Core Keeper has 5 weapon types
Melee, ranged, magic, summoning, throwables
Each type levels a different skill and benefits from different gear stats. Pick one and build your gear around it.
Upgrade weapons as you progress
Weapons made from newer biome materials have higher item levels and are stronger. You can also upgrade them at the Upgrade Station.
Which weapon is the strongest?
See the best weapons ranking for the top picks of each type.
Weapon types and traits (skill and stats)
| Type | Traits | Skill leveled | Useful gear stats | Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melee weapons | Swords, axes, spears and more. Get close and hit. | Melee | melee damage, physical damage | 36 |
| Ranged weapons | Bows, guns, crossbows and more. Shoot from a distance. | Ranged | ranged damage, physical damage | 30 |
| Magic weapons (staffs) | Staffs and more. Fire spells using mana. | Magic | magic damage | 19 |
| Tomes (summoning) | Summon minions that fight for you. | Summoning | minion damage, max minions | 7 |
| Throwables | Grenades and more. Throw them to explode. | Explosives | explosive damage | 7 |
Melee weapons: traits and weapons by stage
Swords, axes, spears and more. Get close and hit. Hitting enemies levels the Melee skill, and gear with melee damage, physical damage makes them stronger. 36 in total.
| Stage | Example | Item level |
|---|---|---|
| Early game |  Wooden Sword | 1 |
| Mid game |  Tentacle Whip | 11 |
| Late game |  Void Club | 18 |
Ranged weapons: traits and weapons by stage
Bows, guns, crossbows and more. Shoot from a distance. Hitting enemies levels the Ranged skill, and gear with ranged damage, physical damage makes them stronger. 30 in total.
| Stage | Example | Item level |
|---|---|---|
| Early game |  Wood Bow | 2 |
| Mid game |  Throwing Daggers | 14 |
| Late game |  Credence of Ruin | 20 |
Magic weapons (staffs): traits and weapons by stage
Staffs and more. Fire spells using mana. Hitting enemies levels the Magic skill, and gear with magic damage makes them stronger. 19 in total.
| Stage | Example | Item level |
|---|---|---|
| Early game |  Simple Staff | 2 |
| Mid game |  Scholar's Staff | 13 |
| Late game |  Veil Crux | 19 |
Tomes (summoning): traits and weapons by stage
Summon minions that fight for you. Hitting enemies levels the Summoning skill, and gear with minion damage, max minions makes them stronger. 7 in total.
| Stage | Example | Item level |
|---|---|---|
| Early game |  Tome of the Dark | 2 |
| Mid game |  Tome of the Dead | 10 |
| Late game |  Tome of Decay | 17 |
Throwables: traits and weapons by stage
Grenades and more. Throw them to explode. Hitting enemies levels the Explosives skill, and gear with explosive damage makes them stronger. 7 in total.
| Stage | Example | Item level |
|---|---|---|
| Early game |  Grenade | 4 |
| Mid game |  Poison Grenade | 13 |
| Late game |  Blast Bundle | 17 |
Getting and improving weapons
- Craft: most weapons are made at the workbench or anvil for their material (crafting by station).
- Bosses and chests: weapons that cannot be crafted drop from bosses or come from chests. See each item page for where to get it.
- Legendary weapons: special weapons you build by collecting parts (legendary weapons).
- Upgrade: raise them up to Lv.20 at the Upgrade Station (upgrading and reinforcing).
Browse every weapon by type in the weapon list.
Unless a note on the page says otherwise, numbers are read from the game files of Core Keeper 1.3.0.6 (prefabs, configuration files, drop tables and the game's program) and calculated by this site, including upgraded (per-level) values, sell prices and mana costs. Names and descriptions are the game's official English text. Only reinforcing materials, minion and pet attacks and some food values are based on the Core Keeper Wiki (Fandom) data (CC BY-SA 3.0). Core Keeper and its images are © Pugstorm. This is an unofficial fan site.