Arms of God Weapon Merges Guide
A practical Arms of God weapon merges guide explaining Tier 2 and Tier 3 weapons, known merge names, conversion upgrades, stat transfer, slot planning, and merge timing.
Updated:
Quick Answer
In Arms of God, weapon merging means buying another weapon of the same type and inserting it into the weapon you want to keep. The inserted weapon is consumed, and the kept weapon upgrades to a higher tier. Because the game is built around five mechanical arms and up to five active weapons, merging is not a side system — it is how you turn a crowded weapon setup into a focused carry plan. Known examples include Scalding Crossbow → Blazing Crossbow, Machine Gun → Gatling, Shock Maul → Electrohammer, and Holy Spear → Lance. Tier 3 merging requires Ascension Protocol from Cathedral progression.
Weapon Merging in One Minute
Weapon merging is not the same as buying a normal upgrade. A merge uses another weapon as the input.
| Rule | What it means |
|---|---|
| Same weapon type required | Buy a matching weapon copy and insert it into the weapon you want to keep |
| Inserted weapon is consumed | The weapon you insert disappears after the merge |
| Kept weapon upgrades | The receiving weapon becomes a higher-tier version |
| Codex records discoveries | New merge discoveries are added to the Codex |
| Some stats may not transfer | Do not assume every number from the inserted weapon carries over |
| Five weapon slots matter | Keep space for matching copies and conversion options |
| Main weapon cannot be converted | Your starting weapon stays as an active weapon, not an upgrade card |
| Tier 3 needs Ascension Protocol | Cathedral progression is required before Tier 3 merges are available |
Known Weapon Merge Names
This table lists confirmed or safely observed merge information. If a higher-tier name is not confirmed yet, check your Codex after discovering the merge in your own run.
| Base weapon | Known higher-tier result | Damage type / style | Confidence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scalding Crossbow | Blazing Crossbow | Fire ranged | Confirmed | Strong early carry path with fire damage, crit, pierce, range, and bounce |
| Blazing Crossbow | Infernal Crossbow | Fire ranged | Confirmed Tier 3 result | Requires Ascension Protocol before Tier 3 merging is available |
| Machine Gun | Gatling | Holy ranged / fast-hit | Confirmed | Strong when supported by holy damage, attack speed, projectiles, and HP steal |
| Shock Maul | Electrohammer | Electric melee | Confirmed | Riskier close-range electric path; wants HP, armor, HP steal, and movement |
| Holy Spear | Lance | Holy melee / piercing | Confirmed | High-pierce melee path with strong line pressure |
| Sawed Off Shotgun | Check Codex after discovery | Holy ranged / close-range | Base weapon confirmed; higher-tier name not confirmed | Keep the weapon name, but do not invent the Tier 2 result |
| Ember Sword | Check Codex after discovery | Fire melee | Base weapon confirmed; higher-tier name not confirmed | Keep the weapon name, but do not invent the Tier 2 result |
| Long Shot / Sniper Rifle line | Light Beam | Holy laser / long-range | Observed result | Light Beam appears after a long-range weapon combination, but check your Codex for the exact input chain |
Tier 2 Weapons
Your first merge goal should usually be Tier 2, not Tier 3. Tier 2 weapons are realistic before your Cathedral progression is fully online.
| Tier 2 goal | When it is worth chasing |
|---|---|
| Blazing Crossbow | You started Scalding Crossbow or already have fire blessings, crit, range, or pierce support |
| Gatling | You have Machine Gun copies and holy / projectile / attack speed support |
| Electrohammer | You are building around Shock Maul and already have enough survival |
| Lance | You are using Holy Spear and want stronger piercing pressure |
| Tier 2 Shotgun path | You have multiple shotgun copies and enough close-range safety |
| Tier 2 Sword path | You are comfortable playing closer to enemies and already have fire support |
| Light Beam path | You are already building around long-range holy weapons and the Codex confirms the chain |
Tier 3 Weapons and Ascension Protocol
Tier 3 weapon merging is locked behind Cathedral progression. The key unlock is Ascension Protocol.
