In any combat-focused game, players are going to have a great variety of Weapons and Tools to use and V Rising is no different. While I covered the different types of Weapons and Tools available in V Rising, I thought it might actually do some good to rank them based on which a player will actually want to use regularly.
The reality is, that all Weapons are viable in V Rising, but as my husband and I noted in our first play-through on YouTube and Twitch, though a Weapon may have greater damage per second, it might not actually be the best Weapon to focus on using as every Weapon has a passive that may be useful for the different types of Bosses.
Similar to how I play most games, I’m a player who likes to rotate between Melee and Ranged damage, being someone who mains the Red Mage in FFXIV and players as a Battle Mage in Elden Ring.
As players will have different forms of play styles I’m going to try my hardest to cover as many pros and cons for each of the Weapons available to players and also cover the various actives in the game that may help you deal the most damage in situations.
Realistically if players are speedy with alternating Weapons they can do so to maximize their damage output as this is honestly the best way to raise your DPS in any situation.
All this being said, Weapons are going to see more or less use based on if players are playing on a PVP server versus a PVE server. PVP servers require players to solely focus on consistent damage with less of a focus on active skill shots while PVE servers will be very suitable with skill shots that remain on the field as V Bloods and other mobs have a fairly consistent movement pattern.
WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF EACH WEAPON IN V RISING
To start off, I want to cover what each Weapon does in V Rising. Weapon actives are going to be the primary thing that players focus on when they are choosing a Weapon they would like to main as they make the most difference. If you’re simply looking for the best Weapon to deal damage with your auto-attack it’s always going to be the Sword.
The following are all of the actives on each Weapon and when you would want to use them.
SWORD
The Sword is going to be the most basic Weapon a player can use in V Rising and quite frankly is the most useful Weapon to use if players are wanting to deal a great deal of damage.
I initially thought the Sword was going to be comparable to other Weapons, but due to how fast a player can swing the Sword and the fact that there are a number of ways players will be able to bring up their attack speed, the Sword will always deal the most damage per second if we are not thinking about the actives on all of the Weapons.
Although the Sword deals a good deal of damage, I admittedly don’t really like it on it’s own and am not a fan of its active abilities. I personally tend to stay back dealing damage with my Spells and Reaper and when I am ready to jump in, switch to my Sword rapid damage.
Typically I take one ranged Spell and one Spell that requires me to be close to an enemy to utilize it properly, so when I rotate into the second Spell I switch into the Sword.
SWORD MAIN ATTACK
The Sword’s main attack will deal damage to multiple enemies at once dealing 35% / 35% / 40% physical damage for its 3-hit combo. Although this doesn’t seem like much more damage than many of the other Weapons, the attack speed on the Sword really boosts the damage per second.
Honestly, it’s the main attack’s attack speed that’s really the biggest positive as it will allow players to weave ranged spells, dash in, attack quickly then dash out, especially if they are hoping to use other Weapons as their main source of damage.
SWORD SKILL #1
The first Sword skill is called Whirlwind and is actually pretty useful. Though I typically avoid using it due to my playstyle, I cannot deny the amount of burst damage it deals and how beneficial it is for players.
While spinning players will deal 35% physical damage to enemies every 0.25 seconds for about 1.1 seconds, being even faster than attacking using regular hits. While spinning players cannot stop the Whirlwind and will need to remain close to the enemy to deal damage. The best part of this attack is that players can hit all enemies in a circle rather than just in a cone shape.
SWORD SKILL #2
The second skill players have with the Sword is called Shockwave. Admittedly as much utility as Shockwave has, it isn’t my favourite skill in the game.
Essentially, players will be able to cast the Shockwave to send enemies soaring and will be able to recast it if they want to bring that enemy towards them so you can deal three strikes that deal 25% damage per strike.
There are two uses for this, either you can use this to crowd control and get rid of the toughest mob in a fight so you can focus on the lower-tier trash, or you can simply use it to deal a good amount of damage on an enemy you want to focus.
