TL;DR
- Mortal Shell 2 has 8 sidearms in total — all fuelled by Resolve, which you build by hitting enemies with your main weapon.
- Naylshotte — free starter shotgun, hits hard up close, can one-shot small enemies.
- Forgotten Crossbow — long-range precision, great for sniping and puzzle-solving, early Fainweald dungeon.
- Troubadour’s Lute — inflicts Confusion, makes enemies fight each other, free pick-up at the One-Legged Wolf Tavern.
- Salvaged Trebuchaxe — fires charged axes, best single-target damage of any early sidearm, worth the effort.
- Sidearms are also mandatory for solving puzzles — they are not just combat tools.
A lot of beginners in Mortal Shell 2 treat sidearms as an afterthought. You get the Naylshotte at the start and barely think about it again. That is a mistake. Sidearms in this game do more than deal damage — they stagger enemies, apply status effects, solve puzzles, and can completely change how a fight plays out. The right sidearm for your playstyle can make the early game feel much smoother. This guide covers the best sidearms for beginners in Mortal Shell 2, what each one does, and exactly where to find them. Before you focus on sidearms, make sure you have sorted your primary weapon and Shell — our best weapons for beginners in Mortal Shell 2 guide and our best Shells for beginners in Mortal Shell 2 guide cover both in full.
How Sidearms Work in Mortal Shell 2
Sidearms are secondary weapons — ranged tools that complement your melee primary weapon. There are 8 sidearms in the game, and every single one is usable by any Shell. Like primary weapons, sidearms are found across the world in dungeons, taverns, and hidden locations. None are missable, and all can be collected even after the final boss in free-roam.
All sidearms are powered by Resolve — a resource you generate by attacking enemies with your primary weapon or by destroying glowing effigies found in the world. Each sidearm use costs Resolve. This means the more aggressively you fight with your main weapon, the more often you can use your sidearm.
Sidearms are not just for combat. Several puzzles in Mortal Shell 2 require a sidearm to solve. For example, shooting bells with a crossbow can construct cobblestone bridges and unlock paths forward. Do not neglect them just because you have a powerful melee weapon.
All sidearms can also be upgraded at the Tarforge. Understanding how the Mortal Shell 2 Tarforge system works will help you get the most out of whichever sidearm you commit to.
1. Naylshotte — Best Starter Sidearm
Type: Shotgun
Range: Close
How to get it: Automatic — given at the start of the game during the prologue
The Naylshotte is the sidearm you get for free at the very beginning of Mortal Shell 2. It is a shotgun-like contraption that fires a spread of projectiles in a cone. Up close, it deals high damage. Against small enemies, a single blast can kill them outright.
A lot of beginners assume they need to replace it immediately. They do not. The Naylshotte is genuinely excellent in the early game, especially for two situations: knocking back enemies that get too close when you are trying to create space, and staggering tougher enemies mid-combo to stop them from attacking. It rewards aggressive, up-close fighting — attack with your primary weapon to build Resolve, then fire the Naylshotte when an enemy starts winding up a big hit.
Its main weakness is range. Against enemies standing far away, the spread pattern does very little damage. For those situations you will want a crossbow, but as a close-range panic tool and stagger option, the Naylshotte remains useful throughout Fainweald. Do not be in a rush to bin it.
2. Forgotten Crossbow — Best for Range and Puzzle Solving
Type: Crossbow
Range: Long
How to get it: Flooded Village dungeon, northwest of the Blackridge Pass Beacon
The Forgotten Crossbow is the natural first upgrade from the Naylshotte. Where the Naylshotte excels up close, the Forgotten Crossbow excels at long range. It fires a single precise bolt and can snipe enemies from distances that other sidearms simply cannot reach. If you land headshots, it becomes even more effective — accurate players can thin out groups of enemies before they ever close the gap.
Beyond combat, the Forgotten Crossbow is also the most important sidearm for puzzle solving. Multiple dungeons and world puzzles in Mortal Shell 2 require you to shoot bells, switches, or specific targets at a distance. The crossbow’s precision makes it the tool of choice for all of these. A shotgun blast cannot do this reliably. Having the Forgotten Crossbow early saves a lot of frustration later.
