Complete weapon database
Compare every primary weapon and sidearm in Mortal Shell II. Use the tier lists for a fast recommendation, then check acquisition routes, tradeoffs, and two suggested Tarstones for each entry.
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Ranked for overall usefulness
Ranked for overall usefulness
Why they rank highly
Switch forms to match the opening: dual blades for quick chains and the axe for heavier impact, reach, and committed punishment.
Best use: Two complementary movesets in one slot
Tradeoff: Form switching has a readable delay
Tarstones: Duality Stone + Hexapod Core
Found: Mammon — Forgotten Tower / Sester’s Abbey
Rapid close-range strings and evasive movement reward players who stay active and punish short openings rather than trading slow blows.
Best use: Fast attacks and strong mobility
Tradeoff: Less flexible than Axatana later in the game
Tarstones: Magdalena’s Memento + Serpent Stone
Found: Fainweald — Shrine of Trials
Very fast linear thrusts let the wielder interrupt, reposition, and re-engage without the long recovery of heavier weapons.
Best use: Extremely fast thrusting attacks
Tradeoff: Heavy attacks are slower and less attractive
Tarstones: Nightgrasp Stone + Zealot’s Stone
Found: Mammon — Sester’s Gate
A high-impact melee weapon built around decisive heavy hits, stagger pressure, and short, forceful combinations.
Best use: Exceptional heavy-attack impact
Tradeoff: Light-combo reach can feel short
Tarstones: Inflamed Clawstone + Lost Clotstone
Found: Fainweald — Blackridge Pass / King’s Crypt
Hold space and sustain a stream of projectiles while the primary weapon handles committed melee openings.
Best use: Rapid sustained fire
Tradeoff: Individual shots favor pressure over burst
Tarstones: Hag Stone + Splitting Stone
Found: Mammon — Chamber of Becoming
Play it as a control tool: disrupt enemies, create a safer opening, then convert that advantage with the equipped primary weapon.
Best use: Excellent Confusion and Break utility
Tradeoff: Limited direct damage
Tarstones: Enfeebling Stone + Hand of Rock
Found: Fainweald — One-Legged Wolf Tavern
Keep it ready as a fast point-blank punish between primary-weapon sequences, especially when an enemy overextends.
Best use: Fast close-range burst
Tradeoff: Damage drops with distance
Tarstones: Confessor’s Keepsake + Emberseed Stone
Found: Prologue
Video route
Gamer Guides’ location walkthrough complements the written checklist below. Playback is optional and never starts automatically.
Eight melee choices
The Iconoclast is the dependable starting longsword: balanced, readable, and immediately useful while players learn Mortal Shell II’s unrestricted combat rhythm.
Axe and Dagger is a fast paired weapon that combines aggressive chains with mobility, making it one of the strongest early-game choices in Mortal Shell II.
Great Martyr’s Blade uses exceptional reach and heavy damage to control space, but its deliberate regular attacks make poor timing costly.
Veteran’s Battle Axe is the standout heavy option, delivering forceful chains and a punishing jumping heavy attack for players comfortable committing to openings.
Clockwork Scythe sweeps across groups with broad arcs and strong crowd control, trading that coverage for slow starts and lengthy attack animations.
Axatana is the best overall primary weapon because it shifts between a heavy axe and rapid dual katanas, covering both burst damage and fast pressure.
Black Needle turns speed and safe thrusting reach into relentless single-target pressure, placing it among Mortal Shell II’s strongest primary weapons.
Obsidian Hammer offers enormous damage and stagger potential, but its extreme speed penalty makes it the most demanding primary weapon to use consistently.
Eight ranged and utility tools
Caged Hystrix is the best all-purpose sidearm, applying rapid ranged pressure that chips enemies, builds stagger, and helps manage groups.
Troubadour’s Lute earns an S tier through control rather than raw damage, using Confusion and Break utility to reshape difficult encounters.
Forgotten Crossbow provides dependable long-range bolts for pulling enemies, hitting environmental targets, and finishing threats outside melee range.
Naylshotte is an excellent starting sidearm whose quick close-range blast turns nearby openings into immediate burst damage.
Salvaged Trebuchaxe launches a high-impact axe projectile that excels at deliberate single-target punishment from a safer distance.
Ballistazooka brings explosive ranged power and heavy impact, but its slow firing rhythm makes quick enemies difficult to track and punish.
Triarch Repeater supplies sustained alien projectile fire, rewarding planned pressure but exposing the player during its lengthy charge sequence.
Cursed Child is a niche short-range sidearm whose knockback can create breathing room, but limited reach and inconsistent value keep it below broader options.
