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There is no single best Old Hunters weapon. The right choice depends on your primary damage stat, the moveset you can use confidently, and whether you need boss pressure, crowd control, reach, ranged attacks, or experimentation. For most players, the safest plan is to choose one weapon that matches the build, upgrade it decisively, and add a complementary backup only after the main weapon is working.
For a straightforward DLC run, start with the Whirligig Saw on a strength build, the Rakuyo on a skill build, the Holy Moonlight Sword on a strength/arcane or quality/arcane build, the Bloodletter on a strength/bloodtinge build, or Simon’s Bowblade when you want a skill/bloodtinge melee-and-ranged hybrid. The Beast Cutter, Church Pick, Beasthunter Saif, Kos Parasite, Boom Hammer, and Amygdalan Arm fill more specialized roles.
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| Name | Best for | Key spec | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whirligig Saw | Strength PvE progression | Heavy physical damage; transformed pressure and stagger | Oct 2026 |
| Beast Cutter | Strength reach and crowd control | Long transformed reach; sweeping attacks | Oct 2026 |
| Rakuyo | Skill and aggressive play | Fast attacks; distinctive transformed configuration | Oct 2026 |
| Church Pick | Skill reach and thrust options | Reach with flexible damage types | Oct 2026 |
| Beasthunter Saif | Mobile skill builds | Approach, retreat, and repositioning tools | Oct 2026 |
| Holy Moonlight Sword | Strength/arcane or quality/arcane | Transformed arcane damage and ranged attacks | Oct 2026 |
| Bloodletter | Strength/bloodtinge | Dramatic transformation; health-management trade-off | Oct 2026 |
| Simon’s Bowblade | Skill/bloodtinge hybrid | Transforms between melee and bow modes | Oct 2026 |
| Kos Parasite | Specialist arcane builds | Unique moveset and arcane identity | Oct 2026 |
What does “best” mean in The Old Hunters?
“Best” means best fit, not an objective ranking. A weapon that looks exceptional on a strength character can be a poor investment on a skill, bloodtinge, or arcane character because its scaling, gem requirements, stamina demand, and transformed attacks ask for a different plan. A community weapon-ranking reference makes the same practical point: the best weapon is the one whose moveset you have learned.
The expansion materially broadens Bloodborne’s build space. A 2025-era indexed PlayStation Trophies guide reference counts 16 DLC weapons: 11 trick weapons and five firearms. That roster is large enough to support distinct physical, arcane, bloodtinge, ranged, and hybrid approaches rather than one dominant answer.
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Compare weapons inside a build family first. Rakuyo versus Whirligig Saw is less useful than deciding whether your character wants speed and evasive pressure or heavy attacks and space control. Your existing weapon also matters: a backup should cover a weakness in reach, damage type, or engagement distance instead of duplicating the same problem.
Which Old Hunters weapon is best for a strength build?
The Whirligig Saw is the cleanest default for a strength-oriented DLC run. Choose the Beast Cutter when reach and crowd control matter more than compact close-range damage. The Boom Hammer and Amygdalan Arm are deliberate alternatives for players who want fire damage or unusual, high-impact attacks.
Whirligig Saw: the dependable heavy default
The Whirligig Saw concentrates on heavy physical damage and sustained transformed pressure. Its extended form gives you a way to hold space, stagger or overwhelm enemies, and keep attacking when a lighter weapon would need to disengage. It suits players who prefer committing to a powerful sequence rather than constantly circling for small openings.
Its main cost is commitment. Heavy swings consume more stamina and can punish mistimed attacks, so reserve enough stamina to evade after a combo. Physical gems are the natural direction for a conventional strength setup; do not dilute the build with elemental or arcane investment unless the rest of the character is designed around it.
Beast Cutter: reach and crowd control
The Beast Cutter trades some of the Whirligig Saw’s compact impact for long, sweeping transformed attacks. That reach is valuable in groups, narrow paths, and encounters where enemies punish close contact. It is a strong answer when your current weapon repeatedly leaves you inside an enemy’s hitbox.
