How weapon levels, evolution and upgrades work
A weapon gains XP every time a hit connects, and each level adds 3% damage. Rusted weapons and Holy Sword Endu evolve at level 10 into a named “god” weapon that restarts at level 1, and Umbada then sells a plain copy of the rusted original. Late in the game, Mechanical Engineer Ossi upgrades level-10 weapons with Data Modules.
Levelling faster
XP counts hits, not damage, and one swing that hits three enemies counts three times. Fully charged swings and some specials level fastest. Players farm beside Crystal Monuments where enemies respawn on rest:
- skeletons by the Tower of Knowledge entrance monument;
- the gargoyle puzzle below the Tower of Knowledge teleporter, where wrong statues spawn Book Bugs;
- the centipedes of the Petrified Garden, which also drop Spirit Oil.
Spirit Oil adds XP to the equipped weapon; one player measured about two levels per bottle. The Training Band accessory, found in the Ancient World building with the Shock Rifle, raises weapon XP. Patch 1.01.06 fixed XP sometimes going to the wrong weapon.
Weapons that evolve
| Found as | Level 10 evolution | Shop copy afterwards |
|---|---|---|
| Rusted Spear | Jigeki’s Serpent Thrust | Common Spear |
| Holy Sword Endu | Soul Bound Endu, then True Holy Sword Akunra at an altar | none |
| Rusted Greatsword | Wodaso’s Holy Lightning | Scaled Greatsword, 10 coins |
| Rusted Great Morning Star | Jigeki’s Rot | Great Morning Star variant, 10 coins |
| Rusted Leaf Blade | Puwema’s Leaf Blade | Gilded Leaf Blade, 10 coins, and the Ring of Wind, 30 coins |
| Rusted Longhammer | Sipeha’s Void Maul | not yet confirmed |
The Rusted Short Sword, Wooden Club and Rusted Greataxe also evolve at level 10. The Trident is different: at level 5 its head breaks off and becomes the Ruby Trident Key.
Weapons that do not evolve keep levelling past 10. The Pandora Blade has been shown at level 100 with +300% damage; how high other weapons go has not been documented.
Ossi’s upgrades
Mechanical Engineer Ossi in the Ancient World gives you the Orange Ochre Seal Breaker, which opens the orange-marked rooms holding the ten Data Modules. Return the modules to him and use his lab terminal: a weapon at level 10 can be upgraded with its matching module and Ancient Coins. Rusted originals cannot be upgraded; their evolved forms can.
Perfected Weaponry needs every main weapon upgraded, and only 1.8% of Steam players have it. The shop copies of rusted weapons count as separate weapons for Extensive Armaments, so buy them as soon as they appear.
What to level first
The weapon you will use most in the late game is the one to level early, because evolution restarts the count. Endu is the exception worth planning around: it must reach level 10 twice, as Endu and as Soul Bound Endu, before it can become Akunra for Ending 2. Use it on easy enemies from the moment you get it.
Sources
- games.gg, best melee weapons with rankings and locations3% damage per level and evolution at level 10.
- Whisper of the House, Pandora BladeA non-evolving weapon shown at level 100 with +300%.
- GrindnStrat, treasure room locations and rewardsRusted vault weapons, their evolutions and shop unlocks.
- Output Lag, key items and upgradesData Modules, Ossi's terminal and Spirit Oil.
- Steam discussion, how do weapon upgrades workWeapons must be level 10 before Ossi's upgrade.
- Steam discussion, fastest way to level a melee weaponXP per hit, including each enemy struck by one swing.
- Official patch notes 1.01.06Evolution fixes and weapon XP going to the wrong weapon.