Dauntless weapon guide - Best starter weapon?
Just getting started in Dauntless and not sure what the best starter weapon is? Here's what you need to know about the various Dauntless weapons.
Dauntless is a free-to-play co-op RPG that tasks players with hunting down Behemoths. The game is very similar to the Monster Hunter series, offering several different weapons and styles for players to master. If you’re just diving into the world of the Shattered Isles, then this Dauntless weapon guide should help you figure out which weapon is the best starter weapon for you.
Dauntless weapon guide
There are six weapon types that players can equip and master in Dauntless. Much like the Monster Hunter series that inspired the game, players can swap out which weapon they’re using anytime between hunts, making it easy to work with them all throughout various times in your career as a Slayer. Finding the best starter weapon for your playstyle can be tough, especially if you haven’t had any experience with the game or other games like it. We’ve broken down each weapon type below, as well as highlighted their strengths and weaknesses. This should help you understand each one better, allowing you to choose the loadout that works best for you.
Sword
The jack-of-all-trades weapon, the Sword is a very reliable weapon for new and experienced players alike. This weapon features a fairly fast attack pattern, as well as several combos that players can make use of to increase the amount of damage being done to monsters. Damaging Behemoths with your Sword will also build up your Special Meter, allowing you to activate it and deal additional damage with each swing. If you want something that allows you to be both offensive and defensive, then the Sword grants you a well-paced attack speed, as well as plenty of opportunities to break away and dodge enemy attacks.
Axe
The next set of weapons on our list are Axes. The various Axes that players can equip offer slower-moving attacks, however these attacks can be charged up to deal even more damage through subsequent attacks. The biggest thing to keep in mind with the Axe is that you’ll need to anticipate where your enemy is going to go and then try to send your attacks in that direction. If you’re hunting solo, then it’s highly recommended that you steer clear of this particular weapon, as its attacks are much slower and easier for the faster Behemoths in Dauntless to dodge. Axes, like Swords, are excellent for severing Behemoth parts.
Hammer
The Hammer in Dauntless is exactly what you’d expect it to be, a high damage but slow-moving blunt weapon capable of breaking the down Behemoth parts and staggering enemies. The biggest disadvantage you have with the Hammer, aside from it attacking much slower than other weapons, is the fact that it cannot sever Behemoth parts. This means Behemoth tails or tusk cannot be severed with the weapon, so you’ll need to bring along a bladed weapon if you’re looking for those items. Aside from this, though, the Hammer is a perfectly capable weapon providing you can learn to time your attacks. This weapon does bleed through your Stamina, though, so you’ll want to pay careful attention to that Stamina bar when using it.
Chain Blades
As the only dual wield close-combat weapon in Dauntless, players probably expect the Chain Blades to be the fastest attacking weapon available to Slayers. While they aren’t entirely wrong, these weapons do require some precision timing on the user’s part if they want to dodge attacks and make the most of their hits. Perhaps the most useful part of the Chain Blades though is the fact that you can attack with the Chain Throws to hit your enemy from a safe distance. It’s a good way to combine ranged and close quarters combat together, and it’s easy to transition between the two. You can also charge up your Special Meter, which you can then use to either dodge away or pull yourself to the enemy.
War Pike
The War Pike is definitely one of the most powerful weapons, allowing players to attack Behemoths from both close and more ranged positions. This weapon also includes a nicely paced attack pattern, which makes it easy to pick up as a new player. You have two primary attacks to work with here. Piercing Attacks will allow you to wound Behemoth parts, dealing expanded damage to them, whereas the Harvesting Attacks will allow you to sever Behemoth parts, exposing additional areas you can deal damage to. Perhaps the best feature about the War Pike, though, is the fact that your Special Meter allows you to buff your physical attack power based on how many charges you have.
Ostian Repeaters
While the Ostian Repeaters are not available directly from the start of the game, it’s still worth covering here as you’ll need to understand it as a weapon category that is available to you. As the only actual fully ranged weapon available in the game, Ostian Repeaters are a fine balance between being offensive and defensive. You’ll also need to make sure you have parts installed on your repeaters that fits each hunt and being prepared for the Behemoths that you’re going into battle with will be more important than with any other weapon available to Slayers.
As far as a starter weapon goes, I’d honestly suggest sticking back and learning more about the other weapons until you have a party around, as learning the Ostian Repeaters in solo hunts can be extremely difficult.
Now that you have a broader understanding of the various weapons available to you in Dauntless, you can experiment and find out which weapon works best for you. Personally, I’m a huge fan of the War Pike and enjoy the capabilities that it brings to the table. I have also spent a little bit of time toying around with the Chained Blades, which I believe are also another solid weapon to start off with. For more help be sure to head back over to our Dauntless guides hub.
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