Two of the three blades can't do what the Saber does, and that changes how every fight plays out. Know which one does what before you spend your first upgrade material.
Weapon type
Blades
Saber
Your starting blade and the only one that can both block and parry. Its damage triples between level 1 and level 10.
- Type
- Blade
- Role
- Universal
- Damage, level 1 to max
- 20 to 60
- Posture damage per hit
- 5
- Rounds and reload
- -
- Max level
- 10
- Where to find it
- The Battlefield, Chapter 1
- How to get it
- You start the game with it, so it's your blade for the opening chapters.
- Upgrade traits
- Level 2, Advanced Swordsmanship: every fifth chained attack hits harder and gives back Endurance. Level 5, pick one: Careful Preparations makes Whetstone effects last longer, or Pursuit gives back Endurance on attacks after a dodge. Level 8, pick one: Adrenaline Flourish gives back Endurance when you kill, or Second Wind turns a parry into Recoverable Health. Level 10, Expert Swordsmanship: every third chained attack hits harder and gives back Health.
- Materials to max it
- Crude Blade Material ×6, Pure Blade Material ×6, Distilled Blade Material ×3 and Quintessential Blade Material ×1 (limited, never sold)
Rapier
A fast blade built around parrying, with parries that hit harder than the Saber's. It can't block properly.
- Type
- Blade
- Role
- Fast
- Damage, level 1 to max
- 25 to 45
- Posture damage per hit
- 3
- Rounds and reload
- -
- Max level
- 10
- Where to find it
- Abandoned Church courtyard, Chapter 2
- How to get it
- Meet James in the Abandoned Church, leave by the door beside him and turn right. The Rapier is in the corpse at the end of the path.
- Upgrade traits
- Level 2, Remise: back-to-back parries power up your next Heavy Attack. Level 5, Lunge: dodging while you perform Heavy Attacks costs less Endurance. Level 8, pick one: Astute Quarta gives back Nephtoglobin on a parry, or Invigorating Seconda gives back Endurance on a parry. Level 10, Vigorous Terza: a successful parry restores Health.
- Materials to max it
- Crude Blade Material ×6, Pure Blade Material ×6, Distilled Blade Material ×3 and Quintessential Blade Material ×1 (limited, never sold)
Claymore
A heavy two-handed blade that hits hardest of the three and can't parry.
- Type
- Blade
- Role
- Powerful
- Damage, level 1 to max
- 50 to 100
- Posture damage per hit
- 15
- Rounds and reload
- -
- Max level
- 10
- Where to find it
- Cursed Hollow, Chapter 6
- How to get it
- Go into the church in Cursed Hollow and take the Claymore from the corpse at the altar. Enemies attack the moment you pick it up.
- Upgrade traits
- Level 2, Rampage: attacking builds it up, and you can spend it to power up your next Heavy Attack or make your next Transmutation cost less Nephtoglobin. Level 5, pick one: Bulwark cuts the damage you take from explosions and projectiles while blocking, or Willpower refills Endurance faster while you hold Block. Level 8, Flesh Wound: you take less damage while attacking. Level 10, Bloodlust: spending Rampage restores Health.
- Materials to max it
- Crude Blade Material ×6, Pure Blade Material ×6, Distilled Blade Material ×3 and Quintessential Blade Material ×1 (limited, never sold)
Weapon type
Firearms
Pistol
A roomy five-round sidearm. Each shot hits lighter than the Musket's, but you get more shots before a reload.
- Type
- Firearm
- Role
- Versatile
- Damage, level 1 to max
- 30 to 60
- Posture damage per hit
- 10
- Rounds and reload
- 5 rounds, 4 s reload
- Max level
- 10
- Where to find it
- Valley of Ashes, Chapter 2
- How to get it
- Past the Demolished Path Lantern, cross the broken bridge by hopping across the platforms. You drop into a carriage, and the Pistol is on the desk inside.
- Upgrade traits
- Level 2, Nephtoglobin Infusion (Bullet): hold Reload to load a posture-breaking round, which costs Nephtoglobin. Level 5, pick one: Resourcefulness pulls a round back out of a shot enemy with a melee hit (once per enemy), or Ruthlessness adds damage to your next melee hit for each round you put into the enemy. Level 8, pick one: Ingenious Engineering reloads faster but holds fewer rounds, or Robust Chamber holds more. Level 10, pick one: Automatic Mayhem fires far faster, or Tactical Reload makes the next shot after a reload from empty hit much harder.
- Materials to max it
- Standard Firearm Parts ×6, Superior Firearm Parts ×6, Exquisite Firearm Parts ×3 and Masterwork Firearm Parts ×1 (limited, never sold)
Blunderbuss
A close-range hand cannon that hits several enemies at once and staggers them. It needs special ammunition and holds only two shots.