It pairs very well with the Splitting Stone Tarstone, which causes bolts to split on impact, dramatically increasing its crowd-control value from range.
Where to Find the Forgotten Crossbow
Head northwest from the Blackridge Pass Beacon. Cross the rope bridges that take you down to the lower crags. Look for a stone arch covered by wooden boards and smash through them. This is the entrance to the Flooded Village dungeon. Inside, find the Damp Key — it sits on a crate near a wooden house. Use the key on the locked door in the middle of the village. The Forgotten Crossbow is on a table just inside. Work through the dungeon past the guards to reach it.
You can find the dungeon location and every other sidearm marked on the map using our Mortal Shell 2 all weapon and sidearm locations guide.
3. Troubadour’s Lute — Best for Crowd Control
Type: Musical instrument
Range: Mid-range cone
How to get it: One-Legged Wolf Tavern, eastern Fainweald — free pick-up, no fight required
The Troubadour’s Lute is the most unique sidearm in Mortal Shell 2 and one of the best early-game items in the entire game. Instead of firing a projectile, you strum it like a guitar. The sound hits enemies in a cone in front of you, applying the Confusion status effect. A confused enemy stops targeting you and instead turns on its nearby allies.
Multiple confused enemies will attack each other. If there is nothing nearby to attack, a confused enemy suffers severe Break Damage instead, leaving it wide open for a Riposte. This makes the Lute one of the best crowd control tools in the game — especially effective when facing groups of three or more enemies, which happens regularly in Mortal Shell 2’s open world.
The Lute can also be applied to multiple enemies at once since it hits in a cone. One strum, several confused enemies, and suddenly a chaotic group fight turns into a slow clean-up operation. For beginners who get overwhelmed by enemy groups, the Lute is a genuine lifesaver.
Where to Find the Troubadour’s Lute
Head to the One-Legged Wolf Tavern in the eastern part of Fainweald. It is located near the One-Legged Wolf Beacon, northeast of Mushroom Village. To get there, go north from the Mushroom Village Entrance Beacon across the bridge, then follow the path east. The tavern is just to the right of its Beacon — you cannot miss it.
Once inside, do not attack anyone. The tavern is a safe zone. Walk to the small stage on the left side of the room where an NPC is performing. The Lute is sitting right behind him on the stage. Interact with it to pick it up. No fight, no quest, no key required. It is completely free.
Note: you need to cleanse enough corruption to reach this area first. You will need the Mether’s Breath power from Marrow Keep and enough Ova to clear the corrupted growths blocking the path. If you are unsure how to handle corruption, our guide on how to cleanse corruption in Mortal Shell 2 walks you through it step by step.
4. Salvaged Trebuchaxe — Best for Single-Target Damage
Type: Hand-held trebuchet that fires axes
Range: Mid to long
How to get it: Ravaged Hideout dungeon, near the Citadel of Penance
The Salvaged Trebuchaxe is exactly what it sounds like — a hand-held trebuchet that fires axes instead of bolts or pellets. Hold the fire button to charge it up, then release for a devastating single-target hit. In terms of raw damage per shot, it is the most powerful early sidearm in the game. A fully charged hit can one-shot most regular enemies, and it deals enormous stagger and Break Damage to tougher ones.
It also has a useful mechanic when upgraded: if you one-shot an enemy with a charged shot, the full Resolve cost is refunded. Combined with the right Tarstones — particularly the Charged Stone, which increases charging speed by 50% at max level — the Trebuchaxe becomes an extremely efficient tool for clearing weak enemies without spending any net Resolve.
The downside is the charge time. Against fast-moving enemies or in chaotic group fights, standing still to charge a shot is risky. It works best as an opener — fire a charged Trebuchaxe at a tough enemy before you close in with your melee weapon, dealing big upfront Break Damage and giving you an immediate advantage going into the fight.
