Vampire Survivorsis so beloved and addictive that it kickedthe Bullet Heaven genreonto the main stage. The part that makes the game so replayable is the weapon evolutions, combinations, and unions.
There are dozens of creative synergies to explore and while I firmly believe you should try them all,they aren’t created equally.
If you want to see the deadliest weapons the game has to offer, here’s a selection so powerful you may even turn the tables on death itself.
10Death Spiral
A Classic Vanilla Combo
Key Information
Required Items
Candelabrador (Level 5)
Axe (Level 8)
Base Game/DLC
The Death Spiral is a fantastic, high-damage weapon that launches scythes away from the playerin a spiraling arc.
Thanks to the enormous projectiles and pattern, the Death Spiral can hit enemies in any direction at any distance. The scythes also havehigh piercing values, meaning they penetrate multiple targets.
While the volleys are a little slow without some cooldown reduction, Death Spiral is a lethal weapon evolution. Better yet, it’savailable from the start of the gameas it only requires the Axe and Candelabrador, two vanilla items.
If you want to take Death Spiral to the next level, the weapon synergizes nicely withany Area bonuses, making the projectiles even larger.
9Phieraggi
The Gunslinger’s Final Form
Phiera Der Tuphello (Level 8)
Eight the Sparrow (Level 8)
Tirajisu (Level 2)
The pistols are some of my favorite items inVampire Survivorsand combine to make a weapon that never misses its mark.
Phieraggi is technically aUnion/Evolution combo, as the pistols become one in your inventory, giving you another slot to play with.
The result is a screen-clearing monster that strikes targets in multiple directions.Bullet streams are replaced with energy beams, and the weapon hits so hard that it cuts through endgame foes.
Static beams would be an issue, but they rotate slightly, giving even more screen coverage. If you plan ahead, you’re able to eveninvest in the Empty Tometo reduce Cooldown and give the beams infinite uptime!
Endless Scaling And Instant Kills
Shadow Servant (Level 8)
Skull O' Maniac (Level 5)
Tides of Foscari DLC
Ophion is, hands down,one of the best weapons in the game for endless runswhere scaling really starts to matter.
This weapon fills the screen with large, damaging, purple orbs withinstant kill potentialtied to your Luck stat. The instant kill effect only has a 1% chance of triggering, but if you buff your Luck with something like theXIII Wicked Season Arcana, you can expect to see it activate far more often.
Ophion is a weapon that shines in a specific scenario, so I’ve placed it a little lower on the list. If Endless Climbs is what you’re interested in,Ophion is a top-tier pick. Just remember it’s nothing special when you first get it, and it takes investment in Luck and Area to shine.
Just Don’t Drink It
Santa Water (Level 8)
Attractorb (Level 5)
I often fall into the La Borra combo becausethe base ingredients are so potent.
Santa Water is a superb AoE weapon, while Attractorb is the best passive in the game for grabbing Gems.
The La Borra combo makes the Santa Water AoE follow the player with100% uptime.
If you stand still, La Borra creates a lethal pool by your feet, and the damage scales so well that you can often walk away from the game knowing you’ll be safe when you return.
Weapons withhigh-scaling damageare always welcome in endless runs, and La Borra will wreck any enemy foolish enough to stand close by.
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6Time Warp
Contra Meets Vampire Survivors
Prism Lass (Level 8)
Weapon Power Up (Level 1)
Wings (Level 5)
Operation Guns DLC
Time Warp is arguably the best combo from theOperation Guns DLC, with a unique ability that debuffs enemies.
The Time Warp bestows the player with a shield surrounding them from all sides. Enemies that hit the shield are sometimes frozen and canalso become “DeFanged.”
The in-game description of DeFanging is a little confusing, but it basically makes a percentage of enemies unable to deal damage.
Those enemies are highlighted in green, reducing themfrom potential threats into cannon fodder. Time Warp may not be as flashy as many weapons on the list, but it has a ton of value as a utility item and has become especially useful in tougher content.
