Bloodborne Weapons Guide: Best Trick Arms Ranked

Mastering the Arsenal of Yharnam

Stepping into the blood-soaked streets of Yharnam requires more than just raw courage; choosing the right bloodborne weapons can mean the difference between a triumphant hunt and endless loading screens. Unlike traditional action RPGs, FromSoftware designed every single armament in this masterclass with diverse, multi-functional move sets that adapt to surprisingly hostile combat encounters. Whether you are slicing through beasts with serrated edges or bludgeoning cosmic entities with arcane tools, understanding how each piece scales with your attributes is essential. According to community reports, players often overlook how blood gems and stat benchmarks fundamentally transform baseline weapon performance.

Navigating the vast selection of bloodborne weapons can feel overwhelming for both novice and veteran hunters alike. Every armament in the game offers unique tactical advantages, from hidden damage multipliers against specific enemy types to incredible rally potential that lets you reclaim lost health. To help you conquer the nightmares ahead, we have compiled comprehensive data, stat requirements, and comparison tables covering the entire arsenal available on the official PlayStation Store.

Trick Weapons and Base Attributes Breakdown

Understanding the baseline statistics of your armaments is crucial for effective character progression. The table below outlines the fundamental requirements, damage types, and scaling potential for iconic early-game and standard trick options.

Player experience shows that starting weapons like the Saw Cleaver and Saw Spear remain overwhelmingly viable throughout an entire playthrough due to their deceptively fast transformation attacks and hidden serrated damage bonuses against beast-type enemies.

Saw Cleaver

An iconic starting choice featuring exceptional speed, reliable strength scaling, and intrinsic serrated damage in its default mode that shreds beast bosses.

Ludwig's Holy Blade

A powerhouse greatsword offering incredible physical scaling, high stagger values, and versatile blunt-damage output in its transformed heavy state.

Advanced DLC Armaments and Scaling Mechanics

The expansion content introduces devastating new options that require specialized builds. Managing arcane splits, bloodtinge scaling, and complex gem slots dictates whether these exotic armaments become game-changers or dead weight.

1. Identify Stat Priorities: Match your weapon choice—such as the Bloodletter or Chikage—with high Bloodtinge or Strength thresholds.
2. Farm Appropriate Blood Gems: Utilize Chalice Dungeons to acquire tempering, striking, or nourishing gems that maximize your specific damage output.
3. Manage Health and Resources: Pay close attention to self-inflicted HP decay mechanics on blood-imbued weapons and utilize rally recovery windows.

Community reports indicate that weapons like the Church Pick excel by applying hidden thrust damage modifiers that naturally bypass the defenses of numerous tough adversaries, making it a true all-rounder for late-game progression.

Tip

Always check whether your chosen armament benefits from thrust or blunt damage types before slotting blood gems, as subtype bonuses provide much higher multipliers than generic physical increases.

Choosing Your Playstyle: Speed vs. Raw Power

Selecting the right gear involves balancing attack recovery frames, stamina consumption, and crowd control capabilities. Fast weapons like the Blade of Mercy and Beasthunter Saif reward aggressive, dodge-heavy spacing, while heavy instruments like the Logarius Wheel and Kirkhammer deliver devastating single-hit staggers.

• Evaluate your core attributes (Strength, Skill, Bloodtinge, or Arcane) before committing upgrade materials.
• Test transformation attacks in different combat scenarios to utilize gap-closers and crowd-clearing arcs.
• Experiment with elemental blood gems to exploit specific boss weaknesses.
• Monitor weapon durability during long exploratory runs through high-density areas.

Warning

Neglecting blood gem optimization in later New Game Plus cycles will drastically hinder your damage output, rendering even top-tier armaments ineffective against scaling enemy health pools.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best bloodborne weapons for beginners?

The Saw Cleaver and Hunter Axe are widely regarded as the best choices for newcomers. They offer fast attack animations, manageable stamina costs, excellent rally potential, and reliable scaling that carries players smoothly through the early and mid-game stages.

How do serrated and righteous damage modifiers work?

Serrated weapons deal approximately 20% extra damage to beast-type enemies, while righteous weapons deal bonus damage against certain Cainhurst enemies and Pthumerian foes. Certain armaments apply these bonuses exclusively during specific transformation states or attack types like thrusts.

Are DLC armaments better than base game options?

Not necessarily better, but they introduce unique mechanics such as ranged blood attacks, multi-hit physical buzzsaws, and cosmic arcane move sets that greatly expand build variety for veteran hunters.

Can all weapons be infused with elemental damage?

Weapons with innate split damage (like the Blade of Mercy or Chikage) cannot accept elemental conversion gems. However, pure physical weapons can be successfully converted using fire, bolt, or arcane gems if your character has sufficient Arcane investment.