Weapons and gear

Eight weapon families

In Shinvara a weapon is not just a damage number: each family changes how your ninja attacks, and so how you move around the room. Here are the eight families and how they play:

• Katana: hybrid. Blade up close and shuriken at range; the melee is a three-hit combo, and the third hit sends a wave of energy forward.
• Naginata: wide slashes in front of you. Great against groups coming head-on.
• Twin katana: a fast combo. Rewards players who stay close and know when to get out.
• Kusarigama: circular strikes. Useful when enemies surround you.
• Bow: long range. Lets you hit while staying away from danger areas.
• Shuriken: the fastest ranged weapon.
• Kunai: balanced ranged attacks, halfway between speed and power.
• Bombs: slow but powerful. Every throw counts, so pick your moment.

How to choose a weapon

There is no best weapon overall. Ranged weapons let you stay out of the warnings and are more forgiving early on; close-range ones hit harder but force you into the enemies’ reach.

A good rule of thumb is to look at the world you are playing. In the Bamboo Forest, with its Kunai Throwers, a hybrid weapon like the katana is comfortable. In the Shadow Temple, where many enemies move after attacking, the reach of the bow or the speed of shuriken saves you from chasing.

Six gear slots

Besides the weapon you can equip a mask, armour, gloves, a ring and a talisman. On top of these come cloaks and sashes, which are cosmetic: they change how the ninja looks without changing its stats.

Every piece adds to the ninja’s stats, so it pays not to leave slots empty even before you have rare items: an equipped common item is always better than none.

Seven rarities, levels up to 50

Gear comes in seven rarities, from Base to Mythic, and rarer items are stronger. Every item can be upgraded up to level 50, and the coins you need are earned simply by playing.

An effective strategy is to focus your coins on a few pieces, starting with the weapon, instead of spreading them over everything. When you find an item of a higher rarity, the jump in quality pays back the work.

The ninja’s permanent levels

Each ninja also has permanent levels, separate from the run level. As it levels up the ninja becomes tougher and stronger in every later run, and at level 12 it unlocks its second active ability.

The two active abilities have separate buttons and cooldowns. With both available the ninja changes pace: you can keep one for clearing crowded rooms and the other for bosses.

Priorities for beginners

If you are not sure where to start, follow this order:

• Fill every gear slot, even with common items.
• Upgrade the weapon you use most first.
• Take your ninja to level 12 to unlock the second active ability.
• Try every new weapon in the Training Dojo before using it in a real run.