Admittedly, this skill is not the most intuitive at first, but it’s one you’ll want to get the hang of especially if you are overwhelmed by too many enemies.
TIPS FOR PLAYING THE SWORD
If players are using the Sword as their main Weapon they will need to use their Shockwave any time it is off cooldown to disorient a mob or Boss. After players do this they will want to head straight into a Whirlwind. The Combo is Shockwave > Whirlwind > Basic Attacks.
SPEAR
The Spear is quite a useful Weapon to have as it is long reach and deals extra damage to Creatures. It’s extremely useful in the early game as you will be dealing with a number of Creatures while travelling, though players will typically prefer the Sword.
One of my favourite things about the Spear is that it has an extended range in comparison to the other Melee Weapons and can keep a player much safer due to the range.
I have to say, even though I have a Spear crafted for it’s highest tier, I don’t really use it in the end game and prefer the combo that I have come up with instead.
SPEAR MAIN ATTACK
The Spear’s main attack deals more damage than most, coming in hot at 40% / 40% / 50% physical damage, however it is quite a bit slwoer than most other Weapons. This is the biggest trade off for the extra range it provides players when they are attacking with it.
SPEAR SKILL #1
The first skill from the Spear is called A Thousand Spears and will deal 30% damage in rapid succession 8 times, though if players recast it they will deal 50% damage, ending the succession and pushing enemies back by a bit.
SPEAR SKILL #2
The second Spear skill is quite the opposite of the Sword skill, essentially Harpoon will pull enemies towards you and deal 70% damage. This can be very useful for taking down low-health enemies or luring enemies away from enemies that are too tough to kill quickly.
TIPS FOR THE SPEAR
Honestly, I feel like the Spear is a much better off-hand Weapon than a main Weapon as you can use it to deal some rapid damage, but given its slow attack speed otherwise, you probably won’t want to focus on using it.
The best use for the Spear is sneaking up against an enemy while in a group of players and dealing rapid damage and then switching to the Sword or a faster basic attack Weapon.
Never use A Thousand Spears when you are in trouble as it will lock you into place, this can cause you to die. While this is less of an issue in PVE, this is very unsuitable in PVP and actually places this Weapon in the least used Weapon in PVP.
AXE
Axes are truthfully not a Weapon I have really used too much. They are pretty powerful, but they don’t really bring anything substantial to the table.
Essentially I would only use Axes if you have a recipe for a higher tier one than your current main Weapon. Admittedly, by the end game I didn’t even have a fully upgraded Axe and ended up just relying on my Iron Axe as all I used the Axe for was cutting down trees.
AXE MAIN ATTACK
The Axe has a pretty standard amount of damage that it deals, having a three-step combo that deals 45% / 45% / 55% physical damage. The combo is pretty good at dealing some AoE damage.
AXE SKILL #1
The first skill players will have access to is Frenzy. Frenzy is great for players who want to jump in and deal some burst damage as it will deal 100% physical damage and will cause the player to enter a frenzy state.
While frenzied players will have 25% movement speed and 30% attack speed for 0.8 seconds for each strike after. Players will be able to be in this state for 8 seconds.
Admittedly, this isn’t a bad skill and can be very useful to give yourself a boost in damage, but I’m not going to lie I typically use this to crop down trees faster. Yes… I use my boost to chop down trees. Don’t come at me, farming is annoying!
AXE SKILL #2
The second Axe skill, X-Strike, is an AoE damage dealer that deals 85% physical damage and will slow them for 1.5 seconds. If players manage to hit enemies in the center it will disable them.
This is extremely useful in PVP settings but isn’t as useful in PVE.
TIPS FOR PLAYING THE AXE
The Axe is most useful in PVP, especially due to its speed boost and stun, but it does deal a bit less damage than some of the other Weapons. If you’re looking for a way to Crowd Control, this is the Weapon for you, though if you’re focussing on high damage this isn’t the one for you.
MACE
The Mace is probably the worst Weapon in the game as it doesn’t really provide you with the most utility. It’s mostly useful for dealing AoE damage, but that’s it at most.
