Valor Mortis weapons guide: all 9 and how to upgrade

Verdict: Begin with the Saber and Pistol, then choose a specialist when an enemy, weak point, or obstacle asks for it. This is a descriptive list, not a tier ranking.

TL;DR: All nine roster entries are story pickups. Use the chapter table to see when each one arrives, pick a tool by its handling role, and save rare final-tier parts until you know what you want to keep upgrading.

Key Takeaways

• Nine required story pickups make up the upgrade roster: three melee weapons, three firearms, and three Transmutations.
• Blade and firearm caps are level 10; Transmutations cap at level 5. A launch guide reports tighter limits on the last firearm and power upgrades.
• The official overview also calls Grapple a Transmutation. This list follows the nine-item upgrade roster and groups Fire, Stasis, and Shield together.

Overview

The game groups Saber, Rapier, and Claymore with Pistol, Blunderbuss, and Musket, then adds Fire, Stasis, and Shield as upgradeable powers. A launch review independently counts that three-by-three split, so the roster has nine entries rather than nine conventional swords and guns.

There is one terminology wrinkle. The pre-launch official Gameplay Overview also calls Grapple a Transmutation for traversal. The completion guide and launch review count Fire, Stasis, and Shield in the nine-item upgrade roster. This list follows that roster, leaving Grapple in the traversal discussion. For stable background, start at the Valor Mortis guide hub.

The chapter list follows the launch-day story roster. The launch roster makes the pickups mandatory for story progress; AltChar likewise places all nine in the main story. Our release and platform guide covers store facts; the demo status explainer covers the earlier build.

Step-by-Step: how each Valor Mortis weapon handles

1. Check the chapter table: Find the story unlock you have reached before searching for optional loot. The launch roster says these items are required pickups.

2. Match the tool to the opening: Use the handling descriptions below to choose between a balanced blade, a quick parry, a heavy strike, a ranged shot, or a power effect.

3. Spend materials by category: Melee weapons, firearms, and Transmutations each use a separate upgrade material, and their last tiers have different reported limits.

Melee weapons: Saber, Rapier, and Claymore

Saber, Chapter 1. This is the balanced starting blade. The review says it can block and parry, and that blocking gives recoverable grey health. Defend a hit, then stay active to recover that health instead of backing away.

Rapier, Chapter 3. Fast thrusts can stun enemies and reach Nephtoglobin weak spots. Its upgrade screen highlights parrying and weak-point breaking, but warns that blocking is poor. It suits players who want to answer attacks with a parry or keep pressure on one target.

Screenshot: Steam store page

Claymore, Chapter 6. This is the heavy option. The official overview calls it a slow, two-handed blade with very high impact; the review says its heavier hits work well against groups. Commit to the swing and give up the flexibility of a free second hand. Its pace favors a deliberate opening over frantic button presses.

Firearms: Pistol, Blunderbuss, and Musket

Pistol, Chapter 2. The review describes a five-shot magazine suited to medium range. Its first upgrade can add Nephtoglobin posture damage without spending ammunition. Use it to pressure a target before closing in, rather than as a replacement for melee.

Blunderbuss, Chapter 3. This two-shot firearm handles close quarters and short, heavy bursts. The review points to bosses and elite enemies as targets. Its small capacity makes each shot count: punish an opening or add pressure after a parry. It does not fill the Pistol's medium-range or Musket's long-range role.

Musket, Chapter 5. The official overview says it has more range and power than the Pistol. A review describes the bolt-action Musket as a long-range answer for heads and weak spots. Pick a target and take a considered shot rather than trying to match the smaller gun's speed.

Transmutations: Fire, Stasis, and Shield

Fire, Chapter 1. Fire sets enemies burning and can create an opening for a follow-up. The review also says it can burn web-like gates. The official overview places powers in the left hand, so Fire can complement a weapon instead of replacing it.

Screenshot: Steam store page

Stasis, Chapter 4. Stasis freezes a target for a heavy follow-up, according to the review. That interruption creates a safer beat. The reviewer used Fire for ordinary encounters and Stasis for elites and bosses, one reported setup rather than a rule for every run.

Shield, Chapter 8. Shield absorbs incoming damage and then releases a shockwave. The review also describes it as a way to cross poison areas and revisit blocked routes. It arrives later than the other listed powers, serving as both defense and a traversal key. The review says hits consume its Nephtoglobin, so the defensive effect is not free in combat.