Route planner
Locations are summarized for planning; open any weapon entry for the complete sourced acquisition note.
| Weapon | Class | Region | How to get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Iconoclast | Primary weapon | Prologue | Follow the mandatory Prologue path and interact with the weapon-bearing figure at the end. The Iconoclast is obtained before the world opens up. |
| Axe and Dagger | Primary weapon | Fainweald — Shrine of Trials | Reach the Shrine of Trials through the Mushroom Village route, using the Chapel Key where required, and claim Axe and Dagger at the dungeon’s end. |
| Great Martyr’s Blade | Primary weapon | Fainweald — Citadel of Penance / Martyr’s Prison | Inside Martyr’s Prison, press the button in the cell to open the gate, clear the adjoining room, break the obstructing boxes, and take the blade from the table. |
| Veteran’s Battle Axe | Primary weapon | Fainweald — Blackridge Pass / King’s Crypt | Explore King’s Crypt, drop through the hole on the route, and search the body at the back of the room to collect Veteran’s Battle Axe. |
| Clockwork Scythe | Primary weapon | Mammon — Silent Steps / Chamber of Becoming | Follow the Silent Steps route into the Chamber of Becoming and defeat Sariel, the Endless. The Clockwork Scythe is awarded with the encounter’s other rewards. |
| Axatana | Primary weapon | Mammon — Forgotten Tower / Sester’s Abbey | In the Forgotten Tower near Sester’s Abbey, use the eastern pressure plate to open the gate, defeat the Dagger Sester, and collect Axatana from the nearby cubby. |
| Black Needle | Primary weapon | Mammon — Sester’s Gate | Progress through Sester’s Gate, defeat the Twin Sesters, then defeat the Stray Sester. Black Needle is obtained after completing that encounter sequence. |
| Obsidian Hammer | Primary weapon | Mammon — Obsidianite Mines | Reach the Obsidianite Mines and defeat the Prophet of Profane Infinities. Obsidian Hammer is the named weapon reward tied to that encounter. |
| Caged Hystrix | Sidearm | Mammon — Chamber of Becoming | In the Chamber of Becoming, destroy the four lightning rods during the Sariel encounter, defeat him, then collect Caged Hystrix near the arena exit. |
| Troubadour’s Lute | Sidearm | Fainweald — One-Legged Wolf Tavern | Travel to the One-Legged Wolf Tavern in eastern Fainweald and inspect the stage. Troubadour’s Lute rests to the left of the performer. |
| Forgotten Crossbow | Sidearm | Fainweald — Flooded Village | In Flooded Village, obtain the Damp Key after the second elevator, unlock the central building, and take Forgotten Crossbow from the table inside. |
| Naylshotte | Sidearm | Prologue | Naylshotte is granted automatically during the Prologue as part of the mandatory opening progression, so it cannot be missed. |
| Salvaged Trebuchaxe | Sidearm | Fainweald — Ravaged Hideout | Find Ravaged Hideout south of Gloomshade Grove, defeat the Bloodcursed Lithopod to open the route, and loot the body in the final room. |
| Ballistazooka | Sidearm | Mammon — Sentry’s Grave / Lonesome Spire | Enter Sentry’s Grave within Lonesome Spire from the Gate of Mammon route and defeat the Subjugated Guardian to obtain Ballistazooka. |
| Triarch Repeater | Sidearm | Mammon — Blackwell Cavern | Reach Blackwell Cavern from Castigator’s Keep and search the first illuminated area. Triarch Repeater lies on the ground there. |
| Cursed Child | Sidearm | Mammon — Sester’s Abbey / Revered Beacon | Approach Revered Beacon from Sester’s Gate, work around the golden-light hazards, and break the central pillar at the top to reveal Cursed Child. |
Build planning
Tarstones modify a weapon’s behavior and are build choices, not a universal ranking. The pair shown on each card is a practical recommendation for that weapon’s role; choose around your Shell, preferred attacks, and the encounter.
Depending on the stone, a build can add an elemental status, replace a combo finisher, create a shockwave, alter a projectile pattern, improve Break, or speed up a charged shot. Examples include Serpent Stone’s Poison infusion, Zealot’s Stone’s light finisher, Splitting Stone’s extra Hystrix projectiles, and Charged Stone’s faster charge.
Common questions
Axatana ranks first overall because its axe and dual-katana forms cover both heavy punishment and fast pressure.
Axe and Dagger is the strongest early recommendation for fast pressure and mobility; The Iconoclast remains a dependable mandatory starter.
Veteran’s Battle Axe ranks highest among the heavy choices thanks to its impact, chained pressure, and jumping heavy attack.
Caged Hystrix is the most broadly useful sidearm for sustained pressure, chip damage, stagger, and crowd management.
Yes. Tarstones customize weapon behavior, and every entry in this hub lists two recommendations drawn from the supplied ranking research.
Find it in the Forgotten Tower near Sester’s Abbey by using the eastern pressure plate, opening the gate, defeating the Dagger Sester, and checking the nearby cubby.
Complete the Shrine of Trials route reached through Mushroom Village, using the Chapel Key where required, then claim the weapon at the dungeon’s end.
No. The tiers compare overall flexibility and consistency. A lower-tier weapon can still excel when its pace matches your Shell and the encounter.
The database covers eight primary weapons and eight sidearms, for sixteen total entries.