The transformed configuration also changes how you manage stamina and positioning. Use the range to hit the edge of a crowd, then reposition rather than standing in the middle of several targets. It complements a shorter, faster main weapon better than another slow weapon would.
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The Boom Hammer appeals to strength characters who specifically want fire damage and a distinctive impact-focused moveset. It is not a requirement for a strength build, and its value depends on whether you enjoy setting up its transformed attacks and managing the resulting rhythm.
The Amygdalan Arm is another specialist pick. Its unusual attacks and high-impact feel reward experimentation, but the moveset is less immediately universal than the Whirligig Saw. Treat both weapons as choices for a particular playstyle, not mandatory upgrades.
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Which skill weapon should you choose?
Choose the Rakuyo for speed and sustained pressure, the Church Pick for reach and thrust-oriented flexibility, or the Beasthunter Saif for mobile approach and retreat tools. All three can anchor a skill build, but they ask you to move through fights differently.
Rakuyo: the signature fast weapon
The Rakuyo is the iconic Old Hunters skill weapon. Its fast attacks and transformed configuration reward aggressive, evasive play: attack during short openings, use movement to stay out of retaliation range, and keep pressure rather than trading slow blows.
Because it is obtained late in the Fishing Hamlet route, it is often a weapon you plan for rather than start with. Use another skill weapon until the Rakuyo is secured, then decide whether its stamina and timing demands fit your preferred cadence. Physical gems generally suit a conventional skill setup; the important investment is learning the transformed sequence instead of treating it as a cosmetic change.
Church Pick: reach and damage-type flexibility
The Church Pick is the skill alternative for players who want more reach and reliable thrust options. It can keep dangerous targets at a safer distance and gives a different answer to enemies that resist or punish slash-focused attacks.
Its appeal is flexibility rather than a single spectacular gimmick. If your current weapon is quick but short-ranged, the Church Pick can cover that gap. Practice both configurations so you know when to use reach, thrust, or a faster one-handed option.
Beasthunter Saif: fluid repositioning
The Beasthunter Saif has a hunter-like moveset built around approaching, retreating, and resetting distance. It suits players who dislike standing still for long strings and prefer to weave in, land a sequence, and slide back out.
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That mobility is its defining reason to choose it. Do not select the Saif solely because it appears on a skill list; select it when its movement tools match how you already dodge and punish. It can be a better complement to a slow secondary weapon than another fast blade.
Is the Holy Moonlight Sword worth a strength/arcane build?
Yes, when you intend to use its transformed arcane damage and ranged attacks. The Holy Moonlight Sword is not simply a larger physical sword; its extra value comes from committing to the complete transformed moveset and its mixed damage profile.
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Community build references associate it with strength/arcane and quality/arcane investment. A purely physical strength character can wield it, but should not expect the full benefit of the weapon without relevant arcane investment. Plan gems and stats around the transformed attacks rather than adding the sword at the end of an unrelated build.
The weapon is especially useful when you need two engagement distances. Its physical form handles ordinary melee exchanges, while the transformed mode adds arcane attacks and ranged options for enemies that are unsafe to approach. That versatility comes with more decisions: you must learn when transformation is worth the stamina and positioning cost, and you should not let the ranged option replace basic dodging and spacing.
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Use the Bloodletter for a strength/bloodtinge route built around its dramatic transformation, or Simon’s Bowblade for a skill/bloodtinge character that wants a genuine melee-and-ranged identity. Neither is a universal damage upgrade; both demand that you build and play around their transformed modes.
Bloodletter: strength plus bloodtinge
The Bloodletter gives a strength-oriented character a reason to invest in bloodtinge while retaining a physical option in its other configuration. Its transformation is powerful in concept but involves health management, so the weapon is safest when you understand when to transform, how much health the transition costs, and where your next recovery window comes from.
Do not compare it to a conventional physical weapon only by looking at attack animations. The Bloodletter’s value is the alternate damage profile and transformed pressure. Bloodtinge-focused gems and stats make sense only when the rest of the character supports them.
