Best weapons in Mina the Hollower

The best weapons in Mina the Hollower combine raw power with range, speed, and versatility. As obtaining and upgrading each weapon requires a ton of time, effort, and bones, you might like to know which ones are considered the best, so you can prioritize one or two weapons over the rest.

Here are our thoughts on the best upgraded weapons in Mina the Hollower.

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Best weapons in Mina the Hollower

In our guide on which weapon to pick first in Mina the Hollower, we chose the Nightstar as the best option for new players. In mid- to endgame, however, this handy flail is still good, but no longer the top choice. Having compared all five weapons, each of them fully upgraded, this list ranks Mina's weapons from best to worst.

If you'd like to get them for yourself, our guide on every weapon location in Mina the Hollower will help you out.

#1 —Battery Buster

• Base weapon: A dynamic blaster. Use the "swap" button or press attack and jump simultaneously to switch between melee and ranged modes. Hit enemies to replenish bullets.
• Upgrade #1: Burst Shot. While in ranged mode, hold the attack button to charge up a stronger shot.
• Upgrade #2: Charge Swing. While in melee mode, hold the attack button to charge up a stronger swing.

Ranged or melee? With the Battery Buster, you don't need to choose. The ability to hit enemies from a safe distance is incredibly useful in Mina the Hollower, and no weapon does it better than the Battery Buster.

You might think there's a strict limit to Battery Buster's range, but you'd be wrong; its bullets can travel almost as far as the entire horizontal length of your screen. Even better, you can shoot diagonally and use trick shots — bullets can ricochet off obstacles as many times as they encounter them on their path. Try firing Mina's Battery Buster on a narrow staircase, for example, and watch the bullet bounce against the banisters no less than six times. Bullets can also travel through enemies if the bullet killed its first target and has remaining damage to dish out.

Arguably, the Battery Buster's ranged attacks are better than the melee hits, but melee mode is still quite good. Despite the one-tile range, it's fast, comes with a charged option (the Charge Swing upgrade), and every successful hit recovers two bullets, which means you won't be stuck in melee mode for long.

#2 — Guardian Casket

• Base weapon: A sturdy shield. Tap the attack button to bash, hold it to block. Bash as you get hit to parry.
• Upgrade #1: Coffin Toss. Double-tap the attack button to toss the shield, and again to recall. Hop onto it for a blast jump.
• Upgrade #2: Grave Counter. Parry with good timing to unleash a stronger attack.

Not only does the Guardian Casket block an incoming attack, but a well-timed parry obliterates every minor enemy and severely damages the stronger ones. Don't mistake it for an unbreakable shield, though; depending on the opponent's strength, the second or third attack will break through your block if you attempt to hold it. Since you shouldn't hold block continuously anyway (blocking alone doesn't injure the enemy), this isn't a major issue. Furthermore, repeated blocking is incredibly forgiving; if you're facing a single enemy, particularly a slow one, you can block a thousand times in a row without receiving damage.

Without upgrades, the Guardian Casket's melee bash attack may feel rather limiting, since you can only damage opponents on adjacent tiles, but the Coffin Toss upgrade is a game-changer. The circular throw takes some getting used to, but once you've got the hang of it, it can easily damage several enemies at once. You can even hide behind an obstacle while the Guardian Casket circles around, hitting enemies on the other side, before returning to your hand. Also fun; throw the Guardian Casket, then burrow in the opposite direction to prolong its flight.

As a nice bonus, you can use the Guardian Casket to jump across wider gaps; throw it and jump on (yes, mid-flight), to get twice as far. This sturdy shield weapon would've been even better if Mina could change her direction while blocking, or if the shield throws could hit flying enemies, but even without those features, it's a very solid choice.

#3 —Blaststrike Maul

• Base weapon: A hammer with explosive force. Hold the attack button to charge up. You can roll while charging.
• Upgrade #1: Boom Charge. Hold the attack button longer to charge up an explosive strike.
• Upgrade #2: Spin Rush. After attacking, press the attack button when Mina flashes to dash forward, hammer first.

This massive hammer is difficult to master, but if you get the timing right, you can obliterate almost any opponent within a few hits. Once you've collected the Blaststrike Maul's upgrades, you can even create an immensely powerful combo attack by holding the attacking button directly after landing a charged hit.

Beware that the second part of this combo, which sees Mina dashing forward, isn't nearly as damaging as the first charge attack, and may get interrupted. It predominantly serves as a nice way to land extra damage, hit a second enemy, or simply cover ground.

The first Blaststrike Maul upgrade, Boom Charge, will instantly kill most minor enemies, though be aware that its lengthy charging time makes it even harder to pull off — you can easily get interrupted and take damage yourself. Luckily, it's possible to move while charging and thus outwait the opponent's first strike. Furthermore, Mina can change direction while charging by holding the attack button for a second (though not as quickly as the Nighstar).

#4 —Nightstar

• Base weapon: A crushing mace affixed to a flexible chain. Strike your enemies from a distance.
• Upgrade #1: Dread Mace. Deal extra damage when striking enemies with the tip of your weapon.
• Upgrade #2: Afterstrike. Hold the attack button for an extra pulse of damage. Keep holding to flail.

Facing the wrong direction while firing your weapon can be a major issue in Mina the Hollower, but the Nightstar Afterstrike upgrade allows you to change direction after firing — whether it's a quick 180-degree turn or a diagonal angle.

Besides offering a quick directional recovery, however, the flailing ability isn't very useful. If Mina were able to walk while swinging the flail, or shoot in a diagonal line directly (instead of horizontal or vertical first), the Nightstar would be higher on this list. As it stands, you'll have to burrow to safety before you can do much flailing, thus forcing you to rely mainly on the base attack damage and Dread Mace bonus damage.

If you're looking for the weapon with the best melee range in Mina the Hollower, the Nightstar is still the top choice, but it's certainly not the best ranged weapon overall.

#5 —Whisper and Vesper

• Base weapon: A pair of nimble daggers. Tap the attack button to stab in quick succession.
• Upgrade #1: Lunging Cut. Press attack and jump simultaneously to perform an advancing slash.
• Upgrade #2: Throwing Dagger. Hold the attack button to charge, then toss one dagger. You move faster but fight slower with one dagger.

This pair of swift daggers is great if you value attack speed, and it's by no means a bad option, but there are simply better weapons in Mina the Hollower if you're looking for power, range, and ease of use. The Whisper and Vesper does gain a huge upgrade with the Lunging Cut, which not only grants an extra bit of range (Mina dashes forward while slashing the enemy), but also allows diagonal attacks.

The Throwing Dagger upgrade, on the other hand, feels more like a handicap than a buff. Sure, it offers a decent ranged attack, but you only get one shot before you need to recover your dagger. Whether it hits an enemy or not, it'll land on the other side of the screen, forcing you to follow behind. This can be a real pain, especially if there are numerous enemies or environmental obstacles to avoid, and fighting with just the one dagger isn't ideal, as the difference in attack speed is quite severe.