Arming oneself is always important when heading out on an adventure, as there are countless threats in the New World that can bring about the demise of the unwary. Players in Biomutant thankfully have tons of ways to defend themselves with a plethora of weapon types to suit the style and needs of any mutant seeking to make their way in a place reclaimed by nature.
RELATED: Biomutant: All The Primary Attributes And The Stats They Influence, Explained
One-Handed Slash Weapons, while often lacking in overall power, possess some of the fastest attack speeds and best critical hit chances out of the available armaments that can be found or bought. While a weapon's true potential can only be obtained after upgrades and practice, there are 10 out of the 21 base One-Handed Slash Weapons that stand out as particularly viable due to their swifter than average strikes, armor-piercing, and critical hit chance.
Updated on July 22, 2021, by Reyadh Rahaman: Players should keep their build goals in mind when deciding upon and upgrading a weapon, as their character's attributes matter greatly when it comes to the damage output of a weapon. Players seeking to do the most damage with One-Handed Slash Weapons will be able to do so with a character that has high Strength, Agility, and a bit of Luck.
The Strength is to increase the base melee damage, the Agility is to allow one's mutant to flit about the battlefield quickly amidst lightning-like strikes, and the Luck is to further increase the potential for critical hits that One-Handed Slash Weapons are already proficient at delivering.
10 Smicksharper
Smicksharper Weight Class - Medium
Smicksharper Attack Speed - 45/100
Smicksharper Critical Hit Chance - 5%
With moderate speed for a One-Handed Slash Weapon, players in the earlier parts of Biomutant can use the Smicksharper as a decent weapon base to build a solid sword of some kind. The good base critical hit chance offers nice potential as well, especially if players upgrade their weapon with add-ons that also have this trait. It is also possible that this blade is a reference to other famous video game swords, as it looks like the blade of many greatswords found in other action RPGs.
9 Scrap Rack
Scrap Rack Weight Class - Light
Scrap Rack Attack Speed - 75/100
Scrap Rack Critical Hit Chance - 3%
Being sufficiently fast and light allows the Scrap Rack to be a passable choice for a weapon base, though, its appearance is the biggest draw for some mutants. A melee weapon formed from its many sharp and small edges will undeniably look intimidating and very cool. The fact that it can also become an excellent weapon with the correct upgrades and add-ons is another reason to consider using the Scrap Rack. Aesthetics play a crucial part in Biomutant, as there are so many options for customization that it is implied that the player can do and look however they please and still come up with the best build.
8 Dropspike
Dropspike Weight Class - Light
Dropspike Attack Speed - 80/100
Dropspike Critical Hit Chance - 3%
RELATED: Biomutant: The Best Mounts & How To Find And Tame Them
Very quick, the Dropspike allows one to form a fast blade to slash relentlessly at foes. A weapon made with this as its base would be an excellent one for a mutant build dominant in the Agility attribute, for sometimes speed is king on the battlefield. Enemies won't know what to do when all they see is the player dashing about and shredding foes like a sentient tornado of blades. While the Dropspike looks pretty generic, do not underestimate its power, as few One-Handed Slash Weapons can allow the player to strike as quickly as this one does in battle.
7 Nessmunk
Nessmunk Weight Class - Heavy
Nessmunk Attack Speed - 75/100
Nessmunk Critical Hit Chance - 3%
Despite being one of the heavier One-Handed Slash Weapons, the rusty Nessmunk provides a solid and swift blade to begin upgrading into one of the best. The high attack speed lets its wielder unleash many strikes quickly; faster than most other weapons of this type, and even has a slight chance to do a critical hit for a subtle yet helpful passive effect. With that said, the Nessmunk does not excel exceptionally high in any area, and its lack of armor-piercing leaves it to be passed on if players have a more specialized armament.
6 Pikeaxe
Pikeaxe Weight Class - Heavy
Pikeaxe Attack Speed - 35/100
Pikeaxe Critical Hit Chance - 8%
RELATED: Biomutant's Weapon Building Feature Explained
Compared to the previously mentioned heavier blade weapon, the Pikeaxe is a great deal slower, however, comes with much greater critical hit potential. Players who have invested some attribute points into the Luck primary stat will do well to pick this weapon up, as the frequent critical strikes will make up for the lack of attack speed. Out of all the axes in the One-Handed Slash Weapon class, the Pikeaxe is arguably the best.
5 Hackgrind
Hackgrind Weight Class - Light
Hackgrind Attack Speed - 65/100
Hackgrind Critical Hit Chance - 5%
All around decent, the Hackgrind is a light handsaw that can be great to upgrade into whatever one wants, as it has no severe failings as a weapon. The only area it is lacking in is the armor-piercing department, like most One-Handed Slash Weapons, however, this can partially be alleviated if one finds or buys a Hackgrind that possesses an elemental damage type of some kind.
4 Umph
Umph Weight Class - Medium
Umph Attack Speed - 40/100
Umph Critical Hit Chance - 9%
RELATED: Biomutant: Best Melee Weapons, Ranked
The Umph is named after the sound enemies make when the player slashes them with this bladed weapon, as it can be devastating with the right build. Possessing a critical hit chance that almost guarantees a harder-than-usual strike approximately every 10 blows means Luck-oriented characters will be exceptionally deadly with this in hand. Its passive yet slight armor-piercing is a great trait to have as well, especially considering one can attach 2 add-ons to the Umph as opposed to every other One-Handed Slash Weapon that can only attach a singular add-on.
3 Cutout
Cutout Weight Class - Medium
Cutout Attack Speed - 55/100
Cutout Critical Hit Chance - 3%
Another great all-arounder, the Cutout is an immensely pointy weapon that has a moderate attack speed and a slight chance to land critical hits on foes, however, its best draw for players is the second-highest armor-piercing stat out of all the One-Handed Slash Weapons. For versatility, this is the ideal small-bladed weapon to choose, though its aesthetic qualities are also great reasons to pick up the Cutout at a shop or loot it from the remains of a foe.
2 Clipcut
Clipcut Weight Class - Light
Clipcut Attack Speed - 95/100
Clipcut Critical Hit Chance - 0%
For those min-maxing their character for the highest possible speed (Agility-focused builds), the Clipcut is definitely the swiftest way to assault adversaries in Biomutant thanks to its absolutely ridiculous attack speed. After being upgraded sufficiently, players can shred the opposition upon any battlefield before most unfortunate foes can even blink. The biggest downside to the Clipcut is that it has no chance to do critical hits, however, with easily the best armor-piercing potential out of all the One-Handed Slash weapons, the lack of crits is not much of an issue.
1 Spearhead
Spearhead Weight Class - Light
Spearhead Attack Speed - 75/100
Spearhead Critical Hit Chance - 9%
That is not rust upon the Spearhead, it is the blood of countless foes that it has felled. Considered by many to be the prime balance between speed and critical hit chance, those seeking the best One-Handed Slash Weapon should seek this one out. Most armaments of this class tend to lean towards speed, critical chance, or average out these traits to become an all-rounder weapon, however, the Spearhead breaks this mold by being stacked in both departments while also possessing some armor-piercing that solidifies it as the ultimate One-Handed Slash Weapon for the majority of builds.