AsRune Factory: Guardians of Azuma’s Earthmate, you’ve got a lot on your plate. There are crops to tend to, monsters to tame, and a vibrant cast of bachelors and bachelorettes to woo. But let’s be honest, sometimes you just want to get out into the world and lay the smackdown on some fantastical beasts.
Whether you’re a fan of the classic long sword, the speedy dual blades, or the game’s debut mystical talismans, I’m about to rank every weapon type based on one simple, brutal metric: how quickly they can melt monsters and turn powerful bosses into puddles of loot.
5Dual Blades
A Flurry Of Gnat-Bites
Look, we get the appeal. Wielding two swords at once looks incredibly cool, and the rapid-fire shing-shing-shing of a full combo is undeniably satisfying. The problem is, while you’re busy living out your anime protagonist fantasy, the monster you’re fighting is barely feeling a tickle. Dual Blades in Azuma suffer from a critical flaw: abysmal base damage and poor stagger potential.
You’ll find yourself locked in lengthy attack animations that deal death by a thousand papercuts, all while a foe is winding up a haymaker that’s going to send you flying back to the clinic. Sure, you’re fast, but that speed is meaningless when you have to dodge out of your own combo halfway through just to avoid being flattened. This isn’t even mentioning the pretty dismal damage. When you’re capable of pumping the numbers super-high, evenbeforecritical hits are taken into account with other weapons, Dual Blades feel quite lacklustre. Leave these flashy toothpicks in the forge.
4Talismans
Style Over Substance
The shiny, newer weapon on the block, Talismans are a fascinating, if impractical, addition to your monster-slaying toolkit. These mystical charms allow you to channel raw magic, launching elemental projectiles and weaving long-range spells without chugging RP potions. When a Talisman build works, it feels spectacular; you’re a whirlwind of fire, ice, and wind, controlling the battlefield from a safe distance.
The keyword there is ‘when’. Talismans are frustratingly inconsistent. Their damage output is heavily reliant on matching the correct element to an enemy’s weakness, which often requires guesswork or tedious trial and error. Furthermore, their effectiveness is based so much on your spacing and the enemy’s movements that your damage output is basically down to puck. In the time it takes to charge a flurry of spells to kill a Wooly, a more practical Earthmate could have already cleared the pack. They’re a fun weapon to use, but they really don’t beat Bows when it comes to ranged power.
3Short Swords
A Classic
Ah, the humble Short Sword. You get one for free at the start of the game, and it’s easy to dismiss it as basic. But ‘basic’ isn’t always a bad thing. The Short Sword is the jack-of-all-trades; it’s the reliable, dependable workhorse that will never let you down, even if it never truly dazzles you either.
With a perfect balance of speed, power, and a versatile move set that includes quick jabs and a useful spin attack, the Short Sword is effective in almost any situation. It attacks quickly enough to let you dodge when needed, but still packs enough punch to stagger smaller enemies. Its ultimate abilities are easy to execute and provide great utility for clearing out monster traps. It won’t win any awards for style, and it certainly doesn’t boast the highest damage numbers, but for its sheer consistency and ease of use, the Short Sword is a respectable middle-of-the-pack choice that gets the job done with no fuss.
2Bows
The Superior Ranged Option
The Bow is a top-tier contender for melting monsters with ruthless efficiency. Why get your hands dirty in melee combat when you can obliterate your foes from across the screen? The Bow combines safety and immense power into one glorious package, making many of the game’s toughest encounters feel trivial. When you compare it to the Talismans, it’s almost unfair.
The fact that the bow can be enchanted with fire just by having the Sacred Sword equipped doesn’t hurt it one bit!
Its strength lies in its ability to target enemy weak points for massive critical damage. The charge shot mechanic allows you to unleash devastating single arrows that can one-shot many standard enemies before they even know you’re there. Against bosses, you’re able to stay comfortably out of their deadliest attack ranges, calmly peppering them with high-damage shots. The Bow’s combination of high damage-per-second and unparalleled safety makes it the smartest choice for any adventurer looking to clear dungeons quickly and cleanly.
1Long Swords
Slow And Steady Wins The Race
Was there ever any doubt? Sometimes, the classic approach is the best one. The Long Sword is, without question, the undisputed king of monster-melting in Azuma. It represents the perfect fusion of devastating power, excellent reach, and crowd-controlling prowess. While other weapons have their niche uses, the Long Sword is the master of all situations, turning hordes of enemies into so much monster loot with a single, mighty swing.
What sets the Long Sword apart is its incredible charge attack. This single move, a wide-arcing cleave, deals obscene damage in a huge area in front of you. You don’t need to worry about how slow the weapon is when you’re able to pump your critical hit rate and defeat everything in one or two well-timed hits. For pure, glorious, screen-clearing speed, the Long Sword stands alone on the throne.
