How To: Campaign Martial Weapons

If you're looking to learn how to get the best possible martial weapons throughout the campaign, you're in the right place.

I'll be using bows/crossbows as an example, but the core concepts apply to every martial weapon class.

Act 1

IMPORTANT!

Save all regals/exalts/alcs/runes until Act 2, where you will use these on level 16 bases (e.g. Varnished Crossbow, Recurve Bow)

The first weapon you're going to be starting with is the weapon you start with in The Riverbank (Makeshift Crossbow for merc / Crude Bow for ranger).

The Red Vale

In The Red Vale, Rusted Arms and Refined Arms can drop weapons. While each Arm individually is random, the full set of Arms collectively guarantees at least one of every weapon type (wands and staves are excluded). Because of this, if you open all of them, you’ll always find at least one weapon suitable for your class. Always click them whenever you see them.

If you have Transmutes or Augments, use them on the new weapon (Tense Crossbow, Shortbow).

These new base types are very strong. For example, the Shortbow has roughly 45% more DPS than the Crude Bow.

After Killing The Rust King

When you return to town, check the vendors for a magic weapon with:

• Flat added damage, or
• % increased physical damage (%IPD)

Lightning damage is ideal (so you can shock), but any damage mod is fine.

If the vendor doesn't have a magic weapon, make sure to buy a white one if you didn't get one in The Red Vale.

From this point onward, if you still don't have a weapon with flat added damage, be sure to transmute any good white bases, and identify any magics / rares.

Cemetery of the Eternals

The Cemetery has two side areas: Tomb of the Consort and Mausoleum of the Praetor.

Both start at level 8, but there's an important trick:

• When you enter one of the side zones, any new instance you create of the other zone becomes level 9.
• This matters because:
• • New weapon bases begin dropping at level 11 (level 10 for crossbows Sturdy Crossbow)
  • Bosses drop items at +2 item levels

Recommended route

1. Enter the Mausoleum of the Praetor first. (This sets the Tomb of the Consort to level 9)
2. Run the Tomb of the Consort to get support gem.
3. After killing Ainia, create a new instance (ctrl + click) of the Mausoleum so it is bumped to level 9.
4. Kill Draven for another chance at a level 11 weapon base.

After Killing Lachlann

If you STILL don't have a good magic Tense Crossbow / Shortbow, return to town and check for a good magic one.

Ogham Village

Get the Blank Rune

When you reach Ogham Village, make sure to pick up the Blank Rune and the Artificer's Orb next to the Smithing Tools.

You'll need this rune to trade with Renly for a Lesser Storm Rune, which becomes essential later when crafting your level 16 weapon (e.g. Varnished Crossbow, Recurve Bow).

Level 11 Weapon (or 10 for crossbows)

When you reach level 11 (or 10 for crossbows), go back to town and check the vendor for your new weapon base, unless you got one drop naturally (Warden Bow, Sturdy Crossbow). Transmute and Augment any white bases until you get high flat damage or %IPD.

Act 2

Checking Vendors

Upon entering Act 2, your first job is to check the vendors for a level 16 weapon base (e.g., Varnished Crossbow, Recurve Bow).

Just like in Act 1, you're looking for high flat damage or good %IPD, such as:

• 15-25 Fire damage
• 2-40 Lightning damage
• 65-84% increased Physical Damage
• etc

If the vendor doesn't have anything good, level up once and check again. Repeat until you find a solid base. To see what mods you can get for crossbows, click here. And click here for bows.

Crafting A GIGA Juiced Weapon (Level 16)

Once you reach level 16, it's time to go ALL IN on your new base (Varnished Crossbow,Recurve Bow).

Goal

Craft a weapon with:

• 3 strong damage prefixes, and
• (if you're lucky) valuable suffixes like +# to level of all Projectile skills

How to craft it:

1. Start with a magic base that already has good flat damage (or good %IPD).
2. Use an essence of Abrasion, Flames, Ice, or Electricity for a guaranteed good second prefix.
3. 1. If you don't have any of those, Regal Orb it instead.
3. If your regal added a useful prefix, continue to the next step. If it added a useless prefix, and you have spare regals/bases, start over with a fresh base.
4. Slam exalts on it until you hit 3 prefixes (hold alt and hover over the item to see how many prefixes your weapon has).
5. Socket in the Lesser Storm Rune you got from Renly in Act 1, along with any other damage rune you have.
6. Throw your Blacksmith's Whetstones on it.

This weapon will carry you to level 28/33, where you will then repeat the same process on a Dualstring Bow or a Bombard Crossbow.

Deshar

Be sure to get the guaranteed Artificer's Orb if you're runnning low. It's along one of the outer walls, near the entrance.

Crossbows and bows split a bit here: If you're playing bows, you need to check vendors at level 28 for Dualstring Bow (end of Act 2), instead of when you reach Act 3.

Act 3

Checking Vendors

Just like in Act 2, you're going to check vendors for Bombard Crossbow. If the vendor doesn't have anything good, level up once and check again.

Crafting Your Act 3 Weapon

By Act 3, Lesser Essences (abrasion, flames, ice, electricity) are low value. Their flat rolls are too low to matter on a level 28-33 weapon.

• Use regular essences (Essence of Abrasion, Flames, Ice, Electricity).
• I recommend to generally NOT use Lesser essences (unless you have no regals) - they are effectively a dead mod for this stage of the game.

Other than that, you're going to follow the exact same process you used for your Act 2 weapon.

Act 4

Keep using your Bombard Crossbow / Dualstring Bow until you reach the interludes and get access to Cannonade Crossbow / Twin Bow.

Interludes

Repeat exactly what you did with the Bombard Crossbow / Dualstring Bow but on the Cannonade Crossbow / Twin Bow.

One important thing to note is that there is a vendor in the Act 1 Interlude zone "Holten" that gives guaranteed Greater Runes (e.g. Greater Storm Rune). Which you'll want to slot in to your new weapon.

Damage Rune Priority

1. Storm Rune
2. Desert Rune
3. Glacial Rune
4. Iron Rune

Storm rune is the best. Iron rune can swap places depending on your weapon. For example, if you have a very high flat phys roll, then Iron Rune can be better than Desert Rune and Glacial Rune.