Rise of the Ronin: List of Guns and How To Get Them

Rise of the Ronin features a wide array of ranged and explosive weapons for players to master alongside traditional blades. The gun-type weapons available include the bayonet, fire pipe, handgun, rifle, flamethrower, musket, and pistol. From powerful muskets to portable pistols and devastating flamethrowers, there’s a deadly ranged option for every play style. Let’s dive into the details of each of these guns and how you can acquire them.

The Bayonet

Stats: Dexterity + Intellect/Strength  

Top Combat Style: Kiheitai Style

Pros: Versatile mix of melee and ranged attacks, decent melee reach

Cons: Lacks high damage output, requires careful Ki management for effective combos

The bayonet is a unique hybrid weapon fusing the striking power of a musket with the up-close lethality of a sword blade. This offers the flexibility to engage enemies at multiple ranges, making it appealing for Ronin who wants options. However, being a jack-of-all-trades means it doesn’t truly excel as a dedicated melee or ranged weapon.

Getting the most out of the bayonet’s hybrid nature requires carefully managing your Ki reserves. Skilled Ronin can control crowds by fluidly alternating between ranged musket fire to soften targets and then rapidly closing the distance to link melee sword slashes. But juggling resources and strike ranges makes it a high-skill floor weapon, ideally suited for advanced warriors until true mastery is achieved.

Fire Pipe

Stats: Intellect +2

A fearsome flamethrower inspired by steampunk aesthetics, the Fire Pipe relentlessly pumps out billowing streams of searing flames. This incendiary weapon excels at area control, engulfing entire groups of clustered enemies in an inferno of burning death. The Fire Pipe is especially devastating at destroying wooden structures and defenses that are highly flammable.

While lacking precision for picking off single targets, the Fire Pipe’s ability to create roaring fire zones makes it one of the premier anti-infantry options. Any ronin looking to own the battlefield through sheer destructive power need look no further.

Handgun

Stats: Intellect + Charm/Dexterity

The handgun offers a nice balance of mobility and flexibility as an efficient sidearm. This compact firearm can either rapidly unload a spread of weaker but fast-firing shots, or it can discharge heavier individual high-damage blasts at the cost of fire rate. Its versatile nature allows it to be viable at various ranges, able to pester foes from a distance or unload at deadly close quarters.

While nowhere near as powerful as the larger musket or rifle, the handgun’s strength lies in its speed and ease of use. It functions well as a mobile backup source of damage that can be smoothly integrated into melee combos. Any ronin looking for a no-fuss backup ranged option would be wise to carry a trusty handgun.

Rifle

Stats: Intellect + Charm/Dexterity

As an archetypal sharpshooting firearm, the rifle sacrifices raw damage for improved range and accuracy over the slower but harder-hitting musket. It boasts significantly better effective ranges while still packing enough punch to be lethal on well-aimed shots. However, it demands a defter touch and rewards skilled marksmen who can regularly land crucial headshots and weak points.

The rifle’s faster firing cycle makes it better suited for a more mobile playstyle than the stodgy musket. Ronin can advance on foes while maintaining steady suppressive fire before closing into melee range. Its balance of range, power, and fire rate makes it an extremely flexible and universal option for gunplay.

Musket

Stats: Intellect + Charm/Dexterity

The iconic musket brings the most sheer long-range destructive power of any gun. While firing slowly and requiring particle reloads, each thunderous shot delivers incredible stopping power capable of dropping targets in a single well-placed hit. Musket masters who can calmly line up their sights and land pivot headshots will shred even the most formidable opponents from safe distances.

However, the musket’s lethality comes at the cost of fire rate and mobility. Ronin will need to intelligently maneuver between shots while accounting for its limited ammunition capacity. It demands playing methodically and holding stable firing positions to maximize killing potential. In the hands of a patient sharpshooter though, the musket has no equal as an instrument of long-range destruction.

Pistol

A compact alternative to the full musket, the pistol trades away some range and damage potential for a higher rate of fire and mobility. It still packs enough punch to get the job done in close quarters but fires in a lighter and quicker cyclic fashion. This makes it ideal for entering a fray and unleashing barrages of up-close burst damage before falling back.

The pistol functions well as a mobile backup weapon and can even be smoothly integrated into melee combos to weave in ranged shots between sword strikes. Any ronin looking for a potent close-range sidearm would do well to have a pistol holstered. While not as powerful as the larger muscats, its firepower and portability make it an excellent secondary option.

How to Get New Guns in Rise of the Ronin

You’ll acquire a diverse deadly arsenal just by playing through the game’s campaigns and activities:

• Open hidden treasure chests scattered across levels
• Complete chance encounters with roving foes or allies
• Win prizes by mastering the weapon training minigames
• Loot enemy weapon drops from fallen foes
• Fulfill storyline missions and quests
• Raise bond levels with allied NPCs to earn new gear
• Develop new prototypes with the inventor Igashichi
• Trade silver coins from collectibles for armaments
• Exchange gambling tokens for vendor weapons
• Directly purchase firearms and blades from the black market

Whenever you acquire a new weapon, you can visit the equipment menu to swap it into your loadout. With so many options to constantly freshen your gear, every encounter allows you to experiment and find your personal perfect loadout.

Mastering Every Gun in Rise of the Ronin

Though lethal firearms and explosive options are powerful, traditional melee weapons like the iconic katana remain utterly vital. The game’s “best” ranged weapons depend greatly on your favored combat style. Aggressive run-and-gun ronin may prefer the fire pipe’s area damage, while patient sharpshooters may opt for the musket’s precise headshot potential. The possibilities are vast and deadly.

No matter which gun or blade you choose to wield, a wise ronin will take time to study their lethality in the training modes before bringing them to actual conflicts. After all, a masterless samurai’s skills with their chosen instruments of destruction could mean the difference between glory and death. So go forth, collect every last weapon available, and simply leave no survivors.