Do your heroes and villains know how to use their weapons?
JOURNAL LOG, DAY 56: Here we are trying to stand a chance against the Justice League. I need to equip the lower members of Legion of Doom with some sort of weapons to weaken those heroes so that we can stand a fighting chance against them. That Alien is not so easy to take down. - aLex
Various decisions need to be made when creating your hero or villain. Not only do you need to do the arduous labor of making them fit your style, but you also need to decide on powers, a name, and a primary weapon. The weapon you choose will determine what your fighting style is going to be. This list will rank weapons from worst to best.
This list is ultimately my opinion (backed up with some of the best features of each) because whatever your weapon of choice is will be great with practice. Any weapon would be a great choice for you to utilize. Let’s see what Lex has to say about each weapon!
11. Two-Handed
Swing Batter, Swing! Baseball batting is good practice for two handed weapons, right?
Harley Quinn’s Two-Handed Hammer is definitely a force to be feared. Its decent reach and strong power are able to heavily damage even the strongest of foes. Batman and friends have been on the receiving end of that hammer many times, so perhaps, she would be well suited to fighting such enemies with this power.
This is the secret power of the Two-Handed. It can deal some heavy damage to any foe, but it comes at a price. As with many heavy-hitters, the cost of using two-handed weapons is the speed. You need to determine what is most important to you when choosing a weapon because if landing more (but weaker) attacks are important to you, this is not the weapon for you.
But don’t let that discourage you! This weapon is an amazing choice for any Tank role that wants to get rid of the enemy in as few hits as possible. A Rage or Earth Tank-build will only need a few hits to destroy your opponents.
Why You Should Choose Two-Handed
- Good Tank Weapon
- Able to Deal Some Heavy Damage
10. Shield
Doesn't Marvel's Captain America know that this is DC Universe Online? Put away the shield!
Wonder Woman seems very fond of her shield. It has both offensive and defensive qualities. Perhaps one of these new exobyte recruits will be able to match her skill with a shield to get her out of the way.
Much like the Two-Handed hero, this build is perfect for a Tank. It has great potential for being able to deal some great close-up damage. With various shield bashes and slams, this is a fantastic melee option for those who want to be like the iconic Amazon.
There are a few options to throw your shield which are really cool to be able to relive amazing moments from the Wonder Woman movie, albeit the damage isn’t as powerful as a true ranged hero. Yet, this is still a good option for those who want to Tank with some good close-up moves.
Why You Should Choose Shield
- Great Tank Role
- Fun Melee Weapon
9. Staff
My Staff is a broom. I hope I look this cool while using it.
Robin was always a skilled fighter using a bow staff. Too bad, he chose to fight with the Bat instead of fighting with me. Perhaps, I need to find my own protege to fight alongside me against these alleged “heroes for justice.”
Robin being a boss with a staff is enough of a reason for me to want to choose this great weapon type. It is so fun to be able to perform a variety of different combinations with this mid-range weapon.
The reach on this weapon does not require you to be right next to the opponent to cause damage like the previous two weapons, allowing you to cause decent damage without being too far away from the action. This puts the staff above the other two because it has greater versatility in the types of roles that it can perform as either for keeping opponents at bay or going in for an attack.
Why You Should Choose Staff
- Good Mid-Range Attacker
- Good Choice for Any Role (DPS, Controller, Healer, Tank)
8. Bow
Green Arrow is running on roofs with a bow... Show off!
Green Arrow and his little sidekick, Speedy, are the supposed masters of archery. Even I must admit their skill in marksmanship which has its appeal as a distance weapon style. I think the Legion needs to invest in getting more archers who will never miss their mark.
Ready. Aim. Fire. The bow has a good record as a great option for distance characters. Impale your opponents with a barrage of arrows flying at high speeds. Become the next master marksman that Green Arrow would have to bow down to. Your distance attacks are perfect for any healer who needs to stay back to focus on keeping your team afloat.
But be careful of opponents who start approaching you because the archer may be one of the worst heroes to have a close-up fight. If you have a nearby enemy, you will need to make a quick escape. So, it is a good thing that one attack allows you to back up while you’re blasting off arrows towards your target. This lets you get a bit more distance for incoming enemies.
Why You Should Choose Bow
- Allows for a Backwards Escape with an Attack
- Good Precision Distance Attacks
- Perfect for a Healer
7. Dual Wield
Mental Dual Wielded Swords... Looks cool, but for some reason, she seems like she doesn't belong in this universe.
I’m not too ashamed to say that Nightwing’s skill with acrobatics paired with his talent at using dual wield weapons is something that is to be admired. We lack such skill in the main agents of the Legion of Doom, but perhaps Ra’s al Ghoul has an assassin or two that will be able to provide this needed service.
