The best weapon in Warhammer Survivors is Nuln Oil, the paint-pot weapon that works in both universes, damages and slows enemies over a wide area, and evolves into Mordant Earth with the Hourglass. On the Warhammer 40,000 side, pair it with the Whirlwind Battery for crowds and the Boltgun for bosses; on the Age of Sigmar side, the Nebulous Sea-Fog and the Fyrestorm Greataxe are our picks.
These are our picks from how Auroch Digital describes each weapon and what it evolves into, and the game has more than 75 weapons in all. Below we rank the best on each side, explain why, and list the passive each one needs to evolve.
What Makes a Weapon Good Here
Warhammer Survivors is a survival game first, so the best weapons do one of three jobs well:
- Crowd control: damage around you, pulling or slowing enemies so the swarm never reaches you.
- Boss damage: heavy single-target fire for Extremis Bosses and elites, who drop the chests you need for evolutions.
- Free extra fighters: a few weapons bring allies into your squad, and Auroch’s Squad System post says followers “cannot take damage or collect items,” so they add damage at no risk.
A strong run has at least one of each. Every weapon below also has a known evolution, so you know which passive to take with it.
Best Weapons in Both Universes
Nuln Oil (evolves into Mordant Earth with the Hourglass). It is a cross-universe weapon, so it is open to champions from either setting, and it covers a wide area. Auroch’s Status Effects post adds the reason it tops our list: its Oiled status slows enemies and makes them vulnerable to fire, so it makes every Burning weapon in your build hit harder.
D6 Dice (evolves into the Sustained Fire Dice with the Scatter Dice). The other cross-universe weapon, and a useful pick whichever side you play. Auroch’s November 11 hotfix, out on Steam first, also lowered the D6 Dice and Nuln Oil kill counts that unlock two paint pots, Reikland Fleshshade and Agrax Earthshade, so using both pays off beyond the run.
Best Warhammer 40,000 Weapons
| Weapon | Job | Passive | Evolution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whirlwind Battery | Crowd control | Liquid Green Stuff | Orbital Bombardment |
| Boltgun | Boss damage | Dice Cube | Heavy Bolter |
| Power Fist | Extra fighter | Codex Astartes | Gauntlets of Ultramar |
| Lasgun | Extra fighters | Gauntlet | Meltagun |
| Chainsword | Clearing a path | Tape Measure | Eviscerator Chainsword |
The Whirlwind Battery fires missile barrages, and its evolution, Orbital Bombardment, “brings down barrages of voidship fire from above,” per Auroch’s Ork reveal post.
The Boltgun is the 40K boss killer. Auroch says its evolution, the Heavy Bolter, “unleashes a stream of unrelenting firepower, taking on the toughest of Tyranid swarms and larger bioforms.” Our guide on how to evolve the Boltgun has the steps.
The Power Fist is the best evolution to chase if you are not playing Calgar. Per the same Ork reveal post, evolving it “brings Marneus Calgar to your side, wielding the Gauntlets of Ultramar and unleashing a hail of bolter rounds with every attack.”
The Lasgun is the follower weapon. On Trooper Kozlowski it brings in extra Cadian Shock Troopers as it levels up. Our guide on how to evolve the Lasgun covers it.
Best Age of Sigmar Weapons
| Weapon | Job | Passive | Evolution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nebulous Sea-Fog | Crowd control | Bugman’s Tankard | Aquatic Illusions |
| Fyrestorm Greataxe | Extra fighter | Kragg Blackhammer’s Master Rune | Zangrom-Thaz |
| Rope and Grapnel | Crowd control | White Dwarf | Ghost of Rhea |
| Grandblade | Crowd control | Tape Measure | Celestial Greatsword |
| Brazier Staff | Damage | Liquid Green Stuff | Master of Runes |
The Nebulous Sea-Fog draws foes in and damages them, in Auroch’s words, which bunches the swarm up for everything else you carry.
The Fyrestorm Greataxe summons a legend. Auroch’s Zangrom-Thaz post says evolving it calls Gotrek Gurnisson to your side with Zangrom-Thaz, unless you are playing as Gotrek, and that the axe speeds up as you move and loses damage when you stand still.
The Rope and Grapnel “shoots a hook that restrains enemies, often instantly killing weaker foes,” per Auroch’s Steam Next Fest post. It is Lyssa Revenya’s signature weapon.
The Grandblade, Sharynn Azurwrath’s starting weapon, “when levelled up, unleashes a huge circular swing, cleaving vast swathes of enemies,” per Auroch.
The Brazier Staff fires arcing magma projectiles, Ulgromthier’s weapon of choice. Neave Blacktalon’s axes, which evolve into the Whirlwind Axes with the Sabaton, are a close alternative.
How to Get the Most From Your Weapons
- Plan your evolutions. Each passive you take should unlock an evolution for a weapon you already carry. Our guide on how to evolve weapons lists every pairing.
- Buy Attacks first. The Attacks Enhancement adds an extra attack to every weapon you carry, so it improves everything on this list. Our guide to the best Enhancements to buy first has the full order.
- Unlock what is hidden. Some weapons and passives are not open on your first runs. An Auroch developer said on the Steam forum that a relic from another stage turns on the “Detailed Map” view, which lets you “start uncovering Passives and Weapons that are hidden across the stage.”
Our best build guide puts these weapons into full loadouts, our best character guide covers who to run them on, and the Warhammer 40,000 guides hub has the rest.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best weapon in Warhammer Survivors? Our pick is Nuln Oil. It works in both universes, covers a wide area, slows enemies, makes them vulnerable to fire and evolves into Mordant Earth with the Hourglass.
What is the best weapon for bosses? The Boltgun on the Warhammer 40,000 side. Its evolution, the Heavy Bolter, is built for the toughest swarms and larger bioforms, in Auroch’s words.
Which weapons work in both universes? Nuln Oil and the D6 Dice are cross-universe weapons, usable by champions from either setting.
Which weapons summon a champion? Evolving the Power Fist summons Marneus Calgar, and evolving the Fyrestorm Greataxe summons Gotrek Gurnisson, unless you are already playing as them.
How many weapons are in Warhammer Survivors? More than 75, according to the Steam page.