Top 10 Best Weapons in Dead Cells 2022 | Build the Best Arsenal Possible

Dead Cells has a gigantic collection of weapons and gear for players to choose from. The placement of each one is changed with every run you make, so it’s almost impossible to get the same loadout twice.

Some of these weapons are more useful than others, and some will only be useful in the hands of skilled players. In this guide, we’ll cover the ten best weapons in Dead Cells 2022. This means that every weapon in this list is relevant for the game in its current state in 2021.

10. Alchemic Carbine

Top-10-Best-Weapons-in-Dead-Cells-2021

Image Source: Imgur

This weapon shoots out huge projectiles that will burst when they hit their target. The impact also causes the projectiles to explode into poisonous clouds that do damage over time.

Stat Values
Internal Name AlchemicGun
Type Ranged Weapon
Combo Rate One Hit Per 1.1 Seconds
Duration 4 Seconds of Poison Effect
AoE Timing 3 Seconds of Poison Cloud
Basic Price 2000

The damage will eviscerate many enemies over time that poison cloud can deal, so it’s well worth having in your loadout. Having said that, here are the general damage stats of the weapon:

Stat Damage
Base DPS 9
Base Hit 10
Base DoT DPS 13 + Poison Damage

You’ll uncover the blueprint for this weapon in the secret area of the Toxic Sewers – just above a wide pool of poisonous water. However, this area doesn’t always spawn, so you may need to try a few times to find it.

Special Effects: The weapon launches a small but deadly flask that deals damage upon contact while dispersing a poisonous cloud while shattering itself.

This weapon is great if you shoot into a group of enemies and then stay back to allow the poison to do its work. It’s also brilliant for any sort of Tactics Build that you might be making on your character.

Its legendary version has an ability called Hemlock, which allows you to Double Stack instead of the default 1. Luckily, both the base and the legendary versions possess a breach bonus of -0.7 that allows you to gain the following stats:

  • Base Breach Damage: 3
  • Base Breach DPS: 3

Weapon Synergies

Despite being so strong, Alchemic Carbine has relatively low damage. Therefore, you need to balance it out with the Hokuto’s Bow to have the poison bonus tick on each successful hit.

Consequently, you can also use the Alchemic Carbine with Sadist’s Stiletto, Hemorrhage, or even Snake Fangs to inflict crit on poisoned enemies.

While this can also be done with the Acrobatipack, it’s only really worthwhile if you’re not planning to use the actual weapon for combat.

9. Assault Shield

The Assault Shield is the only shield that many players use. For most, shields don’t come into play because this game is about big combat moments and a fast pace.

Stat Values
Internal Name DashShield
Type Shield
Basic Price 2000

However, this shield allows you to push forward into enemies, parrying their attacks and blocking projectiles as you go. You’ll find the blueprint for this weapon in the timed door room that leads to the Promenade of the Condemned.

Having said that, here’s how the weapon’s damage numbers work:

Stat Damage
Base Block Damage 33 (66)
Base Absorbed Damage 75%

The best thing about this shield is that the parry move actually responds like it would if you were using a weapon. You can send enemies flying, and the window for parrying is much larger. Overall, it’s a great way to protect yourself whilst keeping up the damage output.

Special Effects: The dash ability can be separated from the shield, thereby allowing you to hold it without having to dash. You will also be knocking back enemies while dealing block damage. Plus, the dash has a parry animation and goes on a 0.4 seconds CD after use.

The Legendary Version has an ability called Heavy Stun that does exactly what it sounds like. The weapon possesses a breach bonus of -1 that accounts for the following:

  • Base Breach Damage: 0
  • Base Breach DPS: 0

Weapon Synergies

You can use the Assault Shield along with Impaler to push enemies to the wall for as long as you want. Consequently, Kill Rhythm allows you to increase your attack speed while pushing the enemies as far back as possible.

Not only this serves as a breathing room, but it also allows you to gain momentum against an opponent.

8. Lightning Bolt

dead cells lightning bolt

dead cells lightning bolt

Image Source: TheGamer

In the Lightning Bolt, you have one of the most powerful weapons in terms of damage dealing. It will deal constant damage over five hits, and it’s extremely punishing to all enemies caught in the path.

Stat Values
Internal Name Lightning
Type Ranged Weapon
Combo Rate One Hit Per 0.45 Seconds
Base Price 1750

The only caveat is that it’ll start to damage you if you use it for longer than those five ticks. You can pick up this blueprint from Inquisitors or any robed and ranged enemies.

Having said that, here’s how the Damage distribution works:

Stat Damage
Base Damage per Second 111 (392)
Base Absorbed Damage 30 (93)

This weapon works extremely well with anything that slows or pins enemies. It’ll also make mincemeat of a group of smaller mobs, meaning that you can smash through some areas without any issues whatsoever.