A common problem with melee heroes is that you can only really deal with one opponent at a time. So when you are getting ganged up on, you have to finish off enemy #1 before going on to fight the other 10 guys patiently waiting for their turn. Unfortunately, sometimes they want action while you’re still beating up the one guy who came early to the party.
Dual Wielded Swords fix this common problem because you have multiple swords to deal with multiple people. Swing and slash in an erratic fashion to show people that they will get cut if they mess with you. A few spins with the dual swords and you will have effectively attacked everyone around you. It just doesn’t work as well with one sword, trust me!
This fighting style gets up close and personal with various opponents at once with decent damage. This melee fighter would be a good Tank or DPS, but it could also serve well for the Controller. Make all of your enemies want to chase and kill you by chipping away at their health while the other heroes go around finishing them off.
Why You Should Choose Dual Wield
- Able to Handle Multiple Opponents Simultaneously
- Great Melee Fighter
6. Brawling
Hand-to-Hand combat is more fierce with this stylist hand gear.
That brutish alien Superman is a master of the heavy-hitting brawling style. His powerful hits further accented by his super strength leave him to be a seemingly unstoppable force, unless you have enough Kryptonite to sedate him. Thankfully, we have a few brawlers of our own, including our favorite venom-filled tank, Bane.
The Brawler is not only known for being able to deal with some heavy hits with a powerful punch, but the brawler is actually quite resilient, being able to handle more damage than many other weapon types. It makes sense when you think of tanks like Bane and Superman who are more invulnerable than your average person. They can take a hit, unlike Lex without his mech-suit (don’t tell him I said that).
But, the brute strength for close-range attacks seems to be a huge pro for why to choose brawling as your primary weapon type. You’ll be able to deal some good damage while being able to take the damage that your opponents deal out. While the classic adage says the best defense is a good offense, it doesn’t hurt to have both.
Why You Should Choose Brawling
- Can Handle Damage
- A Lot of Strength in Attacks
- Good Close-Range Fighter
5. One-Handed
Now Green Lantern's are making fancy one-handed swords. Where are the Yellow and Red Lanterns?!
There aren’t enough one-handed heroes to stop our skilled demon, Ra’s Al Ghul. His mastery over this speedy mid-range style leaves him unmatched by anyone else who even attempts to have a sword fight with him. Even though his traitorous grandson may attempt to match his skill, no one will be able to match us as he slashes his way to victory.
Precision, Strength, and Speed. It sounds almost too good to have all three in one weapon, and yet, here we are with the amazing One-Handed weapon type. Be a DC version of a knight in shining armor if that is what you’re into with a sword and a gleaming super suit.
Most weapons that I mention for a Tank build end up being quite slow, even though they are high in power. The one-handed weapon finds the balance and compromise. They aren’t as powerful as the bulky weapons, but they do hold their own. They have a much better speed than those weapons, being a good tradeoff for those who want to slash faster for opponents who like keeping their distance.
Why You Should Choose One-Handed
- Phenomenal Melee Weapon
- Amazing for a Tank
- Decent Speed for a Close to Mid-Range Fighter
4. Rifle
Batman with a rifle! Villains beware because this is extremely dangerous!
Deathstroke and Arsenal are masters of various weapon styles. If we want to have a well-balanced offense against the Justice League, then Deathstroke will need to train more young recruits to be able to effectively use a rifle against our enemies. There are some very powerful distance moves that we can utilize with a master of this style.
The Rifle is a balanced weapon compared to many of the other more straightforward weapons. This has amazing attacks for both range and up close. Any opponent should fear you if you’re carrying this destructive force in your hands. Even the distance attacks pack quite a punch.
The only way that your opponents will beat you is if they knock you out before you get your attacks in. Unfortunately, this cannot be a perfect weapon because unfortunately it is quite slow.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel though because the rifle is a great melee weapon as well. Though not its intended use per se, the greatest damage from the rifle is its melee attacks. One of the most broken things about the Rifle build is the ability to spam your Rifle attack to leave your enemy in the dust. While shocking that this seemingly distance weapon is best suited for melee in the game, it is nice to leave people guessing on how you are going to achieve success on your missions.
Why You Should Choose Rifle
- Good Power in Attacks
- Great Potential with Close-Up and Distance Fighting
- Great Melee Attack not Vulnerable to Blocking
3. Dual Pistol
I suppose that this is an effective way for keeping the ALIEN at bay, as long as I have Kryptonite bullets.
