The best weapons in Middle-earth: Shadow Of War are those that are utilized by the skills and talents of the player. Players will be armed with their sword, bow, and dagger in Middle-earth: Shadow Of War, and they can find better versions of their gear throughout the game, and through certain kills and loot.
Some of the most powerful weapons in Middle-earth: Shadow Of War come from that legendary variety. There are many legendary weapons in Middle-earth: Shadow Of War, but they can only truly be unlocked at their best potential when paired with other armor sets.
8 Bright Lord
The Bright Lord weapon set is legendary for a reason, and part of that reason is the ability to look cool and build up the Wrath meter 50% faster, but at the cost of Elven Rage’s duration by half. The weapons grant decent bonuses to Elven Rage, and the bonus to Wrath certainly helps in Talion’s journey.
The Bright Lord set may not seem entirely brilliant to some players, as the notable reduction in Elven Rage may dismay some players from using it. Not to mention the fact that obtaining Bright Lord’s set is not the easiest, as all Ithildin Doors will need to be found.
7 Warmonger
Fire becomes a weapon in more ways than one when given to players that use the Warmonger legendary weapons. With the added perk to Warmonger providing players with a bonus of 50 health for each enemy killed that is on fire, health will come in droves, and enemies won’t exactly be able to kill someone that keeps healing, nor will they be able to attack if they are on fire.
The Warmonger set will also benefit from players using the correct runes, and utilizing the battlefield effectively. There may be many barrels, fires, and other sources that could create fires and ignite enemies, creating dangerous situations for Orcs, and smart ones for Talion.
6 Dark
Players can equip a bunch of poison-based runes in Middle-earth: Shadow Of War, and use them for maximum effectiveness when combined with the Dark legendary weapons. A partial Dark set will grant players a point in Might after an enemy takes poison damage, meaning that Might can be continuously built upon.
Building Might allow for some brutal attacks that will make Talion even more powerful than he already is. Dark is a great set for those that like to use poison in battles, and prefer a touch of stealth to their approach in Middle-earth: Shadow Of War.
5 Outlaw
Fighting with the elements is always an advantage, and the Outlaw ability grants just that. With every hit, there’s a 25% chance that players will inflict Fire, Poison, Frost, or Curse damage on their opponents. This will inevitably add more damage to those that use the Legendary Outlaw weapons in Middle-earth: Shadow Of War.
The only problem with this perk set comes from the fact that the abilities can cancel themselves out. Considering each chance is 25%, players are looking at an elemental attack on every fourth-hit average. However, hitting for ice or fire will cancel the other out, and elements do not stack.
4 Terror
Striking fear into Orcs and sending them running is just one of the many things that Talion is good at in Middle-earth: Shadow Of War. When these lowly-leveled Orc Grunts flee the battlefield, chasing after them can be rather annoying. However, players won’t have to worry if they have a partial set of Terror. This set will allow players to instantly kill a fleeing Grunt thanks to Quick Throw.
Terror’s legendary weapons are at their most effective when used in crowds. Talion can disperse some enemies and make them run in fear, only to kill them instantly as they begin to sprint away. Then, Talion can repeat the cycle until there’s no breathing Orc on the battlefield.
3 Mystic
The Mystic weapons will provide players with a buff to the Dominated Grunts. After Dominating Grunts, they will take 50% less damage until they die. This comes from using pieces of the Mystic legendary gear, which can be equipped on a Sword, Dagger, and Bow. These weapons can create more powerful allies for Talion.
With greater allies that can withstand more damage, Talion will be able to create an army against the foes of himself and Mordor. The small army and damage reduction may not benefit 1v1 situations, but with these Grunts available, it won’t have to.
2 Slaughter
Fighting with vampire-like abilities benefits these legendary weapons in Middle-earth: Shadow Of War. The perks of using the weapon set from the Slaughter Armor and weapons is that Talion’s health will slowly drain, but the damage is increased by 40% after a successful Dominate or Drain ability use. It’s a perk that requires quick thinking and lots of enemies.
If players want to keep their health up and maximize damage, they need to be fast about whom they Drain or Dominate. Damage is a necessity for victory in Middle-earth: Shadow Of War, and battles will only get easier with more experience, and the 40% damage buff.
1 Vendetta
Partially using the Vendetta weapons in Middle-earth: Shadow Of War will give the player a deduction of 40% of their health in place of Might. Using Health as a trading tool can benefit only the most skilled players, as the added Might will cause further strength to Talion, at the sacrifice of his ability to take more wounds on the battlefield.
It’s an ability that truly flirts with death, and brings true meaning to the word “Vendetta”. Using health as a resource may be dangerous, but it pays off with the power that Talion will be able to dish out to his foes, and foes there are aplenty.
Middle-earth: Shadow Of War is available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.