The official overview video shows combat and powers together, including attacks, parries, counterattacks, and matching weapons to enemies. It also uses Transmutation for Grapple, which explains the terminology caveat above.

A player posting first-days impressions on Reddit wrote, “The Transmutations were probably my favorite part.” That is one player's view, not a ranking. For other game arsenals, see our Mortal Shell II weapons list, Blood West weapon categories, Tainted Grail gear guide, Kristala weapon guide, Lost Castle 2 weapon tier list, Sons of the Forest weapon guide, and Windrose combat guide.

Upgrade paths and material limits

Each category has its own material and cap. The launch guide says materials appear in the world and chests, with more for sale at the Abandoned Church. It reports enough Blade Materials for all melee caps, but fewer top-tier firearm and Transmutation parts. Those scarcity notes come from one guide, not a developer guarantee.

Screenshot: Steam store page

You can experiment widely with blades, but the last firearm or Transmutation upgrade may ask you to commit. The guide lists Crude, Pure, Distilled, and Quintessential materials for blades and powers, then Standard, Superior, Exquisite, and Masterwork parts for firearms. If undecided, invest in a tool you already understand rather than upgrading all nine evenly.

Tips

• Match the opening. Saber and Pistol cover balanced close and medium-range play. Rapier and Musket reward timing or target choice; Claymore and Blunderbuss hit hardest when an opening appears.
• Separate blocking from parrying. Saber supports both, while the Rapier's upgrade text favors parrying and warns that blocking is weak.
• Plan rare materials. The guide reports enough Blade Materials for every melee cap, but one Masterwork Firearm Part and two final-tier Transmutation Materials.
• Use powers for routes too. Fire burns web-like gates; Shield helps cross poison and revisit blocked paths.
• Keep Grapple outside the upgrade count. The overview uses Transmutation for traversal, while the launch roster lists three upgradeable powers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the Valor Mortis weapons?

The upgrade roster lists Saber, Rapier, Claymore, Pistol, Blunderbuss, Musket, Fire, Stasis, and Shield, split across three categories.

How do I unlock the weapons?

They are required story pickups, from Saber and Fire in Chapter 1 to Shield in Chapter 8.

Which weapon is best for beginners?

The launch review calls Saber the most balanced melee weapon and says it blocks and parries. It is a reasonable default, though the sources do not establish a universal best choice.

Can you miss a weapon?

The completion guide says all nine are required during story progression, rather than optional hidden collectibles.

What do the weapon upgrades use?

Melee weapons use Blade Materials, firearms use Firearm Parts, and Transmutations use Transmutation Materials. Their caps are 10, 10, and 5.

Are upgrade materials unlimited?

The guide reports enough Blade Materials for every melee weapon, but fewer top-tier firearm and Transmutation parts. These are guide findings, not a developer statement.

Our take

We would keep the list descriptive. Saber and Pistol give a clear baseline, while the Rapier, Claymore, Blunderbuss, Musket, and three powers each answer a different kind of problem. The most actionable distinction is upgrade scarcity: the launch guide reports generous Blade Materials but limited final-tier firearm and power materials. Try each story unlock before spending rare parts, then invest where the tool's handling matches your habits. The sources here do not provide a shared ranking method, so a tier list would promise more certainty than they support.

How we checked this

Checked on launch day. We read the current launch-day completion guide, the AltChar review, the Italian launch guide, the official publisher's overview, and the unofficial fan database. The completion guide and review agree on a nine-entry roster; the Italian guide also lists the same names as mandatory campaign unlocks. We reviewed the official overview's storyboard frames and transcript sections on combat, Transmutations, upgrades, and Lanterns. The full video stream could not be fetched, so this is not a claim of uninterrupted playback or a playthrough. We also inspected each selected Steam screenshot after optimization. The sources do not establish a community-wide weapon ranking or developer-confirmed material totals.

References

• Valor Mortis on Steam
• PowerPyx launch trophy guide and roadmap
• AltChar launch review
• Lyrical Games Gameplay Overview press release
• Unofficial Valor Mortis DB weapon index

Related Reading

• Valor Mortis complete guide hub collects current coverage and stable game facts.
• Valor Mortis release date and platform guide has store availability and launch details.
• Valor Mortis demo status explains the retired demo and what changed.