Which Moonlighter 2 Starter Weapon Should You Pick?

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Moonlighter 2 is the follow-up to the popular 2018 action RPG, Moonlighter, which combined exciting dungeon exploration with the everyday task of running a shop. It successfully blends these two very different gameplay styles into a single, seamless experience.

I’m so hyped for the next part of Will’s story! It looks like we’re going to be traveling through tons of different worlds trying to get his homeland back. But apparently, you can’t just fight everything with a broom this time around! So, as a player, one of the first big decisions you’ll have to make in Moonlighter 2 is figuring out which starting weapon is best to help you handle all the enemies coming your way.

All Starting Weapons in Moonlighter 2

After finishing the initial tutorial in Moonlighter 2, you’ll get to choose a weapon to replace Will’s broom. You’ll start with enough resources to get one for free, and you can unlock the others as you play.

At the start of the game, you can choose from four weapons: the Merchant’s Sword, Large Sword, Spear, and Gauntlets. Each weapon has unique strengths and is designed to suit different ways of playing.

Merchant’s Sword

The Merchant’s Sword in Moonlighter 2 is a well-rounded weapon, offering a good balance between damage and speed. It’s not too fast or too slow, and its damage output is neither the highest nor the lowest. This makes it an excellent choice for players who haven’t decided on a particular fighting style or don’t have strong preferences for certain weapons.

I’m really liking the Merchant’s Sword so far! It lets me mix up my attacks a lot more. My special attack is a cool spin that hits everyone around me, which is super useful. Plus, I can finish off enemies with a special attack after hitting them four times in a row. Or, if I want to get fancy, I can use my special attack after just three hits for a quicker finisher – it’s awesome!

Okay, so I figured out that leveling up the Merchant’s Sword isn’t just about better stats – it actually makes my Special Finisher way more powerful! Each upgrade adds extra damage after I pull it off, and the more I upgrade, the bigger the damage boost and the longer it lasts. It’s a really noticeable difference, and definitely worth investing in!

Merchant’s Large Sword

The Merchant’s Large Sword in Moonlighter 2 deals the most damage of any weapon, but it swings very slowly. How much damage it does depends on its Sharpness, a stat you’ll need to keep an eye on. This sword also has the strongest knockback, letting you push enemies away and giving you breathing room to react to their attacks.

The Large Sword, unlike faster weapons, focuses on powerful, consistent attacks rather than a lot of different moves. You’ll primarily deal damage with standard attacks, which wear down the blade, and special attacks, which restore its sharpness. The key to mastering this weapon is to constantly maintain high sharpness by weaving in special attacks whenever possible, ensuring your regular attacks always hit their hardest.

Improving your Large Sword makes its sharpness more effective. The first upgrade boosts your damage by 20% when your sharpness is at level three. Each upgrade after that will further increase damage and also let you achieve that damage at lower sharpness levels.

Merchant’s Spear

Players can use swords to attack enemies with sweeping motions, but the Merchant’s Spear is designed for powerful, direct thrusts. Unlike swords, the Spear leaves behind a spearhead after each attack, accumulating up to three on the battlefield after a combo. Players can then activate a special attack to recall all the spearheads, which will fly back and damage any enemies in their path.

Okay, so leveling up my Spear is a big damage boost for my Special Attack – it starts at a 20% increase, which is awesome! It’s a really powerful combo, but here’s the thing: I really have to think about where I’m standing. Those spearheads I drop with the attack? They’re most effective if I position myself just right, so it takes a little more strategy than just mashing buttons.

Merchant’s Gauntlets

While most starting weapons in Moonlighter 2 let you fight from a distance, the Merchant’s Gauntlets are all about close-range, rapid attacks. They won’t hit as hard or push enemies back as far as other weapons, but they’re significantly faster.

Similar to the Large Sword, the Merchant’s Gauntlets focus on a simple attack style, but they’re built around Will’s Berserk ability. Berserk boosts your attack speed and damage, and it’s powered up by your regular attacks. You can track its charge on the bar in the top-left corner of the screen.

Improving your Merchant’s Gauntlets enhances the Berserk skill. Each upgrade adds to how long the ability lasts, beginning with a +3 second increase.

Which Weapon Should You Choose First in Moonlighter 2?

The game offers four different weapons at the start, letting you choose one that fits how you like to play. If you’ve played similar games like Hades, think about what worked well for you then. However, after trying them all, the Merchant’s Large Sword seems like the best choice. It’s a little slower than the others, but that doesn’t really hurt your ability to survive, and it works really well with Will’s gun.

As you progress in Moonlighter 2, you’ll find boons that can help you on each run, and some of these will even make your attacks faster. You can also get help from characters you meet, like Andrei the blacksmith, who can upgrade your weapons to deal more damage – for example, he can add two levels of Sharpness.

Choosing your first weapon is really up to what you prefer, but the Large Sword is a good option. It attacks quickly and deals enough damage to defeat tough enemies and bosses without lengthy fights. Plus, it’s easy to keep your sword sharp, so you can consistently deal high damage.

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2025-11-19 17:05