Weapons Guide — All 5 Weapon Families Explained
Complete weapons guide for The Relic: First Guardian. Sword & Shield, Longsword, Dagger, Two-Handed, and Battle Staff — playstyles, the 12 skill trees, and honest notes on what is unconfirmed.
The Relic: First Guardian offers five weapon families, each with its own moveset, playstyle, and skill tree. Confirmed facts about the system: there are 12 skill trees total — two per weapon family (not 12 per weapon), skills are bought with Relic Energy, and every weapon in the world is unique — no random drops, no duplicates. Some powerful weapons carry Drawbacks (e.g., stamina loss or a weakness).
At launch (August 2026) the families' playstyles are confirmed by official material and reviews; specific skill-tree names and per-weapon stats are unconfirmed and still being documented.
The 5 Families at a Glance
| Family | Playstyle (confirmed) | Defensive Option |
|---|---|---|
| Sword & Shield | Defensive, parry-focused | Block + parry (best defense in the game) |
| Longsword | Balanced, versatile | Parry (no block) |
| Dagger (dual blades) | Fast, aggressive, bursty | Dodge (no block) |
| Two-Handed | Heavy damage, slow | Dodge (no block) |
| Battle Staff | Mage-like, skill-heavy | Dodge (no block) |
Every family shares the game's core rules: attacks cost zero stamina (stamina is for defense only), and skills run on cooldowns.
Sword & Shield — The Balanced Guardian
Confirmed: the defensive family. It is the only family with a native block, and the game's parry system pairs with the shield for the strongest defensive toolkit. Strengths: safest playstyle; block and parry make it the best family for learning boss patterns; the parry window is described by reviews as generous. Weaknesses: lower damage ceiling than aggressive families; can teach a passive habit that hurts against dodge-gate bosses (see the Boss Strategies guide). Best for: beginners, first soulslike players, anyone who hates dying to patterns.Longsword — The Versatile Duelist
Confirmed: the balanced middle ground — decent damage, decent speed, decent range. Strengths: adapts to any encounter; the parry playstyle rewards timing without the fragility of daggers. Weaknesses: no block — you must parry or dodge for defense. Best for: players who want a reliable all-rounder while they learn the roster.Dagger (Dual Blades) — The Agile Assassin
Confirmed: the fastest family, built for aggressive burst play. (Official material sometimes calls this family "dagger" and reviews call it "dual blades" — same family.) Strengths: highest attack speed; excellent for exploiting brief openings and applying pressure; the family that most rewards aggressive play — which the game's zero-stamina-attacks economy encourages. Weaknesses: short range; no block; punished hard by mistakes. Reviews note heavy-feeling enemy aggression, so positioning discipline is required. Best for: experienced players who want speed and burst.Two-Handed — The Heavy Hitter
Confirmed: slow, heavy, high-damage weapons. Preview coverage noted heavy-feeling slow attacks on this family as a trade-off for power. Strengths: big damage per hit; the natural choice for players who prefer trading and big swings. Weaknesses: slow recovery — whiffing is costly; no block; harder to use against fast, aggressive bosses. Best for: players who like deliberate, hard-hitting combat.Battle Staff (Combat Staff) — The Skill-Caster
Confirmed: the mage-like family. Launch reviews describe it as the "skill-spamming" weapon — built around using skills, which run on cooldowns rather than resources. Strengths: strongest synergy with the skill/cooldown system; ranged and AoE options; safer damage from distance. Weaknesses: previews suggest it needs relic support to scale — early on it is less competitive until you collect the right fragments. Best for: players who want to lean into the cooldown-skill system and don't mind a slower start.The 12 Skill Trees (Two per Family)
Confirmed: the game has 12 exclusive skill trees — two per weapon class (sometimes described as each weapon having a "two-sided skill tree"). Key facts:
- Skills are purchased with Relic Energy (earned from defeating Brutals and finding Ancient Relic Blessings).
- Trees are not just offensive: some nodes increase Health Points or Stamina, and some buff specific Relics.
- You can blend trees into a unique class — official material frames the two-tree structure as the game's "class system."
Unique Weapons and Forging
Every weapon you find is one-of-a-kind — there is no loot grinding for a better drop. Confirmed consequences:
- Exploration is how you find weapons — hidden paths and secret areas hold uniques.
- The blacksmith upgrades your favorites — with currencies and materials (exact costs unconfirmed). Since copies never re-drop, forging is how a weapon grows with you.
- Drawbacks are real — some weapons carry costs (stamina loss, a weakness). Weigh them before equipping.
- No rarity tiers confirmed — common/rare/legendary color-coded tiers are not verified; item value is individual, not categorical.
What Is NOT Confirmed
| Claim | Status |
|---|---|
| 5 weapon families with these playstyles | Confirmed (official/reviews) |
| 12 skill trees total, two per family | Confirmed (official) |
| Attacks cost zero stamina | Confirmed |
| Every weapon unique, some with Drawbacks | Confirmed |
| Skill tree names and effects | Unconfirmed |
| Weapon-swapping mid-combat / dual-wield slots | Unconfirmed |
| Rarity tiers (Common→Relic colors) | Unconfirmed |
| "Best weapon" rankings | Unconfirmed at launch — see the Tier List |
Common Questions
Q: Which weapon is best?A: Unconfirmed at launch — no verified tier data exists. All five families are described as viable; choose by playstyle. Early community sentiment and reviews lean toward sword & shield for learning and daggers/staff for aggressive play.
Q: Can I use more than one weapon?A: The game's design encourages switching families between fights (each has its own tree progress). Mid-combat weapon switching is unconfirmed.
Q: How do I unlock more skills?A: Spend Relic Energy in each weapon's skill tree — earned from Brutals and Ancient Relic Blessings.
Q: Do weapons have levels?A: No levels in this game. Weapons improve via blacksmith forging (unconfirmed exact costs).
Q: Should I upgrade my weapon early?A: Yes — forging your starter/favorite unique is likely the best early material sink, but confirm exact costs in-game first; wasted materials hurt because items never re-drop.
Related Guides
- Beginner Guide — Choosing your first weapon
- Best Builds Guide — How each family builds
- Weapon Tier List — Early-impression rankings (unconfirmed data)
- Combat Guide — The shared combat economy