MACE MAIN ATTACK
The Mace deals 50% / 50% / 60% physical damage, which is relatively high, though due to the low attack speed this doesn’t really balance out. All attacks have a wide swing, dealing the most AoE damage.
MACE SKILL #1
The first Mace skill is called Crushing Blow and will allow players to jump in on enemies, dealing 110% physical damage. This is really effective for avoiding getting knocked back by enemies though this is mostly useful against V Bloods and not in PVP.
MACE SKILL #2
The second skill is called Smack which will push enemies back and deal 50% physical damage. During this players will also disable enemies for 1.2 seconds. Admittedly, this is a pretty decent skill for PVP, but the rest of the skills and damage aren’t very good.
TIPS FOR PLAYING MACE
Mace is good for some extra range and AoE but this is it. If you’re playing with multiple people this could be useful for a player who is maining as the “tank” but otherwise, I would avoid choosing it as your main weapon. For this reason, the Mace is only really good for PVE
CROSSBOW
Admittedly, the Crossbow is considered to be the “worst Weapon in the game” though I really can’t say that I agree. Yes, the Crossbow has a hard targeting mechanic and is very slow, but when players are in groups with friends, it’s really really powerful.
The Crossbow does not have a combo, but it deals the most damage per hit in the game.
For me, the best tactic for the Crossbow is when players are in team content and should be held by someone who has Spells that can heal others. Essentially, the “Healer” will stand back and deal damage using the Crossbow and then weave in spells to heal your team.
Players should note that they can actually miss when using the Crossbow, so just be wary when fighting enemies that run around a lot, this can be a major downfall with damage, unfortunately.
CROSSBOW MAIN ATTACK
The Crossbow’s main attack deals 115% physical damage per hit though it reloads quite slowly, so just be aware as you’re going to want to make sure you weave in Spells to maximize your damage.
CROSSBOW SKILL #1
The first Crossbow skill is called Rain of Bolts and will send down a number of bolts from the sky dealing 40% physical damage. These bolts can stack and will always appear in various formations. Due to the random formation of the Rain of Bolts it can be hard to target enemies, but due to how large it is you should be able to hit at least one enemy, often being able to hit them with multiple hits.
By far the Rain of Bolts is my favourite part of the Crossbow as you can often catch enemies that are speeding away. Use this any time it is off cooldown.
The Rain of Bolts will deal fading Snare for 1.5 seconds.
CROSSBOW SKILL #2
The second Crossbow skill is called Snapshot and will deal 75% physical damage and will interrupt any skill or cast, causing faded snare for 2 seconds.
This is a quick bolt that will trigger as soon as players use their keybind and will act similar to a basic attack. Players will want to use this as often as possible, though again like the basic attack it can miss relatively easily.
TIPS FOR THE CROSSBOW
As I mentioned before, the Crossbow is a great Weapon to use if you’re a healer or someone who is playing range, but is not a good weapon as a main. If players try to use the Crossbow as their main Weapon, due to its extremely slow speeds players will often find themselves dying to enemies.
I would strongly recommend having a Crossbow on your kit, even if you are maining another Weapon as you can use the Crossbow to build a bit of space between you and a mob, but I stress… this is not your main form of damage.
The Crossbow is the best against V Bloods, but sees less use against trash mobs.
REAPER
The Reaper is my personal favourite for Weapons, even though it’s not extremely popular amongst the V Rising community.
I really like the Reaper due to the fact that it deals a good amount of damage and has a lot of utility. Realistically, players will need to take a good amount of time learning how to use the Reaper, but in my opinion, it is very worth it, especially when against V Bloods.
The Reaper isn’t very good in PVP, but as a support weapon it is by far one of the best Weapons to use. I put the Reaper into the same category as the Crossbows, though I think that it is honestly very suitable to use as a main Weapon.
The biggest perk to the Reaper is the fact that it will deal more damage to undead enemies, making it great for Skeletons, Bishops and tougher mobs that you find in the mid-to-late game.
