If you have just started playing Phantom Blade Zero, choosing the right weapons and equipment can make your early journey much easier. You need a build that deals good damage, breaks enemy guards, and gives you enough healing to survive difficult fights.
In this guide, I’ll go through the best early game loadout you can build while exploring Weeping Creek Valley. This setup combines Jagged Steel, Scarlet Wraithblade, Dread Axe, and Hunter’s Chain Sickle with useful accessories, medicines, and abilities. You can collect the required equipment before moving on to Crimson Forest, after defeating The Hunt.
The main idea behind this build is to combine high weapon damage with Bleeding, strong guard breaks, and reliable healing. You will also learn how to switch weapons during combos, cancel animations to avoid incoming attacks, and use Hunter’s Chain Sickle to pull distant enemies closer.
Phantom Blade Zero Best Early Game Build – Recommended Loadout
| Equipment Type | Recommended Loadout |
|---|---|
| Primary Weapon | Jagged Steel |
| Secondary Weapon | Scarlet Wraithblade |
| Phantom Edge 1 | Dread Axe |
| Phantom Edge 2 | Hunter’s Chain Sickle |
| Medicine 1 | Healing Gourd |
| Medicine 2 | Vessel Restorative |
| Accessory 1 | Battle Wraps |
| Accessory 2 | Reflex Device |
| Accessory 3 | Token of Pursuit |
Recommended Abilities
Prioritize the following abilities as you progress:
- Fluid Form — Level 1
- Boundless Capacity
- Healing Art
- Thousand-Mile Stride
- Steady Composure
- Flowing Chi
This build is designed to give you a balance of damage, mobility, guard-breaking potential, and survivability.
Is This Early Game Build Worth Using?
Pros
- All required equipment can be obtained in Weeping Creek Valley.
- Jagged Steel provides strong damage and can inflict Bleeding on susceptible enemies.
- Scarlet Wraithblade offers additional guard-breaking damage.
- Hunter’s Chain Sickle increases damage against Bleeding enemies and helps pull ranged enemies closer.
- Healing items help you survive longer encounters without constantly returning to Bells.
Cons
- Bleeding does not work against Puppets, so part of the build’s damage strategy is less effective against them.
- You need to switch weapons and manage your combos to get the most out of the loadout.
- Unlocking all the recommended abilities takes time because skill progression depends on several collectible resources.
Best Early Game Weapons
Your primary and secondary weapons are Jagged Steel and Scarlet Wraithblade. Together, they provide a strong foundation for dealing damage and breaking enemy guards.
1. Jagged Steel — Primary Weapon
Jagged Steel is your main damage weapon for this build. It has high base damage, making it a reliable choice for regular enemies and bosses.
Its Level 5 skill, Blood Blade, provides a damage increase for five seconds. Activate this buff when you have an opportunity to deal sustained damage, especially during boss openings.
Jagged Steel can also inflict Bleeding on enemies that are susceptible to the status effect. This gives you another way to pressure enemies while preparing your next attack.
However, remember that Bleeding does not work against Puppets. Against these enemies, focus on Jagged Steel’s direct damage and combine it with your other weapons and Phantom Edges.
Why use Jagged Steel?
- High base damage.
- A useful damage buff through its Level 5 Blood Blade skill.
- Bleeding potential against susceptible enemies.
- Strong performance during boss damage windows.
2. Scarlet Wraithblade — Secondary Weapon
Scarlet Wraithblade is your secondary weapon and provides strong guard-breaking damage. It is particularly useful when fighting shielded enemies or opponents who are difficult to stagger using ordinary attacks.
Switch to Scarlet Wraithblade when you need to pressure an enemy’s guard. This helps you deal with defensive opponents without relying entirely on Dread Axe for every guard-break opportunity.
The idea is to alternate between Jagged Steel and Scarlet Wraithblade based on the enemy’s condition. Use Jagged Steel for damage and Bleeding, then switch to Scarlet Wraithblade when you need to pressure the enemy’s guard.
Why use Scarlet Wraithblade?
- Strong guard-breaking potential.
- Useful against shielded enemies.
- Complements Jagged Steel’s damage-focused playstyle.
- Gives you more options when an enemy is defending against your attacks.
Best Early Game Phantom Edges
For your Phantom Edges, equip Dread Axe and Hunter’s Chain Sickle. They provide additional guard-breaking pressure and help you take advantage of Bleeding.
1. Dread Axe
Dread Axe is a valuable option when you want to deal additional break damage. It works particularly well when you time its use around an enemy’s recovery.
