ELEX can be an unforgiving game. At the start, you’ll see that Jax is weak and can’t deliver much damage. Raising attributes alone won’t help: you’ll need better swords, bows, laser rifles and plasma guns to take on stronger opponents. Thankfully, ELEX arsenal has a lot to offer: from rusty axes to spearguns and flamethrowers. Let’s see how you can arm yourself with better weapons from the start and overview the main types of equipment you’ll find in the game.
Best Early Weapons
Among the best weapons that you can find and equip early in the game are Hatchet, Horned Sword, Cultivator Bow and Flamethrower Mark B. How to find:
Hatchet (30 damage) can be found during your walk to Goliet with Duras at the start of the game. You’ll surely walk near a small building just to the north of the town. There are stairs nearby, and if you go down, you’ll find some rats and the weapon itself. The Hatchet takes 33\23 strength and constitution to use, worth every point.
You can easily steal Horned Sword from Angrim’s house in Goliet. Run into the left room and quickly pick it up from the wall. No one will notice. The sword can boast damage of 28 and has 28\28 requirements for strength and dexterity. It has a fast and powerful special attack if you manage to perform a combo with it.
Cultivator Bow is barely possible to miss. You find it earlier than any other weapon in the game: in the observatory ruins, not far from the place where Jax wakes up. It doesn’t have any stat requirements and deals 34 damage; it’s perfect if you have trouble fighting several enemies at once. You’ll also gain the upper hand in duels with humans: stay near, and they won’t shoot back, chasing you with their melee weapons instead as you dodge and rain arrows on them.
Flamethrower Mark B is an excellent starter weapon, though a bit tricky to find: look for a broken dome in the Tavar desert to the northwest of the Fort, southwest from the Ruins of the Dome teleporter. The flamethrower is there, in an open crate. If you have trouble dealing with the creatures there, run past them or lure them away first.
Be sure to choose the Fireball firing mode which knocks down and burns your enemies while doing some splash damage, and you’ll be able to fight groups efficiently. Getting down some more powerful opponents you couldn’t take on earlier will also become much easier. You can buy plenty of fuel for your flamethrower by the Outlaws in the Fort. It only takes 31\31 strength and dexterity to equip the weapon.
Though much better than the Iron Bar you start the game with, these weapons won’t make Jax much stronger. Until you gather enough experience levels to increase your attributes and use better weapons, check out some melee swords with special damage effects and low to medium stat requirements that we’ll discuss next.
Guide to Damage Types (Damage over Time)
These are all special damage types in ELEX (Faction-based):
- Berserkers: Fire, Poison
- Clerics: PSI, Energy
- Outlaws: Bleeding, Radiation
At the start of the game, make sure to acquire one of the pre-upgraded weapons you can find while exploring. These are Fire, Poison, Gore (bleeding) etc. weapons. Not only can they boast decent damage (for example, Gore Chainsword I deals 42 direct damage and only takes 39\39 strength and dexterity to equip), but they also deal a fair amount of DoT that ignores armor! It will make it possible to take on even high-level enemies with “skulls” on them and greatly ease combat in general. However, not every enemy is susceptible to each type of DoT. Check out the Energy Regent Sword I: most enemies are vulnerable to its electrocution effect, but this sword’s requirements are somewhat higher: 43\43 strength and 9 dexterity, with 47 damage output. How to find:
Goreblade Chainsword I is to the south of Origin, in the hills near a well; a slugbeast guards it. The creature will probably be too strong for you. But he is slow and won’t catch you if you run past and grab the sword.
Energy Regent Sword I is much easier to obtain: find the building just to the north of the River Delta teleporter, south of Goliet, and search it. The sword is in the basement, at the start of the dangerous area filled with poison fumes. You’ll see the sword gleaming from a safe distance, and it’s not hard to go in, take it and come back.
Poison, Fire or Radiation weapons are also the right choices if you manage to acquire one of them and gather enough attribute points to use.
Be sure to carry several weapons with different damage types on them to ease your exploration of Magalan greatly.
More on the special damage effects are in the Faction Weapons section.
Improving vs Upgrading Weapons
Modify Weapons Skill — With this skill, you can improve and upgrade most of the common weapons you find in the game, such as Horned Sword or Plasma Gun. Improving will increase their damage output, but it will also take more attribute points in strength, dexterity or intelligence to equip the better version. You can enhance any common weapon three times. It will change their names, such as Regent Sword I, II, or III.
Upgrading weapons is different. Upgrades are Faction-based and infuse your weapons with special effects without directly increasing the damage output. Usually, you get powerful damage over time effects like burning, poison or electrocution. Upgrading can only be performed on Faction melee weapons. Ranged weapons can only be improved.
Regent Sword III (80 damage), Horned Sword III (78 damage), Chainsaber III (82 damage) are all deadly, and you can upgrade them with your faction’s special effects for ultimate power.
Important: make sure to improve your weapon before choosing an upgrade for it. With each step (I, II etc.) the weapon loses its special upgrade, and you’ll have to install it again on the improved version.
