Early Weapons: Jagged Steel, Scarlet Wraithblade and Phantom Edges
Choose early weapons for bleed damage and shield breaking, then add Dread Axe and Hunter’s Chain Sickle as you progress through Weeping Creek Valley.
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An early loadout benefits from two clear jobs: dealing damage during safe openings and handling shielded enemies. Start with the bleed blade Jagged Steel, add the shield-breaking weapon Scarlet Wraithblade when you can obtain it, and bring in Phantom Edges as the story progresses.
These pieces are acquired at different points. Work with the equipment already available rather than treating the complete setup as a prerequisite for continuing.
Start with Jagged Steel
Defeat Jagged Steel, the Frenzied Brute beyond the Red Thread Barrier in Weeping Creek Valley to obtain Jagged Steel. Its attacks build up bleed. Filling that buildup triggers additional damage, giving the weapon a straightforward role during openings when you can land several attacks safely.
Read its weapon instructions and try combinations of normal and Sha-Chi attacks. Learn which sequences you can finish reliably before planning your damage around them.
Get Scarlet Wraithblade beneath Sha-Chi Tower
The second weapon, Scarlet Wraithblade, comes from an optional fight beneath Sha-Chi Tower:
- Reach the tower and look for the staircase in a corner of its first floor.
- Follow the stairs downward to the optional bride boss, Hua, Deadly Betrothed.
- Defeat her to obtain the weapon.
Its shield-breaking role is useful against enemies carrying shields in the first two chapters. The optional fight is demanding, so you can record the entrance and return when you are more comfortable with your equipment. The early valley return checklist separates this fight from other progression requirements.
Add the axe and chain-sickle as you earn them
| Equipment | When you obtain it | Main use and limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Dread Axe | After defeating the boss beyond the station | Charged attacks damage shields and pressure some humanoid enemies; charging leaves you exposed |
| Hunter’s Chain Sickle | After defeating the boss The Hunt, Sixfold Scythe at the large waterfall | Fast attacks at medium to long range; its pull skill needs a level-5 upgrade |
The axe has limited uses. Keep it as a shield-breaking option, but avoid relying on it for every encounter with a shield. Start a charge when you have room to act safely.
At level 5, the chain-sickle unlocks the skill Shadow Bound, which pulls eligible targets toward you so you can continue attacking. Against large or super-armored targets, Soul is pulled toward the target instead. Obtaining the weapon does not immediately unlock that skill. Before level 5, use its ranged attacks without trying to reproduce a sequence built around the pull.
Check your current stage
- Before the tower: learn your current weapons and try the bleed blade once acquired.
- At the tower: decide when you are ready for the optional bride boss and the shield-breaking weapon.
- After the waterfall boss: check the chain-sickle’s upgrade level, and remember the opening cliff chest.
For accessories and upgrade priorities that extend this setup, see the early bleed and shield-breaking build.
Game updates may change these mechanics. Follow the current in-game behavior where it differs.
This guide is independently written. Game names and artwork belong to S-GAME.