Complete guide to all 5 Mina the Hollower weapons: Nightstar, Whisper & Vesper, Blaststrike Maul, Battery Buster, and Guardian Casket. Covers every weapon upgrade, community tier ranking, upgrade priority order, and which Mina the Hollower weapon to pick first.
| Weapon | Best For | Difficulty | Playstyle | Community Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nightstar | Most players — forgiving range, consistent damage | Beginner | Keep distance, punish safely from afar | #2 overall |
| Whisper & Vesper | Players who want fast, aggressive play | Intermediate | Rapid stab bursts, burrow to reposition immediately | #5 overall |
| Blaststrike Maul | Patient players who commit to big hits | Intermediate | Charge attacks; roll to reposition while charging | #4 overall |
Battery Buster is the #1-ranked weapon by the community once unlocked — but it is not available at the start. Focus on Nightstar first. Battery Buster and Guardian Casket are purchased from Legovich’s Arms in Ossex as you progress.
Based on Sportskeeda ranking and Reddit discussion — reflects overall boss and general play performance.
| Rank | Weapon | Why | Weakness |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Battery Buster | Safe ranged damage; ammo loop with melee; top-tier once upgraded | Not available at start; requires learning dual-mode management |
| #2 | Nightstar | "Hits up to two blocks away" (Polygon); safest punish windows for every boss | Lower raw damage than Maul or Battery Buster at full upgrade |
| #3 | Guardian Casket | Perfect parry summons spectral arms for counter-damage; strong ceiling | Strictest timing in the game; punishes mistimed parries severely |
| #4 | Blaststrike Maul | "Turns Mina into Death’s Door" (Reddit); devastating charged damage | Charge leaves you exposed; slow speed punishes impatience |
| #5 | Whisper & Vesper | Fastest attack speed in the game; rewards burrow-to-attack rhythm | Shortest range; requires close commitment every hit; niche pick |
Each weapon has 2 upgrades. Find them as second copies in the world or buy them at Legovich's Arms, Ossex City Center (west side, big red building).
Based on community guidance from Polygon, Hollowertools, and Sportskeeda — follow this order to get the most value per Bones spent.
| When | What to Buy | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Early game Before first boss |
Upgrade 1 for your starting weapon (Dread Mace for Nightstar, Boom Charge for Maul, or Lunging Cut for Daggers) |
First upgrade always improves your starting weapon without changing how it feels. Nightstar’s Dread Mace is the easiest to apply immediately — you are already practicing spacing, so the tip bonus comes for free. |
| Mid game After Queensbury Crypt |
Buy Battery Buster from Legovich’s Arms + Burst Shot upgrade as soon as available |
Battery Buster is the #1 community-ranked weapon. Its ranged mode changes how every boss fight feels — you can safely deal damage from outside most boss attack ranges. Burst Shot is the priority first upgrade for Battery Buster. |
| Mid-to-late game After 2–3 regions |
Upgrade 2 for Battery Buster (Charge Shot) + Upgrade 2 for starting weapon |
Charge Shot tightens the Battery Buster melee-reload loop. Completing your starting weapon’s second upgrade gives you a fully upgraded safe backup for fights where ranged pressure is limited. |
| Late game / second build Before Astral Orrery |
Buy Guardian Casket (2,000 Bones) + Grave Counter or complete Maul upgrades (Boom Charge + Spin Rush) |
Guardian Casket with Grave Counter is viable for late-game and NG+ players who read bosses well. Maul with both upgrades delivers the highest single-hit damage in the game — ideal for bosses with long recovery windows. |
Upgrade tip: If you miss a chest in the world, return to Legovich’s Arms in Ossex — most upgrades can be purchased there. The Coltrane Peak upgrade can also be bought from Panino for 5,000 Bones as a backup.
| Step | What to Do | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Find a second copy | Each weapon upgrade is a second copy of the same weapon found in the world | Explore thoroughly — upgrades are hidden in chests and rooms |
| Buy from Legovich's Arms | Ossex City Center, west side, big red building | Some upgrades can be purchased if you miss the in-world copy |
| Upgrade grants ability, not stats | Each upgrade adds a new attack or mechanic, not raw damage | Upgrade 1 and Upgrade 2 are separate — you can have both |
| Switch weapons freely | Change at any Underlab checkpoint | No penalty — test different weapons on the same boss |
If you miss an upgrade chest in the world, return to Legovich's Arms in Ossex — many upgrades can be purchased there. The Coltrane Peak upgrade can also be bought from Panino for 5,000 Bones if missed.
