Best weapons in Where Winds Meet

All 12 weapons ranked

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/NetEase

Wondering what the best weapons are in Where Winds Meet? An excellent array of weapons exists for outfitting your wuxia warrior in Where Winds Meet, ranging from standard swords and spears to more unorthodox umbrellas and rope darts. Whether you’ve dreamt of gutting your enemies with spikes attached to a parasol or are searching for the right fan to unleash healing energy, there’s a lot of choice at your disposal.

All of the weapons in the Jianghu are solid, and there are no truly bad weapons when it comes to the arsenal of Where Winds Meet. However, some armaments are easier to use than others and take less practice to master. In this guide, we’ll present a tier list of the best weapons in Where Winds Meet , so you can quickly decide which martial arts techniques you want to start mastering. We’ll also tell you how to obtain each weapon.

Where Winds Meet weapon tier list

Here is our tier list ranking all 12 weapons currently in Where Winds Meet. You can equip two weapons at once, so it’s worth picking your dual favourites from this list.

Let’s break down our ranking for each of these weapons below, as well as how to obtain them, which is usually a fairly straightforward process that involves stealing their martial techniques from a Master or selecting them as a reward.

S-Tier

Despite its status as a starter weapon, the no-nonsense Nameless Sword is one of the best in the game. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/NetEase

Nameless Spear

The Nameless Spear has excellent range and reliable damage, especially for what amounts to a basic starting polearm. It’s a little slower than its cousin, the Nameless Sword, but if you prefer heavier, farther-reaching damage, along with an excellent heavy attack dubbed Storm Dance that lets you strike enemies multiple times, go with this spear.

• How to get: Obtained at the start of the game as a default weapon.

Nameless Sword

It might be the most “basic” sword, as well as the standard blade for warriors who decide to avoid joining a Sect , but the Nameless Sword remains good throughout Where Winds Meet. From the start of the game to the end, you’ll be using skills like Shadow Step and Daunting Strike to deal consistent damage in both PvE and PvP encounters.

• How to get: Obtained at the start of the game as a default weapon.

Panacea Fan

The Panacea Fan takes its S-Tier spot for being an excellent means of healing yourself or allies in Where Winds Meet’s online co-op mode . By consuming stacks of Dew, you can do everything from summoning a watery clone for backup healing, to flat-out resurrecting fallen comrades. Very useful, and slightly better than the Soulshade Umbrella, which also offers healing potential.

• How to get: Obtain as a reward from Qi Sheng after submitting an Oddity, join the Silver Needles Sect, steal from the Master in the Midnight Mercy Sanctum in Qinghe

Vernal Umbrella

I’m addicted to the idea of fighting with something normally used to block the rain and sunlight, and the Vernal Umbrella stands tall as the most useful umbrella option in Where Winds Meet. Once you’ve built up stacks of Blossoms, the Vernal Umbrella follows you in mid-air and shoots projectiles at all nearby targets via the skill Unfading Flower, as opposed to the healing arts fired off by its friend, the Soulshade Umbrella. Basically, it’s a very cool parasol of death.

• How to get: Steal from the Master in the Time Tower in Kaifeng

A-Tier

Depending on your preference, you may like the Vernal Umbrella (which fires projectiles) or the Soulshade Umbrella (which fires healing energy). |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/NetEase

Heavenquaker Spear

AoE focused instead of single target focused, the Heavenquaker Spear is great for taking on multiple foes with Sober Sorrow and Sweep All, both of which are designed to decimate nearby waves of enemies. The Nameless Spear goes further in the damage department, hence its inclusion into S-Tier, but if you equip both spears and use the Heavenquaker for mobs and the Nameless for bosses, you’ll be well equipped indeed.

• How to get: Join the Raging Tides Sect, steal from the Master in the Heavenquaker Spear Sanctum in Qinghe

Infernal Twinblades

The Infernal Twinblades are currently the only dual-wield sword option in Where Winds Meet, and to me, they feel an awful lot like the Dual Blades in Monster Hunter, to the point where some of the animations look the same! But I digress - as is the case in Capcom’s monster-hunting franchise, if you dig weapons with nice, rapid DPS, these two blades are for you. They’re extremely fast - perhaps too fast to master easily, but if you practice with them, they can be perfect.

