Baldur’s Gate 3: The best weapons in the game

Obviously, “best” is a subjective notion here – and actually, a somewhat abstract one, too. I’m not looking to select the best weapons in terms of damage, or crowd-control, or spellcasting benefits, or any other single criterion. The idea here is to present weapons that have remarkable qualities in at least one of these domains, explain why, and how to best use them. Basically, this guide could also be titled “The weapons you always want to pick up”.

Keep in mind that when each weapon can be acquired is very important. For instance, the gloves of sizzle are much better than any other variant, because they can be acquired much earlier.

You should have a look at how damage mechanics[bg3.wiki] work in the game and what is a DRS, as some weapons in this guide revolve around those to deal crazy damage. Whenever I write that a weapon “has a DRS”, understand that with the right setup, it can deal much more damage than it should.

I’ve had some trouble deciding how to classify all the different weapons.

Obviously I could’ve just gone with “Best Shortswords”, “Best Longswords”, etc. but it honestly feels pretty dull, and also doesn’t really reflect well how you should think your weapons.

As questions go, what is the weapon doing for you and how are you going to use it are as relevant as how good the weapon is. It doesn’t make sense to separate these topics – a weapon is good at something precise, not in the void.

In my opinion, a good way to look at things is to classify weapons in main hand, off hand, ranged and spellcasting. Shields are obviously in their own category.

Main hand weapons are going to be something you wear – wait for it – in your main hand, and are usually your main source of damage. On support, archer and spellcasting builds, main hand weapons often play the same role as an off hand weapon (see below). But otherwise, that’s what you’re using to dish out the pain.

Off hand weapons can sometimes be an extra source of damage (think double hand crossbows, or dual wielding with something like Crimson Mischief in your off hand). But most of the time, you just wear them for their sheer bonuses, be it Spell Save DC with Rhapsody, Critical chance with Knife of the Undermountain King, etc.

I will spare you the explanation of ranged weapons because that’s pretty much what you’d expect.

Spellcasting weapons are not weapons you’ll be using to cast spells (unless it has a spell you want to use on a daily basis, which is fairly rare). You’ll be using them to boost your spellcasting. Think of weapons that give bonuses to spell attack rolls, spell save DC, or incredible effects such as Arcane Battery.

This weapon is absurdly good. It is baffling that it is only a rare weapon. In higher difficulties, you pretty much always want to have somebody carrying Phalar Aluve[bg3.wiki] in your party. It is not mandatory, but it is that good. This sword is a very serious contender for being the best weapon in the game.

It has finesse, so pretty much any martial can wield it. It is versatile, which means it can either be coupled with Great Weapon Master, a shield, or another weapon if you have Dual Wielder. It is a +1 weapon, which by the time you acquire it (as early as level 4) is a nice boost to consistency. But the best yet has to come, and it is the Melody abilities.

The Sing ability gives a great attack bonus that helps counteracting penalties from skills like Sharpshooter or Great Weapon Master. In higher difficulties where consistency is key, that is a great support tool.

However, the strongest ability this sword has is actually the Shriek action. Adding 1d4 thunder damage to all damage may not look like much, but it actually is a DRS, which makes it completely broken if you’re looking to burst any enemy.

Having access to a legendary weapon as early as late Act 1 is good. But when it is The Blood of Lathander[bg3.wiki], it gets even better. You get a level 6 (!) spell once per day, a free revive and healing if you get knocked out, it emits light, and nearby undead can be blinded. With Act 2 just around the corner, the last 2 points are especially powerful. Granted, it is only 1d6 damage which is weaker than a longsword or two handed weapon… but it also is bludgeoning damage, and good sources of this aren’t too common (unless you have a monk, obviously). It isn’t light, but works perfectly with a shield.

It also happens to be one of the few weapons Clerics are proficient with.

Nyrulina[bg3.wiki] is a crazy good weapon for throw builds, but not only that. It is +3/+3, has light, can’t be dropped, boosts movement speed… The list goes on. This is obtained in Act 3, so obviously having light is not that useful.

It can be a pretty good option even for builds that do not focus on throw, but for throw builds this is just the best weapon in the game.

