If you’ve spent any time wandering the mist-shrouded valleys and war-torn fortresses of Where Winds Meet, you know picking the right weapon can make the difference between wiping a bandit camp in 30 seconds and respawning at the nearest waypoint for the third time in a row. Most new players skip researching where winds meet weapon types early on, and end up stuck using a generic sword that doesn’t match their preferred playstyle for 10+ hours of gameplay. I’ve put over 120 hours into the game across three different playthroughs, testing every available weapon in both PvE and open-world PvP scenarios, so I’m breaking down exactly what each weapon does, who it’s for, and what mistakes to avoid when picking your main loadout. You won’t find any overly complicated meta jargon here, just straightforward advice that works for both new and intermediate players.
Where Winds Meet Weapon Types: Core Categories and Base Stats
Every weapon in the game falls into one of five core categories, each with unique base stat modifiers, attack speeds, and special perk triggers. You don’t have to stick to one category forever, but picking one to level up first will let you unlock higher-tier skills much faster than spreading your upgrade points across three different weapons. The core categories are:
- One-handed melee weapons: Swords, daggers, and short axes with fast attack speed, low stamina cost, and balanced damage output
- Two-handed melee weapons: Greatswords, polearms, and heavy clubs with high burst damage, long range, but high stamina cost per swing
- Ranged weapons: Bows, crossbows, and throwing daggers that let you attack from a distance, with options for stealth or explosive damage builds
- Martial arts auxiliary weapons: Claws, fans, and rope darts that blend melee and ranged attacks, with unique combo triggers tied to qinggong movement
- Elemental catalyst weapons: Talismans, ink brushes, and flute weapons that deal elemental damage and support party members with buffs or debuffs
Each category has a base stat bonus that applies even when you’re holding a common grey-tier version of the weapon. For example, one-handed daggers give a permanent 12% movement speed boost when equipped, while two-handed polearms give a 15% damage boost against mounted enemies. You can stack these bonuses with armor perks and skill upgrades to build a loadout tailored exactly to how you like to play. Even common low-tier weapons can be surprisingly effective if you build around their innate bonuses, so don’t immediately scrap a weapon just because it doesn’t have a high rarity rating.
Best Weapon Types for Every Playstyle
Many new players ask which of the where winds meet weapon types are best for their playstyle, and the answer is almost always dependent on what you enjoy doing most in the game. You don’t have to pick the “meta” weapon to have fun in Where Winds Meet, but matching your weapon to how you prefer to play will make every fight feel far more satisfying. I’ve tested every weapon type with different playstyles, so I’ve broken down the top picks for the most common player preferences.
If you like fast, aggressive play that relies on dodging and combo attacks, one-handed daggers or claws are your best bet. They have the lowest stamina cost per hit, so you can string together 6+ hit combos without running out of stamina to dodge counterattacks. The only downside is their short range, so you’ll have to get up close to enemies to deal damage, which can be risky against boss enemies with large area-of-effect attacks. You can offset this weakness by investing in a few defensive qinggong skills that let you dodge out of range quickly after a combo.
If you prefer to stay back and pick off enemies without being seen, recurve bows or throwing dagger sets work perfectly for stealth builds. You can unlock silent shot perks early on that let you take out regular enemies with one headshot without alerting nearby guards. Crossbows deal more damage per shot but have a much longer reload time, so they’re better for players who like to take slow, calculated shots rather than rapid firing. I ran a stealth bow build for my second playthrough, and I was able to clear 90% of open-world bandit camps without ever being detected.
If you play in a party regularly, elemental catalyst weapons are an underrated pick. Ink brushes can apply poison or frost debuffs to large groups of enemies at once, while flutes can give your entire party a 25% damage boost for 10 seconds, which is a game-changer during world boss fights. Most solo players skip these weapons entirely, but they’re easily the most powerful support option in the game right now. Even if you prefer solo play, you can use elemental catalysts to apply debuffs that make boss fights take half as long as they would with a regular melee weapon.