• How to get: Obtain as a reward from Qi Sheng after submitting an Oddity, join the Midnight Blades Sect, steal from the Master in the Infernal Twinblades Sanctum in Qinghe

Soulshade Umbrella

The Soulshade Umbrella is neat, and I really like the skills Echoes of a Thousand Plants, which sees the umbrella hovering behind you and healing over time. That said, the Vernal Umbrella does the same thing but deals consistent damage instead, which is arguably more useful as the healing output here doesn’t feel as focused as the Panacea Fan. Still, both umbrellas are fine choices.

• How to get: Join the Hollow Vale Sect, steal from the Master in the Soulshade Umbrella Post Station in Kaifeng

Strategic Sword

The Strategic Sword is a pretty good option. It doesn’t seem to output as much damage as the Nameless Sword, as it’s entirely reliant upon generating and consuming stacks of Endurance. That said, its dash attacks are fast and furious, and Second Track Slash is a particularly cool skill that makes you invisible while dashing and applies Bleed on a hit.

• How to get: Steal from the Master in the Strategic Sword Sanctum in Qinghe

Stormbreaker Spear

A decent choice for tanks, the Stormbreaker Spear utilises stacks of Fighting Spirit, which are accquired by blocking and used for moves like Thunder Shock, which lets you brace against the spear for a spinning kick that knocks foes down. Overall, I find the Nameless Spear more straightforward and useful against bosses, but the Stormbreaker Spear is easier to get, since all you need to do is open your in-game mail.

• How to get: Reach level 3 and check the in-game mail “Raging Tides General’s Gift”

B-Tier

The first time I tested the Mortal Rope Dart was during this boss fight, and the complex combos of the weapon made things harder than they should’ve been. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/NetEase

Inkwell Fan

The Inkwell Fan is an offensive fan that lets you juggle enemies into the air with Peak’s Springless Silence and then blast them with wind barriers and other skyfaring combos. It’s fun and flashy, but there are superior damage options at the moment, and the Panacea Fan’s healing potential makes it the better choice for fan-users. The Inkwell Fan is okay for those who like the idea of airbending, though.

• How to get: Steal from the Master in the Inkwell Fan Sanctum in Qinghe

Mortal Rope Dart

I want to like the Mortal Rope Dart more than I actually do, because who else doesn’t want to stick a bandit from afar with a knife attached to a retractable lasso, just like Scorpion in Mortal Kombat? But despite being cool-looking, the Mortal Rope Dart takes a lot of time to learn effectively, and its relatively low damage output may not be worth the trouble. If you can master those combos, though, you’ll be a beast at PvP.

• How to get: Join the Nine Mortal Ways Sect, sneak into the Martial Hall in Kaifeng (consult the elder nearby to learn how to do so)

Thundercry Blade

A sword for tanks, the Thundercry Blade is good in Co-Op mode for drawing aggo in dungeons. Sunrush Gale, its special skill, makes a vortex that pulls in enemies, and this can be a good method of getting mobs off of the backs of your allies. Compared to the other spears in the game, however, Thundercry Blade isn’t as heavy-hitting when it comes to piercing bosses.

• How to get: Obtain as a reward from Qi Sheng after submitting an Oddity, join the Well of Heaven Sect, steal from the Master in the Well of Heaven Martial Camp in Kaifeng

That’s a wrap on our tier list for all weapons in Where Winds Meet. If you’re searching for more ways to get the most out of this huge MMO adventure, try checking our guides on how to join all Sects , succeeding at Gift of Gab , how to equip Mystic Arts , how to get a horse , and how to place a Signpost . Our initial impressions on Where Winds Meet may also be of interest. Good luck out there, and may your blade sing as you tackle foes throughout the Jianghu.

Where Winds Meet

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All 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints and where to get them

These areas have the highest chance of giving you Blueprints

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Looking for more Arc Raiders Blueprints? It’s a special day when you find a Blueprint, as they’re among the most valuable items in Arc Raiders. If you find a Blueprint that you haven’t already found, then you must make sure you hold onto it at all costs, because Blueprints are the key to one of the most important and powerful systems of meta-progression in the game.

This guide aims to be the very best guide on Blueprints you can find, starting with a primer on what exactly they are and how they work in Arc Raiders, before delving into exactly where to get Blueprints and the very best farming spots for you to take in your search.

We’ll also go over how to get Blueprints from other unlikely activities, such as destroying Surveyors and completing specific quests. And you’ll also find the full list of all 75 Blueprints in Arc Raiders on this page (including the newest Blueprints added with the Cold Snap update , such as the Deadline Blueprint and Firework Box Blueprint), giving you all the information you need to expand your own crafting repertoire.

