The first few hours of GRIME II can feel brutal if you pick the wrong weapon to commit to. Healing is restricted, enemies hit hard, and respec resources are scarce enough that a bad early choice can drag on you for longer than you'd expect. Knowing which weapon actually fits that situation, rather than just looking impressive on paper, makes a real difference.
Which early weapon is best in GRIME II?
According to testing documented by Whisper of the House, the best early weapon for most players is the Maul Axe. It is not the fastest option available, and it is not the most technical. What it does better than anything else at this stage is ask very little from your build while still delivering solid damage, practical range, and a special attack that holds up in genuinely difficult fights.
The other two early options, Knifehand and Throwing Thumbs, are not bad weapons. They are just weapons that want more from you before they feel rewarding, which is exactly the wrong ask during the first several hours of the game.
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If you are unsure which weapon to commit to first, stay with Maul Axe until you understand the game better. Branching out later is much easier than untangling an awkward early build.
Where do you find each early weapon in GRIME II?
Location matters as much as raw power when you are evaluating early weapons. A weapon that shows up late, or right when your build has no flexibility, is a worse recommendation regardless of its ceiling.
- Maul Axe: Found in Birthplace, as the first real weapon pickup before you push into Temple of Hands. You get it before the game asks anything difficult from your build.
- Knifehand: Found in Temple of Hands, on an upper platform reached by climbing through the area's upper route past the early enemy section.
- Throwing Thumbs: Found on the Temple of Hands - Halls route. From the Halls Surrogate, head left, speak with Yearning Paint, then climb the nearby ladder and collect it from the upper-left platform.
Maul Axe wins on location alone before you even factor in its stats. The game hands it to you immediately, before your build has enough shape to support riskier choices.
Maul Axe vs Knifehand vs Throwing Thumbs: full comparison
The table makes the pattern obvious. Maul Axe is the only weapon in this group that combines low build demand with high forgiveness. The other two scale their appeal upward as your build matures, which is fine, but that means they are better as later commitments than first ones.
Why Maul Axe holds up under pressure
Three things set Maul Axe apart in the early game, according to Whisper of the House's breakdown.
First, its range and stagger pressure mean you do not need to commit as hard as you do with faster weapons. Getting trapped in bad trades is one of the most common ways early runs fall apart, and Maul Axe's moveset reduces that risk meaningfully.
Second, its special attack throws the axe forward, stops on the first enemy hit, and spins briefly in place. That is a real damage tool, not just a flashy animation, especially if you are already managing your Force meter well.
Third, its growth curve does not punish you for starting with it. Early upgrades feel justified because the weapon stays useful long enough that the investment does not go to waste.
Why Knifehand falls short early
Knifehand looks like the obvious pick if you want aggression. The speed is genuinely impressive. The problem is that fast weapons in GRIME II need your damage stats and survivability to be in reasonable shape before they feel efficient. Early on, neither of those things is true. A fast weapon that tickles enemies while you take full hits is not actually faster in any meaningful sense.
Knifehand becomes a strong choice later. As a first serious commitment, it is harder to recommend.
Why Throwing Thumbs is easy to overestimate
Throwing Thumbs is not a weak weapon. It is a weapon that demands clean positioning and disciplined spacing, and it punishes you when those things break down. In the early game, they break down constantly. Lower base damage, stricter positioning requirements, and less forgiveness when your build is underdeveloped add up to a weapon that feels worse than it should during the hours when you can least afford that.
warning
Do not overestimate Throwing Thumbs based on its concept. Its spacing requirements are unforgiving when your build is still underdeveloped, which is almost always true in the first few hours.
What stats should you level first in GRIME II?
The weapon choice only matters if your stat distribution supports it. According to Whisper of the House, the safest early approach is to prioritize Health first, targeting around 5 points before investing harder into weapon-specific damage stats.
GRIME II weapons scale off a primary stat plus a smaller secondary stat. The secondary bonus is marked with a white plus sign in the weapon UI. Knowing which stats your chosen weapon scales with, and putting points there after Health is stable, is more effective than spreading points around trying to cover every option.
A practical early priority order:
- Get Health to around 5
- Identify the primary and secondary scaling stats for your chosen weapon
- Invest into those damage stats consistently
- Avoid casual respecs just to test every new weapon you find
danger
GRIME II's respec resources are limited early. Experimenting with weapons on weaker enemies before committing to a respec is a much safer approach than burning flexibility on a weapon you are not sure about.
When should you upgrade vs respec in GRIME II?
This is where a lot of early runs go sideways. Players either upgrade too cautiously or respec too freely, and both mistakes cost time.
On the upgrade side, Maul Axe is safe to invest in early. It stays relevant long enough that those resources are not wasted, which makes it a more confident early upgrade target than either alternative.
On the respec side, the rule is simpler: do not do it casually. Early respec flexibility is one of the most undervalued resources in the first part of the game. Test weapons on easier enemies first, and only respec once you are confident a different weapon actually fits your playstyle.
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Early upgrades on Maul Axe are generally worth the investment. The weapon's growth curve stays useful long enough that you will not feel like you wasted resources, even if you eventually transition to something else.
Who should skip Maul Axe?
Maul Axe is the right call for most players, but not every player. Three situations where you might reasonably skip it:
- You want big, slow, punishing hits and find balanced weapons unsatisfying. Maul Axe is strong but not dramatic in that way.
- You already know you want a fast or technical playstyle and are willing to accept a rougher early stretch in exchange for better long-term fit.
- You are already certain about a very different scaling path and just need Maul Axe to carry you through the opening hours before transitioning.
In all three cases, Maul Axe can still function as an early bridge. It just may not be the weapon you want to commit upgrades to if your long-term direction is clearly somewhere else.
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