- Type
- Firearm
- Role
- Staggering
- Damage, level 1 to max
- -
- Posture damage per hit
- -
- Rounds and reload
- 2 rounds, 3.5 s reload
- Max level
- 10
- Where to find it
- Fallen Village
- How to get it
- In the second half of Fallen Village, beat the large Volunteer. The carriage behind him opens, and the Blunderbuss is on the table inside.
- Upgrade traits
- Level 2, Showstopper: your shots can interrupt unblockable attacks. Level 5, pick one: Collateral Damage widens the spread, or Iron Shower extends the range. Level 8, Nephtoglobin Infusion (Grenade): hold Reload to load a Stasis grenade, which costs Nephtoglobin and uses up ammunition. Level 10, Back-Breaker: shots from behind an enemy deal extra posture damage.
- Materials to max it
- Standard Firearm Parts ×6, Superior Firearm Parts ×6, Exquisite Firearm Parts ×3 and Masterwork Firearm Parts ×1 (limited, never sold)
Musket
A two-handed, long-range rifle for single targets. It needs special ammunition and fires one round before you reload.
- Type
- Firearm
- Role
- Precise
- Damage, level 1 to max
- 150 to 300
- Posture damage per hit
- 20
- Rounds and reload
- 1 round, 2.5 s reload
- Max level
- 10
- Where to find it
- Vale of Wrath, Chapter 5
- How to get it
- Fight into the military camp in the Vale of Wrath. Beat the Volunteer guarding the wagon to get the Wagon Key, then open the wagon and take the Musket.
- Upgrade traits
- Level 2, Puncture: shots pierce through enemies. Level 5, Nephtoglobin Infusion (Cannon): hold Reload to load an explosive round, which costs Nephtoglobin and uses up ammunition. Level 8, pick one: Bayonet boosts the melee damage you deal with the gun, or Scope sharpens your aim. Level 10, Spacious Barrel: the Musket holds more ammunition.
- Materials to max it
- Standard Firearm Parts ×6, Superior Firearm Parts ×6, Exquisite Firearm Parts ×3 and Masterwork Firearm Parts ×1 (limited, never sold)
Weapon type
Transmutations
Fire Transmutation
The first Transmutation you find. It sets enemies and objects alight, and burning enemies keep taking damage over time.
- Type
- Transmutation
- Role
- Volatile
- Damage, level 1 to max
- 15 to 20
- Posture damage per hit
- -
- Rounds and reload
- -
- Max level
- 5
- Where to find it
- The Battlefield, Chapter 1
- How to get it
- Soon after the Onslaught Arch Lantern, beat the enemy that comes out of the lake and climb the slope beyond it. Interact with the corpse covered in plague growths.
- Upgrade traits
- Level 2, Brittleness: burning enemies take more damage from your melee attacks. Level 3, Back-Burner: holding the flame longer boosts its damage and how fast it builds Ignite. Level 4, pick one: Fireworks extends the flame's range, or Wildfire widens its spread. Level 5, pick one: Never-Ending Inferno lets your melee hits extend the Ignite, or Unstable Blaze makes Ignited enemies explode when you shoot them.
- Materials to max it
- Crude Transmutation Material ×2, Pure Transmutation Material ×2, Distilled Transmutation Material ×2 and Quintessential Transmutation Material ×1 (limited, never sold)
Stasis Transmutation
Freezes an enemy when its meter fills. It also stops moving gears and the machinery tied to them.
- Type
- Transmutation
- Role
- Complex
- Damage, level 1 to max
- 1.0x to 1.5x
- Posture damage per hit
- -
- Rounds and reload
- -
- Max level
- 5
- Where to find it
- Caverns, Chapter 4
- How to get it
- After the ladders up to the Old Mine Lantern, take the path to the right from the rotating platform. Interact with the corpse at the end of it.
- Upgrade traits
- Level 2, Termination: Heavy Attacks shatter Stasis no matter how much has built up. Level 3, pick one: Eruption makes a triggered Stasis Segment hurt enemies around the target, or Implosion makes a triggered Segment hit harder. Level 4, pick one: Control lets you grapple toward a frozen enemy, or Hex stops Stasis from wearing off. Level 5, pick one: Drain restores Health when you hit a frozen enemy, or Expansion spreads Stasis to nearby enemies when a Segment triggers.
- Materials to max it
- Crude Transmutation Material ×2, Pure Transmutation Material ×2, Distilled Transmutation Material ×2 and Quintessential Transmutation Material ×1 (limited, never sold)
Shield Transmutation
A barrier that blocks attacks and environmental hazards. Let go of Aim after a block and it fires a wave that grows with the damage you blocked.
