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  1. Games
  2. Action RPGs
  3. Blood of Dawnwalker

Are claws or swords better in The Blood of Dawnwalker?

Guides
By Joel Franey
Published 2 September 2026

Your vampire claws in The Blood of Dawnwalker are deadly weapons, but are they better than swords?

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Coen looks at his vampire claws in The Blood of Dawnwalker
(Image credit: Bandai Namco)
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Claws and swords in The Blood of Dawnwalker are one of the big dilemmas, as while Coen during the day is limited to either bare fists or blades, at night his vampire side awakes and he can use long claws in combat to devastating effect. But with the choice between them, which is better, swords or claws? The answer actually has some nuance to it, as I'll explain below.

Learning the ropes of the game? Find out what to do first in The Blood of Dawnwalker, or find out how time and the day/night cycle works in Vale Sangora!

Should you use swords or claws in The Blood of Dawnwalker?

Coen attacks with claws in The Blood of Dawnwalker

(Image credit: Bandai Namco)

When choosing between swords or your claws in The Blood of Dawnwalker, the reality is that it depends on your equipment and build, but ultimately I'd saw claws are slightly better in most cases, at least unless you're using the very best weapons in The Blood of Dawnwalker or have a very specific sword-focused build.

Claws tend to be faster and quicker and often just as damaging as blades, so tend to be slightly more impactful. However, there are perks, armor and weapons that all increase the damage or effect of one or the other, so it's worth looking at what you have equipped and choosing accordingly.

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Inventory screen shows the total damage of claws and swords in The Blood of Dawnwalker

(Image credit: Bandai Namco)

If you need help choosing, check the bottom of the inventory page beneath your items, which tells you the current damage of both your sword attacks and your claw attacks. If one is clearly better than the other, that's a good sign to pick out that one specifically.

All that being said, I do recommend seeing if you can create a powerful sword build for both day and night, as you'll get more use out of it if you can make it deadlier than your claws, which by definition is only useful half of the time. Finding all The Blood of Dawnwalker sword shard locations will allow you to unlock a powerful weapon for exactly that purpose: the fabled sword of St. Mihai!


Weighing up the morality of life as a vampire and more? Find out the consquences of the tough force feed choice in The Blood of Dawnwalker, or decide whether to throw Anca's notes in the fire in The Blood of Dawnwalker.

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  • The Blood of Dawnwalker: A screenshot of the vampire Brencis holding up a crown during the trailer for the upcoming game. The Blood of Dawnwalker: Everything you need to know about the vampire RPG
  • Coen sits next to Anca in daylight in The Blood of Dawnwalker What to do first after the prologue in The Blood of Dawnwalker

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Joel Franey
Joel Franey
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Guides Editor, GamesRadar+

Joel Franey is a writer, journalist, podcaster and Very Tired Man with a BA from Brunel University, a Masters from Sussex University and a decade working in games journalism, often focused on guides coverage but also in reviews, features and news. His love of games is strongest when it comes to groundbreaking narratives like Disco Elysium, UnderTale and Baldur's Gate 3, as well as innovative or refined gameplay experiences like XCOM, Sifu, Arkham Asylum or Slay the Spire. He is a firm believer that the vast majority of games would be improved by adding a grappling hook, and if they already have one, they should probably add another just to be safe. You can find old work of his at Eurogamer, Gfinity, USgamer, SFX Magazine, RPS, Dicebreaker, VG247, and more.

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