Overview of all weapon types
The best weapon in ELEX is the one you can make yourself: a fully improved and upgraded (enchanted) version of a common Faction weapon. For example, try fully improving the one-handed Berserker Hatchet, and you’ll see that it now deals hefty blows for 80 damage, with additional DoT-effects if you upgrade it for Fire or Poison. To compare: the best Legendary one-handed weapon you can find is the Sword of Advent with just 50 damage.
However, you can only upgrade weapons of the faction you choose to ally with: an Outlaw can make Radiation weapons, but won’t create a Fire or Energy Sword.
Note that Legendary weapons often have ridiculous requirements for their damage and you’ll often be better off with self-improved and upgraded Faction weapons.
The same is true for ranged weapons: improving a common Laser Rifle as you progress and gather experience will make it a powerful end-game weapon.
Melee Weapons and Shields
One-handed weapons
These are Swords, Axes, Maces. More exotic types include Forge Wrenches, Morning Stars, Chainsabers and Chainswords. You can wield these with Wooden, Scrap, or Energy shields for increased protection and efficient blocking. Note that your strong attack will change to shield bash.
Best one-handed weapon
Scrap Hatchet III (72\55 strength\dexterity) is the best with 86 damage. The best Legendary one-handed is the Sword of Advent with 50 damage and Lightning effect.
Two-handed weapons
These are Broadswords, Two-handed Swords, Battleaxes, Hammers. More exotic are Reaperblades and Slaughterblades. Two-handed weapons deal good damage and have greater reach, but require more attribute points to equip and have slower attacks. They also stagger enemies more.
Best two-handed weapon
Slaughterblade III (76\55 strength\constitution) is the best with 94 damage. The best Legendary two-handed is the Kiss of Death (76\92 strength\constitution), an Alb battleaxe with 87 damage.
Is there a best shield?
All shields are equal, differing from each other only in appearance. They don’t influence your armor rating, but you’re able to block enemy attacks much more efficiently with a shield equipped. Some Legendary shields also have a bonus resistance, like +20 resistance to poison from Calaan’s Bulwark.
Skill confusion: Attack Strength vs Melee Weapons
If you go with a melee character, you’ll notice these two perks in the Combat skill tree. Attack Strength influences your ability to stagger or even knock down enemies, while Melee Weapons increases your direct damage output (10% per skill level).
Ranged Weapons and Guns
These are Bows, Crossbows, Harpoons, Spearguns, Shotguns, Laser and Plasma Rifles\Blasters. They all have different firing mods: you can shoot single shots or bursts, the Bows can shoot homing arrows which chase opponents, and you can release an EMP-blast with a plasma rifle, helpful against mechs. Ammunition also matters: serrated bolts for crossbows make your opponents bleed.
Best ranged weapon
The deadliest ranged weapon is the War Bow III (56\78 strength\dexterity) with 120 damage per shot.
The Mortal Beam (83\59 strength\dexterity), a Legendary laser rifle, is also powerful with 106 damage and additional damage to Mutants. Note that The Mortal Beam requires strength to handle, while common laser and plasma rifles require intelligence instead: check out Laser Rifle III (73\51 dexterity\intelligence) which deals 94 damage and is also a good choice for a ranged-based character.
Heavy Weapons
Grenades, Flamethrowers, Rocket Launchers, Grenade Launchers.
Best heavy weapons
The best heavy weapon is the Rocket Launcher III (70\70 strength\dexterity) with 125 damage.
The Widowmaker (82\60 strength\dexterity) is the best Legendary grenade launcher with 114 damage. It shoots in bursts of 3 grenades which makes it particularly deadly.
Mage Weapons
The Berserkers and the Clerics can cast magic (PSI abilities). The Outlaws can’t, but they’ve got their Elex stims to substitute for it.
Berserker Magical Arms
Apart from their summoning and protective spells, the Berserkers have three magical offensive weapons: Magical Fist of Fire, Magical Fist of Ice, and Magical Fist of Poison. Apart from the element, they all have additional features: Ice slows your opponents down, Magical Fist of Fire can work as a flamethrower, and you can put your enemies out of combat with the Insect Swarm ability of the Magical Fist of Poison.
Cleric Psionic Gloves
Like the Berserkers, the Clerics have their own protective PSI-abilities, and two different magical (PSI) weapons, each with different features.
PSI Amplifier attacks enemies directly with lightning and EMP blasts.
PSI Thrower damages enemies with pure PSI energy or ties them up with Mental Manacle mode, making them unable to move.
Best magic
The best offensive spell in ELEX is arguably the Black Hole mode of PSI Amplifier. For petty 5 Mana, it sucks in your enemies, making them unable to reach you, and explodes doing additional Energy damage over time. By positioning yourself carefully you can avoid being hit at all and kill a group of enemies quickly and efficiently. Be wary, though: this spell does damage you as well if you’re too close when you cast it. The Berserker Poison and Fire attacks are also good, but they don’t stun your enemies the way Black Hole does.