Simon’s Bowblade: melee and ranged hybrid
Simon’s Bowblade is the clearest contrast to a close-range bloodtinge plan. Its transformed bow mode changes your engagement distance and gives a bloodtinge character a distinct ranged role, while the untransformed mode remains available for melee.
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It is useful when a boss or hostile group makes sustained close contact too risky. The trade-off is that you are maintaining two combat languages: stamina and spacing for melee, and safe firing windows for the bow. Build it as a deliberate skill/bloodtinge or hybrid character rather than adding it to a conventional skill build without planning.
Should an arcane character use Kos Parasite?
Kos Parasite is a specialist arcane weapon, best for a player who intentionally wants its unique moveset and arcane identity. It is not the easiest all-purpose first weapon for a new DLC run.
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Arcane experimentation also includes elemental conversions and hunter-tool-heavy setups. These can be rewarding, but they require more planning than straightforward physical weapons: gem compatibility, stat priorities, and the timing of tool use all matter. Choose Kos Parasite because you want that playstyle, not because a general ranking calls it powerful.
How do the weapons differ in practice?
Use the following questions before spending scarce upgrade materials or rearranging gems:
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- What is the primary scaling stat? Match the weapon to strength, skill, bloodtinge, arcane, or a planned hybrid. A transformed mode can change which stat matters most.
- How does the one-handed form differ from the transformed form? Transformation should solve a problem—reach, stagger, ranged pressure, or damage type—not merely add spectacle.
- What distance does it control? Long weapons and ranged attacks reduce the need to stand inside an enemy’s hitbox; compact weapons reward tighter movement and faster punish windows.
- How much stamina does the plan consume? A strong combo is not useful if it leaves no stamina for the next dodge.
- Does it provide crowd control? Sweeps and long arcs matter in the Hunter’s Nightmare and Research Hall, where groups can surround a short-ranged character.
- What gem family does it need? Physical, nourishing, bloodtinge, or elemental investment should follow the weapon’s intended damage profile.
- When can you obtain it? A late Fishing Hamlet weapon may be ideal for the endgame but cannot carry the early Hunter’s Nightmare.
- Does it cover your current weapon’s weakness? A reach weapon complements a short blade; a ranged option complements a weapon that struggles to approach safely.
How should you progress through The Old Hunters?
Enter the DLC with one weapon already upgraded enough to survive the Hunter’s Nightmare. Do not arrive with an uncommitted spread of half-upgraded weapons; the early areas are much more manageable when one moveset is familiar and dependable.
- Enter the Hunter’s Nightmare prepared. Bring your established main weapon, enough healing, and a build that already has a clear primary damage stat.
- Search the Hunter’s Nightmare thoroughly. Several DLC weapons are available before the final bosses, and the area also teaches you which reach and crowd-control problems your current weapon has.
- Explore the Research Hall carefully. Check side routes and pickup locations for its weapon and firearm rewards instead of rushing through the central progression.
- Slow down in the Fishing Hamlet. The Rakuyo is easy to overlook if you hurry. Search the well and surrounding routes before moving directly toward the final boss.
- Complete the route for the Bloodletter. The Bloodletter can also be missed by a player who treats the Hamlet as a straight line to the boss.
- Verify the Holy Moonlight Sword during the Ludwig sequence. The cited trophy-guide reference identifies it as the specifically missable weapon, so confirm that you have acquired it before leaving the relevant encounter sequence.
- Upgrade only after confirming the fit. Once the moveset and stat demands suit you, commit materials to the main weapon. Add a complementary backup afterward.
A community reference describes level 60–80 as a comfortable starting range for the DLC. That is player guidance, not an official entry requirement, so treat it as a practical benchmark rather than a rule.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What build templates make sense at level 110 or 120?
Community references use level-110 and level-120 formats to illustrate strength, skill, bloodtinge, Holy Moonlight Sword, and arcane archetypes. These are examples of how players organize a finished character, not mandatory balance targets.
