Every weapon type in Rise of the Ronin comes with its advantages and disadvantages. The new title from Team Ninja makes full use of its Japanese setting during the Edo period, offering players weapons that befit the warfare of the time. The developer is an old hand at adding fluid, traditional combat to its games, and the weapons and combat styles in Rise of the Ronin showcase quite well. And if players are just starting and don't have a lot of time to play, they must avoid some of the biggest early-game mistakes.

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Rise of the Ronin's weapons come in nine types, along with a tenth if ranged weapons are considered. Since the experience weaves in stat scaling, different combat styles, and the pros and cons of each choice made, picking the best weapons for a certain playstyle can be difficult. Hence, here’s every weapon type in Rise of the Ronin, explained.

1 Katana

Traditional Sword That Supports Versatile Combat Styles

• Stats: Strength + Charm/Dexterity
• Top Combat Style: Hayabusa-ryu
• Pros: Extremely versatile, can be tailored to suit various playstyles
• Cons: Has a short reach, per-hit damage may be lower than desired

The Katana is one of the most common and best early-game weapon types in Rise of the Ronin. It supports a great number of combat styles and hence offers players the flexibility to tailor their playstyle and stats on the go. These are fairly short-range weapons, but they offer Strength, Dexterity, and Charm scaling. It thus becomes important that players go for these if they prefer an up-in-your-face sort of close-quarters combat, a choice that involves them being familiar with game mechanics and having fast reflexes.

Katana is a fast-paced weapon type in Rise of the Ronin, but the class does lack the strength the Greatsword has. This can be compensated for by keeping the best variants for later use and seeing if any learned combat styles later on suit them well. The Hayabusa-ryu, for one, is quite versatile and deadly once players get used to the combat’s pace.

2 Odachi

Powerful, Long-Range Melee Blade That Needs Practice

• Stats: Strength + Charm/Dexterity/Intellect
• Top Combat Style: Tennen Rishin-ryu
• Pros: Long reach, deals great damage
• Cons: Takes a while to get used to, not advised against faster enemies.

The Odachi is a great pick among Rise of the Ronin weapons that scale primarily with Strength, especially given that it’s long-range and hard-hitting. The secondary are Intellect, Dexterity, or Charm, so this gives a pretty wide berth to players. However, given that it’s a large and powerful weapon in Rise of the Ronin, players will need to make their hits count as a misstep will leave them open to counterattacks.

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There are also a bunch of combat styles to choose from. Take the Tennen Rishin-ryu, which deals Ki damage, or the Nodachi Jigen-ryu, which allows for Katana-like powerful attacks. This flexibility is merely one reason why the Odachi is such a great weapon type in Rise of the Ronin.

3 Greatsword

A Western Sword With a Long Reach & High Damage, But Slow

• Stats: Strength + Charm/Dexterity/Intellect
• Top Combat Style: Hoshin-ryu
• Pros: Long reach, deals great Ki damage, and useful against slow bosses
• Cons: Slow to use and not advised against fast enemies

Some Rise of the Ronin weapons show Western influence in Japan during the upheaval of the Edo period, and the Greatsword class serves as an example. It’s a long-range, hard-hitting blade, but speed is an aspect where it falls short. The time taken to wield it is notoriously high, so it’s not recommended in battles where speed and reflexes are of the essence. This weapon class would be apt against big, slower bosses, and understanding their attack pattern would be of a big help.

The Greatsword weapon type in Rise of the Ronin scales primarily with Strength, with the secondary options being Charm, Dexterity, and Intellect. There are only three combat styles available, but these should be enough considering what they offer. For example, the Hoshin-ryu can help build combos and deal a good chunk of damage.

4 Paired Swords

Dexterity-Scaling Weapon Type Helps in Swift Attack Combos

• Stats: Dexterity + Charm/Strength
• Top Combat Style: Tennen Rishin-ryu
• Pros: Extremely fast and helpful in building combos, taking on multiple enemies
• Cons: Additional movement uses a lot of Ki, budgeting efficiency can take time

This weapon type in Rise of the Ronin is apt for someone who prefers a gung-ho, flashy, and quick way to dispatch enemies. The primary stat to scale here is Dexterity, and this is naturally its strongest point. Players have to be quick on their feet here and go for abilities that reduce Ki consumption. Since this weapon type is based on movement and parrying for counterattacks, managing Ki is extremely essential to survive fights.

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Since Ki management here is important, it is advised that players don’t take on multiple strong enemies at once — at least until they have a variant that offers multiple useful stat boosts. The secondary scaling stats here are Strength and Charm. This leaves players some playing field for focusing on those combat styles in Rise of the Ronin that resonate with them.

5 Bayonet

Western Rifle-Blade Hybrid That Needs Practice

• Stats: Dexterity + Intellect/Strength
• Top Combat Style: Kiheitai Style
• Pros: Decent reach for melee and shot damage
• Cons: Lower per-hit damage, using Ki to build combos necessary for usefulness

The Bayonet brings yet another Western influence to the weapon types in Rise of the Ronin. This is a mix of melee and ranged weaponry, and while versatile, is a difficult option to recommend. The melee part offers decent range and stabbing/thrusting strikes, but the lack of power and reliance on a chain of combos leaves it lacking. The pistol part is okay too, with either longer-range weak shots or shorter-range strong shots.