Common Mistakes to Avoid With Where Winds Meet Weapon Loadouts
Even if you’ve picked one of the most popular where winds meet weapon types for your playstyle, small mistakes can make your loadout far less effective than it should be. I’ve made all of these mistakes myself during my first playthrough, so you don’t have to waste 20+ hours of upgrade points on bad choices. Most of these fixes take less than a minute to implement, and they’ll make a noticeable difference in how well your loadout performs.
Don’t ignore weapon weight. A lot of new players pick the highest damage weapon they find without checking its weight, and end up with a 30% slower movement speed penalty because their total equipment weight is over their carry limit. You can fix this by investing a small number of stat points into stamina, or by using weight reduction perks on your armor, but it’s far easier to just pick a weapon that fits your current carry limit first. I made this mistake early on with a heavy greatsword, and I kept getting hit by boss attacks I would have easily dodged with a lighter loadout.
Don’t spread your upgrade points across too many weapon types. It’s tempting to try out every cool weapon you find, but you need to get a weapon to level 20 to unlock its most powerful unique perk. If you spread points across three different weapons, you’ll end up with three mid-tier weapons that can’t handle late-game enemies, instead of one max-level weapon that can melt even the hardest boss fights. You can always go back and level up other weapons once you’ve maxed out your first pick, so hold off on experimenting until you’ve got a solid main loadout.
Don’t sleep on secondary weapon bonuses. You can equip a secondary weapon that gives you a passive bonus even when you’re not using it. For example, equipping a low-level flute as your secondary weapon gives you a permanent 8% defense boost, even if you only ever use a greatsword for combat. You can swap out your secondary weapon for free whenever you’re at a checkpoint, so experiment to find the best passive bonus for your build. I use a low-level poison talisman as my secondary for my dagger build, and it adds a small poison DoT to every hit, which adds up to a lot of extra damage over long fights.
How to Unlock Rare Weapon Types Early in the Game
You don’t have to grind for dozens of hours to get access to the strongest where winds meet weapon types, either. You don’t have to wait until you’re 20+ hours into the game to unlock rare weapon types like rope darts or elemental ink brushes. There are a few hidden locations and side quests you can complete within the first 5 hours of gameplay to get high-tier rare versions of these weapons for free. All of these weapons are viable all the way through endgame, so you won’t have to replace them later if you like using them.
For rope darts, head to the abandoned temple in the southern part of the starting map, and complete the side quest for the old monk living there. He’ll ask you to retrieve a stolen relic from a nearby bandit camp, and give you a rare level 5 rope dart as a reward. The rope dart has a unique perk that lets you pull small enemies towards you, which is perfect for crowd control early on. I used this rope dart for almost 30 hours of my first playthrough, and it still held up against mid-game enemies.
For elemental ink brushes, complete the first three side quests for the scholar in the starting village, and he’ll give you a rare frost ink brush as a thank you. The brush can apply frost debuffs that slow enemies by 40% for 3 seconds, which makes even the first main story boss fight far easier than it would be with a regular sword. You can upgrade this brush with frost damage gems later on to make the slow effect last even longer.
If you’re looking for a rare two-handed polearm early, you can find one hidden in a chest under the broken bridge north of the starting village. You’ll have to use qinggong to climb down to the chest, but the polearm deals 30% more damage against unarmored enemies, which makes clearing early bandit camps a breeze. All of these weapons can be upgraded all the way to endgame tier, so you don’t have to replace them later if you like using them.
At the end of the day, the best weapon for you is the one that feels fun to use, regardless of what the meta says. Taking the time to research where winds meet weapon types and test out a few different options early on will save you a lot of frustration later, and help you build a loadout that fits exactly how you like to play. Don’t be afraid to experiment with weird combinations, like using a dagger as your main weapon and a flute as your secondary for extra defense – some of the most powerful builds I’ve used are ones I stumbled on by accident. If you’re still not sure which weapon to pick, try out each core type for at least 3 or 4 fights, you’ll probably find one that clicks right away.