REAPER MAIN ATTACK
The Reaper’s main attack has a mid-tier attack speed and will deal 50% / 50% / 55% physical damage. Although it doesn’t have the biggest AoE, it is substantial enough to deal with groups of mobs.
REAPER SKILL #1
The first Reaper skill, Tendon Swing, has two purposes. Players can simply use it to knock enemies back when they are feeling overwhelmed, though it can also be used in tandem with the second skill, which I will cover shortly.
The Tendon Swing deals a whopping 125% physical damage and inflicts a fading snare for 2 seconds.
REAPER SKILL #2
The second Reaper skill, Howling, is by far my favourite in the game and is the most useful part of the Reaper. Essentially players will be able to toss the Reaper ahead of them and it will deal 20% damage every 0.25 seconds for a maximum of 2.5 seconds. If players hit a mob they will also slow down an enemy by 1.5 seconds, though this will only be the first hit on the enemy and cannot be stacked or prolonged.
Admittedly, it can be hard to aim this skill, but players can use Tendon Swing to push enemies back into it.
Unfortunately, players will not be able to do this combo on a V Blood, though if the V Blood is stationary, they can simply just use the Howling skill.
TIPS FOR PLAYING THE REAPER
The Reaper is really great for PVE and is one of the only Weapons that has bonuses that pertain to the late game as the others have to do with farming resources. Unfortunately, due to the difficulty keeping players in the Howling skill and its slower attack speed, it’s not as useful in PVP, though I very strongly recommend it in PVE.
Players who are comfortable with switching Weapons should place Howling and switch into the Sword for faster damage, though if players are simply trying to keep range they can also use the Crossbow and Reaper.
Admittedly, the Crossbow is much better for single target, but players will want to use the Reaper for multiple targets.
SLASHERS
Slashers are a great Weapon to use for players who need some extra mobility and are actually considered to be one of the best Weapons in the game.
Players will not have access to Slashers until about midway through the game. I will say, this is actually pretty good as the Slashers take a lot of getting used to and by far have the longest learning curve from all of the Weapons available to players.
SLASHERS MAIN ATTACK
Slashers have a 3-hit combo that deals more damage with the last hit. Players are going to want to utilize this combo as often as possible and will not want to use their actives in between as this will break their combo.
Players deal 27.5% / 27.5% / 35% physical damage in their combo.
SLASHERS SKILL #1
The first skill players have is called Elusive Strike, this is the most important skill for Slasher players as it will be utilized regularly to ensure that a player is safe. When activated Elusive Strike will dart the player back and forth to hit all enemies dealing 60% physical damage and stunning them for 2 seconds any time they are hit.
Slashers are incredibly helpful for players who are in groups of players as one person can rock them in the party to stun all enemies so their whole team can pile on. This is especially useful against groups of mobs or in PVP though it will take a good amount of getting used to.
Unfortunately, the stun does not work on V Bloods, though it can still be very useful to dash in and out of enemies.
SLASHERS SKILL #2
The second skill is extremely useful in all settings as it will allow players to deal some extra damage on anything they hit. When activated, the ability Camoflague will cause the player to become invisible. During the camouflage, players will be able to move 25% faster for 3 seconds and will either reappear when the three seconds have expired or when they attack the first time.
A player’s first hit will deal 80% physical damage and will disable the enemy for three seconds. Players should note that during the camouflaged state they shouldn’t use another attack or run as this will essentially waste the ability.
TIPS FOR PLAYING THE SLASHERS
Players will always want to use Camoflague to head into enemies and use it anytime it is off cooldown, though your Elusive Strike will be what you use for groups of enemies or in between. Essentially you’d want to go Camoflague > Combo > Elusive Strike.
The Slashers don’t really work well with other Weapons, so you wouldn’t want to rotate in and out of them. They are typically a stand-alone kind of Weapon.
WHAT WEAPON HAS THE HIGHEST DPS IN V RISING?
