You can find Code Vein 2’s best early-game weapons almost immediately, letting you breeze through MagMell Island

Like any good soulslike, Code Vein 2 isn’t afraid to kick your ass. Even in its tutorial island, there are a good few enemies that’ll ruin your day when you first encounter them (that horrible machine under the first bridge, for example), and they’re not even proper bosses.

Luckily, MagMell Island is free for you to explore, so you can almost immediately grab the best early weapons and be on your merry way. I’ve played around with a few weapons so far, but these are undoubtedly my favourites.

VK Dual Blades

• You can buy the VK Dual Blades from Jadwiga’s Minion merchant on the southwest coast of MagMell Island for 1,000 Haze

The VK Dual Blades is the best weapon I’ve found at the start of the game, in part because it synergises perfectly with Noah’s blood code, which boosts Dexterity and damage with successive hits. You can also grab a free Dexterity booster from one of Jadwiga’s Minions in the gear upgrade room of MagMell, too.

These daggers come with Shredding Spin to deal massive damage, though it eats through your ichor. It also has the Iron Will skill, which temporarily reduces all incoming damage. They’re as safe as dual daggers can be without sacrificing lethality.

Carmilla’s Thorn

• You can buy Carmilla’s Thorn from Jadwiga in the weapon shop in MagMell, north MagMell Island, for 3,400 Haze

Carmilla’s Thorn is a one-handed sword, so it’s already starting off strong; they’re always reliable. But what makes this sword unique is that it comes with the Secret Art – Forestall ability, a ranged attack which helps you sneak in extra damage from afar. You can pair this with its other default formae, Overdrive, to simply buff up your attack power.

Ame-no-Habakiri Greatsword

• You can buy Carmilla’s Thorn from Jadwiga in the weapon shop in MagMell, north MagMell Island, for just 10 Haze

Despite the name, Ame-no-Habakiri is actually a one-handed sword, though it does pack a punch. Ame-no-Habakiri’s main strength is the Looming Slash formae, an uppercut that deals heavy damage while also avoiding an incoming enemy attack if timed correctly. You can combine this with the Sacrificial Edge skill, which constantly drains your life in return for a damage boost, to quickly burn down bosses. It’s risky, obviously, but it’s worth it. Hell, you could even assimilate your partner for even more of a selfish streak.

The only reason I generally prefer using the VK Dual Blades early on is that they scale more on Strength and Dexterity (synergising better with Lou or Noah’s blood codes) compared to Ame-no-Habakiri focus on Mind.

Bat jail

• Select ‘Talk to Lou’ at any Mistle (rest point) to visit The Confluence, and collect it from the dresser next to Lou

Being a jail, the Bat technically isn’t a weapon. But it deals damage and it’s the perfect addition to basically any build, so I’m including it anyway. Like all jails, the Bat drains enemy blood to charge your formae abilities.

What sets the Bat apart is that it unleashes a swarm of bats that drain blood continuously, recharging your formae over a period of time. This lets you spam abilities much easier, pairing nicely with the VK Dual Blades’ Shredding Spin, the ranged attacks of Carmilla’s Thorn, and so on. Plus, it also has more range than most jails, especially the very limited Ogre.

From here, you’ll want to upgrade your favourite weapons and reach higher proficiency with blood codes to unlock higher-level versions. And don’t forget to level up your Revenant weapon (like the Ogre or Bat), either, as reaching +11 with any of these will unlock a second weapon slot.