Best Weapons and Upgrade Paths
Separate boss damage from live-capture work and invest in the branch that matches the next objective.
Story and boss loadout
The Basic Underwater Rifle is a dependable early all-rounder. The Red Sniper Rifle trades ammunition for safe range and burst damage.
- Carry ammo and emergency oxygen
- Observe the first attack cycle
- Use arena weapons when a fight introduces them
Live-capture loadout
Use nets for compatible fish and tranquilizers for targets that exceed net rules. A Recovery Drone completes large live captures.
- Steel Net Gun for grouped compatible fish
- Tranquilizer Rifle for flexible harvesting
- Upgraded Hush Dart for focused sleep setups
Scan before you specialize
Duff turns repeated crate finds into blueprints. Scan new weapons during normal routes so the permanent crafting tree opens without a separate grind.
- Keep common crafting materials
- Do not sell rare weapon drops blindly
- Match elemental branches to the encounter, not a generic tier list
Sources & verification
Facts are paraphrased and cross-checked. Community recommendations are strategy, not developer guarantees.
Weapons reference ↗Related guides
Beginner Guide: The First Week Without Wasted Dives
A bottleneck-based upgrade route for faster unlocks, safer dives and a profitable first restaurant week.
Oxygen, Cargo and Depth: Plan Every Dive
Use one objective, a reserved cargo budget and a known escape route to make deeper dives safer and more productive.
How to Catch 3-Star Fish
Match nets, tranquilizers and the Recovery Drone to fish size so valuable targets reach Bancho Sushi alive.