In regards to a player’s damage per second in regards to only completing the main attack combo, the following are the DPS. The seconds refer to how long it takes to complete the 3-hit combo (or the one-hit for Crossbow) and the uptime refers to how close it is to dealing 100% of the player’s damage when completing the combo. I don’t know if that makes sense, so if you have any questions or a better way to phrase this let me know!
Swords have a 1.39s combo having a 79.14% uptime.
Spears have a 1.68s combo having a 77.38% uptime.
Axes have a 2.03s combo having a 71.43% uptime.
Maces have a 2.42s combo having a 66.12% uptime.
Reapers have a 2.42s combo having a 64.05% uptime.
Slashes have a 1.57s combo having a 57.32% uptime.
Crossbows can damage every 1.63 seconds and have a 67.69% uptime.
MY PERSONAL RANKINGS FOR WEAPONS IN V RISING
The following is my ranking of the Weapons available to you in V Rising, though I will be focussing my rankings more on utility and PVE. If you’re looking for PVP Weapons that are the best, the answer is Sword or Slashers… that’s about it. Swords are better for damage and Slashers are alright for damage and better for utility.
SLASHERS
Slashers are by far the best Weapon in all of V Rising. It has a great amount of utility and realistically you will never as they don’t really need much support.
Players will need to be sneaky with the Slashers as they are close-ranged and can be thought of as the “Assassin” Weapon. Players will not want to switch to Weapons whenever they wield the Slashers unless it’s simply a Crossbow to deal a bit of extra damage when the player needs to heal or when the player simply is not close enough to the enemy.
REAPER
The Reaper for me is rated so high because it’s probably the most versatile Weapon in the game. Not only does it deal a considerate amount of damage when players simply use it on its own, but it can be used as a Weapon players switch onto just to place their second skill and continue attacking with another Weapon.
I’m personally the “Healer” or support on our team, focusing on burst damage and trying to make sure to keep our team up so anything to keep a bit of distance from mobs is very useful to me.
Not only that, I love the fact that the Reaper can kill a group of enemies while running around the world. I’ll typically throw my Reaper ahead of me when there’s a group of mobs and let it shred through them collecting their loot as I pass by.
I’m honestly really surprised to see so many people rank this Weapon so low, but I get it if players are focussing on PVP. For PVE, I think it’s pretty damn impressive.
SWORD
The Sword has some boring skills in my opinion, but it’s my common “switch-to” Weapon just to deal the most damage when using basic attacks. Admittedly, the skills can be very powerful, they’re just not as useful in my opinion and I prefer the other Weapons above.
CROSSBOW
The Crossbow may not be a good Weapon to have as your main, but I strongly recommend that every player has it on their hotbar to switch into, especially when fighting V Bloods.
There will always be a time of the fight where you are too far from a V Blood and you might as well deal a bit of extra damage, especially if your dash is on cooldown.
If we were talking about maining the Crossbow it would be last, but since we’re talking about using it as an offhand, I have to place it this high up.
SPEAR
Honestly, the Spear is pretty damn useful, especially against V Bloods. I would strongly recommend using its rapid hit when you know you’re safe, especially if you found yourself very close to a V Blood and typically use a ranged Weapon.
I wouldn’t use the main attack ever with the Spear and would only use the skill.
AXE
Axes are alright if you don’t have anything else to use or you’re someone who is trying to make sure your team has CC. I honestly don’t recommend them.
MACE
The Mace is by far the slowest Weapon and I really don’t see a point in advocating for them. Realistically the only useful thing about them to me is the fact that you can force yourself to avoid being knocked back,but that’s so specific and isn’t the biggest problem.
CONCLUSION
While the Sword and the Slashers are by far the best Weapons in the game, I strongly recommend players looking to using the Reaper and the Crossbow off hand.
Realistically, I think that every Sword player can really use a Reaper as their offhand to deal stacked damage, especially against V Bloods, though Slashers should be good without the Reaper.
The Crossbow is just so useful in support situations and if players are trying to build “Classes” are very useful for “Healers.”
But I’m curious, what are your favourite Weapons? Are you also someone who rotates between Weapons? Which ones do you rotate into and why? Let me know in the comments below!
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