For a cozy farming simulator, Stardew Valley has a great combat system. The controls feel quick and responsive, and there is room for dodging and outmaneuvering opponents. There are many different ways to approach combat, with various weapons, builds, and equipment.
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Defense acts as a flat-damage reducer in the game. If the Defense sits at +1, all damage taken will be reduced by one. On the other side, players can also get negative defense from various attacks and debuffs, resulting in them taking more damage from each attack. Aside from weapons and gear, players can eat specific foods to increase their Defense even further.
8 Tempered Broadsword
Level 7
- Damage 29-44
- Speed (−3)
- Defense (+3)
- Weight (+3)
Players can get the Tempered Broadsword after they unlock the Skull Cavern, either by breaking boxes and barrels or as a special monster drop. The sword can be found in the Skull Cavern on levels 40 and above.
This is a decent weapon, especially for surviving and clearing the Skull Cavern. The damage is great, and the knockback effect allows for a little extra room when fighting multiple opponents. With the reduced speed, players will need to be a bit more tactical in combat and preferably not spam the weapon as much as daggers or lighter swords.
7 Lava Katana
Level 10
- Damage: 55-64
- Defense (+3)
- Crit. Power (+25)
- Weight (+3)
Besides sounding really cool, this weapon can actually serve the player for quite a while, depending on their gear and style of play. The weapon can be bought from the Adventuring Guild after clearing out the mines, and it costs 25,000g.
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It is a very well-balanced sword, giving good damage, defense, and knockback. It can be used against groups of enemies since it knocks back every enemy hit with the swing. The block is also great for projectiles or enemies that can quickly rush the player, such as the Royal Serpents.
6 Infinity Blade
Level 17
- Damage 80-100
- Speed (+4)
- Defense (+2)
The Infinity Blade is the most powerful sword in the game, and it will take some time to gather everything needed to make it. Aside from getting a Galaxy Sword, players will also need to collect 3 Galaxy Souls and 60 Cinder Shards and proceed to upgrade the weapon in the Forge.
While the Defense stat is not that high for the blade, it is an incredibly powerful weapon that can deal with pretty much anything the game throws at the player. With great damage, speed, and range, it is a solid choice for almost any scenario.
5 Infinity Dagger
Level 16
- Damage 50-70
- Speed (+1)
- Defense (+3)
- Crit. Chance (+4)
- Weight (+5)
The Infinity Dagger follows the same crafting process as the Infinity Blade but, of course, uses the Galaxy Dagger instead. There are a few ways to acquire the needed Galaxy Souls. Players can purchase it from Mr. Qi, the Island Trader, or find it in the Mines during specific quests.
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The dagger is incredibly powerful and capable of dealing incredible damage in a short span of time due to the secondary attack. While it does not have nearly as much knockback or range of attack, the dagger does come with a decent +3 to defense to compensate for that.
4 Dwarf Hammer
Level 13
- Damage 75-85
- Defense (+2)
- Weight (+5)
The Dwarf weapons have the highest Defense stats out of any other weapons. All of them can be found on Ginger Island, specifically in the Volcano Dungeon Chests. There are two kinds of chests in that area, and to find the Dwarvish weapons, players will need to loot the common variant.
Hammers are generally great for clearing out large amounts of enemies due to the massive AOE of the secondary attack. While it may be much slower than a sword or dagger, it is a great weapon for exploring and looting the dungeons.
3 Yeti Tooth
Level 7
- Damage 26-42
- Defense (+4)
- Crit. Power (+10)
Despite its looks, this weapon is actually a sword and can be found fairly early in the game. Players can find it by breaking boxes and barrels on levels 80–99 of the Mines, making it available even before reaching the bottom floor.
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The damage is decent, the extra crit power is always nice, and the huge +4 defense bonus is great this early on. While the damage is a bit too random, it is still fairly reliable, though players will most likely upgrade by the time they reach the Skull Caverns.
2 Dwarf Sword
Level 13
- Damage 65-75
- Speed (+2)
- Defense (+4)
The Dwarf Sword is also found in Volcano Dungeon Chests on Ginger Island. While it might not be the most hard-hitting sword in the game, it holds the highest Defense stat out of any other in the category.
Having extra Defense can be great, especially in the tougher dungeons on lower levels. As enemies get more and more vicious, their many attacks start to quickly add up, and reducing all those hits can literally be lifesaving. In any case, players should always have enough food and buffs to get them through safely.
1 Dwarf Dagger
Level 11
- Damage: 32-38
- Speed (+1)
- Defense (+6)
- Crit. Chance (+2)
- Weight (+5)
The Dwarf Dagger has the highest Defense stat of any other weapon in the game, sitting at an impressive +6. The damage is not bad for the time when it is found, and it can be a good weapon to have ready for sticky situations.
While it might not be strictly the most "powerful," it absolutely has its place in an adventurer’s armory. There are a few builds that players can go with, but if they want to gear themselves up with the “toughest” items they can, this Dagger is the way to go.
Stardew Valley
- Released
- February 26, 2016
