Players who pick up Asterigos: Curse of the Stars for the first time will find an action RPG in the style of the Dark Souls series, albeit one with a slightly lighter difficulty curve. And much like those games, Asterigos: Curse of the Stars is a game wherein a player's choice of weaponry will have a major influence on how players experience the game from start to finish. The choice of which weapon to use is an important one.
Fans of any specific weapon style will no doubt find themselves able to complete the game with any combination of weaponry given enough practice and patience. Despite this, the game's six weapons can clearly be broken down between the best weapons to pick up, and those that are more challenging or require a very specific playstyle to get the most out of. Before enhancing weapons with limited resources, it can be best to understand the differences between the weapons and see what will serve most consistently for all styles.
6 Bracelets
The most unique of Hilda's weapons, the bracelets are also unfortunately the least useful option in her arsenal. Using a unique style of mid-ranged magical projection, this weapon can also set up magical landmines for enemies to step over. It sounds neat, and players can no doubt find ways to make use of this ability if they try. However, it also requires a great deal of effort to set up traps and positioning for maximal impact.
Compared to nearly every other weapon, the bracelets require not only a solid knowledge of timing and enemies but also level layout. They further require a much slower approach than simply marching in and slashing for comparable damage. Experienced players can no doubt enjoy the added challenge and alternate playstyle, but these weapons are the weakest overall option in Hilda's lineup.
5 Hammer
Every game requires at least one weapon that hits hard but slowly, and the hammer is Hilda's choice in that field. The hammer will hit with destructive force and is definitely worth considering as a weapon for that alone, but it also has the issue of any slow and powerful weapon in games of this style. It requires already knowing attack timing, but it does so without any real defensive options to back that up.
Players who embrace the hammer will find that each swing requires careful timing. Swinging too early or too late will lock out the option to dodge and leave Hilda to get hit by enemy attacks. Once the timing is mastered, the hammer becomes lethal, but it requires no small amount of practice first.
4 Spear
In many ways, the spear is the most defensive melee weapon in the game. It allows players to strike at the greatest distance in melee, while also having a secondary ability that allows for a brief defensive stance, unlocking a powerful parrying counterstrike if anything hits the player's defensive block. This is both the greatest strength of the spear and its greatest weakness.
Timing the spear's counterattack can be very precise and dangerous. As a result, it offers more mechanical risk than blocking or dodging since holding the button down does not keep you in a defensive stance. Players who are willing to master the timing will find a great deal of advantage to the spear and much to recommend it. However, it suffers from requiring that practice and familiarity with the enemy attack patterns to really master.
3 Staff
Hilda can take a more spellcaster-like ranged attack role if the player so chooses. The key to that role is the staff weapon, with a specialized ability that literally opens up an aiming interface and allows Hilda to precisely open fire on specific targets. The staff also has abilities permitting direct elemental damage without using items to shift weapon elements and an assortment of crowd-control options, giving players a great deal of flexibility in taking out groups with minimal risk.
What makes the staff weaker? Simply the necessity of keeping enemies at range in a game where most opponents will happily close the distance, rendering its reach a little less useful. Still, careful play allows for winnowing opponents before they get close. With a bit of practice, the staff can excel as the cornerstone of a long-range build.
2 Sword & Shield
The first weapon players will likely use in the game, the sword and shield combination is straightforward but effective. It has a couple of ranged options later in its skills and offers a solid block for defensive plays, thus allowing flexibility between blocking, dodging, or pressing the attack based on circumstance.
This flexibility exemplifies the sword as a whole. It's not quite the best in any particular category, but a solid option for medium range with defensive choices and no major weaknesses. While it may be a bit boring and engender a degree of passivity if the block becomes too comfortable, using this weapon gives players a solid defensive option with offensive tricks as well.
1 Daggers
Hilda's daggers serve multiple purposes in the game in terms of story functionality, but they easily top the list of weaponry in the game as a whole. These dual-wielded weapons strike quickly, a definite asset in a game without a stamina cost for attacks. They also allow Hilda access to a quick dash forward to close range when necessary or to evade specific attacks. Combine that with skills allowing more efficient gap-closing and greater battlefield mobility, along with an area-destroying stance shift, and the daggers are an ideal pick for most players.
The daggers' biggest weaknesses are that they emphasize dodging over blocking (generally a more active and engaging way to play the game anyhow), and their short reach means getting in close to do damage. But with all their mobility and range tricks, players will be able to manage these minor drawbacks. These weapons are well worth the point and resource investment to improve as weapons and to improve skills.