Where to Find the Salvaged Trebuchaxe
Head to the area near the Citadel of Penance. Look for the Bloodcursed Lithopod world boss in the zone outside the citadel’s walls. Defeat it — the creature drops an item that permanently opens the citadel gates, which is worth doing for other reasons too. Once the Lithopod is dead, an opening appears in the large rock nearby. This leads into the Ravaged Hideout dungeon. Work through it and reach the end, where you will find a corpse kneeling on the ground holding the Salvaged Trebuchaxe. Interact with it to claim it.
Quick Comparison: Best Beginner Sidearms in Mortal Shell 2
- Naylshotte — Free from the start. Close range shotgun. Best for staggering enemies and one-shotting small foes.
- Forgotten Crossbow — Flooded Village dungeon. Long range sniper. Best for precision damage and puzzle solving.
- Troubadour’s Lute — One-Legged Wolf Tavern. Inflicts Confusion. Best for crowd control in group fights.
- Salvaged Trebuchaxe — Ravaged Hideout dungeon. Charged axe shots. Best single-target burst damage of any early sidearm.
Tips for Using Sidearms as a Beginner
Sidearms are most effective when you treat them as extensions of your melee combo, not replacements for it. Here is how to get the most out of them early.
- Build Resolve constantly. Your sidearm is useless without Resolve. Keep swinging your primary weapon at enemies and break glowing effigies in the world to keep your Resolve up.
- Use the Naylshotte to create space. When an enemy is about to hit you and you have no time to dodge, a shotgun blast to the face will often stagger them long enough for you to reset your positioning.
- Use the Crossbow before engaging. Snipe an enemy from range before running in. You reduce their health, might stagger them, and gain the initiative in the fight.
- Use the Lute when outnumbered. If you pull three or more enemies at once, hit the Lute before anything else. Buy yourself time as they fight each other, then pick off the survivors.
- Use the Trebuchaxe as an opener on tough enemies. A charged hit at the start of a hard fight deals big Break Damage and puts you in a dominant position going into the melee phase.
- Do not ignore sidearms for puzzles. Several dungeons require you to shoot targets at range. Always have the Forgotten Crossbow available for exploration.
If you are also hunting loot while exploring, you may come across the Mushroom Village chest early on. The Auspicious Stone inside boosts melee crit chance — a great Tarstone that pairs well with fast weapons and aggressive sidearm use.
Do All Sidearms Work the Same Way?
Mechanically, yes — all sidearms consume Resolve per use and are equipped and switched the same way. But their effects are very different. Some deal straight damage (Naylshotte, Trebuchaxe). Some deal damage at range with precision (Forgotten Crossbow). Some apply status effects that change how enemies behave (Troubadour’s Lute). Later sidearms include even more exotic effects like soul-sucking and area denial.
Choosing a sidearm is really a choice about what role you want it to fill. Gap-closer? Opener? Crowd control? Puzzle tool? Pick based on the gap in your current playstyle and upgrade the one that works best for you at the Tarforge. For a full picture of how upgrades affect sidearms alongside weapons, see our guide on permanent items in Mortal Shell 2 to understand what is worth investing in early.
Final Thoughts
For most beginners, the recommended path is: use the Naylshotte out of the prologue, then grab the Forgotten Crossbow from the Flooded Village dungeon as soon as possible to cover your long-range and puzzle needs. Pick up the Troubadour’s Lute from the One-Legged Wolf Tavern when you reach that area — it is completely free and will save you in group fights more than once. Work toward the Salvaged Trebuchaxe when you are ready for a challenge near the Citadel of Penance.
Never treat sidearms as optional. They are part of your combat loop, part of your puzzle toolkit, and part of what makes Mortal Shell 2 feel different from other Soulslikes. Use them consistently and upgrade the one that clicks with your style. If you are building toward a specific playstyle, see our full Mortal Shell 2 beginners guide and our Mortal Shell 2 review to understand the bigger picture before committing to a loadout.
Mortal Shell 2 is available now on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. Visit the official Mortal Shell website for more.