Special Effects: The following special effects are applicable to this weapon:

  • There’s a 0.2-second wind-up time between each channel.
  • The tick occurs right after the end of the wind-up time.
  • The first 4 ticks deal normal tick damage while the other 5-11 ticks deal 3.1x damage due to electrocution effects.
  • The tick damage number will increase depending on the number of times the tick has been channeled to a target.
  • At the end of the ticks, the player will regain control after a 0.25-second break.

The Legendary Version of Lightning is called Divine Sarcasm. It possesses the ability to generate a shield upon use. This weapon also has a breach bonus of -1, meaning there’s no additional damage on the following stats:

  • Base Breach Damage: 0 (0)
  • Base Breach DPS: 0 (0)

Weapon Synergies

Lightning’s colorless version goes hand in hand with the Vengeance skill. It increases a player’s overall DPS, and Lightning deals damage over time. Pairing them up, you get insane damage numbers that ramp up to feel pretty broken.

Consequently, Vengeance scales with Brutality, and can absorb 30% of the incoming damage while still hitting those high damage numbers.

7. Marksman’s Bow

dead cells marksmans bow

dead cells marksmans bow

Image Source: Reddit

Among the best weapons in Dead Cells 2021, this is one of the core ranged ones. It’s for those players who like to stand back and hit enemies with a sniper shot rather than getting up close. It’s also great for starting an encounter from far away.

Stat Values
Internal Name LongBow
Type Ranged Weapon
Combo Rate One Hit Per 0.75 Seconds
Base Price 2250

Usually, you can end the encounter just as quickly as the enemies approach you. The blueprint is in the timed door between the Promenade of the Condemned and the Ossuary. Make sure you grab it if this is something that you need.

Having said that, here’s how Marksman’s Bow’s damage scaling works:

Stat Damage
Base DPS 55 (327)
Base Hit 30 (180)

If you shoot right, you can use this weapon to end an encounter before it even begins. Just fire off into the distance, and your enemies might well be killed off-screen.

Special Effects: This weapon can deal six times the normal base damage as crits. The only requirement is that the enemies must be significantly farther than the player at the time of the fire.

The legendary version of the weapon is called Haste, and possesses a Heavy Stun that – as the name suggests – stuns the enemy. Consequently, you will also be getting a breach bonus of -0.7 that does the following:

  • Base Breach Damage: 9 (54)
  • Base Breach DPS: 16 (98)

Weapon Synergies

This weapon acts like a glass canon and doesn’t pair up with most weapons or abilities in-game. However, you can still make use of Tranquility to ramp up those already-high damage numbers.

6. Hokuto’s Bow

dead cells hokutos bow

dead cells hokutos bow

Image Source: Reddit

Another bow for this entry in the best weapons in Dead Cells 2021 list. This one simply marks enemies instead of damaging them outright.

Stat Values
Internal Name MarkBow
Type Ranged Weapon
Combo Rate One Hit Per 0.4 Seconds
Duration 15 Seconds (Due To Mark Boost)
Base Price 2250

That mark will increase the other damage you deal, though. If you’ve got a turret going, throwing it out and firing away with this will see enemies take more and more damage over time.

As a result, this weapon is a great pairing for literally any other weapon. You can locate the blueprint for it in the Clock Tower, dropped by the cannibal enemies.

Stat Damage
Base DPS 25
Base Hit 10
Base Bonus Hit +48 DPS (Due To Mark Boost)

As you can probably tell, the bow works best with a Tactics Build, allowing you to take full advantage of the tools you should have at your disposal.

Special Effects: This weapon has the following special effects:

  • The damaged enemies take additional 48 base damage from every source for the next 15 seconds.
  • This debuff spreads to other enemies if the main infected one dies while under its influence.
  • There is a 0.33-second cooldown on this extra damage effect.

The Legendary Version of this bow is called Mass Sanction, which has a Super Pierce ability that allows the arrows to pass through the enemies to hit the ones at their backs as well.

Just like most bows, this one also has a Breach Bonus of 0.7 that allows it to gain the following:

  • Base Breach Damage: 17
  • Base Breach DPS: 34

Weapon Synergies

Hokuto’s Bow has insanely low damage by its lonesome. Therefore, it’s usually used as a supporting weapon instead of the main one. Since it usually buffs the main weapon to a marginal degree, having it is always good.

The damage debuff takes 15 seconds to wear off, which is enough time for the Acrobatipack to come in handy. Just keep re-applying it, and you’re good to go.

Any damage over time weapon works great with Hokuto’s Bow. You could use Firebrands, Throwing Knife, or the Alchemic Carbine. Anything goes as long as it can utilize the bow’s passive.