Hands down the best greatsword[bg3.wiki] of the entire game and nobody even comes close. You get Giant Form as well as Topple the Big Folk which has a DRS. But the main feature is that you’ll add your strength twice to your damage output. It will not always be relevant (a Paladin-Warlock hybrid will likely be using CHA rather than STR with weapon attacks and Balduran’s Giantslayer is still their best weapon) but when it is… Assuming you’re under Elixir of Cloud Giant Strength and have +8 STR, your average damage roll is 3 + 3 + 3 + 8 + 8 which is 25 total. And that is not counting other damage sources such as Great Weapon Master, smites, Psionic Overload, Phalar Aluve, etc.

If you’re building an daggers/shortswords assassin, chances are you want this weapon[bg3.wiki]. It inflicts vulnerability to piercing damage (if wielded in the main hand), gives you more critical chance, is bound… And it also is a great off-hand weapon as you get more AC and the reaction with True Strike. True Strike usually is pretty bad, but being able to cast it with a bonus action once per short rest, or as a reaction once per turn, is pretty awesome.

It’s also a great weapon to carry as an archer/crossbowman as it increases your critical chance. And since you’re mainly using a bow/crossbow, there’s no real cost to swapping this weapon it.

The best rapier[bg3.wiki] in the game. Granted, there’s not many of them, but honestly when you have that kind of rapier in the game, you don’t need another one. You get increased critical hit chance when you off-hand is empty and an additional reaction (the tooltip is unclear whether that second reaction is gained even if your off-hand isn’t empty. You also get a bonus action attack if you’re not dual wielding. All the other perks work even if you are holding something in your off-hand. Tere’s the two sources of extra necrotic damage, one of which is a DRS. You get a free better version of Compelled Duel (with extra bleeding) that you can cast at will.

It’s an amazing weapon with so much utility and damage potential, even if you’re dual wielding and lose some of its perks.

This knife[bg3.wiki] may not seem like much, but it’s one of the best shortswords of the game. It’s also one of the earliest, if not the earliest, access to an increased critical chance and a +2 weapon. The average damage of your critical hits is increased as well. Even if you’re not attacking with it, it’s just a great passive increase to your damage output. Like Bloodthirst, it’s also a good weapon to give to an archer.

Rhapsody[bg3.wiki] might be the most contested item in the entire game. It may not seem like much, and that’s because the effect’s description is somewhat misleading. You can kill anything with a health bar to trigger the bonus. You don’t need to fight – just smash three barrels with the dagger and boom, you have a +3 bonus to attack rolls and spell save DC for the rest of the day. You can consume it for some bonuses and regenerate it later as well. It’s insanely good.

The extra bleeding chance is pretty forgettable as it is too situational to really matter, especially when the other perk is that good.

This bad boy is the strongest – no pun intended – contender for the “Best bow of the game” title. The only other serious contender, unsurprisingly, is Gontr Mael – but we’ll come back to that later.

When I first picked up Titanstring[bg3.wiki], I just thought “Okay, I’ll just give this to my barbarian or paladin, it’s better than a regular bow, for them.” As it turns out, Titanstring bow is the best option in terms of damage for pretty much any archer build – implying you have strength, obviously. And considering how abundant Hill Giant Strength Elixirs are, this is just never going to be a problem. The reason this bow is so strong, once again, related to how damage riders work in the game. Your strength modifier will be added to all damage sources (e.g. Phalar Aluve, Sneak attack), not just attacks.

It’s also the earliest accessible really good bow in the game, although you’ll have to fight a few Gnolls if you want an easier access.

If you do not have high strength and are not using strength Elixirs, your best ranged damage option is likely The Dead Shot[bg3.wiki]. You get more critical chance and extra damage as your proficiency bonus, which by the time you acquire this weapon, should be a +4. It’s a super solid option for ranged damage. If no ranged characters needs this bow, you can also give it to a melee character to improve their critical chances, even if they do not often use ranged attacks.

It can also be acquired within 30-45 minutes of act 3.

Gontr Mael[bg3.wiki] isn’t accessible as early as The Dead Shot or Hellrider Longbow, but man, is it worth the wait. You get to possibly set up advantage on your targets, extra radiant damage and frightening condition with bolt of celestial light… but the main perk of this bow, obviously, is its special Haste variant, Celestial Haste. You can only cast it once per long rest and it lasts only 5 turns… but you don’t get Letharic when Haste ends, even by broken concentration. In the toughest Act 3 fights where you really don’t want to end up lethargic, this is amazing.