For example, when a boss has recovered their Sha Chi, you can follow up with Dread Axe to apply break damage and continue pressuring them.
You should not rely on Dread Axe as your only way to break guards. Scarlet Wraithblade already provides strong guard-breaking damage, so use both tools according to the situation.
How to use Dread Axe effectively:
- Keep it available for opportunities to deal additional break damage.
- Use it after suitable weapon combos.
- Pay attention to the boss’s recovery and guard state.
- Combine it with Scarlet Wraithblade when you need more guard-breaking pressure.
2. Hunter’s Chain Sickle
Hunter’s Chain Sickle is an important part of this loadout because it provides both offensive utility and a way to control enemy positioning.
Its effect increases your damage against Bleeding enemies. Since Jagged Steel can inflict Bleeding, the two work together to help you capitalize on the status effect.
The Chain Sickle is also useful against ranged enemies. You can use it to pull them closer, bringing them into your attack range instead of wasting time chasing them.
Try to upgrade Hunter’s Chain Sickle to Level 5 as soon as possible. This is especially helpful when fighting enemies that prefer to attack from a distance.
Why use Hunter’s Chain Sickle?
- Increases damage against Bleeding enemies.
- Helps you take advantage of Jagged Steel’s status effect.
- Pulls ranged enemies closer.
- Makes it easier to engage enemies without running after them.
Best Early Game Medicine
Healing becomes especially important when you start facing tougher enemies and bosses. This build uses the Healing Gourd and Vessel Restorative to improve your ability to survive longer fights.
1. Healing Gourd
The Healing Gourd is your main source of healing during early game progression. It helps you recover health while exploring and reduces the need to return to a Bell after every difficult encounter.
Use your healing carefully rather than immediately after taking a small amount of damage. Saving it for moments when your health is low can make a significant difference during boss fights.
2. Vessel Restorative
Pair the Healing Gourd with Vessel Restorative. This item provides substantial healing and improves Sha Chi recovery, making it useful when you need to stay alive while maintaining your combat resources.
The combination is particularly valuable during boss encounters, where you may need to alternate between offensive Sha Chi attacks, defensive actions, and healing.
Medicine tips:
- Use the Healing Gourd as your primary healing option.
- Keep Vessel Restorative available for situations where you need additional recovery.
- Avoid wasting healing resources when a boss is about to enter a predictable attack sequence.
- Manage your Sha Chi so you still have resources available for important defensive actions.
Best Early Game Accessories
The recommended accessories are Battle Wraps, Reflex Device, and Token of Pursuit. These items support your damage output and make defensive timing more forgiving.
1. Battle Wraps
Battle Wraps are part of the recommended damage-focused accessory setup. Equip them to support your offensive performance as you progress through the early game.
2. Reflex Device
The Reflex Device extends the timing windows for parries and perfect dodges. This makes it easier to execute these defensive actions consistently.
It can be especially useful during boss fights, where a mistimed dodge or parry can leave you open to a heavy attack.
Use the additional timing window to learn enemy attack patterns and improve your defensive consistency.
3. Token of Pursuit
Token of Pursuit is the third recommended accessory for this loadout. It is included to support your damage-focused setup alongside Battle Wraps.
Together, these accessories complement the build’s offensive approach while the Reflex Device provides additional defensive flexibility.
Best Early Game Abilities
During the early game, you cannot focus on every ability you want immediately. Unlocking skills requires progression resources such as Black Stones, Sha Chi Amber, and Memory Flowers.
Instead of putting all your resources into one skill tree, spread your skill points across the available trees. After thoroughly exploring Weeping Creek Valley, you should be able to unlock the first two skills in each skill tree.
Fluid Form
Prioritize unlocking Fluid Form at Level 1. It is part of the recommended early game ability setup and supports the build’s mobility-focused approach.
Thousand-Mile Stride
Thousand-Mile Stride is another early priority. Alongside Fluid Form, it serves as one of your main gap-closing options, helping you close the distance against bosses.
This is particularly useful when an enemy moves away from you or creates space between attacks.
Boundless Capacity
Boundless Capacity is included in the recommended loadout. Consider it as part of your broader ability progression while balancing your resource investment across the available skill trees.
Healing Art
Healing Art complements the build’s focus on surviving longer fights. It is included among the recommended abilities, alongside the Healing Gourd and Vessel Restorative.
Steady Composure
Steady Composure is another ability to include as you develop the build. Unlock it as your available resources allow rather than neglecting all other skill trees.