5. Symmetrical Lance

symmetrical lance dead cells

symmetrical lance dead cells

Image Source: Reddit

This weapon is wielded by the endgame boss of Dead Cells, The Hand of the King. It has a blade at each end, both of which are just as effective at killing enemies as they are at killing you when you face off against it.

Stat Values
Internal Name KingSpear
Type Melee Weapon
Combo Rate One 3-Hit Combo Per 1.82 Seconds
Duration 16 Seconds (Damage Buff)
Base Price 2000

This weapon is an automatic unlock from the first time you kill the final boss of Dead Cells. Killing two enemies in a row will give you critical damage for six seconds, after which you can trigger it all over again.

Stat Damage
Base DPS 192 (288)
Base Combo Damage 350 (526)
Base First Hit 80 (120)
Base Second Hit 105 (158)
Base Third Hit 165 (248)

This is on top of being able to smash enemies behind you at the same time.

The absolute highlight of this weapon is that you can take out enemies in front and behind you. Nothing else will let you do this, not without some tools, so it’s just a special power you can break the game with.

Special Effects: This weapon has the following special effects:

  • Whenever you kill the second enemy within 1.5 seconds of the first one’s death, your attacks will be buffed to head 1.5x base damage for the next 6 seconds.
  • The combo’s first hit has a weak knockback attached to it, whereas the final hit has a strong knockback. Consequently, the middle one is a swing that damages the enemies that are behind you as well.

The Legendary version of the Symmetrical Lance has a Quad Damage Free and Ignore Global Shield ability that increases the damage on enemies by 300%. It is also strong enough to break shields.

The Breach bonus of this weapon is 0.5 for the first hit, 1 for the second one, and 1.5 for the final. This roughly equates to the following:

  • Base Breach Damage (First Hit): 120 (180)
  • Base Breach Damage (Second Hit): 210 (315)
  • Base Breach Damage (Third Hit): 412.5 (619)
  • Base Breach DPS: 408 (612)

Weapon Synergies

There aren’t any particular weapons that go well with the Symmetrical Lance. It is a complete standalone weapon that’s intended to be used as a solo run.

4. Sadist’s Stiletto

sadists stiletto dead cells

sadists stiletto dead cells

Image Source: YouTube

This weapon is all about inflicting additional pain. It deals critical damage to any enemies that are bleeding or poisoned. That critical is quick and deals double damage, but even the base attack is fast and brutal.

Stat Values
Internal Name BleedCrit
Type Melee Weapon
Combo Rate One 4-Hit Combo Per 1.15 Seconds
Base Price 1500

The best use for this weapon is in killing bosses or tougher enemies; it’s not so great with crowds when you must focus on dealing lots of damage to multiple targets.

You get the blueprint for this nasty thing from the Impaler enemies, who only spawn in the Ancient Sewers or Dilpidated Arboretum.

Stat Damage
Base DPS 109 (222)
Base Combo Damage 125 (255)
Base First Hit 25 (45)
Base Second Hit 25 (45)
Base Third Hit 25 (45)
Base Fourth Hit 50 (120)

This weapon is fantastic for a tactics build; it’s also generally easy to take advantage of when you have anything that causes bleeding or poison on an enemy.

Special Effects: This weapon deals 2.04 times the base damage to enemies that are afflicted with Bleeding or Poison debuffs.

The Legendary version of the Sadist’s Stiletto has Super Back Damage that allows you to deal additional 75% damage to anyone you hit with it in the back.

It has a breach bonus of 0, which roughly translates to the following:

  • Base Breach Damage – First Hit: 25 (45)
  • Base Breach Damage – Second Hit: 25 (45)
  • Base Breach Damage – Third Hit: 25 (45)
  • Base Breach Damage – Fourth Hit: 50 (120)
  • Base Breach DPS: 109 (222)

Weapon Synergies

You can pair this weapon with Open Wounds and the Alchemic Carbine to apply bleeding and poison effects.

Since the attack rate is pretty high, you’d be able to land a whole lot more in terms of critical hits.

Therefore, it’s pretty common to pair it up with Instinct of the Master of Arms to make full use of that advantage.

3. Ice Bow

ice bow dead cells

ice bow dead cells

Image Source: Reddit

As the name suggests, this bow shoots icy arrows at enemies and inflicts a freezing effect on them. That is the main benefit here because the damage is abysmal, but being able to freeze enemies at will is an incredibly powerful ability.

Stat Values
Internal Name FrostBow
Type Ranged Weapon
Combo Rate One Hit Per 0.79 Seconds
Base Price 1750

You can use it as a secondary and absolutely smash your foes when you pepper them with some icy arrows before engaging. The blueprint for this one comes from the Undead Archers, who are in the first two major areas of the game. Easy to acquire.

