GRIME II Guide | How to Get Best Early Weapons

In GRIME 2, every weapon you find can be built into something that carries you through the whole game, but some are easier to work with than others. Heavier weapons hit hard and slow, lighter ones ask you to stay close and move fast, and some sit in between and work with almost any build. The weapons in this guide are all available in the earliest parts of the game. Some are sitting right out in the open, and others take a little searching to find. Either way, getting your hands on them early gives you a real edge.

Maul Axe

The Maul Axe is the first weapon you get in GRIME 2. It deals 22 damage, moves at a fast speed, gains 8 Paint per hit, and scales with Strength and Diverging. Its basic combo runs three hits — two side slashes followed by an upper slash. The last hit in the chain covers slightly more ground than the first two because your character steps to the side when landing it. Where this weapon gets interesting is its special attack. When your weapon is charged, pressing right click sends the axe into a spinning motion that stays in place briefly and damages anything that walks into it. That makes it useful for keeping pressure on enemies while you move and dodge, and it works especially well against bosses. Since it scales mainly with Strength, you'll want to put points into STR to get the most out of it.

Knifehand

The Knifehand deals 18 damage, moves at a very fast speed, gains 8 Paint per hit, and scales with Dexterity and Pliability. You find it in the Temple of Hands, shortly after picking up the Maul Axe. It's out in the open, so you won't have trouble locating it. This is a short-range dagger built for close-quarters fighting. Its light attacks come out fast and charge up a special attack — a sequential thrust that grows stronger when you alternate it with regular light attacks. The damage output when timed right is significant, even more so when your Force bar is full. That said, this weapon asks a lot of you in terms of mobility. Without traits like Force Dash, Cast Evasion, and Dash Recovery, it won't perform as well as other close-range options. If you're building toward Dexterity or Pliability, this weapon fits naturally into that direction.

Clasped Mace

The Clasped Mace deals 32 damage, moves at a very slow speed, gains 8 Paint per hit, and scales with Strength and Pliability. It's slow and takes getting used to, but it hits harder than most things you'll find this early. The basic attack is a forward smash, nothing complicated. The real strength of this weapon is its special attack. With a Weapon Charge ready, you activate it to make the mace grow in size and slam the ground in front of you with a wider area of effect. Feeding more Weapon Charges into it increases both the size and damage of the hit, and it knocks enemies back. Because it scales with Strength and Pliability, it pairs well with Molds built for tankier play. The Faceless Charger Mold helps you push through groups and absorb damage while closing in, and the Hardened Halfmade Mold gives you a brief invulnerability window followed by a knockback counter — which sets up a special attack follow-up with the Clasped Mace cleanly.

Bloodmetal Scythe

The Bloodmetal Scythe deals 32 damage, moves at an average speed, gains 6 Paint per hit, and scales equally with Strength, Dexterity, Pliability, and Diverging. To equip it, you need at least 3 points in each of those four stats. It's the most flexible weapon on this list because it fits into any build without requiring you to commit hard in one direction. Its basic combo covers wide arcs — side, upward, and downward slashes — with good reach. The special attack applies a stacking debuff to whatever you hit, up to six stacks, that increases all damage the target takes from every source. It takes a moment to land, but against bosses the debuff effect makes a noticeable difference. You can buy this weapon from Trader Et for 30 Aurum. You'll meet him on the road to Kankan after leaving Manzil's House, and again inside Kankan once you've opened the path to the main hub area.

Throwing Thumbs

The Throwing Thumbs deals 16 damage, moves at a fast speed, gains 9 Paint per hit, and scales with Dexterity and Diverging. You pick it up just before reaching Manzil's House in the Mudfalls. It's a ranged weapon that throws three knives in sequence at a range far enough to keep you out of reach of most attacks. Once you have it, it tends to stay in your kit for a long time — at least until you find the Throwing Nails, which works along similar lines.

Also, check our Grime II Review and other guides below:

• GRIME II Beginner’s Guide | Gameplay Tips & Tricks
• GRIME II Guide | How to Farm Best Early Molds
• GRIME II Guide | How to Enhance Weapons
• GRIME II Guide | Where To Get More Item Molds
• GRIME II Guide | How to Unlock The Map
• GRIME II Guide | How to Unlock Best Talents