The number of weapons in Dynasty Warriors Origins might be far smaller than you’d expect from the series. That said, because of how deeply tied they are to the nameless protagonist’s progression, it’s worth spending some time with each of them.
While we’ll briefly go over each Dynasty Warriors Origins Battle Arts for every weapon as a whole, the main aim is to analyze the base abilities for each one. Of course, when you’ve maxed out each one, the question soon becomes which one you go with for the rest of the game. You’ll likely have your favorites at this point, but these are the very best weapons ranked by damage potential.
Dynasty Warriors Origins weapons tier list
There are a total of 10 weapon types in the game, though only nine are available in the main campaign. You unlock most through normal gameplay but must fulfill special conditions to unlock the Halberd.
You’ll also need to spend at least some time with every single one to get your proficiency level up to increase your stats and unlock the various skill trees. However, once you’ve maximized any weapon types, you’ll likely drift away from some of them because of a particular trait that makes them almost unusable in later battles. Here is our Dynasty Warriors Origins weapons tier list:
| Tier rank | Weapon types |
|---|---|
| S-tier | Halberd, Lance, Twin Pikes, Crescent Blade |
| A-tier | Sword, Spear, Podao |
| B-tier | Wheels, Staff |
| C-tier | Gauntlets |
S-tier
Halberd
As the unlockable weapon you get after beating the game, it is no surprise that it appears at the top of the list. As the signature weapon of Lu Bu at Hulao Gate and many other locations in the game, the halberd has all the reach and power you’ll ever need to swat away hundreds of enemies at a time.
Lance
Honestly, the lance is kinda busted. It has a large range of skills that do tons of damage and hit at a wide range. However, the ability to charge on the spot with a held strong attack while enduring enemy blows is incredibly powerful. Not only does it draw in a whole bunch of regular enemies, but its DPS output, when at full charge, will annihilate the health and shields of any nearby officer. You also don’t lose any health if you don’t get hit for a short time afterward, as the temporary health lost will recover quickly.
Twin Pikes
Another spear-like weapon with a massive reach, the twin pikes have the unique feature of having repeated strikes by mashing the strong attack button. This can be made more powerful with precise timing after the final hit of the combo. It also has the advantage of being a weapon with some potent Battle Arts, including one that sends enemies airborne while interrupting certain officer attacks, which can be very handy when dealing with tough enemies such as the Lu Bu boss fight in Chapter Five.
Crescent Blade
In terms of sheer raw power, the crescent blade is the best weapon available in the campaign. Several techniques make short work of officer shields, including chaining strong attacks after several normal ones in one combo. You also have access to perhaps the most devastating Battle Arts for dealing with even the tankiest of enemy officers. However, it’s lower than the rest of the S-tier weapons because it’s slower to hit than the others, and it’s the final weapon you unlock during the campaign.
A-tier
Sword
It’s the weapon you start Dynasty Warriors Origins with, and it’s honestly one of the better ones. Combined with the Battle Arts you get for finding all the Elders, quick movements, and multi-hitting combos that rinse through an enemy officer’s shields, it’s a viable option throughout the campaign. The only thing that holds it back is that it has nothing unique for you to sink your teeth into.
Spear
For those looking for a wider range early on, the spear does a great job of smacking enemies away. You also have some fantastic options when it comes to the available Battle Arts. However, out of all the polearm-like weapons in the game, it’s not got the power or unique traits that put them over the edge of A-tier.
Podao
Out of all the weapons in this tier, the podao is the most borderline of the lot. It’s a slower sword-based weapon with a charged attack that can eliminate many foes at once. What tips it over into the A-tier is that it gets access to a fire-based Battle Art that does a lot of damage at once for a relatively low Bravery cost.
B-tier
Wheels
Compared to the other weapons, the wheels are the most execution-heavy of the lot. If you can master the timing of the follow-up attack available by timing the button press as soon as the wheels return to you after a strong attack, it can be devastating to any enemies nearby. Sadly, the Battle Arts for this weapon are just not quite as effective.
Staff
The staff has one big gimmick: the ability to hold down the strong button to attack continuously. It’s enticing for sure, but the downside of this attack is that each individual hit is very weak, no matter which version of the attack you perform. However, despite this setback, the Battle Arts here are a little better than the ones available for the gauntlets, so it just makes it out of the lowest tier.
C-tier
Gauntlets
This is the toughest of the weapons to get to grips with. Its Battle Arts are decent at first at damaging officers, but the stances truly put it in the bottom tier. Because you need to press multiple buttons to initiate a single attack, it leaves you vulnerable to enemy attacks, and the payoff just isn’t worth it compared to many other weapons.