This bow may not seem like much compared to the aforementioned bows. And, in a way, it isn’t. Hellrider Longbow[bg3.wiki] probably isn’t the weapon you want to give to a dedicated ranged character. But to anyone else… +3 initiative, advantage on perception checks and the ability to set up advantage on your targets is pretty amazing. It’s a great bow to give to a character that wants to play first (or early) but has low dexterity.

Unfortunately all ranged weapons mentioned so far are longbows and not everyone has proficiency with them. Anyone can use a shortbow though, and that’s where the Bow of the Banshee[bg3.wiki] comes in. Being able to not only inflict Frightened on your targets but also get attack and damage bonuses on them is really good. It’s also accessible in late act 1 which is decently early.

If you’re a regular spell caster, Markoheshkir[bg3.wiki] is amazing. If you’re a spellcaster dabbling in any form of elemental damage, it is beyond amazing.

You get the usual +1 to spell attack rolls and spell save DC, which is pretty common for spellcasting gear. Arcane Battery is an amazing passive that basically grants you a free level six spell once a day. On top of this, you can cast Kereska’s favour[bg3.wiki] once per short rest and well… just read what it can do.

Staff of Spellpower[bg3.wiki] is basically Markoheshkir without Kereska’s favour… and that, by itself, is amazing.

Sentinel shield[bg3.wiki] is excellent on pretty much any character that can afford to wear it (mainly clerics, ranged characters, and even spellcasters with no natural shield proficiency if they have Civil Militia). Getting extra initiative and advantage on perception checks is just super good.

Very likely the best shield[bg3.wiki] for any spellcaster, period. If you’re not dual wielding staves, having 1 staff and Ketheric’s shield is probably your best option. The advantage on DEX saving throws and shield bash are icing on the cake.

Shield of Devotion[bg3.wiki] gives you 10 extra HP with Aid, an extra level 1 spell slot and a niche reaction. Good shields are a rarity up until Act 2 and this one is accessible within 15 mins of reaching the Shadow-cursed lands.

Here are some weapons that just fall short of being in the list, but in my opinion deserved at least an honorable mention.

Charge-Bound Warhammer[bg3.wiki] might be my favorite weapon if the game. It is accessible within minutes of Act 2 and does so much damage provided you’re an Eldritch Knight or Pact of the Blade Warlock. It makes it an excellent weapon for a Lockadin during all of Act 2.

Returning Pike[bg3.wiki] is only relevant if you’re playing a Throw build, but boy, is it good at that. It is accessible by the same time you get your Tavern Brawler feat and will carry you through Act 1 and 2.

It takes a Githyanki to really wield a Silver Sword[bg3.wiki], which means if you’re not playing one and have respecced Lae’zel, this weapon is useless. Which is a shame, because having extra psychic damage, advantage on mental saving throws, resistance to psychic damage and immunity to charm, all this granted by a single weapon, is really good. You also get a stunning attack once per short rest.

The Spellsparkler[bg3.wiki] is a great weapon for spellcasters, accessible very early. It’s probably much better than the bow and trident counterpart, as good spellcasting weapons are a rarity in Act 1. Having Lightning Charges which simulate a +1 enchantment and interact with other items is really good in the early game, especially for spellcasters.

Melf’s first staff[/url] is basically the other good spellcasting weapon you can get in Act 1, and you first staff with a +1 bonus to spell save DC and attack rolls.

The Sacred Star

[url]The Sacred Star[bg3.wiki] is probably the best morningstar in the game… which doesn’t mean much as there are like 6 of them. Tenacity is forgettable, but a +2 weapon with extra radiant damage that also inflicts radiating orb on targets is really good. The special strike deals even more radiant damage and can also blind enemies. It’s a really good weapon on Radorb builds, like this one[/b].

The Handmaiden’s Mace[bg3.wiki] is an excellent weapon, especially for a Cleric as they are proficient with Maces. The key feature of this weapon is that it sets your strength to 18, which allows you to respec and put your stats elsewhere. The extra poison damage die is a nice bonus.

Viconia’s Walking Fortress[bg3.wiki] is incredible as a protection against spells. Unfortunately, that’s about it. It definitely isn’t as good as Sentinel and Ketheric’s shields, which are accessible earlier, and the other features range between forgettable to niche.

If something isn’t clear to you, or if you feel like I missed something, let me know in the comments below. I read every single comment I get, and will do my best to answer yours.

Thanks for reading the guide and I hope it’s useful to you!