Weapon tier list
Three of the four published lists, two of them one lineage, put the same weapons on top: Firstlight Tanto, Firstlight Spear and the Lost Shotgun for Slayers, Firstlight War Fans and the Firstlight Bladed Wagasa for demons. The creators who show their own endgame gear mostly run something else: the Nightfall Katana as a Slayer and Nightfall Sickles as a demon.
Both are opinions. Nothing from the developer ranks weapons, so below are the lists side by side, the base stats they argue from, and what the builds on screen actually use.
Eight endgame cards from the Archives, placed side by side here from one scroll through the list: Nightfall Katana, Serpent Katana (with its launch +4 and 1.2x), Scythe and Claws; Firstlight Tanto, Spear, Sound Cleavers and Insect Katana.
Four lists side by side
- Pro Game Guides: Weapon list for V0.110, letters kept in its V0.182 update; gives reasons.
- TechWiser: Follows PGG's list; differs in two cells.
- Gamezebo: One mixed list, no reasons given.
- Kongbakpao: Nightfall weapons only.
Slayer weapons
| Weapon | Pro Game Guides | TechWiser | Gamezebo | Kongbakpao |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firstlight Tanto | S | S | S | — |
| Firstlight Spear | S | S | S | — |
| Lost Shotgun | S | S | S | — |
| Nightfall Katanalists split | S | A | S | A |
| Firstlight Sound Cleavers | A | A | A | — |
| Firstlight Insect Katanalists split | A | B | A | — |
| Nightfall Serpent Katana | A | A | A | A |
| Volcanic, Reverb, Tidal and Tornadic | B | B | B | — |
| Thundercloud, Butterfly and Serpentine Katanas | C | C | C | — |
| Cutlass | C | C | C | — |
| Axe and Mace | C | C | C | — |
Demon weapons
| Weapon | Pro Game Guides | TechWiser | Gamezebo | Kongbakpao |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firstlight War Fans | S | S | S | — |
| Firstlight Bladed Wagasa | S | S | S | — |
| Nightfall Clawslists split | A | A | A | S |
| Nightfall Sickleslists split | A | A | A | S |
| Nightfall Scythelists split | B | B | B | S |
| Nightfall Gauntlet | — | — | — | A |
| Damascus Gauntlet | C | C | C | — |
The widest split is on the Nightfall line. Kongbakpao ranks Sickles, Claws and Scythe S for demons; the other lists put them at A, A and B. Pro Game Guides adds that the Sickles are not worth it without Blood Manipulation, and the card itself says made for Blood Manipulation and the reaper's spinning rush. TechWiser and Kongbakpao put the Nightfall Katana at A; Pro Game Guides and Gamezebo at S.
The base stats behind the letters
Most endgame cards below start at +5.75 damage; the differences are in the damage factor and in blocking. These are the base cards before tiers and refining, which push the numbers much higher.
| Weapon | Damage | Factor | Block Points | Block Regen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nightfall Katana | +5.75 | 1.14x | +6.2 | 2.06x |
| Nightfall Serpent Katana | +3.5 | 1.17x | +4.6 | 2.04x |
| Nightfall Scythe | +5.75 | 1.15x | +7.75 | 2.27x |
| Nightfall Claws | +5.75 | 1.15x | +7.4 | 2.22x |
| Nightfall Sickles | +5.75 | 1.15x | +7.95 | 2.31x |
| Nightfall Gauntlet | +5.75 | 1.147x | +7.6 | 2.24x |
| Firstlight Tanto | +5.75 | 1.15x | +8.3 | 2.36x |
| Firstlight Spear | +5.75 | 1.15x | +8.1 | 2.33x |
| Firstlight War Fans | +5.75 | 1.15x | +8.45 | 2.38x |
| Firstlight Sound Cleavers | +4 | 1.15x | +6.9 | 2.7x |
| Firstlight Insect Katana | +4 | 1.15x | +3.95 | 2.13x |
Pro Game Guides and TechWiser file the Axe and Mace under demon weapons; Kongbakpao ranks the Nightfall Axe and Mace B. The Lost Shotgun and the Firstlight Bladed Wagasa have not shown their cards. How each of these is crafted is on the Nightfall and Firstlight page, and every other weapon’s card on the weapons page.
Nightfall Katana or Nightfall Serpent Katana?
The most asked weapon question. The Serpent Katana has been changed twice, and most published lists still print its launch numbers:
| When | Damage | Factor |
|---|---|---|
| At launch | +4 | 1.2x |
| V0.18 | +3 | 1.15x |
| V0.182 | +3.5 | 1.17x |
Against the Nightfall Katana’s +5.75 and 1.14x, the Serpent trades flat damage and block for a higher factor. After the last change one large creator said he believes the Serpent is now the better one and would craft it first; before it, another said it might outscale the Katana only at the very end. V0.191 changed its Serpent Key hunt so a key you have tried stays gone; see the update log.
Nightfall Serpent Katana, Mythic, Class: Technician: +3.5 Additional Damage, 1.17x factor, +4.6 Block Points, 2.04x Block Regen, +5 Max Stamina.
Nightfall Katana, Tier 3, Passive: Nightfall Bleed: Every strike opens a bleed that stacks up to three times and fades once you let up. This refined copy: +12.71, 1.1794x.
What tiers and refining add
A Tier 3 Nightfall weapon gains the Nightfall Bleed passive, which stacks up to three times while you keep hitting. One refined Tier 3 Katana read +12.71 damage against the base card’s +5.75. The last step from Tier 2 costs 1,500,000 Wen, a +9 Tier 2 copy, the schematic and twelve each of two Nightfall materials.
Refining gets steep at the top: going from level 7 to 8 shows an 8% chance. The odds for every level are on the refining page.
Tier 2 to Tier 3: a +9 T2 Nightfall Katana, the schematic, two Nightfall materials at /12 each, and Cost 1,500,000 Wen.
Nightfall Katana Level 7 ▶ Level 8: 8% success, 7,500 Wen and two Mythic Refinement Ore, with a Refinement Guard armed.
Weapon questions players keep asking
- Is the 100,000 Wen Gauntlet worth it?
- For a Shockwave demon, it is the start of the Gauntlet line that ends in the Nightfall Gauntlet (+5.75, 1.147x). One PvP ranking puts it near the top for extending combos and breaking guard; Pro Game Guides ranks the Damascus Gauntlet C. It only comes from the Black Marketer’s rotating slot, so it can take many visits.
- Nightfall or Firstlight?
- Creators’ rule of thumb: Nightfall for damage and bosses, Firstlight for blocking and PvP. At Tier 3 Nightfall adds a bleed, Firstlight heals and returns damage when you block.
- Do Sickles need Blood Manipulation?
- To carry the art, yes; see weapon compatibility. Other demons keep Sickles as a second weapon for their own skills.
- Does a style’s katana buff that style?
- Not that the cards show: none of the katana cards seen so far names a breathing bonus.
The full loadouts that go with these weapons are on the builds page.
A PvE and a PvP ranking from a player
I RANKED EVERY SINGLE WEAPON & FIGHTING STYLE FOR BOTH PVE & PVP IN PROJECT SLAYERS 2
Every weapon ranked twice: once for bosses, once for PvP.