Updated April 21, 2026
Updated for SWORN v1.2 (Boss Rush update). The core weapon and spell meta remains stable since the 1.0 full release, with Chakrams, Tome, and Armillary Sphere still firmly at the top. The new Corrupted enemy system on higher difficulties makes ranged and semi-ranged weapons even more valuable, and the Shatter mechanic (Beira Freeze combined with Gogmagog Stagger) continues to define Sovereign-level builds.
To help you dominate every run in this Arthurian co-op roguelite, we've built this SWORN tier list ranking the best weapons and spells, covering each hero class, and highlighting the most flexible picks for any playstyle. In SWORN, the weapon and spell combo you take into Camelot shapes your entire run. Some require specific Fae Lord blessing synergies to reach their ceiling, while others slot into almost any build and deliver consistent results across all difficulty levels, from Standard all the way up to Knight and Sovereign. Weapon augments at Nimue can dramatically shift a weapon's ceiling, so your upgrade path matters as much as your initial pick.
SWORN Weapons Tier List
As a rule, lower-tier weapons suffer from clunky animations, long cooldowns, or restricted range that limit damage output and disrupt the rhythm of combat. The game strongly rewards ranged and semi-ranged play, particularly on higher difficulties where enemies hit harder and Corrupted variants demand even tighter positioning. Melee trades become costly on Knight and above. Lower-tier picks aren't unplayable, but they demand more skill and more favorable blessing rolls to keep up.
SWORN Weapons Tier List
⇓ BEST IN CLASS ⇓
Chakrams
Tome
Armillary Sphere
⇓ STRONG PICKS ⇓
Chimes
Scythe
Magic Staff
Great Hammer
Bow
Bo Staff
Claws
⇓ DECENT OPTIONS ⇓
Sword
Halberd
Gauntlets
⇓ SITUATIONAL ⇓
Hand Cannon
Mace
⇓ AVOID ⇓
Arcane Blade
The strongest weapons in SWORN strike a balance between range, attack speed, and stack-building potential, letting you stay mobile against roguelite mob waves while still building up Fae Lord blessing effects. Weapons that feed into the Shatter mechanic (applying Freeze and Stagger simultaneously) gain extra value at Knight difficulty and above.
Related: SWORN Beginner's Guide
S Tier - Best Weapons in SWORN
| Weapon | Hero | Pros and Cons |
|---|---|---|
 Chakrams | Vigilante | + Ranged and close-combat options + Fluid, fast combat with excellent mobility + Return path creates devastating backstab synergy with Badb blessings + Rebound Blades upgrade grants a 50% damage bonus on return hits + Synergizes well with most spells and Fae Lord combinations |
 Tome | Monk | + Heavy Attack has a massive range and can hit enemies through walls + Fast Light Attack is great for applying status effects + Survived 1.0 launch with no nerfs and remains dominant on Sovereign - Light Attack requires you to stand still |
 Armillary Sphere | Specter | + Exceptional stack-building damage and the best on-hit effect applicator in the game + Fast attacks enable permanent Freeze with Beira blessings + Combined with Crystal Turrets, creates one of the strongest lockdown builds in SWORN |
A Tier Weapons
| Weapon | Character | Pros and Cons |
|---|---|---|
 Chimes | Monk | + Great stack-building damage + Excellent for targeting grouped enemies + Anvil weapon augment causes Heavy Attack to fire twice, enabling near-permanent boss stagger loops - Low starting damage - Awkward effective range |
 Scythe | Specter | + Fast attacks + Spin attacks are great for close-range crowd control - Low starting damage |
 Magic Staff | Monk | + Excellent long-range damage + Triple-projectile upgrade makes it one of the strongest burst-damage options - Light Attack has no close-range hitbox |
 Great Hammer | Rook | + Great starting damage + Fast Heavy Attack with excellent stack-building potential - Light Attack is slow and clunky |
 Bow | Vigilante | + High starting damage + Excellent range and a great choice for new players learning positioning - Movement restricted during Light Attack |
 Bo Staff | Vigilante | + Fast attacks with high mobility + Heavy Attacks can be dash-canceled for great uptime - Low starting damage |
 Claws | Specter | + Fast attacks + Agile combo strings pair well with Specter's speed-oriented blessings - Low starting damage |
