Assassin's Creed Odyssey
Assassin's Creed Odyssey

Weapon Types & Stats

Understand all weapon types and their unique engravings in Assassin's Creed Odyssey to enhance your combat style and build effectiveness.

·Multi-source verified (97/97)

Weapon Types & Stats

In Assassin's Creed Odyssey, your choice of weaponry is paramount to your success, directly influencing your combat style, damage output, and overall build effectiveness. Weapons are categorized by type, each offering unique attack patterns, speed, and reach. Beyond their base damage, the true power of a weapon lies in its engravings and inherent perks, which can dramatically alter your playstyle.

This section will delve into each weapon type, providing insights into their strengths, weaknesses, and offering specific examples of powerful legendary weapons and engravings to elevate your Spartan or Athenian warrior.

Understanding Weapon Stats

Before diving into specific types, let's break down the core stats you'll encounter on every weapon:

  • Base Damage: The foundational damage value of the weapon. This scales with your character level and is modified by your Warrior, Hunter, or Assassin Damage stats.
  • Attack Speed: How quickly you can perform successive attacks. Faster weapons generate Adrenaline quicker but often have lower per-hit damage.
  • Reach: The distance at which you can hit enemies. Longer reach weapons (Spears, Staffs) are excellent for crowd control and keeping distance.
  • Engravings: Special modifiers that grant bonus stats (e.g., +Warrior Damage, +Crit Chance, +Adrenaline per Hit) or unique perks (e.g., "All Arrows Pierce Shields"). These are crucial for optimizing your build.
  • Rarity: Determines the number of engraving slots.
    • Common (Grey): 0 Engravings
    • Rare (Blue): 1 Engraving
    • Epic (Purple): 3 Engravings (1 fixed, 2 customizable)
    • Legendary (Gold): 2 Engravings (1 fixed unique perk, 1 customizable)

Melee Weapon Types

Melee weapons are your primary tools for direct combat, each offering a distinct feel and tactical advantage.

Swords

  • Description: A balanced weapon type, offering good speed and moderate damage. Swords are versatile and suitable for most combat situations.
  • Strengths: Fast attacks, decent single-target damage, good for building Adrenaline.
  • Weaknesses: Limited reach, less effective against multiple armored foes compared to heavier weapons.
  • Recommended Engravings: +Warrior Damage, +Crit Chance, +Crit Damage, +Adrenaline per Hit.
  • Legendary Example:
    • Sword of Damokles:
      • Unique Perk: +15% Warrior Damage.
      • How to Obtain: Defeat the Cultist Exekias the Legend, found in the Peloponnese region. He is part of the "Heroes of the Cult" branch.
      • Strategy: A straightforward fight. Focus on parries and dodging his heavy attacks.
      • Why it's good: A flat Warrior Damage boost is always valuable, making it a solid choice for any warrior build.
    • Nikolaos's Sword:
      • Unique Perk: +20% Damage with Sparta Kick.
      • How to Obtain: Acquired during the main questline, specifically after the quest "The Wolf of Sparta" where you confront Nikolaos.
      • Strategy: This weapon's perk is situational but incredibly powerful for builds centered around the Sparta Kick ability, allowing you to easily knock enemies off ledges or deal massive damage.

Daggers

  • Description: The fastest melee weapon type, ideal for quick, successive strikes and building Adrenaline rapidly.
  • Strengths: Very high attack speed, excellent for applying elemental effects quickly, good for Assassin builds.
  • Weaknesses: Lowest per-hit damage, very short reach.
  • Recommended Engravings: +Assassin Damage, +Crit Chance, +Crit Damage, +Elemental Buildup.
  • Legendary Example:
    • Dagger of Kronus:
      • Unique Perk: +15% Assassin Damage.
      • How to Obtain: Defeat the Cultist Rhexenor the Hand, found in Attika. He is part of the "Worshippers of the Bloodline" branch.
      • Strategy: Rhexenor is a tough opponent, often surrounded by guards. Clear the area first or use stealth to isolate him.
      • Why it's good: Essential for any Assassin build, providing a significant boost to your stealth damage.

