Version note: This guide reflects Soulframe Open Preludes Alpha — Preludes 16, open to all PC players since November 6, 2026. Preludes 17: "Verse of the Veilands" is expected later in November 2026 and will bring a new Pact, mounts, fishing, and world changes that may add or rebalance weapons. Values marked
[to verify]are community-sourced and should be re-checked in-game.
Your starting weapon is fine — but it is not good. The single biggest early power spike in Soulframe is crafting your first proper weapon, ideally before you fight the first boss (Kabocha, in Midrath). This guide explains the weapon families, which early picks are worth the materials, and how weapons actually improve.
Weapon Types Overview
| Type | Playstyle | Strengths | Typical Virtue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long Blades / Great Blades | All-round melee | High "Smite" windows, strong solo clears | Courage | Safest melee starter |
| Heavy | Slow bruiser | Highest raw ATK and stagger | Courage | Slow startup; later gate |
| Polearms | Reach melee | Blunt + pierce coverage, great value per point | Courage / Spirit | Earliest useful polearm gated at Spirit 11 |
| Bows | Ranged / puzzle | Safe ranged damage, puzzle utility | Grace / Spirit | Weak in pure DPS races |
| Short Blades | Fast melee | Speed over raw ATK; some twin-blades split for dual strikes | Grace | Great true-starter options |
| Flyblades | Quick thrown/melee | Fast, Grace-based | Grace | Low requirement |
| Shields | Off-hand / melee | High stagger, can be used as a weapon | — | Utility |
How Early Weapons Work
A few rules make early gearing much simpler than it looks:
- New players start with roughly 16 Virtue points
[to verify], so your first weapon should have no Virtue requirement, or a combined requirement of about 8 or less. - A weapon whose Virtue requirement you don't meet gives no Attunement bonus at all (see the Virtues guide) — so don't rush a gated weapon before you have the points.
- One-star and two-star weapons drop fully built. Three-star weapons usually require Fragments that you forge with Tuvalkane.
- Weapons are obtained by crafting (Tuvalkane), from enemies, chests, activities, or vendors.
- Weapons do not level traditionally. They improve through Chordstones, Tempers, Attunement, and Craftwork refinement at the forge.
Best Early Weapons by Type
Community-tested early picks, with their Virtue gate and attack value where known [to verify]:
| Type | Pick | Gate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Blade | Wulder | None | Best free/early long blade; ~46 ATK |
| Long Blade | The Ivor | Courage 7 | Slight upgrade; Founders/Zenith Wares |
| Heavy | The Paragon | None | Rare, ~64 ATK, but Founders/Zenith only |
| Polearm | Rook | Spirit 11 | Excellent value (~65 ATK); build toward it |
| Polearm | Duhk Halic | Courage 12 | Solid early-mid reach option |
| Bow | Thistle | None | Free ranged/puzzle option |
| Bow | The Starling | Grace 7 | Early Grace-scaling bow |
| Short Blade | Nettle | None | Best true starter short blade, ~41 ATK |
| Short Blade | Clivers | Courage 12 | Courage pressure after Nettle |
| Flyblade | Precklies | None | ~31 ATK, Grace attunement |
Recommended first picks (safe, no gate)
If you want the least-friction start, these four have no Virtue requirement and are worth crafting or grabbing early:
- Wulder (Long Blade) — the all-round melee default.
- Nettle (Short Blade) — the fast melee default.
- Thistle (Bow) — ranged/puzzle utility.
- Precklies (Flyblade) — Grace-based quick option.
Then, as your Virtue points grow, graduate to Rook (Polearm, Spirit 11) or Falx / Ilverac (Long Blades, Courage 12) [to verify].
How to Get Weapons
- Tuvalkane (the blacksmith) — the main source. Unlock her via The Steelsinger quest, then craft weapons from Fragments + materials.
- Enemy drops & chests — one/two-star weapons drop fully built.
- Activities & vendors — some weapons come from faction vendors or specific activities (e.g. The Paragon is Founders/Zenith-only).
- Fragments — three-star weapons need Fragments found in chests/dungeons and forged at the Nightfold.
Early Progression Path
A reliable first-hour sequence:
- Pick your Pact — this sets your starting Enclave and first Virtue lean (Tethren = Courage, Oscelda = Spirit, Sirin = Grace).
- Unlock the Nightfold and open Tuvalkane's forge.
- Craft your first proper weapon (a no-gate pick matching your Virtue).
- Talk to the Nightfold NPCs (Tuvalkane, Orlick, Orengall) for quests and vendors.
- Kill Kabocha in Midrath as your first boss — it drops a useful Fragment and respawns in roughly 30 minutes.
Loadout tip: keep one primary melee weapon, one AoE/farming option, and (if you're melee-focused) one ranged weapon for puzzles.
How Weapons Improve (No Traditional Levels)
Soulframe weapons don't level up. Instead, refine them at Tuvalkane:
- Chordstones — socket to tune the weapon.
- Tempers — add stat bonuses.
- Attunement — scale damage off your Virtues (meet the threshold first!).
- Craftwork — improve the weapon's crafting tier/quality.
- Reforging (Joinery) — add Attunement pips.
Values to Verify In-Game
- Attack values and exact Virtue gates for Wulder, The Ivor, The Paragon, Rook, Duhk Halic, Thistle, The Starling, Nettle, Clivers, Precklies, Falx, Ilverac
- Starting Virtue point total (~16) and the "combined gate ≤ 8" guideline
- Kabocha Fragment drop details and respawn timer (~30 min)