Eight red upgrade chests are hidden across Tenebrous Isle. Each contains a weapon upgrade for your current weapon. Miss one? Most can be bought from Legovich's Arms in Ossex.
| Location | How to Reach |
|---|---|
| Queensbury Crypt — Old Graveyard | Find the secret exit behind a breakable wall after leaping a gap in the manor |
| Nox’s Bayou — Swamp Shack | Red chest inside the Hag’s shack, gated behind a Kear door |
| Bone Beach — Worm’s Back | Bounce across the skull piles from the mirror point to reach the chest |
| Coltrane Peak — Rail Yard | Burrow under the bottom-right rails into a burrow area; also purchasable from Panino for 5,000 Bones if missed |
| Septemburg — Crow Town | Burning house in the southwest; defeat the attacking crow and head upstairs |
| Astral Orrery — Stellarium | Unlock with a Kear in the right-side lock after clearing one of the gate routes |
| Loner’s Landing — Belowdecks | Requires two Kears; reach via the Backwaters with some platforming |
| Radiant Manor — Courtyard | Behind a five-Vial barrier; access via Station Underside using the Drill Driver; guarded by a Lion Knight |
| Weapon | Synergy Trinket | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Nightstar | Spike Spurs | Extra damage on first hit after burrowing — flail reach lets you burrow safely then re-engage |
| Whisper & Vesper | Niter Belt + Reckless Beastium | Speed on kill feeds into the next fast attack burst; Reckless Beastium amplifies dagger damage |
| Blaststrike Maul | Valor Medallion + Dead Leaf | Charge attacks at full health deal maximum damage with both bonuses active |
| Battery Buster | Draining Beastium + Joule Syringe | Battery Buster's ammo system synergises with Joule-based sidearm builds |
| Guardian Casket | Evasion Powder + Dummy Cache | Extra defensive layers to cover the gap if a parry fails |
There are 5 Mina the Hollower weapons: Nightstar, Whisper & Vesper, Blaststrike Maul, Battery Buster, and Guardian Casket. Three start available; Battery Buster and Guardian Casket unlock as you progress through Tenebrous Isle.
Battery Buster is the top community-ranked Mina the Hollower weapon. Its ranged gun mode lets you deal safe damage from a distance, while melee hits recharge ammo — a loop that works well against almost every boss. Nightstar is the best starting weapon for new players due to its forgiving reach.
Nightstar for most players — it hits up to two blocks away, making it the most forgiving Mina the Hollower weapon for learning patterns. Whisper & Vesper for players who prefer fast, aggressive close-range combat.
Each Mina the Hollower weapon upgrade is a second copy found as a red chest in the world, or bought at Legovich’s Arms in Ossex City Center. Upgrades add new attack abilities — they do not increase raw damage stats. Every weapon has exactly two upgrades.
Buy Battery Buster from Legovich’s Arms (the red building in Ossex City Center). It is not available as a starting weapon and unlocks as you progress through Tenebrous Isle. See the Ossex City guide for shop locations and the full Legovich inventory.
Guardian Casket costs 2,000 Bones and is purchased from Legovich’s Arms in Ossex City Center. It is not a world drop — you must buy it. It is the only Mina the Hollower weapon with a parry mechanic.
Hold the attack button to charge a powerful slam. The key mechanic most players miss: you can roll to reposition while charging, which removes much of the exposure risk. Boom Charge (Upgrade 1) adds an explosion to every charged hit, and Spin Rush (Upgrade 2) gives the Maul a forward dash attack.
No. After throwing the Throwing Dagger (Upgrade 2), you must physically walk over it to retrieve it. Plan your throw location carefully in boss fights — retrieving the dagger in a dangerous position is one of the most common mistakes with this weapon.
Yes, when mastered. A successful parry summons spectral arms that violently shove the boss, dealing counter-damage. The Grave Counter upgrade (Upgrade 1) widens the parry window significantly — get this first. The community ranks Guardian Casket #3 overall, meaning it is viable rather than a niche pick.
Yes. Switch between all unlocked Mina the Hollower weapons at any Underlab checkpoint with no penalty. Many players keep two or three weapons in rotation and switch between boss attempts based on the boss’s attack patterns. See the Builds Guide for recommended weapon-specific trinket loadouts to swap in alongside each weapon.
Guardian Casket has the highest skill ceiling — the parry timing is strict until you get Grave Counter. Blaststrike Maul is also demanding because the charge window exposes you if you misread an attack.
Arc Pulse Strike (Upgrade 2) lets you hold the attack button for an extra damage pulse, then press a direction to wiggle the chain for additional follow-up hits. It effectively turns every Nightstar swing into a multi-hit combo — the most powerful the weapon gets.