- Type
- Transmutation
- Role
- Durable
- Damage, level 1 to max
- 1.0x to 1.75x
- Posture damage per hit
- -
- Rounds and reload
- -
- Max level
- 5
- Where to find it
- University
- How to get it
- From the Main Hall Lantern, go upstairs and through the leftmost door. Ride the elevator up, climb the stairs in the next room and interact with the corpse there.
- Upgrade traits
- Level 2, Reach: the wave you release after a block reaches farther. Level 3, pick one: Absorb turns incoming projectiles into Nephtoglobin, or Deflect sends bullets back at enemies. Level 4, Impenetrable Defence: the barrier also protects you from unblockable attacks. Level 5, Shield Bash: press Attack to bash enemies with the shield.
- Materials to max it
- Crude Transmutation Material ×2, Pure Transmutation Material ×2, Distilled Transmutation Material ×2 and Quintessential Transmutation Material ×1 (limited, never sold)
How Valor Mortis Weapons Work: Blades, Firearms and Transmutations
Weapons fall into three groups, and each one has its own job. Blades are your melee and your defense. Firearms add range. Transmutations are Nephtoglobin powers, so they run on their own meter instead of ammo. Each group upgrades with its own materials, so a blade never competes with a gun for the same pile.
Which Blade Fits the Way You Defend
The Saber is the one you start with, and the only blade that both blocks and parries. That makes it the easiest place to learn the game's timing. The Rapier is the parry specialist. Its parries hit harder than the Saber's and its attacks are quick, but it can't block properly, so a parry you miss costs you the full hit. The Claymore is the heavy one. It's a two-handed blade that hits hardest of the three and puts the most posture damage into each hit, and it can't parry at all. Press Aim with it for a Burning Wave, or hold Aim for a Wave of Stasis.
What the Three Firearms Are For
The Pistol is the roomy sidearm. It holds the most rounds and reloads the slowest, and each shot hits lighter than the Musket's. The Musket is the long-range rifle for single targets, and it fires one round before you reload. The Blunderbuss is the close-range hand cannon. It hits several enemies at once and staggers them, but it holds only two shots. The Musket and the Blunderbuss both need special ammunition.
Pick by distance. The Musket is for the long shot, and the Blunderbuss pays off only when you're nearly on top of the target. At level 2 it gets Showstopper, which lets its shots interrupt the red unblockable attacks you'd otherwise have to dodge.
How Transmutations Use Nephtoglobin
Transmutations spend Nephtoglobin. Fire and Shield both run while you hold Aim, and the meter drains as you go. Fire sets enemies and objects alight, and burning enemies keep taking damage over time. General Lothaire takes extra damage from it, and you can read more on him under bosses. Stasis builds up on an enemy until it freezes, and your hits do extra damage to a frozen target. It also stops moving gears and the machinery tied to them.
Spoiler, late campaign: The Shield Transmutation is found late in the story. Hold Aim to veil yourself in a barrier that fully blocks enemy attacks, at a Nephtoglobin cost. Let go of Aim after you block, and it fires a wave that grows with the damage you blocked. The barrier also guards you against poisonous gas and burning ground, and its level 4 trait, Impenetrable Defence, extends it to unblockable attacks.
How Weapon Upgrades Work and What Limits Them
Blades and firearms go up to level 10, and Transmutations stop at level 5. Every level costs materials from the weapon's own class, in four tiers. Merchants sell the first three tiers for Catalysts, and the price of each one is listed under upgrade materials.
The fourth tier is the scarce one. The last level of every weapon needs a Tier 4 material. Supply is limited and merchants never sell it, so choose the weapon before you spend it. Traits unlock at set levels, and some levels make you pick one of two, so read both options before you commit.
Weapon Mistakes That Cost You in Valor Mortis
- Spreading upgrades across everything. Pick a main blade, firearm and Transmutation and push those. Tier 4 materials are limited, so one you pour into a weapon you drop is gone for good.
- Running dry mid-fight. A Transmutation does nothing with an empty meter. Keep a blade or firearm ready for the stretch when it's empty.
- Using the Blunderbuss like a rifle. It's built for close range. Walk up to what you're shooting.
- Trying to parry with the Claymore. Block with it instead, and save your parries for the Saber or the Rapier.
FAQ
How do you get Nephtoglobin back in Valor Mortis?
Land melee hits on enemies and break their Weak Points. Both refill the meter, so stay on the attack and it fills as you go.
Is Grapple a weapon in Valor Mortis?
Grapple is a traversal tool that lets William travel between grapple points, not a combat weapon.
Where do you upgrade weapons in Valor Mortis?
At the Abandoned Church. James's Iron Bench upgrades blades and firearms, and Louis's Laboratoire upgrades Transmutations.