Heavy Bladed (Axes, Greatswords)

  • Description: Slow, powerful weapons that deal massive damage per hit and can often stagger or knock back enemies.
  • Strengths: High per-hit damage, excellent for breaking enemy guards, good for crowd control with wide swings.
  • Weaknesses: Very slow attack speed, leaves you vulnerable during attack animations.
  • Recommended Engravings: +Warrior Damage, +Crit Chance, +Crit Damage, +Damage with Heavy Bladed Weapons.
  • Legendary Example:
    • Minotaur's Labrys:
      • Unique Perk: +25% Damage with Heavy Bladed Weapons.
      • How to Obtain: Defeat the Minotaur in the "Myths of the Minotaur" questline on Messara.
      • Strategy: The Minotaur is a challenging boss. Focus on dodging his charges and ground slams, then counter-attack. Use abilities like Second Wind and Overpower Attacks.
      • Why it's good: A massive damage boost for Heavy Bladed users, making it a top-tier choice for warrior builds focused on raw power.

Heavy Blunt (Maces, Hammers)

  • Description: Similar to Heavy Bladed weapons in terms of speed and power, but often have slightly different attack animations and can be more effective at breaking shields.
  • Strengths: High per-hit damage, excellent for breaking shields and staggering enemies, good for crowd control.
  • Weaknesses: Very slow attack speed, leaves you vulnerable.
  • Recommended Engravings: +Warrior Damage, +Crit Chance, +Crit Damage, +Damage with Heavy Blunt Weapons.
  • Legendary Example:
    • Hammer of Jason:
      • Unique Perk: +20% Damage with Heavy Blunt Weapons.
      • How to Obtain: Defeat the Cultist Pallas the Silencer, found in the Achaia region. He is part of the "Worshippers of the Bloodline" branch.
      • Strategy: Pallas is often found in forts or heavily guarded areas. Use stealth to thin out his guards before engaging him directly.
      • Why it's good: A strong choice for builds specializing in Heavy Blunt weapons, offering a significant damage increase.

Spears

  • Description: Long-reach weapons that excel at keeping enemies at bay and hitting multiple targets in a line.
  • Strengths: Excellent reach, good for crowd control, can hit multiple enemies, decent attack speed.
  • Weaknesses: Less effective in close quarters against single, fast enemies.
  • Recommended Engravings: +Warrior Damage, +Crit Chance, +Crit Damage, +Adrenaline per Hit, +Damage with Spears.
  • Legendary Example:
    • Achilles' Spear:
      • Unique Perk: +20% Damage with Multi-Shot ability.
      • How to Obtain: Defeat the Cultist The Hydra, found in the southern part of the Aegean Sea. She is part of the "Gods of the Aegean Sea" branch.
      • Strategy: The Hydra is a naval cultist. Engage her ship in naval combat, focusing on ramming and arrow volleys.
      • Why it's good: While a spear, its perk benefits Hunter builds, making it a unique hybrid option for those who frequently use Multi-Shot.
    • Staff of Hermes Trismegistus (Is this a spear or staff? It's a staff, but often confused):
      • Unique Perk: +15% All Damage.
      • How to Obtain: Complete the "A Family's Legacy" questline in Elis, then defeat the Sphinx, Cyclops, and Minotaur, and finally complete the "A Cursed Sickness" quest.
      • Strategy: This is a late-game item requiring completion of several mythical creature quests. The perk is universally powerful.
      • Why it's good: The ultimate all-around damage boost, making it a fantastic choice for any build.

Staffs

  • Description: Similar to spears in reach, staffs often have wider, sweeping attacks that are excellent for hitting multiple enemies around you.
  • Strengths: Great for crowd control, good reach, decent attack speed.
  • Weaknesses: Lower single-target damage compared to swords or heavy weapons.
  • Recommended Engravings: +Warrior Damage, +Crit Chance, +Crit Damage, +Adrenaline per Hit, +Damage with Staffs.
  • Legendary Example:
    • Staff of the Dikastes:
      • Unique Perk: +20% Damage with Staffs.
      • How to Obtain: Defeat the Cultist Kallias, found in the Elis region. He is part of the "Worshippers of the Bloodline" branch.
      • Strategy: Kallias is often found in a fortified camp. Use stealth to clear out guards or engage him directly with abilities.
      • Why it's good: A straightforward damage boost for staff users, making it a solid choice for crowd-control focused warrior builds.

