You're standing in the middle of a 33-player raid, the screen is a chaotic mess of particle effects, and suddenly your character feels like they’re hitting the boss with a wet pool noodle. It happens to everyone. In Thunder Lotus’s ambitious roguelike, 33 immortals weapon upgrades aren't just a "nice to have" luxury; they are the literal difference between surviving the first circle of Dante’s Purgatory and getting sent back to the lobby with nothing but a bruised ego.
Honestly, the game doesn't hold your hand. You pick up a sword or a bow and you think, "Cool, I'm ready." You aren't. Not even close.
📖 Related: Sonic Team Chaotix Fancast: Who Should Really Play Vector, Espio, and Charmy?
Getting your gear up to snuff requires a weird mix of luck, resource management, and knowing exactly when to pivot your build. Most players just grab whatever shiny thing drops from a chest, but if you want to actually clear the harder encounters, you've got to understand the synergy between your base weapon and the Forbidden Powers you're stacking on top of it.
Why Your Current 33 Immortals Weapon Upgrades Aren't Working
It’s easy to blame the RNG. We’ve all been there, swearing at the screen because the specific relic we needed didn’t drop. But the reality is usually more about how you're choosing your Ascension paths.
The game uses a tiered system. You start with basic gear. As you progress through a run, you find Shrines and loot that allow you to "ascend" your equipment. This isn't just about a 5% damage boost. It's about changing how the weapon fundamentally functions. If you're running the Bow of Hope, you might be focused on single-target damage, but if you don't upgrade into the right crowd-control modifiers, the swarms in the later stages will absolutely delete you.
Stop thinking about raw numbers. Think about utility.
The Myth of the "Best" Weapon
People love tier lists. They want to be told that the Daggers of Greed are S-tier and everything else is trash. That's a trap. In a 33-player environment, the "best" weapon is the one that fills the gap in your current group. If everyone is running high-DPS, low-survivability builds, you’re all going to wipe when the boss drops an unavoidable AoE.
Upgrading your weapon to include defensive utility—like shields or life-leech—can actually result in higher total damage because you're spendng less time dodging and more time clicking. It’s basic math, really.
Understanding the Ascension Mechanics
To get the most out of 33 immortals weapon upgrades, you need to be hunting for specific currencies during your run. You’re looking for Soul Shards. These are the lifeblood of your progression.
- Find the Anvil: These spawn at specific intervals. Don't skip them.
- Commit to a Path: Once you start upgrading a specific stat—say, attack speed—stick with it. Spreading your upgrades thin across multiple stats is the fastest way to hit a wall.
- Synergy check: Look at your relics. If you have a relic that procs on crit, your weapon upgrades better be focused on crit chance. Seems obvious? You’d be surprised how many people ignore this.
The game is designed to be punishing. It's a roguelike, after all. But there's a specific rhythm to it. You enter, you kill, you collect, you upgrade. If you miss a beat in that rhythm, the difficulty spike at the ten-minute mark will feel like hitting a brick wall.
💡 You might also like: Marvel Mystic Mayhem Tier List: The Heroes You’re Actually Sleeping On
Forbidden Powers and Your Gear
This is where things get interesting. Your weapon isn't just a static tool; it’s a vessel for Forbidden Powers. These are essentially your "Ultimates."
When you upgrade your weapon, you're often unlocking more slots or better scaling for these powers. Some players prioritize the base damage of the sword itself. That's fine for the early game. But as you push into the deeper layers of Purgatory, your weapon starts to act more like a stat stick for your Forbidden Powers. If your weapon upgrade path doesn't align with the elemental type of your powers, you're essentially wasting half of your potential.
Specific Weapon Breakdowns and What to Focus On
Let's get into the weeds.
If you're wielding the Sword of Justice, your upgrade priority should almost always be focused on the "Heavy Attack" modifiers. The standard combo is fine for clearing trash mobs, but the heavy attack is what’s going to chunk the bosses. Look for upgrades that reduce the wind-up time.
