Tears of Metal Equipment Guide

Equipment in the Build Stack

Equipment provides the stat foundation beneath emblems and Charms in Tears of Metal. Paper Cult advertises over one hundred artifacts combined with emblem synergies for distinctive builds. Weapons change combo properties and elemental procs; trinkets occupy accessory slots with passive bonuses; artifacts are rare shrine or boss rewards that can define entire runs. Unlike emblems, most equipment unlocks persist account-wide through village shops and campaign objectives.

Hero weapon lines are not interchangeable—Wallace swords, Ruadh hammers, and third hero weapons upgrade separately at settlement forges. Skins and cosmetics share slots but may not alter stats; verify tooltips before purchasing. Equipment matters most in Act 2–3 when emblem proc rates plateau and raw stats determine whether elites die before soldiers wipe.

Connect equipment planning to builds hub, charms, and settlement upgrades. Hero specifics live on Wallace and Ruadh pages.

Weapons by Hero

Wallace swords — Upgrade at village forge for combo speed, Refracted proc chance, or block stamina reduction. Early Act 1 swords outperform rare trinkets; save currency for tier 2 weapons before Act 2. Elemental swords synergize with Caithness chain extensions.

Ruadh hammers — Prioritize stagger power and healing potency upgrades. Stagger hammers enable Smite radial on armored elites; healing hammers scale co-op support without emblem picks.

Third hero weapons — Unlock with hero access; weapon type depends on final kit reveal. Budget forge investments after confirming main hero roster.

Demo notes: Wallace received additional weapon and skin options in post-demo patches—Early Access expands lines for all launch heroes.

Trinkets and Accessories

Trinkets slot separately from weapons, offering passives like emblem proc chance, soldier aura radius, damage reduction after block, or life on kill. Trinkets shine when emblem families lack sustain—Stirling block builds want post-block damage reduction trinkets; Orbs builds want dodge cooldown reduction.

Do not neglect trinkets while chasing emblem tier 3. A tier 2 Caithness stack with optimal trinkets clears Act 2 faster than tier 3 Caithness with empty accessory slots. Farm trinket unlocks through shrine challenges listed in Act 2 walkthrough and boss rewards from boss guide.

Artifacts and Rare Drops

Artifacts are run-defining rewards from shrines, elites, and Act bosses. Examples include combo timer extensions, duplicate emblem proc rolls, or battalion-wide auras. Artifacts often mimic Charm effects—avoid redundant rule stacking. Artifacts may bind to current campaign only or unlock permanently depending on item type; read tooltips carefully on launch.

Target artifact farms after establishing emblem synergy plans. Caithness runners want chain extension artifacts; Ruadh tanks want stagger or healing amplification. Challenge mode increases artifact drop rates—see daily challenges.

Village Shops and Upgrade Order

Settlement upgrades unlock forge tiers, trinket vendors, and artifact reroll services. Recommended order: Act 1 clear weapon upgrade → soldier barracks for Dunbar synergy → trinket vendor → cosmetic skins last. Use village priority checklist for interactive planning.

Equipment purchases use campaign-earned currency separate from Charm Emporium currency in most builds—plan farming routes in village upgrades guide.

Equipment + Emblems + Charms

Layer equipment to fill gaps emblem families miss. Caithness lacks sustain → Iona trinket or healing artifact. Orbs build lacks armor break → Smite weapon proc or Mark trinket. Charms that disable healing force defensive trinkets regardless of emblem DPS.

Review best emblem synergies before expensive forge investments. Equipment supports emblem routes; it rarely replaces bad emblem spread decisions.