In this guide:

• What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?
• Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes
• Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders Blueprints obtained from quests Blueprints obtained from Trials Best Blueprint farming locations

What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?

Blueprints in Arc Raiders are special items which, if you manage to extract with them, you can expend to permanently unlock a new crafting recipe in your Workshop. If you manage to extract from a raid with an Anvil Blueprint, for example, you can unlock the ability to craft your very own Anvil Pistol, as many times as you like (as long as you have the crafting materials).

To use a Blueprint, simply open your Inventory while in the lobby, then right-click on the Blueprint and click “Learn And Consume” . This will permanently unlock the recipe for that item in your Workshop. As of the Stella Montis update, there are allegedly 75 different Blueprints to unlock - although only 68 are confirmed to be in the game so far. You can see all the Blueprints you’ve found and unlocked by going to the Workshop menu, and hitting “R” to bring up the Blueprint screen.

It’s possible to find duplicates of past Blueprints you’ve already unlocked. If you find these, then you can either sell them, or - if you like to play with friends - you can take it into a match and gift it to your friend so they can unlock that recipe for themselves. Another option is to keep hold of them until the time comes to donate them to the Expedition.

Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes

Below is the full list of all the Blueprints that are currently available to find in Arc Raiders, and the crafting recipe required for each item:

Note: The missing Blueprints in this list likely have not actually been added to the game at the time of writing, because none of the playerbase has managed to find any of them. As they are added to the game, I will update this page with the most relevant information so you know exactly how to get all 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints.

Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders

Below is a list of all containers, modifiers, and events which maximise your chances of finding Blueprints:

• Certain quests reward you with specific Blueprints .
• Completing Trials has a high chance of offering Blueprints as rewards.
• Surveyors have a decent chance of dropping Blueprints on death.
• High loot value areas tend to have a greater chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Night Raids and Storms may increase rare Blueprint spawn chances in containers.
• Containers with higher numbers of items may have a higher tendency to spawn Blueprints. As a result, Blue Gate (which has many “large” containers containing multiple items) may give you a higher chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Raider containers (Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, Medical Bags, Grenade Tubes) have increased Blueprint drop rates. As a result, the Uncovered Caches event gives you a high chance of finding Blueprints.
• Security Lockers have a higher than average chance of containing Blueprints.
• Certain Blueprints only seem to spawn under specific circumstances: Tempest Blueprint only spawns during Night Raid events. Vulcano Blueprint only spawns during Hidden Bunker events. Jupiter and Equaliser Blueprints only spawn during Harvester events.

Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, and other raider-oriented container types have a good chance of offering Blueprints. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints have a very low chance of spawning in any container in Arc Raiders, around 1-2% on average. However, there is a higher chance of finding Blueprints in particular container types. Specifically, you can find more Blueprints in Raider containers and security lockers.

Beyond this, if you’re looking for Blueprints you should focus on regions of the map which are marked as having particularly high-value loot. Areas such as the Control Tower in Dam Battlegrounds, the Arrival and Departure Buildings in Spaceport, and Pilgrim’s Peak in Blue Gate all have a better-than-average chance of spawning Blueprints somewhere amongst all their containers. Night Raids and Electromagnetic Storm events also increase the drop chances of certain Blueprints .

In addition to these containers, you can often loot Blueprints from destroyed Surveyors - the largest of the rolling ball ARC. Surveyors are more commonly found on the later maps - Spaceport and Blue Gate - and if one spawns in your match, you’ll likely see it by the blue laser beam that it casts into the sky while “surveying”.

Surveyors are quite well-armoured and will very speedily run away from you once it notices you, but if you can take one down then make sure you loot all its parts for a chance of obtaining certain unusual Blueprints.

Blueprints obtained from quests

One way in which you can get Blueprints is by completing certain quests for the vendors in Speranza. Some quests will reward you with a specific item Blueprint upon completion, so as long as you work through all the quests in Arc Raiders, you are guaranteed those Blueprints.

Here is the full list of all Blueprints you can get from quest rewards:

• Trigger Nade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Sparks Fly”.
• Lure Grenade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Greasing Her Palms”.
• Burletta Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Industrial Espionage”.
• Hullcracker Blueprint (and Launcher Ammo Blueprint): Rewarded after completing “The Major’s Footlocker”.

