Gems of War is Infinity Plus 2's match three RPG where two teams of four trade turns on a single 8x8 board. Matching gems fills each troop's mana in that colour, matching skulls sends your front troop in to attack, and matching four or more gems hands you another turn. Over 1,400 troops and more than 30 kingdoms across Krystara sit on top of that one loop.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dawnbringer | S | Hero teams that want damage and a defensive layer in one cast | A crafted weapon costing 20 mana across Blue, Red and Yellow that damages all enemies scaled by yellow allies and enemies, gives the team Barrier, and gains 2 Magic when 13 or more red gems are on the board. |
| Divine Protector | A | Endgame Divines teams built around Infernus | The hero weapon slotted into the standard Divines team alongside Infernus, Ubastet and Divine Ishbaala. |
| Essence of Evil | A | Plaguelord hero builds and early class progression | The Plaguelord class weapon, tied to a class rather than to a crafting recipe. |
| Orb of Winter | B | Frostmage freeze teams in defensive matchups | The Frostmage class weapon, which pairs naturally with freeze teams built around Queen Mab and Kraken. |
| Doomed weapons | B | Guild players who run Tower of Doom every cycle | A weapon family traited with Forge Scrolls earned during Tower of Doom rather than with ingots. |
S-Tier: Dawnbringer
A crafted weapon costing 20 mana across Blue, Red and Yellow that damages all enemies scaled by yellow allies and enemies, gives the team Barrier, and gains 2 Magic when 13 or more red gems are on the board. It stays relevant for years of account progress.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | Hero teams that want damage and a defensive layer in one cast |
| Key Mechanic | Mana colours and spell casting |
| Recommended Build | Titan |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using Dawnbringer: Pairs naturally with Titan thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Divine Protector
The hero weapon slotted into the standard Divines team alongside Infernus, Ubastet and Divine Ishbaala. It exists to make the hero a fourth Divine rather than a passenger.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Endgame Divines teams built around Infernus |
| Key Mechanic | Skull damage |
| Recommended Build | Frostmage |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Divine Protector: Pairs naturally with Frostmage thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Essence of Evil
The Plaguelord class weapon, tied to a class rather than to a crafting recipe. Class weapons unlock as you level the class, which makes them the cheapest route to a usable hero for a new account.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Plaguelord hero builds and early class progression |
| Key Mechanic | Extra turns from four and five matches |
| Recommended Build | Necromancer |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Essence of Evil: Pairs naturally with Necromancer thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Orb of Winter
The Frostmage class weapon, which pairs naturally with freeze teams built around Queen Mab and Kraken. Freeze effects slow enemy mana gain, which is what makes a slow team survivable.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Frostmage freeze teams in defensive matchups |
| Key Mechanic | Traits and traitstones |
| Recommended Build | Sunspear |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Orb of Winter: Pairs naturally with Sunspear thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Doomed weapons
A weapon family traited with Forge Scrolls earned during Tower of Doom rather than with ingots. They are a reason to take that guild event seriously even if the boss rewards look modest.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Guild players who run Tower of Doom every cycle |
| Key Mechanic | Hero class and weapon |
| Recommended Build | Archer |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Doomed weapons: Pairs naturally with Archer 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 Whitehelm
- Divine Protector → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Essence of Evil → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- Dawnbringer → 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.
- Build every team around covering four different mana colours. Two troops competing for blue means one of them sits at half mana all battle while the enemy casts freely.
- Check our tier list for how equipment rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Guides
- Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Overview
- Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Best Builds
- Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Tier List
- Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Walkthrough
- Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Beginner's Guide
- Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Tips & Tricks
- Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Combat Guide
- Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Boss Guide
- Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Maps & Locations
- Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Crafting Guide
- Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Gems of War - Puzzle RPG, check out these related guides:
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- Pico Park Weapons Guide: puzzle game with similar mechanics
- Portal Weapons Guide: puzzle game with similar mechanics