B Tier Weapons
| Weapon | Hero | Pros and Cons |
|---|---|---|
 Sword | Vigilante | + Agile + Great beginner weapon with solid combo strings - Limited range without the Sword in the Stone upgrade |
 Halberd | Rook | + Good starting damage + Charged Light and Heavy Attacks can deal burst damage + Rewards patient, heavy-attack-focused Gogmagog builds + Wide heavy attack arc is one of the most consistent Sovereign boss-killers for Rook - Slow overall |
 Gauntlets | Rook | + Agile combo strings - Low starting damage and highly blessing-dependent |
C Tier Weapons
| Weapon | Hero | Pros and Cons |
|---|---|---|
 Hand Cannon | Rook | + Good starting damage + Good range - Slow attacks - Heavy Attack can overheat - Clunky feel makes it hard to stay fluid in fast encounters |
 Mace | Monk | + Heavy Attack travels through walls - Clunky, awkward movement - Long attack animations punish you heavily on Knight difficulty and above |
D Tier Weapons
| Weapons | Character | Pros and Cons |
|---|---|---|
 Arcane Blade | Specter | - Light Attack has a reload cooldown that disrupts flow - Low starting damage - Awkward range puts you in danger without offering melee-level feedback - Outclassed by Armillary Sphere and Scythe in every scenario |
SWORN Spells Tier List
Lower-tier spells tend to work against your chosen character's strengths, are difficult to aim with a controller, or are too situational to carry consistently across a full run into the later biomes. They can have niche moments, but they pale compared to the spells that just work every time. Spells that help stack Freeze, Ignite, or Stagger are worth prioritizing regardless of tier since they feed into the most powerful Fae Lord Duo blessings in Sworn.
SWORN Spells Tier List
⇓ BEST IN CLASS ⇓
Spirit Guardians
Crystal Turrets
Shadow Strike
⇓ STRONG PICKS ⇓
Assassin Dagger
Counter
Sky Drop
⇓ DECENT OPTIONS ⇓
Storm Call
Arcane Shield
Black Hole
Blade Rush
Mystic Beam
⇓ SITUATIONAL ⇓
Commander's Shield
Bull Rush
Dragon Dive
Blink
Dagger Flurry
The best spells in SWORN are quick to cast and scale hard with the right Fae Lord blessings, often leaving you wishing the cooldown was shorter. They slot seamlessly into any build and remain valuable from the first biome through Sovereign difficulty.
S Tier - Best Spells in SWORN
| Spell | Character | Pros and Cons |
|---|---|---|
 Spirit Guardians | Specter | + Excellent stack-building passive damage + Excellent crowd control that lets you focus on dodging + Good range that covers a wide area around you - Low starting damage before blessings kick in |
 Crystal Turrets | Monk | + Indestructible turrets that auto-fire at enemies + Excellent crowd control and stack-building damage + Paired with Armillary Sphere and Beira blessings, creates a permanent Freeze lockdown, one of the strongest strategies in the game |
 Shadow Strike | Vigilante | + Massive damage potential paired with Badb blessings + Auto-locks onto the nearest enemy + Instant cast with no wind-up - Occasionally teleports behind the wrong target |
A Tier Spells
| Spell | Character | Pros and Cons |
|---|---|---|
 Assassin Dagger | Vigilante | + Excellent range + High starting damage and one of the strongest opening spells + Fast cast with no aiming required |
 Counter | Rook | + High starting damage + Hits multiple enemies in a radius on activation - Close-range only; punishing if you mistime the counter |
 Sky Drop | Rook | + High starting damage with great area coverage - Slow cast that requires aiming, especially clunky on controller |
B Tier Spells
| Spell | Character | Pros and Cons |
|---|---|---|
 Storm Call | Monk | + Consistent ranged lightning damage that hits multiple enemies + Good uptime for applying shock effects at distance - Low burst potential compared to other Monk options |
 Arcane Shield | Monk | + Shield stays active until you take a hit + Explodes on break, damaging nearby enemies + Can extend shields to co-op allies - No damage output on its own |
 Black Hole | Monk | + High starting damage + Good crowd control that pulls enemies together + Can drag enemies into environmental traps for bonus damage |
