Kin and Conquest Weapons Tier List
Rankings for floors, bosses, and Blessing synergy
This Kin and Conquest weapons tier list ranks the six unlockable weapon families by general progression value, guardian reliability, and synergy with Blessings and skill nodes. The Fox Knocks balanced weapon damage and enemy health so floor transitions feel smoother than early demos—tiers reflect usefulness across a full mountain run, not only first-hour damage numbers.
Tier placement assumes Normal difficulty clears with reasonable mining income from the Mining guide and baseline skill purchases. Your Blessing rolls and playstyle can move a weapon up or down one tier.
Tier list summary
| Tier | Weapon families | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| S | Floor-matched upgraded recipe | Whatever weapon type you fully upgraded for the current floor |
| A | Staffs | Strong ranged cadence for guardians and explosive packs |
| A | Books | Flexible ranged patterns; good Blessing scaling |
| B | Mid-tier melee unlocks | Reliable before Staffs/Books appear; needs Survival for face-tank floors |
| B | Early melee starter | Fine for Floor 1 teaching; replace when recipes unlock |
| C | Un upgraded off-floor weapon | Using last floor’s gear without upgrades on a new floor |
Exact weapon names per slot vary by unlock order; treat categories by behavior (melee vs tome vs staff) rather than chasing datamined labels without in-game confirmation.
S tier: upgraded floor match
The best Kin and Conquest weapon is almost always the one whose recipe belongs to your current floor, upgraded with coins you mined on that floor or the one above. Patch notes explicitly targeted the old problem where new floors felt impossible until a specific recipe dropped—upgrades now feel strongly recommended rather than strictly required.
If a guardian feels like a brick wall, return to town, mine one more partial run, and upgrade before blaming tier placement.
A tier: Staffs
Staffs entered in demo updates alongside deeper floors. They provide ranged proximity attacks that keep your Fox farther from explosion radii and melee swarms. Staff cadence pairs well with Cunning haste nodes—Gale Runner style duration extensions give more casts per guardian phase.
Staffs drop slightly if you under-invest in upgrade coins and enter guardians with a low-level staff while a fully upgraded melee still sits in inventory.
A tier: Books
Books offer another ranged archetype with attack patterns that scale well when Blessings add chain, explosion, or proc effects on hit. Books reward players who kited safely in Combat Basics training and want to maintain distance on higher difficulties where non-boss enemies move faster.
Books compete with Staffs for the same ranged slot—pick whichever recipe the current floor favors and you can afford to upgrade.
B tier: mid-tier melee unlocks
Middle melee weapons bridge early tutorials and late ranged options. They shine when Survival nodes—thorns reflecting scaled damage, shield shards, absorb retention—let you stand in proximity longer than glass-cannon builds.
Melee falls off relative to Staffs/Books on floors dense with ranged enemies unless you pair with defensive Blessings and careful totem use from the Totems guide.
B tier: early melee starter
Your first weapon teaches proximity rhythm. It remains viable through early guardians if upgraded promptly. Do not sentimental-stick to it when vendors offer floor-two recipes and Books or Staffs appear on your unlock track.
C tier: under upgraded carryover
Bringing a previous floor’s weapon into a new floor without upgrades lands in C tier regardless of how strong it felt yesterday. Enemy health scaling expects at least incremental upgrades or a new recipe.
This tier is a planning mistake, not a weapon identity—fix via Upgrades rather than rerolling Blessings alone.
Blessing synergy notes
Blessings vary each run, but patterns repeat:
- Chain or cleave effects — favor Books or fast melee with good pack grouping.
- Defensive sustain — favor melee plus Survival nodes.
- Speed or haste — favor Staffs or Cunning-heavy repositioning builds.
Chain Lightning specifically benefited from preload fixes; first proc may still hitch once on some setups.
Skill tree interactions
Survival thorns scaling with damage stat makes upgraded melee stronger than tier lists alone suggest. Cunning haste boosts Staff kiting and shortens guardian fight time, which mimics higher DPS tiers without raw weapon swaps.
Respec costs coins—align weapon tier commitments with skill tree branches before guardian attempts covered in How to Beat Bosses.
Difficulty adjustments
Higher difficulties accelerate non-boss enemies. Ranged A-tier weapons gain value because spacing errors punish faster. Melee can remain A-tier if Survival investment is high and totems are managed manually.
How to use this tier list mid-run
- Identify your current floor and available recipes.
- Compare upgrade level of melee versus Books/Staffs if both unlocked.
- Pick the higher investment line for the next guardian.
- After clear or fail, reassess—tiers shift when upgrade costs jump.
Related pages
Weapons hub for overview, Upgrades for coin timing, Books and Staffs for ranged details, Guides hub for combat and mining support.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers for Kin and Conquest players.
What is the best weapon in Kin and Conquest?
Usually the fully upgraded weapon whose recipe matches your current floor. Ranged Staffs or Books often dominate deeper floors if you can afford upgrades.
Are Staffs better than Books?
Both sit in A tier for ranged play. Staffs favor steady cadence and haste synergy; Books favor Blessing proc builds. Pick by floor recipe and upgrade level.
Why does my weapon feel weak on new floors?
Enemy health scales per floor. Upgrade or craft the local recipe—see [Upgrades](/weapons/upgrades/)—before judging tier placement.
Does the tier list change after patches?
Yes. Balance updates adjusted weapon damage and enemy health. Re-check tiers after major Kin and Conquest patches.
Should melee players switch to Staffs?
Switch when a floor's enemy mix punishes melee range and you can fund staff upgrades. Survival-heavy melee can stay competitive longer.
Where do Blessings fit in weapon choice?
Pick weapons that trigger your offered Blessings efficiently—chains for grouped packs, defensive tools for melee stand fights.