| Your progression state | What to do |
|---|---|
| No Cathedral yet | Focus on Tier 2 weapons and strong upgrades |
| Cathedral just opened | Check the Statue progression tree first |
| Ascension Protocol visible but locked | Save the required resources instead of spending randomly |
| Ascension Protocol unlocked | Start planning Tier 3 weapon paths with matching copies |
| No matching copies in a run | Do not force Tier 3; feed the weapon actually doing damage |
Merge Timing: When to Chase Copies
The hardest merge decision is not “is Tier 2 good?” It is when to keep waiting for a copy and when to pivot.
| Run phase | Merge goal | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Waves 1–3 | Identify a possible carry | Buy a strong weapon first; do not over-refresh for copies yet |
| Waves 4–7 | Look for your first matching copy | If your carry appears again, prioritize the merge |
| Waves 8–10 | Commit or pivot | If no matching copy appears, support the weapon doing most damage instead |
| Waves 11–13 | Finish key merge or stabilize | A late Tier 2 is good only if it does not leave your build unfinished |
| Waves 14–15 | Stop forcing merge dreams | Fix boss readiness instead of spending everything on refreshes |
Merge Priority Rules
This guide does not need to repeat every build path. Use these merge rules instead.
| Situation | Best merge decision |
|---|---|
| One weapon dealt most of last wave’s damage | Save space and resources for that weapon’s copy |
| Two weapons are both useful | Feed the one with better damage numbers or better boss uptime |
| A duplicate appears for your carry | Usually buy it before refreshing |
| A duplicate appears for a weak side weapon | Skip unless it becomes a useful conversion or utility tool |
| Your build lacks range / pierce / projectiles | Consider conversion support before chasing another active weapon |
| Your slots are full | Merge, convert, or skip before buying more weapons |
Merge vs Conversion
Merging and conversion are different systems, and confusing them can ruin a run.
| System | What happens | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Merge | A matching weapon is inserted into another weapon to raise its tier | Make your carry weapon stronger |
| Conversion | A weapon turns into an upgrade card | Add useful stats to another weapon |
| Selling / skipping | You do not keep the weapon | Avoid wasting slots and souls |
| Main weapon rule | Your main weapon cannot be converted | Your starting weapon choice matters |
How Conversion Works
Conversion turns a weapon into an upgrade card instead of keeping it as an active weapon.
The practical flow is:
select a weapon you do not want to keep active
→ choose the convert-to-upgrade option
→ read the previewed upgrade card carefully
→ check which weapon icons appear in the ATTACH row
→ choose a target weapon only if the listed stats help that weapon
→ confirm the conversionConversion Examples
Use conversion when a weapon is not worth keeping active, but its previewed upgrade stats help your carry weapon.
| Conversion situation | Useful preview stats | Best attach target |
|---|---|---|
| Auto Cannon conversion | Holy damage, crit chance, range, freeze chance, with possible explosion chance loss | Holy ranged builds, Light Beam, Gatling, or another weapon that benefits from control and range |
| Frost-style conversion | Freeze chance or other control-focused support | Long-range or repeated-hit weapons that can apply control often |
| Off-plan fire weapon | Fire damage, crit chance, range, pierce, explosion chance, or explosion radius | Crossbow, Magnum, or another fire carry |
| Off-plan holy ranged weapon | Holy damage, crit chance, range, pierce, projectiles, or stagger | Gatling, Light Beam, Holy Spear, or another holy carry |
| Off-plan electric weapon | Electric damage, control chance, stagger, range, or survivability stats | Shock Maul, Electrohammer, or another electric carry |
| Weak side weapon with bad preview stats | No useful carry stat, wrong damage type, or painful downside | Skip or sell instead of converting |
What “Stats Do Not Transfer Cleanly” Means
The game warns that when weapons are combined, the inserted weapon is lost and some stats will not be transferred. Do not treat a merge like simple addition.
| Player assumption | Safer interpretation |
|---|---|
| All damage numbers carry over | Only the resulting weapon’s final preview matters |
| Every upgraded stat stays forever | Some stats may be lost, changed, or replaced during merging |
| Crit, pierce, range, and projectiles all stack cleanly | Check the result before confirming whenever possible |
| Converted stats always help | Conversion only adds the stats shown in the upgrade preview |
| A weapon with many upgrades is always the best input | A heavily upgraded input may waste value if key stats do not transfer |
| Merge is always better than conversion | Merge raises tier; conversion may be better if you only need stats |
Slot Planning With Five Weapons
The five-weapon limit is what makes merge planning important. If every slot is full, you cannot easily buy the copy you need.