Ranged Weapon Type

Bows

  • Description: Your primary ranged weapon, essential for stealth takedowns, engaging enemies from a distance, and applying elemental effects.
  • Strengths: Safe damage from afar, excellent for initiating combat, crucial for Hunter builds.
  • Weaknesses: Requires ammunition (though easily crafted), less effective in close-quarters melee.
  • Recommended Engravings: +Hunter Damage, +Crit Chance, +Crit Damage, +Headshot Damage, +Adrenaline per Hit with Bows.
  • Legendary Example:
    • Eros's Bow:
      • Unique Perk: +20% Hunter Damage.
      • How to Obtain: Defeat the Cultist Nyx the Shadow, found in Attika. She is part of the "Eyes of Kosmos" branch.
      • Strategy: Nyx is often found in populated areas. Use stealth to assassinate her or lure her away for a direct fight.
      • Why it's good: A fundamental bow for any Hunter build, providing a significant boost to all your ranged attacks.
    • Fanged Bow:
      • Unique Perk: Basic Arrows become Poison Arrows.
      • How to Obtain: Found in the Cave of Mt. Koryphe on the island of Lemnos. Look for a chest inside the cave.
      • Strategy: This bow is a game-changer for elemental builds. It allows you to constantly apply poison without spending Adrenaline on Poison Attacks, freeing up ability slots.
      • Why it's good: Excellent for builds that rely on poison damage over time, making enemies weaker and dealing continuous damage.
    • Achilles' Bow:
      • Unique Perk: +20% Damage with Devastating Shot ability.
      • How to Obtain: Defeat the Cultist Pausanias, found in Lakonia. He is part of the "Peloponnesian League" branch.
      • Strategy: Pausanias is often found in a fort or heavily guarded area. Engage carefully.
      • Why it's good: If Devastating Shot is a core part of your Hunter rotation, this bow will dramatically increase its power.

Engraving Specifics & Strategy

Engravings are where you truly customize your weapons. While legendary weapons come with a fixed unique perk, epic weapons allow for full customization of their three engraving slots. This flexibility often makes epic gear superior for highly specialized builds.

Key Engravings to Look For:

  • +X% Warrior/Hunter/Assassin Damage: The most straightforward damage boost for your chosen playstyle.
  • +X% Crit Chance / +X% Crit Damage: Essential for maximizing burst damage. Aim for high critical hit chance and damage, especially on gear.
  • +X% Adrenaline per Hit / +X% Adrenaline on Assassination: Helps you regenerate Adrenaline faster, allowing for more frequent ability usage.
  • +X% Damage with [Weapon Type]: Specific boosts for your preferred weapon.
  • +X% Elemental Buildup / +X% Elemental Damage: Crucial for fire or poison builds.
  • Unique Engravings (from Legendary Weapons): Once you obtain a legendary weapon, its unique perk becomes an engraving you can apply to other gear (for a cost).
    • Example: After getting the Fanged Bow, you can engrave "Basic Arrows become Poison Arrows" onto any other bow, or even a melee weapon (though it only affects arrows).
    • Strategy: Collect legendary weapons not just for their stats, but for their engravable perks. These can be applied to epic gear to create truly optimized builds.

Optimizing Your Loadout

Your weapon choices should always complement your overall build and playstyle. Consider the following:

  • Main Hand vs. Off Hand: Your main hand weapon dictates your primary attack animations. Your off-hand weapon's stats and engravings still apply, even if you're not actively swinging it. Always equip your best damage-boosting weapon in the main hand.
  • Synergy: Do your weapon engravings synergize with your armor engravings and chosen abilities? For example, a "Damage with Heavy Bladed Weapons" engraving pairs well with the "Overpower Attack" ability.
  • Elemental Builds: If you're going for a fire or poison build, ensure your weapons have engravings that boost elemental damage or buildup, or use legendary weapons like the Fanged Bow.
  • Adrenaline Generation: Faster weapons or engravings that boost Adrenaline gain are vital for ability-heavy builds.

By understanding the nuances of each weapon type and strategically using engravings, you can craft a formidable misthios capable of tackling any challenge the Greek world throws your way.