InDynasty Warriors: Origins, the weapon type you choose determines your entire playstyle - at least, until you equip another one.Originsbrings back a number of classic weapons fromthroughout theDynasty Warriorsfranchise, from classic action game staples like swords, spears, and staves to series-specific wheels, podao, and twin pikes. Players unlock more of them as you proceed through the story, and can level up their weapon type proficiency simply by using them in battle.
However,some weapon types are clearly better than others. Each has its own set of combos, Arts, and unique considerations, which means not every weapon type is ideal for every battle. But some of them are clearly more powerful and more versatile than others. Here are all ten weapon types inDynasty Warriors: Origins, ranked by how useful they are.
10The Lance Is Just A Worse Version Of The Spear
The Worst Weapon In Dynasty Warriors: Origins
Dynasty Warriors: Originsoffers five different weapon types that could be considered polearms, and the worst of these is the lance. Crescent blades and staves are for spinning, and spears and halberds both specialize in thrusting attacks, but for whatever odd reason,the lance moves more like a sword. You’ll be swinging it around in front of you, performing underwhelming slash attacks with a pitiful range. It’s not great at crowd control, though it does have some benefits when fighting officers - but those aren’t always worth the trouble.
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Lances are designed for tanking, which means that, if you perform certain combos with them while being attacked, they’ll become more powerful as a result. This would be alright in the early game, when the officers you fight against are mostly weak, buttaking on officers with a lance just becomes too risky by endgame. Players are much better off with spears, staves, halberds, or crescent blades in almost every imaginable scenario.
9Gauntlets Suffer From Short Reach & Confusing Combos
The Worst Dynasty Warriors Weapon
They’re not totally useless, butgauntlets are by far the weakest weapon type inDynasty Warriors: Origins. The main issue with them is their short reach: inDynasty Warriors, you’re often fighting against enormous enemy forces, chipping away at the fringes of an army from outside their ranks. Key to your success is your positioning; you want to stay well outside the enemies' reach, or at least close enough to that point that you can easily dodge. Gauntlets prevent you from doing that, forcing you to get up close and personal with your enemies.
you may improve the reach of your gauntlets (or any weapon) by equipping the VortexGem inDynasty Warriors: Origins.
Besides that,gauntlets suffer from some of the most confusing combos in the game. You have to learn the four different stances - Dragon, Phoenix, Tiger, and Serpent - understanding both how each one works and how to tell which one you’re in. Ultimately, it’s just more trouble than it’s worth. While gauntlets are okay for certain battles, there’s much better out there.
8The Podao Lacks Weight & Interesting Combos
Charge Attacks Don’t Offer Much
Podao inDynasty Warriors: Originslook a little different from their historical namesake; their blades are much longer and wider, while their handles are much shorter. At least visually, they’re basically equivalent to what most action games would call a greatsword, even a buster sword: a massive, hefty blade that does more damage with its weight than with its sharp edges. However,the podao just doesn’t have the weighty fighting style it looks like it should inDynasty Warriors: Origins. Combos are pretty fast and flighty, and, despite its mass, the podao doesn’t have the best reach.
The podao’s moveset lacks the diversity and versatility of other weapon types, but its overly quick and finicky combos also limit its ease of use. It can be great against officers, but is surprisingly bad at crowd control, apart from a few highly specific combos. Ideally, a weapon should have options for both, and in that respect,the podao just isn’t it.
7Spears Are Good At Certain Tasks
Great Reach, Poor Crowd Control
Spears are the longest-reach weapon type available in the early game, and they serve the player well in those relatively simple battles. They can attack enemies from much farther away than swords, which makes them excellent for fighting officers. Players can maintain a healthy distance from these powerful enemies, dealing significant damage without posing too much of a risk to themselves. They’re quickly outclassed by other polearms in that regard, but they are decent for a good while after they’re unlocked.
However,spears suffer from poor crowd control due to their long-yet-narrow attack range. They only have one decent crowd control combo; beyond that, players will have to deplete their Bravery by relying on Arts todisband Large Forces inDynasty Warriors: Origins. As a result, it becomes a lot harder to justify using a spear over, say, a halberd or a crescent blade in the further hours of the game.
6Wheels Are Great, With Tricky Timing
What Goes Around Comes Around
Unlocking wheels as a weapon is one of the more exciting parts ofDynasty Warriors: Origins. They look so much fun to use: Ziluan tosses them outward, creating a kind of damaging area-of-effect attack while he continues with his regular combos. In time, they boomerang back to him, and if he perfectly times his next attack, then he can unleash an impressive special move that keeps the wheels spinning and the damage racking up.Wheels are difficult to get the hang of, but once the player does, they’re a lot of fun to play, with a delicate, dancing combat style that can be immensely satisfying.
