Now that Dauntless has released for the Nintendo Switch, the game has seen an influx of newer players who may be jumping in to battle massive Behemoths for the first time. Although the game provides a list of all the combos that can be performed with each weapon in the options menu, there is far more to the game than simply attempting to mash out a combination of buttons to succeed.
Which Weapons Best Suits You?
Slayers have access to a total of seven weapons, each differing in speed and playstyle, but all are perfectly viable at any stage of the game if used properly. Some weapons do bring utility to a hunt when taking on a Behemoth in groups, but ultimately if you are dealing damage and avoiding the big hits for yourself, there is no wrong decision here. Below are the seven weapons available and brief description of the style needed to be used effectively.
Swords
Swords are a great starter weapon that is easy to learn and offers mobility while teaching you how to effectively build a meter of resources to unload in a flurry or attacks. This is a great starting weapon, and effective for breaking specific parts you may need in crafting.
War Pikes
War Pikes are quick weapons that offer a benefit to either a solo players or to a team by inflicting wounds on a Behemoth. Building meter allows for the storing of mortar rounds, which can be fired from range and stun a charging Behemoth.
Axes
One of the slower weapons that deals out big hits. Unlike other weapons, axes can use their meter to build upon a stacking damage buff for yourself, and at three stacks, you will be doing plenty of damage. Note that benefiting from this buff works best after learning to stack all three as quickly as possible.
Chain Blades
These lightning-fast weapons provide outstanding mobility in the form of a direction dash and the use of chains and a hook to pull yourself directly to a Behemoth. Although they offer little in the form of utility, these are some of the most fun weapons to use when hitting combos in quick succession.
Hammers
The slowest weapon by far, but again a massive damage dealer with plenty of utility. Built into each hammer is a cannon that players can either use for mobility, blasting up to deliver a downward attack, or to stun a charging Behemoth. Since you can carry four charges at once and reloading only takes a moment, hammers are great for keeping a charging Behemoth down.
Aether Strikers
The newest addition to the selection of weapons calls on Slayers to embrace their inner monk with fist-style weapons that demand quick, close-combat in order to create mantra buffs for a team.
Repeaters
This pair of repeater pistols is the only true ranged weapon in the game, though because the damage drop off is severe and there is a buff gained when reloading right next to a Behemoth, these are really a close-combat weapon as well. Still, they can provide buffs for you and your team, and allow you to stay somewhat away from a Behemoth, which can be helpful when first learning how to deal with a new opponent.
Being The Best Slayer You Can Be
Using each weapon effectively in a hunt requires three equally important elements. First, there is getting a feel for the movement of each weapon and its attacks, since the speed for both attacking and mobility is drastically different among all seven options. If you charge in with a Sword and a Hammer, it only takes a moment to realize how different each is, and not knowing the timing will result in taking hit after hit.
The second point is knowing the mechanics of each weapon. As mentioned above, weapons like the Hammer or War Pike can make excellent tools to interrupt a charging Behemoth and send it crashing down into a stun where the entire team can get in some big hits. However, this requires learning how to use the projectile and at what distance the attack is effective. If for instance in the equipment screen before entering a hunt you are the only person using a weapon that can stun, your teammates may be depending on you to do just that. Luckily, there are no shortage of outstanding tutorials online that teach the most effective techniques for each weapon, like the video below.
Finally, the third element lies not in the weapon itself, but in learning the movement and attack patters of each Behemoth. There is no real trick to this, only practice and seeing firsthand how each operates. Embermane, for example, will spend most of the match charging headfirst towards a Slayer, making it one of the easiest to stun with the Hammer projectile, but it will also run far away and alternate between different projectile fire attacks before charging in again.
There are seventeen other types of Behemoths to learn, and far more if we consider the variants that each one has that increase the difficulty, since they maintain most of the same attacks but change how they behave. Luckily, there are many video tutorials online that go over the ways in which each Behemoth acts, and it is always a good idea to check some of these out before diving into a hunt if you are unsure how to go about defeating a new opponent.
All of this means that with only a little bit of research, one can quickly learn exactly how to engage with any Behemoth with any weapon and emerge victorious, so choose the weapon you enjoy the most.
While this guide spoke briefly about Behemoths and weapons, armor sets are extremely important as well. Although most armor sets offer resistances to certain types of damage, the truth is that these are mostly unnecessary because ideally you will know exactly how each Behemoth behaves and be prepared to avoid their big hits. This is not to say that you cannot use an entire set of a certain armor set if you do want maximum resistance, but since armor pieces from different sets can confer bonuses to attack, mobility, charge, critical attacks, and much more, it is often better to find a combination of armor set pieces that work towards your playstyle.
Best of luck Slayer, now get out there and hunt some Behemoths!
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