The Staff of Wisdom is a different beast entirely. You're a glass cannon. Your upgrades need to focus on mana regeneration and range. If a monster gets close enough to breathe on you, you're done. I've seen too many mages try to upgrade their health. Don't do it. If you're taking damage, you've already lost. Put those points into "Cast Speed" instead.
Then there's the Hammer of Wrath. It's slow. It's clunky. It hits like a freight train. The biggest mistake people make here is trying to fix the speed. You're never going to make the hammer fast. Instead, double down on the "Stun" and "Impact" upgrades. If the enemy is flat on their back, it doesn't matter how slow your next swing is.
Don't Ignore the "Minor" Stats
We all love seeing " +50% Damage." It feels good. But the "minor" upgrades—things like "Movement Speed after Kill" or "Cooldown Reduction on Dodge"—are what keep you alive. In a game with 32 other players, the battlefield is messy. You need to be able to reposition instantly. A weapon that's been upgraded to give you a burst of speed every time you land a killing blow is worth its weight in gold.
The Strategy for Late-Game Scaling
As you reach the final stages of a run, your 33 immortals weapon upgrades should be finalized. You shouldn't be experimenting at the 20-minute mark. By then, you should have a "core" loop.
- The Early Game: Focus on raw damage to clear mobs quickly.
- The Mid Game: Pivot to survivability and resource management.
- The Late Game: Max out your Forbidden Power scaling.
There’s a psychological element to this too. When you see your teammates' weapons glowing with high-tier enchantments, it's tempting to feel like you're behind. Don't rush into a bad upgrade just to feel powerful. Wait for the right Shrine. Wait for the right drop.
A Word on Group Composition
You aren't playing solo. Even if you're not in a coordinated discord call with 32 other people, you're still part of a machine. If you see five people with massive hammers, maybe your upgrade path should focus on debuffing the enemies so their hammers hit even harder.
Being the "support" DPS is often the most valuable role in the room. Upgrading your weapon to apply "Vulnerability" or "Slow" helps the entire raid, which in turn ensures you actually finish the run and get those permanent meta-progression rewards.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Most players fail because they treat 33 Immortals like a standard ARPG. It’s not. It’s a resource management game disguised as an action game.
✨ Don't miss: Link: The Faces of Evil—Why This CD-i Disaster is Actually Better Than You Remember
One of the biggest blunders is hoarding Soul Shards. You can't take them with you. If you're sitting on a pile of currency because you're waiting for the "perfect" upgrade, you're just making the current fight harder than it needs to be. Spend your shards. Get the incremental upgrades. You can always replace a relic later, but you can't get back the health you lost because a fight took two minutes longer than it should have.
Another mistake is ignoring the "Weight" of your gear. Some upgrades come with trade-offs. You might get a massive boost to damage but lose 10% of your movement speed. In the later stages, that 10% is the difference between dodging a beam of light and being incinerated. Always read the fine print.
Permanent vs. Run-Based Upgrades
Keep in mind that while we're talking about in-run weapon upgrades, your meta-progression back at the hub is equally vital. Use your earned rewards to boost the base stats of your favorite weapons. This gives you a higher floor to start from every time you drop back into the fray.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Run
To truly master your gear, you need a plan before you even click "Start."
Start by picking one "primary" stat you want to max out. If it's crit, every single choice you make—from the weapon upgrade path to the relics you pick up—must support that.
Next, pay attention to the "Exaltation" prompts. These are rare, high-power upgrades that usually require you to complete a specific challenge or sacrifice something. They are almost always worth it.
Finally, watch the other players. If you see someone absolutely melting a boss, take a second to look at their gear icons if you can. Learning the visual language of the upgrades will help you identify what's currently "meta" without needing to consult a guide every five minutes.
Prioritize the following in your next session:
- Identify your weapon's "Golden Stat" (e.g., Range for Bows, Impact for Hammers).
- Seek out Anvils early to establish your build's direction.
- Balance your Forbidden Power elements with your weapon's scaling tags.
- Don't be afraid to take a defensive upgrade if you've already died once in the run.
The path to Ascension is narrow. Your weapons are the only thing that will widen it. Keep your shards spent, your synergies tight, and your eyes on the boss's telegraphs.