However, like most weapons with such a wide, sweeping reach,wheels aren’t ideal for one-on-ones against officers. Players will miss out on a lot of that AoE damage and that long range when focusing on a single target at close range. Still, wheels can hold their own in most fights.
5The Sword Is Versatile, If Generic
Dynasty Warriors: Origins' Starting Weapon
A sword is the player’s starting weapon inDynasty Warriors: Origins, andit’s everything a starting weapon needs to be. Its combos are simple and easy to learn, yet varied, and well suited for both individual and one-versus-1,000 combat. It’s easy to learn, and easy to master. There are also many excellent swords spread evenly throughout the game; it’s always easy to upgrade. In theory, a player could beat the entire game without ever using any other weapon type besides the sword - but why would anyone ever want to?
The worst thing that can be said about swords inDynasty Warriors: Originsis thatthey’re kind of boring. They don’t have the cool, unique mechanics of things like lances or wheels, the reach of polearms like halberds and spears, or the acrobatic flair of wheels and staves. They’re reliable, but that’s about all; players are much better off doing a little experimentation, even if it means relying on worse weapons some of the time.
4Staves Are Low-Damage, But A Lot Of Fun
Whirling Across The Battlefield
Prioritizing pure damage per second is one way to playDynasty Warriors; picking the most fun weapons is another. For anyone who finds themselves in the latter category,staves are worth using. These weapons specialize in aerial attacks: players will repeatedly launch their enemies skyward, juggle them, and then send them flying across the map. Staves also boast a pretty long reach, and the ability to string together some lengthy combos.
Staves can also pull off a wonderful charged heavy attack that allows Ziluan to spin the staff around his head, dealing damage to any enemy who gets close. This attack can go on as long as the player can hold down the heavy attack button - or until they take damage. Unfortunately,they deal a lot less damage than other weapon types, so it’ll take a long while to clear a crowd or defeat an officer - but the player will have a lot of fun doing it.
3Twin Pikes Boast Incredible Reach & Incredible Damage
Sweeping Away The Competition
The twin pikes are everything the podao should’ve been. Equipping a weapon of this type allows Ziluan to equip not one, but two massive axes, which he can swing inwide, sweeping strikes that blow away large chunks of enemy forces. With their high damage output, they’re also excellent against officers. Every swing is weighty and consequential, but not clunky; there are some excellent combos for the twin pikes, mostly relying on heavy attacks. They also have several charge moves that are perfect for crowd control.
Once again,the only downside to the twin pikes is their simplicity. Combos are incredibly easy to string together, but ultimately do everything they need to. If swords are the easiest weapon to learn, pikes are a close second, but they also do a great deal more damage and are a lot more fun to play, if only because of how overpowered they feel.
2The Halberd Is The Most Powerful Weapon Type
But Also The Hardest To Unlock
The halberd is, by raw power and reach, the best weapon type inDynasty Warriors: Origins-but it can’t be used until the postgame. The only way to unlock the halberd appears after beating the game at least once: players will have to defeat Lu Bu on the Ultimate Warrior difficulty mode, or purchase one from an in-game shop at an exorbitant price.
Once they’re unlocked, though, halberds are tough to beat; they have an almost absurd amount of reach, and can clear large swathes of the battlefield in a matter of seconds. They also happen to deal a lot of damage, so they’re great against officers, too. Unlike other polearms, halberds offer a perfect blend of lunging and sweeping strikes,making them effective in almost any battle. Still, the difficulty of unlocking halberds - and the impossibility of using them during the campaign’s toughest battles - takes them down a peg.
1The Crescent Blade Is The Best Weapon In Dynasty Warriors: Origins
Reach, Damage, & Ease Of Use
As far asDynasty Warriors: Originsweapons go, there’s nothing quite like the crescent blade. This is the last weapon players will unlock sequentially during the main campaign, but it’s worth the wait (and they’ll have plenty of time to use it, unlike the halberd). Crescent blades are technically polearms, which gives them a solid reach. But their bladed edges also give them excellent damage, which makes them a lot more versatile, usable against both footsoldiers and officers.
Crescent blades have an easy but powerful gimmick in which every light attack made with one charges up the subsequent heavy attack. It’s easy to fall into a rhythm with the crescent blade, and endless fun, to sweep away enemies and bully officers with its strong combos and heavy attacks. For all these reasons, crescent blades are the best weapons inDynasty Warriors: Origins, able to be slotted into any battle with ease.
