Queen's Domain weapon levels and evolution: what to level, what evolves, and how damage adds up

Weapons gain experience as you hit things. Three players comparing numbers agree on the shape: base damage times the level bonus, plus your attack power. Merkava adds that a late-game upgrade bakes the bonus into base damage and removes the percentage, which is why the upgrade is not a downgrade. Treat it as the forum's model, not a formula from the developers.

The rusted starters (short sword, spear, long sword, longhammer, axe and more) turn into named weapons once levelled; the completion thread marks evolved weapons with an asterisk and notes that evolving one restocks its rusted base at the shop, so you can level another. Patch 1.01.01 fixed a freeze when a weapon evolves.

1. Level each rusted weapon you find until it evolves, then buy the rusted base again if you want a second.

One pattern from the forum: a main weapon for progress, a secondary that helps jumps, and one slot for whatever you are levelling. Players who went for the Perfect Weaponry achievement levelled everything, rusty ones first. Match the three slots to the three damage types for the Bestiary's sake.

Slash, impact and pierce

One player says each bottle of Spirit Oil gives three weapon levels rather than XP; no one else has confirmed it. Another player suggests holding at least four before using them on a rusted weapon. Save first if you want the option to reload and spend them elsewhere.

Where it comes from: enemy drops, more often as your luck rises (one player recommends maxing luck with the Amulet of the White Branch). Players name the melee gargoyles on the Record of Sin's first floor, where one player found drops rare even at 90 luck. They also name the two ghost manticores where you take the last Wind Gem, which don't respawn. Whether the shop sells it is unclear. One player thinks you should be able to buy it for 15 Ancient Coins; another found the shop didn't stock it but wondered if it appears later.

Best uses, by players' reckoning: evolving the rusted starters early (the evolved club's healing special is the favourite), and later the Chef's reward. That reward makes a random meal each time it maxes and drops back to level 1, and one bottle is enough to max it, so leftover oil turns into stat-boosting food. One player says the Pandora Blade levels to 100 and counts for the weapon-levelling challenge; another stopped at 86 using oil; a third says it isn't worth levelling except for a challenge run.

Witch's Grimoire codes

1. Save at a Crystal Monument.
2. Use Spirit Oil on a rusted weapon to evolve it early.
3. Late game, feed spare oil to the Chef's reward for free meals.

In the barred crypt near the second Crystal Monument, after the Grave Guardian; you need the second Wind Gem to get in. Gamer Social Club's guide covers the lever, the fight and the chest.

The Grave Guardian, with checked footage

The Josami Greatsword and the Vampiric Scimitar are reported not to gain weapon XP on their secondary attack. Not in any patch note yet; level them with primary hits.

Destructoid's list (25 of the 77, marked work in progress) puts the Skull Rod, Occult Spear and Wind Rapier in the Tower of Knowledge, Blood Moon and Grave Reaper in Deimpo Mausoleum, the Splash Hammer in Obmuer Temple, the Engraved Halberd behind the three-key trident gate, and a dozen for sale at Umbada's for 10 to 42 Ancient Coins. A full table is on the backlog once each row has a second source.