makes the Axatana oppressively strong is its access to the Duality Stone Tarstone. At max level, this Tarstone makes it so that every attack you perform with your Axatana hits twice, which is just as obnoxiously good as it sounds.

Black Needle

The Black Needle is the fastest attacking weapon in Mortal Shell 2, with excellent poke ability to whittle down enemies from a safe distance. This weapon is essentially a spear wielded like a rapier.

The star of the show is the Black Needle’s light attacks. These are lightning-quick pokes with great range that deal devastating damage. The best part is that you don’t have to commit to these attacks for more than a second, making it impossible to get stuck in an animation, unable to parry or dodge, a problem almost all other weapons in this game have.

Heavy attacks with the Black Needle are much less impressive, however. They are much slower compared to the light attacks, and the damage they do is not enough to justify their longer wind-up animation and awkward pathing. However, the light attacks more than make up for this shortcoming.

A Tier Weapons

Veteran’s Battle Axe

The Veteran’s Battle Axe is the best heavy weapon in Mortal Shell 2, with a faster-than-average moveset, great damage, and even better stagger. The running heavy attack is a standout, as it has the player perform two large swings in quick succession, staggering most large enemies and one-shotting most basic ones. There is also a distance-closing aspect to it, which makes it even better.

The light attack combo’s first attack is fast and heavy, but the second attack leaves a lot to be desired. A trick to using the Veteran’s Battle Axe effectively is to never use the second light attack. Instead, use light, heavy, light, so that instead of using the 2nd light attack, your character uses the 2nd heavy attack, which is not only faster but also has much better range.

Axe & Dagger

The Axe and Dagger is the third fastest weapon in Mortal Shell 2, behind the Black Needle and the Axatana. For players who prefer something faster than the Iconoclast, this is the perfect weapon for the early game.

In the late game, however, the Axe & Dagger finds itself in an awkward spot. It is essentially just a worse version of the Axatana. Whatever the Axe & Dagger does, the Axatana does better. Both fall into the same niche, competing for the same spot, but the winner is already clear. Because of this, it is hard to recommend the Axe & Dagger as your primary weapon choice. However, it is an excellent early-game option until you reach the mid-game.

The Iconoclast

Don’t underestimate the Iconoclast just because it is the default weapon you get right at the start of Mortal Shell 2. It is the most balanced weapon in the game, with a decent light and heavy attack combo and an excellent running light attack.

The light attack combo, while not as fast as some other weapons, packs a punch. The heavy combo has built-in poke, which transitions very well into a light attack if you want to switch up mid-combo. Admittedly, the Iconoclast isn’t flashy, but it is reliable, and that’s worth a lot.

B Tier Weapons

Great Martyr’s Blade

The Great Martyr’s Blade is a pretty underrated weapon in Mortal Shell 2. Its running heavy attack is easily one of the strongest weapon attacks in the game, able to one-shot most basic enemies in one swing and then close the distance while doing so.

Unfortunately, the rest of the moveset leaves a lot to be desired. The basic light attack combo feels extremely awkward to use, and the heavy attack combo is slower than molasses. If you’re using this weapon, try to stick to the running heavy as much as possible.

Clockwork Scythe

The Clockwork Scythe has the best AoE among all the weapons in Mortal Shell 2. Its light attack combo is the perfect counter to groups of enemies who like to crowd you out to death. Your character swings the scythe in a large arc three times, mowing down enemies like cutting grass.

However, that’s when things start to go downhill. The heavy attack is extremely slow and, unlike the light attack combo, gives you very little AoE. Even worse, both the running heavy and the running light lock you into a long, two-hit combo that locks you out of parrying or dodging. While these attacks do a ton of damage, the downside of being locked into the animation is too much to ignore, especially during boss fights.

C Tier Weapons

Obsidian Hammer

The Obsidian Hammer is slow and cumbersome, both cardinal sins in Mortal Shell 2. While it does a huge amount of damage when it hits, most players will find themselves dead before they manage to land a hit with this weapon.

Both the light attack combo and the heavy attack combo are extremely slow, with no upsides other than damage. The only saving grace is the running light attack, which has your character jumping and attacking with the hammer in a quick strike. However, that is not enough to let us put this weapon any higher than C Tier.