Weapon upgrades: range, evolutions, and team fit

Read all four parts of an upgrade

• Damage and projectile count
• Magazine or reload behavior
• Cooldown and duration
• Damage tags and evolution effect

Relevant 1.0 balance changes

Most weapon attacks no longer lose damage as they penetrate a line. Burst and multi-projectile attacks now make one Critical roll for the whole group. Huntress tier-two and tier-three weapon firing arc was reduced from 30 to 20; Ghost's Shuriken final damage rose from 350 to 400, while Kunai Dance fell from 250 to 150.

Positioning now changes weapon damage

Pistols, shotguns, the Taser, and Syringe Gun prefer close range. The Sniper Rifle gains 25% at long range. Huntress arrows hold damage at mid and long range but lose some value at point-blank distance.

Penetration now keeps more value through a lane

Version 1.0 removed penetration damage loss from most weapon attacks. Line enemies up instead of treating penetration as a minor convenience. The first and later targets can now receive the attack without the old general falloff, although range modifiers and weapon-specific rules still apply.

A burst makes one Critical roll

Burst and multi-projectile weapons and abilities now roll Critical once for the whole group. A full volley can crit together, followed by a normal volley. Judge a Critical build across several attack cycles instead of reading one bright burst as its stable damage.

Match attack speed and cooldown to the firing cycle

Attack speed helps a magazine weapon fire its rounds sooner. Cooldown or reload support matters more when the weapon fires once, empties quickly, or waits between activations. Read the magazine and cooldown fields after evolving; the best stat can change when the weapon's firing pattern changes.

Choose an evolution by battlefield job

Use single-target or long-range evolutions for bosses, wide or piercing options for horde coverage, and status evolutions when the team already benefits from that tag. The brightest card is not automatically the best fit.

Ranger crossbow routes

• Shock Spike: long-range Electric bolts that mark targets and keep a Kinetic-friendly plan
• Barber: a close cone joined by barbed wire that marks a wide group
• Repeater Crossbow: more shots and more marks for companion uptime, with lower long-range damage potential
• Flarebolt: a later unlock that adds penetration, marks, and Burning coverage

Huntress needs penetration before spectacle

A high-damage arrow that stops at the first enemy wastes most of its value in dense waves. Take Penetration and Multi-shot early, then choose the status evolution that matches the squad. Barbed Penetration can apply Injured and support a Critical route; Explosive Arrows serve the Explosive trio; Frost Arrows enable control and specific synergies.

Ghost rewards a narrow upgrade path

Finish Katana into 1000 Cuts before investing heavily in the support weapons. A single Shuriken can bounce through up to 15 enemies and return, while the fire evolution serves a different tag plan. Pick the version that supports Slashing, Critical, or elemental investment already present in the run.

Turret evolutions trade coverage for output

Taunting turret evolutions improve safety by redirecting enemies. Ice Turret can choose a defensive multi-turret pattern or a higher-damage Pressure Washer route. Use the damage route when bosses are the problem; use area control when the squad loses lanes before its weapons come online.

Check item compatibility after evolving

Magazine-trigger items favor Rocket Launcher and Grenade Launcher because both fire several rounds before reloading. A one-shot bow may not trigger the same effect. Re-read weapon behavior after each evolution before locking an item that depends on the last projectile, a Critical hit, penetration, or range.