Alas, that’s only 4 Blueprints out of a total of 75 to unlock, so for the vast majority you will need to find them yourself during a raid. If you’re intent on farming Blueprints, then it’s best to equip yourself with cheap gear in case you lose it, but don’t use a free loadout because then you won’t get a safe pocket to stash any new Blueprint you find. No pain in Arc Raiders is sharper than failing to extract with a new Blueprint you’ve been after for a dozen hours already.

One of the best ways to get Blueprints is by hitting three stars on all five Trials every week. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints obtained from Trials

One of the very best ways to get Blueprints is as rewards for completing Trials in Arc Raiders. Trials are unlocked from Level 15 onwards, and allow you to earn rewards by focusing on certain tasks over the course of several raids. For example, one Trial might task you with dealing damage to Hornets, while another might challenge you to loot Supply Drops.

Trials refresh on a weekly basis, with a new week bringing five new Trials. Each Trial can offer up to three rewards after passing certain score milestones, and it’s possible to receive very high level loot from these reward crates - including Blueprints. So if you want to unlock as many Blueprints as possible, you should make a point of completing as many Trials as possible each week.

Best Blueprint farming locations

The very best way to get Blueprints is to frequent specific areas of the maps which combine high-tier loot pools with the right types of containers to search. Here are my recommendations for where to find Blueprints on every map, so you can always keep the search going for new crafting recipes to unlock.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Dam Battlegrounds

The best places to farm Blueprints on Dam Battlegrounds are the Control Tower, Power Generation Complex, Ruby Residence, and Pale Apartments . The first two regions, despite only being marked on the map as mid-tier loot, contain a phenomenal number of containers to loot. The Control Tower can also contain a couple of high-tier Security Lockers - though of course, you’ll need to have unlocked the Security Breach skill at the end of the Survival tree.

There’s also a lot of reporting amongst the playerbase that the Residential areas in the top-left of the map - Pale Apartments and Ruby Residence - give you a comparatively strong chance of finding Blueprints. Considering their size, there’s a high density of containers to loot in both locations, and they also have the benefit of being fairly out of the way. So you’re more likely to have all the containers to yourself.

Buried City

The best Blueprint farming locations on Buried City are the Santa Maria Houses, Grandioso Apartments, Town Hall, and the various buildings of the New District . Grandioso Apartments has a lower number of containers than the rest, but a high chance of spawning weapon cases - which have good Blueprint drop rates. The others are high-tier loot areas, with plenty of lootable containers - including Security Lockers.

Spaceport

The best places to find Blueprints on Spaceport are the Arrival and Departure Buildings, as well as Control Tower A6 and the Launch Towers . All these areas are labelled as high-value loot regions, and many of them are also very handily connected to one another by the Spaceport wall, which you can use to quickly run from one area to the next. At the tops of most of these buildings you’ll find at least one Security Locker, so this is an excellent farming route for players looking to find Blueprints.

The downside to looting Blueprints on Spaceport is that all these areas are hotly contested, particularly in Duos and Squads. You’ll need to be very focused and fast in order to complete the full farming route.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blue Gate

Blue Gate tends to have a good chance of dropping Blueprints, potentially because it generally has a high number of containers which can hold lots of items; so there’s a higher chance of a Blueprint spawning in each container. In my experience, the best Blueprint farming spots on Blue Gate are Pilgrim’s Peak, Raider’s Refuge, the Ancient Fort, and the Underground Complex beneath the Warehouse .

All of these areas contain a wealth of containers to loot. Raider’s Refuge has less to loot, but the majority of the containers in and around the Refuge are raider containers, which have a high chance of containing Blueprints - particularly during major events.

Stella Montis

On the whole, Stella Montis seems to have a very low drop rate for Blueprints (though a high chance of dropping other high-tier loot). If you do want to try farming Blueprints on this map, the best places to find Blueprints in Stella Montis are Medical Research, Assembly Workshop, and the Business Center . These areas have the highest density of containers to loot on the map.

In addition to this, the Western Tunnel has a few different Security Lockers to loot, so while there’s very little to loot elsewhere in this area of the map, it’s worth hitting those Security Lockers if you spawn there at the start of a match.

That wraps up this primer on how to get all the Blueprints in Arc Raiders as quickly as possible. With the Expedition system constantly resetting a large number of players’ Blueprints, it’s more important than ever to have the most up-to-date information on where to find all these Blueprints.

While you’re here, be sure to check out our Arc Raiders best guns tier list , as well as our primers on the best skills to unlock and all the different Field Depot locations on every map.

ARC Raiders

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