Faction Weapons
Each faction has its weapons. Functionally, they usually don’t differ much (a Berserker sword is not much unlike a Cleric sword or an Outlaw chainsaber) but are marked by slightly different damage values and requirements for strength, dexterity, or intelligence. Each faction has a specific crafting skill which allows them to install upgrades on their weapons.
Berserker Weapons
Horned Sword, Hatchet, Bladed Mace, Warrior’s Sword, Battleaxe, Warhammer, Cultivator Bow, War Bow.
Enchant Weapon skill — You can upgrade the Berserker melee weapons with Fire, Ice or Poison enchantment with this skill. Fire and Poison weapons will damage your enemies over time in addition to your direct damage, and Ice will slow them down.
Cleric Weapons
Acolyte Sword, Regent Sword, Axe, Persuader, Calaan’s Hammer, Laser and Plasma Rifles.
High-Tech Weaponsmith skill — Clerics can make Energy, PSI and Stasis weapons. The first two are damage over time effects, and Stasis freezes your target’s stamina regeneration for a few seconds.
Outlaw Weapons
Chainsword, Chainsaber, Serrated Axe, Scrap Hatchet, Slaughterblade, Reaperblade, Shotguns, Harpoons.
Low-Tech Weaponsmith skill — With it, you can create Gore, Radioactive, and Reflector weapons. The first one is a powerful bleeding effect, able to wear out most enemies. Radiation reduces your enemies’ armor value, making combat mechs and other armored things easier to kill, but it doesn’t work on mutants. Reflector does some retaliation damage to your enemies when they hit you, but it’s barely noticeable.
Legendary Weapons List
There are 21 Legendary weapons scattered throughout the game world. Some of these you can pick up quite early in the game.
- Snake Bite — one-handed sword, 30\60 str\dex, 41 dmg, poison. Where to find: lies around in Sinda’s shop in Goliet.
- Gaia’s Wrath — one-handed mace, 25\65 str\con, 39 dmg, +10% melee damage. Where to find: one of the buildings in the middle of the Valley of the Damned, in the basement.
- Ignis Artifex — two-handed sword, 44\65 str\dex, 53 dmg, fire. Where to find: in the center of a lake island to the east of Goliet. Drop down the well there and take the sword.
- The Mortal Beam — laser rifle, 59\83 dex\str, 106 dmg, Mutant Killer bonus. Where to find: in the buildings near the base of the volcano in Ignadon.
- The Redeemer — plasma blaster, 65\65 dex\int, 100 dmg. Where to find: North Abessa Converter, rooftop.
- The Executor — laser rifle, 50\76 dex\int, 89 dmg. Where to find: just north of the Fort in Tavar, at the top of a tower.
- The Staker — harpoon gun, 43\70 dex\str, 79 dmg. Where to find: south of the dam separating Abessa and Ignadon, in a big building.
- Daryl’s Revenge — crossbow, 50\65 dex\str, 75 dmg. Where to find: on a mountain cliff near the Converter in Tavar.
- The Phantom String — bow, 30\70 dex\str, 72 dmg, unlocks Scatter Shot and Seeker Shot abilities which are usually available to the Berserker faction members only. Where to find: at the top of the tower in Origin.
- Sword of Advent — one-handed sword, 40\74 str\dex, 50 dmg, electrocution. Where to find: at the top of the Cleric base in the Domed City.
- The Armor Cracker — one-handed axe, 50\69 str\con, 47 dmg, radiation. Where to find: west part of Tavar, in a crater.
- Hammer of Advent — two-handed hammer, 33\67 str\con, 45 dmg, fire. Where to find: on the shore of a small lake by the Domed City in Abessa.
- The Widowmaker — grenade launcher, 60\82 dex\str, 114 dmg, 3 shots per burst. Where to find: northwest of the Hort, guarded by a mountain troll.
- Dr. Strange — rocket launcher, 65\75 dex\str, 104 dmg. Where to find: at the Reaver castle to the east of Origin.
- Calaan’s Bulwark — shield, 35\60 dex\con, +20 poison resistance. Where to find: upper floor of the Hort Cathedral.
- Ironfist’s Shield — shield, 25\45 str\con, +20 energy resistance. Where to find: at the Reaver camp just to the north of the Small Camp teleporter.
- Thunderclap — shotgun, 60\70 dex\str, 91 dmg. Where to find: can be stolen from the Duke’s treasure room in the Fort.
- Archon’s Might — laser rifle, 45\56 dex\int, 45 dmg. Where to find: below the Domed City, in The Claws headquarters.
- The Furnace — flamethrower, 68\55 str\dex, 83 dmg. Where to find: the Hort, upper part of the Factory there.
- Kiss of Death — two-handed axe, 76\92 str\con, 87 dmg, ice. Where to find: south of the Valley of the Damned teleporter, in a cave.
- Kaboom — heavy weapon, shoots explosive projectiles, 35\35 str\dex, 46 dmg. Where to find: north-east of the Sandy Pines teleporter, on a cliff.