5Godai Shuffle
You Can’t Miss
Four Seasons (Level 8)
Candalabrador (Level 5)
Legacy of the Moonspell DLC
I enjoy messing around with the Area stat and Candelabrador, so the Godai Shuffle isa combo I often fall intoduring my runs.
The Godai Shuffle spawns five massive AOE across the screen, one in the middle and one in each corner.
The areas are huge, making the weapon incredible at mob-clearing. Oddly enough, the Godai Shuffle deals an obscene amount of damage.
We’re no strangers to high-damage combos on this list, but theGodai Shuffle hits like a trainand consumes so much real estate on the screen that it feels like cheating.
If you want to take your Godai Shuffle to the next level, keep in mind that its damage scales with your Duration and Amount stats.
4Infinite Corridor
The Clock Lancet Just Got An Upgrade
Clock Lancet (Level 7)
Silver Ring (Level 9)
Gold Ring (Level 9)
The Infinite Corridor is a phenomenal weapon inVampire Survivors. It also has such an incredible effect.I advise trying it before reading this entryif you don’t know what it does. Consider yourself warned!
TheClock Lancet is a superb defensive itemthat freezes enemies, rendering them temporarily harmless.
Combined with the Rings, the Clock Lancet gets the damage output fitting its stellar defensive applications. The Infinite Corridor periodicallyhalves the health of all enemies.
I mean it when I say “all” as the Infinite Corridor can evenfreeze and damage the Reaper!The combination is instrumental in surviving past the 30-minute mark, and while collecting the Rings on the map is a chore, it’s absolutely worth the slog.
3Paranormal Scan
An Unrivaled Defensive Tool
Lifesign Scan (Level 8)
Mini Ghost (Level 3)
Emergency Meeting DLC
High damage numbers are essential for progression inVampire Survivors, but if you start playing with modifiers like high Curse,you need something more.
Paranormal Scan isarguably the strongest survivability tool in the game, unleashing burst healing when you need it the most.
If that wasn’t good enough, the Paranormal Scancan boost random stats, like Movement Speed and Cooldown.
The Scan works in co-op and pairs incredibly well with the Sarabande of Healing Arcana. The synergy doubles the healing amount while kicking out matching damage.
Paranormal Scan is part of theEmergency Meeting Among Us DLCand is absolutely worth the cost of admission.
2Gorgeous Moon
Kill Everything And Get Rich!
Pentagram (Level 8)
Crown (Level 5)
The Pentagram is a fantastic screen clearer despite its massive drawbacks. At a low level, the screen-wiping effect also removes gems, whichcan be disastrous. Fortunately, the weapon evolution makes up for it.
Gorgeous Moon is the synergy between thePentagram and Crown, transforming the weapon into a phenomenal damage and utility item.
Gorgeous Moon periodically counts down before exploding. The explosionengulfs the entire screenand turns every enemy into an assortment of uniquely colored gems.
Thosegems are then auto-vacuumedand can easily reward the player with several level-ups in the process. This weapon combo gives unrivaled mob removal as it can’t miss, and EXP for standing there with your hands in your pockets.
There’s atiny selection of enemies immune to the Gorgeous Moon, but with such widespread utility, we can overlook it.
1Crimson Shroud
A VIP Pass To The Endgame
Laurel (Level 7)
Metaglio Left (Level 9)
Metaglio Right (Level 9)
Like the Infinite Corridor, I adviseskipping this entry if you don’t know what it does, as it’s incredible to see for yourself the first time.
The Crimson Shroud can be a pain to get as you must travel all across the map to gather the Metaglio items and rank them up. However, your perseverance is rewarded withone of the most unique items effectsin the game.
The Crimson Shroud caps incoming damage at a manageable amount andgives the user a powerful shield. That shield absorbs incoming hits and deals retaliatory damage in an almighty explosion.
It may not sound like much, but this damage conversion is so overpowered that it can take down the Reaper! The Crimson Shroud is a win-button and an undisputed top-tier combo in most scenarios.
While the weapon is powerful, it’s not strictly required for end-game content, which is one of the best things aboutVampire Survivors. You can make most weapons work with smart build choices and letyour character choicesdo a lot of the heavy lifting.
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