Nimble Neuron's Eternal Return left early access on July 20, 2023 after three years, and it drops eight teams of three onto Lumia Island for 24 players a match. It plays like a MOBA folded into a battle royale: you level skills, farm wild animals for materials, and craft gear from recipes instead of buying it from a shop. There is no shrinking ring, only restricted areas that go red on a timer, and eliminations buy that timer back.
Your choice of equipment defines your damage output and playstyle. This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.
Equipment Rankings
| Equipment | Tier | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two-handed Sword | S | Melee characters who want the biggest single connect rather than sustained attack speed. | A short range melee line with heavy per hit damage, shared by several characters including Jackie, Fiora and Yuki. |
| Rapier | A | Fiora and any duelist plan that wants to control spacing inside melee range. | A short range fencing weapon built around repeated quick connects rather than one heavy swing, which pairs with characters whose damage scales on consecutive hits. |
| Dagger | A | Jackie and any route that plans to hunt solo farmers during days one and two. | The classic assassin line, low range and high burst, rewarding you for opening a fight on your terms against an isolated target. |
| Glove | B | Front line characters starting fights at choke points. | An unarmed melee line suited to bruisers who need to survive the first exchange rather than end it, and one of Hyunwoo's two mastery options alongside Tonfa. |
| Pistol | B | Aya and ranged plans that expect to fight beside a front liner. | A ranged line offering safe damage output, and one of Aya's two masteries alongside Assault Rifle. |
S-Tier: Two-handed Sword
A short range melee line with heavy per hit damage, shared by several characters including Jackie, Fiora and Yuki. Its weapon skill lands at Weapon Mastery 5 and ranks up at 10 and 15 like every other type.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | Melee characters who want the biggest single connect rather than sustained attack speed. |
| Key Mechanic | Crafting from gathered materials |
| Recommended Build | Jackie |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using Two-handed Sword: Pairs naturally with Jackie thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Rapier
A short range fencing weapon built around repeated quick connects rather than one heavy swing, which pairs with characters whose damage scales on consecutive hits.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Fiora and any duelist plan that wants to control spacing inside melee range. |
| Key Mechanic | Weapon Mastery breakpoints |
| Recommended Build | Aya |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Rapier: Pairs naturally with Aya thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Dagger
The classic assassin line, low range and high burst, rewarding you for opening a fight on your terms against an isolated target.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Jackie and any route that plans to hunt solo farmers during days one and two. |
| Key Mechanic | Restricted areas |
| Recommended Build | Hyunwoo |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Dagger: Pairs naturally with Hyunwoo thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Glove
An unarmed melee line suited to bruisers who need to survive the first exchange rather than end it, and one of Hyunwoo's two mastery options alongside Tonfa.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Front line characters starting fights at choke points. |
| Key Mechanic | Boss monsters and special materials |
| Recommended Build | Fiora |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Glove: Pairs naturally with Fiora thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Pistol
A ranged line offering safe damage output, and one of Aya's two masteries alongside Assault Rifle. Range is the defence, so positioning matters more than any item you build.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Aya and ranged plans that expect to fight beside a front liner. |
| Key Mechanic | Hyperloops and supply drops |
| Recommended Build | Yuki |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Pistol: Pairs naturally with Yuki thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
Equipment Progression Path
The order you should acquire equipment as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear Forest
- Rapier → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Dagger → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- Two-handed Sword → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
- Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous
Equipment Tips
- Always upgrade your primary equipment before diversifying. One strong option beats three mediocre ones.
- Match your equipment to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
- Pick a route before the match starts rather than improvising. A route fixes which areas you visit and in what order, which decides your weapon tier, your armour and who you run into, and improvising usually means arriving at a fight one tier behind.
- Check our tier list for how equipment rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More Eternal Return Guides
- Eternal Return Eternal Return Overview
- Eternal Return Best Builds
- Eternal Return Tier List
- Eternal Return Walkthrough
- Eternal Return Beginner's Guide
- Eternal Return Tips & Tricks
- Eternal Return Combat Guide
- Eternal Return Boss Guide
- Eternal Return Maps & Locations
- Eternal Return Crafting Guide
- Eternal Return Classes & Characters
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