Stat Damage
Base DPS 46
Base Hit 27

There’s no build that this is better for than any other. It’s just a great secondary weapon to use against anything. Freezing enemies, in particular bosses, can give you the leeway you need to batter them with a much more powerful weapon after.

Special Effects: Arrows fired by this bow have the ability to freeze enemies for 1.2 seconds. Once this effect wears off, the enemy is slowed for additional 1.05 seconds.

The Legendary Version of the Ice Bow is called Frost, and its Strong Ice Ability ensures that the target can’t unfreeze itself while attacking.

The Ice Bow has a Breach Bonus of -1, which essentially means the following:

  • Base Breach Damage: 0
  • Base Breach DPS: 0

Weapon Synergies

This is intended to be used as a standalone weapon since the player can theoretically gain control after 0.39 seconds during the 0.59-second initial fire window.

2. Infantry Bow

infantry bow dead cells

infantry bow dead cells

Image Source: Gamer’s Decide

This bow is one of the first blueprints you’ll likely come across whilst playing this game. Undead Archers will drop it for you, and you face them before anything else. The perk here is that this bow deals critical damage at close range.

Stat Values
Internal Name CloseCombatBow
Type Ranged Weapon
Combo Rate One Hit Per 0.6 Seconds
Base Price 2000

That makes it a viable weapon for getting up close and personal and hitting enemies in the face right before you slice them with a sword.

Stat Damage
Base DPS 78 (217)
Base Hit 31 (87)

This weapon is reliable and gets the job done. You can use it in a pinch anywhere, and you can take it from the start of the game to the end.

Special Effects: This weapon can deal critical damage as an AOE to the enemies near the Player’s position at the time of firing.

The Legendary Version of the Infantry Bow is called Barb; it can deal Bleed on Hit that essentially applies the bleed effect on the target hit.

It has a Breach Bonus of 0.7 – which is pretty high – even for a bow of this stature:

  • Base Breach Damage: 52.7 (148)
  • Base Breach DPS: 88 (246)

Weapon Synergies

This is a close-range weapon, so an aggressive mutation like Point Blank works the best in boosting its already high damage.

Consequently, you can also use Phaser to make the best use of Infantry Bow’s Critical bonus.

1. Frantic Sword

frantic-sword-dead-cells

frantic-sword-dead-cells

Image Source: Reddit

This best weapons in Dead Cells 2021 list isn’t in a particular order, but this is a pretty damn good sword. It relies on you playing badly, so if you’re not great at this game, this is a good weapon to use.

Stat Values
Internal Name LowHealth
Type Melee Weapon
Combo Rate One 5-Hit Combo Per 1.71 Seconds
Base Price 1500

When you have 50% or less health, the sword will deal critical hits. This is great because you get a bonus boost that might help you finish off a tough enemy or boss right as they’re about to kill you.

Stat Damage
Base DPS 137 (277)
Base Combo Damage 235 (474)
Base First Hit 40 (64)
Base Second Hit 40 (72)
Base Third Hit 50 (100)
Base Fourth Hit 35 (70)
Base Fifth Hit 70 (168)

It’s a fast sword to use, and the damage it deals is pretty good, even without the critical hit addition. It’s a good all-rounder and a great option that isn’t a weapon that will actively drain your health.

Special Effects: Whenever the Player’s health reaches below the 50% mark, the weapon will start dealing 2.08x damage. This effect also triggers when the Malaise Counter is above 50% of the maximum.

The Legendary Version of the Frantic Sword has an ability called Heal Mid Life, which essentially allows you to recover 1% of your HP whenever you attack. This only works for 50% HP.

It has a Breach Bonus of 0.4 for the first, second, and third hits. Then it’s 0.5 for the fourth one while reaching 1 for the final. This roughly equates to:

  • Base Breach Damage – First Hit: 56 (89.6)
  • Base Breach Damage – Second Hit: 56 (100.8)
  • Base Breach Damage – Third Hit: 70 (140)
  • Base Breach Damage – Fourth Hit: 52.5 (105)
  • Base Breach Damage – Fifth Hit: 140 (336)
  • Base Breach DPS: 219 (467)

Weapon Synergies

Just like most standalone powerhouses, the Frantic Sword is also meant to be used as a solo weapon. Therefore, you can apply any mutations or weapon combinations you want – depending on your playstyle.

Conclusion

All in all, the weapons in Dead Cells are plenty balanced in nature and can deal an awful lot of damage as long as you use them correctly. The Frantic Sword is currently the best weapon in the game. Therefore, we recommend you try to obtain it by all means possible.

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