Flowing Chi
Flowing Chi rounds out the recommended early game ability selection. Continue exploring and collecting progression materials to expand your options.
Important: Fluid Form and Thousand-Mile Stride are the two abilities to prioritize first for closing the distance against bosses. The remaining abilities can be unlocked as your resources and progression permit.
Early Game Build Playstyle and Tips
Having the right equipment is only part of the process. You also need to understand when to switch weapons, when to use your Phantom Edges, and when to stop attacking.
1. Use a Weapon Combo and Rotation
The main idea behind this build is to switch between Jagged Steel and Scarlet Wraithblade while taking advantage of their effects.
Use Jagged Steel to deal damage and apply Bleeding to susceptible enemies. Then switch to Scarlet Wraithblade when you need to apply more guard-breaking pressure.
The recommended rotation uses Sha Chi attacks with both weapons to take advantage of their effects. Avoid staying locked into one weapon if switching gives you a better opportunity to damage or break the enemy’s guard.
The supplied combo notation is:
- PS5: Triangle × 3 → D-pad Left → Triangle × 2 → Circle
- PC: F × 3 → 1 → F × 2 → E
Use these inputs as a starting point for practicing the rotation. Your timing and the enemy’s behavior will determine when you should continue attacking or switch to defense.
2. Cancel Animations to Avoid Incoming Attacks
You do not need to finish every combo once you start it. Sometimes an enemy begins winding up an attack while you are still performing your own animation.
In these situations, dodge to cancel your combo animation and return to a defensive position.
This is especially useful against bosses because continuing an attack at the wrong moment can leave you exposed to heavy damage.
Follow these tips:
- Watch the enemy rather than focusing only on your own combo.
- Stop attacking when you recognize an incoming attack.
- Use a dodge to cancel your animation when necessary.
- Return to offense after the enemy’s attack leaves an opening.
Learning when to stop attacking is just as important as learning the weapon rotation.
3. Pull Ranged Enemies With Hunter’s Chain Sickle
Ranged enemies can be annoying when you are using a close-range build. Chasing them wastes time and may expose you to additional attacks.
Hunter’s Chain Sickle helps solve this problem by pulling enemies closer to you.
Upgrade it to Level 5 as soon as possible, then use its pulling utility to bring ranged opponents into your attack range. Once they are close enough, follow up with your weapon combo.
This makes encounters against ranged enemies easier to manage and helps you maintain offensive pressure.
4. Use Dread Axe When You Have a Guard-Break Opportunity
Dread Axe is most useful when you have a clear opportunity to deal additional break damage. Rather than using it without considering the enemy’s condition, watch for moments when you can safely follow up on your existing combo.
Combine Dread Axe with Scarlet Wraithblade when you need to apply more pressure to a guarded enemy.
5. Adjust Your Strategy Against Puppets
Bleeding is an important part of this build, but it does not work against Puppets.
When fighting these enemies, do not depend on Bleeding to increase your damage. Focus on Jagged Steel’s direct damage, use Scarlet Wraithblade to pressure their guard, and look for opportunities to deal additional damage with Dread Axe.
The rest of the loadout remains useful even when the Bleeding strategy is unavailable.
When Should You Replace This Build?
This loadout is designed for the early game, before you move on from Weeping Creek Valley to Crimson Forest. It gives you a useful combination of damage, guard breaking, healing, and mobility while you learn the game’s combat mechanics.
As you progress, continue collecting Black Stones, Sha Chi Amber, and Memory Flowers to unlock more abilities. You can then adjust your equipment and skill choices as new options become available.
For now, focus on obtaining the complete loadout, upgrading Hunter’s Chain Sickle to Level 5, and learning to switch between offense and defense without committing to unsafe combos.
The best early game build in Phantom Blade Zero combines Jagged Steel, Scarlet Wraithblade, Dread Axe, and Hunter’s Chain Sickle to provide a balanced mix of damage, guard breaking, and combat utility.
Pair these weapons with the Healing Gourd, Vessel Restorative, Battle Wraps, Reflex Device, and Token of Pursuit. For abilities, focus on Fluid Form and Thousand-Mile Stride first, then spread your remaining resources across the available skill trees.
Most importantly, learn to cancel your combos when enemies prepare to attack, use Hunter’s Chain Sickle against ranged opponents, and switch weapons based on whether you need damage or guard-breaking pressure. Mastering these fundamentals will make your early progression much smoother