Strength template
Center the character on strength, choose the Whirligig Saw or Beast Cutter, and keep a backup that changes reach or attack rhythm. Boom Hammer or Amygdalan Arm can replace the backup when you specifically want fire or an unusual moveset. Use physical-focused gems unless the whole plan says otherwise.
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Prioritize skill and decide whether your identity is Rakuyo pressure, Church Pick reach, or Beasthunter Saif mobility. A second weapon should cover the first weapon’s range or crowd-control weakness instead of simply being another fast blade.
Strength/arcane or quality/arcane template
Build around the Holy Moonlight Sword only if transformed arcane attacks and ranged options are part of the plan. Keep enough physical capability for its untransformed form, but do not omit arcane investment and then judge the weapon without its defining mode.
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Strength/bloodtinge template
Use the Bloodletter when you are prepared for its transformation and health-management demands. Plan recovery and timing around the transition rather than treating it as a free alternate stance.
Skill/bloodtinge template
Use Simon’s Bowblade when you want melee and bow combat on the same character. Decide in advance which encounters call for ranged pressure and which are safer to finish in melee.
Arcane specialist template
Choose Kos Parasite or elemental conversions when the unusual moveset is the reason for the build. Hunter tools and gem choices need more planning here than in a conventional physical setup.
What are the most common Old Hunters build mistakes?
- Calling one weapon universally best: scaling and moveset fit matter more than a list position.
- Splitting upgrade materials too early: one reliable weapon is safer than four unfinished experiments.
- Ignoring transformation costs: stamina, health, and positioning can matter as much as displayed damage.
- Using the Holy Moonlight Sword as a purely physical replacement: its distinctive value is tied to transformed arcane attacks and ranged options.
- Rushing the Fishing Hamlet: the Rakuyo and Bloodletter are easy to miss, and the Holy Moonlight Sword has a specifically noted missable acquisition.
- Treating level templates as requirements: level-110 and level-120 examples are community formats, not official mandates.
- Duplicating weaknesses with a backup: pair a short weapon with reach, a slow weapon with mobility, or a melee-only plan with ranged utility.
- Choosing gems before choosing a damage identity: physical, nourishing, bloodtinge, and elemental setups serve different weapons and stat spreads.
Where can you find a physical reference guide?
Bloodborne: The Old Hunters Collector’s Edition Guide is an optional physical reference covering the base game and expansion, including weapon, item, character, and progression information. It can be useful if you want a room-by-room completion aid while hunting missable pickups, but you do not need it to follow a build plan. Retail price, stock, and edition availability vary and should be checked with the current seller.
How we picked these recommendations
The shortlist prioritizes build compatibility, transformed and untransformed movesets, reach, crowd control, stagger potential, stamina demands, ranged utility, acquisition timing, gem compatibility, and whether a weapon fills a gap left by a typical main weapon. Recommendations are grouped by strength, skill, arcane, bloodtinge, and hybrid use rather than forced into one universal ranking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change my build after entering The Old Hunters?
Bloodborne does not provide a conventional respec menu, so a late change usually means reallocating future levels and farming or replacing gems rather than instantly resetting attributes. Decide on a primary stat before investing heavily, then use a temporary weapon until a late-DLC pickup becomes available.
Where do I get the Rakuyo?
The Rakuyo is in the Fishing Hamlet well route. Search the well and connected paths instead of heading straight for the final boss; rushing that area is the common reason players overlook it.
Is Simon’s Bowblade good without a bloodtinge build?
It can function as a melee weapon, but its defining bow mode is the reason to choose it. A skill/bloodtinge or melee-and-ranged plan gives the transformed attacks a clearer role than a purely physical character does.
Should I use elemental gems on the Whirligig Saw?
A conventional strength Whirligig Saw setup normally keeps a physical damage identity. Elemental conversion is an experiment that changes scaling and gem priorities, so use it only when the rest of the character is built to support that damage type.
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