| Slot situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| You have four weapons and a copy appears | Buy the copy if it upgrades your carry |
| You have five weapons and no merge ready | Convert or skip the weakest side weapon |
| A weak weapon has a great conversion preview | Convert it into an upgrade for your carry |
| A weak weapon has bad conversion stats | Skip future copies and save souls |
| You are waiting for a carry copy | Keep one slot flexible if possible |
| You have a Tier 2 carry already | Use side slots for conversion, utility, or future Tier 3 planning |
After Your Carry Reaches Tier 2 or Tier 3
After your carry weapon reaches a key tier, do not keep merging just because you can. Ask what the run needs next.
| Your carry state | Next priority |
|---|---|
| Tier 2 carry, low damage | Add matching damage type, crit, pierce, projectiles, or attack speed |
| Tier 2 carry, good damage | Use side weapons for conversion support |
| Tier 2 carry, no boss safety | Add movement, range, HP steal, HP rate, armor, or HP |
| Tier 3 carry unlocked | Feed it with conversion upgrades that match its scaling |
| Tier 3 not unlocked yet | Stop chasing impossible merges and improve the current weapon |
For build-specific upgrade paths, use the Arms of God Best Builds Guide.
Common Weapon Merge Mistakes
| Mistake | Why it hurts | Better choice |
|---|---|---|
| Merging the wrong direction | You may consume the weapon you wanted to keep | Confirm the receiving weapon before clicking |
| Waiting too long for one copy | Your run falls behind while you over-refresh | Pivot by the mid run if copies do not appear |
| Filling all five slots early | You cannot buy matching copies easily | Keep one flexible slot when possible |
| Ignoring conversion previews | You may miss useful stat packages | Read the converted upgrade stats before skipping |
| Assuming all stats transfer | You may waste upgraded weapons as inputs | Check final result and previewed stats |
| Trying for Tier 3 before Ascension Protocol | The merge path is not available yet | Unlock Ascension Protocol in Cathedral progression |
| Converting a useful side weapon too early | You lose active damage or utility | Convert only when the preview helps your carry |
| Forgetting main weapon rules | Your starting weapon cannot become an upgrade | Pick a starting weapon you are willing to keep |
Quick Merge Checklist
| Before confirming | Check this |
|---|---|
| 1 | Which weapon is being kept? |
| 2 | Which weapon is being consumed? |
| 3 | Is this a merge or a conversion? |
| 4 | Does the result help your carry weapon? |
| 5 | Are you wasting a useful upgraded weapon as input? |
| 6 | Do you still have a flexible slot afterward? |
| 7 | Is Tier 3 actually unlocked yet? |
| 8 | Would the same weapon be better as a conversion upgrade? |
FAQ
How do weapon merges work in Arms of God? +
Buy another weapon of the same type and insert it into the weapon you want to keep. The inserted weapon is consumed, and the kept weapon upgrades to a higher tier. New merge discoveries are added to the Codex.
What does Scalding Crossbow merge into? +
Scalding Crossbow can become Blazing Crossbow at Tier 2, and the higher Crossbow path can later reach Infernal Crossbow once Tier 3 merging is available.
How do you unlock Tier 3 weapons in Arms of God? +
Tier 3 weapon merging requires Ascension Protocol from Cathedral progression. Until Ascension Protocol is unlocked, treat Tier 2 weapons as your realistic merge goal.
What is weapon conversion in Arms of God? +
Conversion turns a weapon into an upgrade card that can be attached to another weapon. It is different from merging because the converted weapon stops being an active weapon and becomes stat support.
Do all stats transfer when merging or converting weapons? +
No. The game warns that some stats will not be transferred when weapons are combined. When converting, only the stats listed on the upgrade card preview are added, and some converted cards include trade-offs.
Can your main weapon be converted into an upgrade? +
No. Your main weapon cannot be converted into an upgrade, so your starting weapon choice matters.
When should you make your first Tier 2 weapon? +
A good early target is to complete your first Tier 2 merge around the early-to-mid run, usually after your build has a clear carry weapon. If no matching copy appears by the middle of the run, pivot instead of over-refreshing.