 Blade Rush | Vigilante | + Good damage + Fast cast that doubles as a mobility and dodge tool - Can be finicky to aim in tight corridors |
 Mystic Beam | Specter | + High starting damage + Great stack-building damage at long range + Excellent range keeps you out of danger |
C Tier Spells
| Spell | Character | Pros and Cons |
|---|---|---|
 Commander's Shield | Rook | + Grants flat bonus damage to you and co-op allies + Can be stacked with multiple casts - Small field radius clashes with Rook's mobile, close-combat playstyle |
 Bull Rush | Rook | + High starting damage + Can hit multiple enemies in one cast + Dash-cancelable for safety - Positioning-dependent and less reliable against ranged enemies |
 Dragon Dive | Specter | + High starting damage on direct hit - Explodes on impact, actively working against Armillary Sphere and Arcane Blade builds that need distance |
 Blink | Specter | + High starting damage - Slow cast that requires manual aiming, especially painful on controller - Low splash damage radius makes it inconsistent against grouped enemies |
 Dagger Flurry | Vigilante | + Dodges backward and pairs well with close-range weapons like Sword and Bo Staff + Fast cast - Very low range - Hitbox is unreliable and frequently misses moving targets |
SWORN Weapons & Spells FAQ
The Bow is one of the strongest starting choices because its Heavy Attack lets you keep moving and deal consistent damage without needing to aim carefully. As you unlock more options, the Chakrams become the most versatile weapon in the game, working well with nearly every Fae Lord and spell combination.
Prioritize Fairy Ember early on to unlock your preferred weapons and spells. Once you have a setup you enjoy, keep collecting Fairy Ember to unlock the extra health node and the +1 dash charge, both of which dramatically improve your survivability on higher difficulties.
Ranged is generally stronger, especially on Knight difficulty and above, since SWORN does not stagger enemies on hit, and melee trades are punishing. If you are solo and still learning, start with a ranged or semi-ranged weapon like the Bow or Chakrams until you are comfortable with the dash-attack rhythm. Melee builds can work, but require favorable Fae Lord blessings to compensate for the extra risk.
The Armillary Sphere paired with Crystal Turrets and Beira (Freeze) blessings is widely considered the most dominant combination in the current meta. The turrets and Armillary Sphere's fast attacks apply Freeze stacks almost instantly, locking enemies in place while your damage scales. For Vigilante, Chakrams plus Shadow Strike with Badb blessings is a strong alternative focused on backstab and burst damage.
Shatter is triggered when Freeze and Stagger land on the same enemy at the same time, dealing a burst of bonus damage and briefly stunning the target. To set it up reliably, pair Beira blessings on your attacks or dash to apply Freeze, then use Gogmagog blessings on a second slot to apply Stagger. When both statuses connect simultaneously, Shatter fires automatically. It is the most consistent way to control bosses and survive Sovereign difficulty, and it works across all four classes.
Not significantly. Boss Rush takes place in a single arena room where you face all bosses back to back, so the same Sovereign-tier weapons and spells still perform best. Weapons with strong on-hit effect application (Armillary Sphere, Tome) and spells that provide passive damage (Spirit Guardians, Crystal Turrets) are especially valuable because you need sustained output across multiple back-to-back fights. Keep in mind that Corrupted enemy variants added in v1.2 on higher difficulties drop bonus rewards, so ranged options that let you stay safe during those encounters are worth prioritizing.
For more on how to get the most out of these weapons and spells, check out Best SWORN Builds - Vigilante, Monk, Rook, and Specter on Pro Game Guides.
Emily is a lifelong gamer with a soft spot for story-rich RPGs like Rune Factory, Fire Emblem, Xenoblade Chronicles, and the Legend of Zelda, but is always eager to try out highly-recommended games. She is a freelance writer with over three years of experience and is passionate about creating accessible guides about complex game mechanics.