The Bayonet class offers flexibility when chosen from other Rise of the Ronin weapons, but this comes at a price. The primary stat is Dexterity, with a secondary of Strength or Intellect, but still doesn’t improve its use by much. It doesn’t use up ammo, so that’s good, but it still needs a lot of practice before it can be used effectively.

6 Sabres

Western Sword That Offers Versatile Techniques

• Stats: Intellect + Charm/Dexterity/Strength
• Top Combat Style: British Style
• Pros: Sabre offers decent reach and attack flexibility
• Cons: Not as effective against multiple enemies

Sabres are yet another weapon type in Rise of the Ronin that showcases Western influence in Japan’s Edo period. Players can pair it with pistols for a West-meets-East fusion sort of playstyle. When talking about the mechanics, it offers a decent amount of flexibility. It is flexible in both long- and short-range combat, going more easily with lunge attacks when taking on multiple enemies.

The Sabre’s primary scaling stat is Intellect, with Strength, Dexterity, and Charm coming in as secondary. There are only three combat styles for this Rise of the Ronin weapon type, but Mumyo-ryo will be apt if players want to stay open to different techniques. It isn’t as effective against multiple enemies simultaneously as some other classes, so gamers will need to figure out their use case to suit the situation they find themselves in.

7 Spear

Great Reach To Take Down Multiple Enemies

• Stats: Intellect + Dexterity/Strength
• Top Combat Style: Hozoin-ryu
• Pros: Long reach, can deal with multiple enemies, good for combos
• Cons: Ki consumption will need control, power needs to be improved upon

The Spear is a great weapon type in Rise of the Ronin, especially when players want to keep a long-range backup. A disadvantage here is that the number of combat styles is found wanting. Even then, the available choices cover a fair ground that can make a decent impact in battles. The Hozoin-ryu, for one, is apt for sweeping enemies off and then making short work of them from a distance, or closing in with a powerful Katana combo.

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The Spear weapon type in Rise of the Ronin scales primarily on Intellect, with the secondary being Strength or Dexterity. Considering this, it’s advisable to keep a Strength-based weapon available in case fights get too close for comfort.

8 Polearm

Good Class For Quick Combos, Needs Apt Ki Management

• Stats: Charm + Dexterity/Intellect/Strength
• Top Combat Style: Hayabusa-ryu
• Pros: Offers varied combat styles, good for burying enemies under attacks
• Cons: Dependent on building combos, needs an apt understanding of combat mechanics

The Polearm weapon type in Rise of the Ronin offers combat styles that will resonate with players who prefer fast moves and burying their enemies under attacks. A traditional melee weapon with a long reach, it offers a variety of movesets that make it a good pick. The class scales primarily with Charm; Strength, Dexterity, or Intellect serve as the secondary.

Since this isn’t among those Rise of the Ronin weapons that hit hard, players will have to get a better understanding of the combat mechanics and rely on dodging and parrying as well. This can make it difficult to manage Ki in larger battles, especially if players level up fast in Rise of the Ronin but still aren't well-versed with the combat mechanics.

9 Oxtail Blade

Great Weapon To Create Aerial Attacks & Refresh Combat

• Stats: Charm + Dexterity/Intellect
• Top Combat Style: Qing Style
• Pros: Good reach, Initiates aerial attacks that easily lead to combos and 1v1s
• Cons: Usually not enough on its own for takedowns, practice needed for sustained aerial combos

The Oxtail Blade weapon offers refreshing combat in Rise of the Ronin. The blade here is short, but the attached cord significantly adds to its range and use case. This is perhaps one of the best “ranged” weapons in the game, as it allows players to launch aerial attacks and channel them into something more. There are a variety of moves that can be delivered, such as regular, charged, etc., and all of them make quite an impact on the field.

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Players can launch not only themselves into the air, but enemies as well. This opens up aerial attacks to a great extent, allowing for a swift barrage of attacks or heavy follow-up blows from an Odachi, etc. The Oxtail Blade class scales with Charm as the primary, and Dexterity or Intellect as the secondary.

10 Ranged Weapons

Various Weapons To Damage Enemies From A Safe Distance

• Pros: Good for dealing damage from a distance, playing it safe
• Cons: Usually not enough to end a fight on their own

When talking about Rise of the Ronin’s weapons, the ranged class is an important part of almost any kit. This particular type is more play-it-safe. There are multiple choices available, like handguns, rifles, shuriken, bows, and even a classic flamethrower, the Fire Pipe.

These come with their advantages and disadvantages, like the scarcity of ammo for pistols and rifles (the bayonet uses no ammo, surprisingly), longer draw time for bows, etc. Overall, these can be incredibly helpful if players can accommodate this weapon type in Rise of the Ronin into their preferred playstyle. It is also recommended that they improve their weapon proficiency to ensure maximum impact in combat.

Rise of the Ronin

Platform(s)

PS5

Released

March 22, 2024

Genre(s)

Action RPG

Developer(s)

Team Ninja