I may have already mentioned Harley, but she is not only an effective two-handed master. She is also skilled in using dual pistols. But since we need her expertise with her hammer, I think we should search elsewhere for a Dual Pistol master to teach our newest members. I have heard rumors of a Red Hooded mercenary somewhere that may be able to help us with our problem. I wonder if we'll ever be able to find him though.
The Dual Pistol weapon style takes our number 3 spot because it has a lot of potential for any character who is playing a support role on a team. These two guns have an amazing range which allows you to weaken opponents without getting too close.
Anyone who likes fighting from afar will tell you that the most annoying thing in a fight is when your opponents begin to slowly encroach on the distance that you spend so much time trying to keep. These OGs were doing social distance before it was mainstream. The Dual Pistols have two really good solutions to such a problem.
First, this build has a decent potential to cause some damage when you have opponents close by. While it is no competition to any close-range fighting type, it still provides you with an opportunity to defend yourself when the situation arises.
But even more encouraging is a special move that rolls your character backward while shooting off a few shots, much like the bow weapon. This allows you to reestablish some distance between yourself and your enemy with a quick escape.
What sets this apart from the bow style aside from the better close-up battle potential is that this weapon has a lot of opportunities to hit multiple opponents simultaneously. What would be erratic shooting with a bad aim in real life is actually a great skill to be able to knock out various people at once.
Why You Should Choose Dual Pistol
- Allows for Escape from Close-Up Combat
- Great Distance Fighting
- Able to Hit Multiple Opponents Simultaneously
2. Hand Blaster
I don't know who this human is, but what I do know is that I want him on my team.
Just what we need on Earth… more aliens. This new invader, Starfire, seems to prefer using fiery hot “starbolts” to deal damage at a distance to her enemies, but if she wasn’t enough, we have to deal with a Lord of Order. If we can’t get close, we stand no chance against them.
Just like Lex explains above, the best part of any distance fighter is that if your opponents can’t get close, they do not stand a chance. This is undeniably the most popular weapon type of the game. Blasters can fight well up close, but their true strength lies in distance fighting with various types of blasts and beams.
While the damage output isn’t horrible, it is definitely lower than most of the other weapon styles. Then, how in the world is this number two? It is because while damage may be lower, the moves happen very quickly, and some can be extended for further damage. The move Pulse Beam is a distance move that pushes back opponents while causing damage and can be held for a few extra seconds to continue the move instead of stopping after half a second.
Additionally, it has moves that can damage either a single opponent or multiple. Moves like Solar Flare and Meteor Blast can deal damage to various opponents. They are impactful regardless of the distance, allowing the blaster to control the proximity that they want to battle.
All of these are great features that allow the Blaster to be an amazing fighter for a DPS fighter, Healer, or Controller. You can cause damage while keeping your distance to be able to fulfill your other roles on the team.
Why You Should Choose Hand Blasters
- Speedy Distance Attacks
- Great Choice for DPS, Healer, and Controller
- Skill Against Single or Multiple Opponents
1. Martial Arts
Dark, Mysterious Martial Artist... Who is Batman fooling with this get-up?
The Justice League has masters of the Martial Arts, like Batman and Black Canary. No wonder that they are two of the most skilled leaguers. While the Bat and the Bird may be able to deal some great damage with their hand-to-hand combat, our very own Catwoman may be able to hold her own with her own great combos and speed. With how often she seems to be fair against Batman, I can’t think of any other reason that she always seems to be able to handle her fights against him.
Some of DCs best heroes and villains are simple hand-to-hand martial artists who do not need fancy weapons to hold their own. The martial arts weapon type is a surprisingly defensive style that can handle a lot more damage than the alternatives. No wonder Batman can survive against so many enemies with such a strong defense.
Not only is the Martial Arts Hero the most defensive, but you will be able to deal out some decent damage with great speed. There is a good balance between damage output and attack speed. While it may not hand out the highest damage as compared to other closer-distance weapons, there is no doubt that the damage dealt in conjunction with their speed is a great combination.
Speaking of combinations, various combos are great for blowing away the enemies. By using the right chain of moves, your opponents won’t even be able to counterattack your barrage of punches and kicks.
Let’s be real. Hand-to-Hand fighters, like Batman and Black Canary, are some of the coolest characters that you have always wanted to be anyway. So, do yourself a favor by choosing to be a super cool Martial Artist just like you have always dreamed of.
Why You Should Choose Martial Arts
- Can Handle Taking a lot of Damage
- Great Move Combinations
- Great Mid-Distance Fighter
You can’t really go wrong with any of these weapons. With the powers, weapons, movement styles, and overall roleplay-ability, you can make so many unique characters that would be amazing heroes or villains. Help Lex out by commenting on what your favorite weapon styles are and why.
