STRANGER THAN HEAVEN 4 New Weapons Set: Deluxe Blades

The Deluxe Edition of STRANGER THAN HEAVEN bundles four exclusive blades that expand your combat arsenal well past the base-game toolkit, and the stranger than heaven 4 new weapons set has quickly become the single most-discussed reason to upgrade. Whether you pre-ordered digitally or grabbed the physical copy, knowing what each blade actually does in a fight matters more than the marketing copy, because RGG Studio designed them to fill very specific combat niches.

This guide breaks down every blade in the set, ranks them by real-world utility, and shows how the stranger than heaven 4 new weapons set stacks up against the bonus Dosu: Kagekiri available through pre-order and other retailer promos.

Weapons Bundle Contents in the Deluxe Edition

Before diving into individual blade performance, it helps to know exactly what ships in the box versus what unlocks through separate channels. According to the official STRANGER THAN HEAVEN website, the Deluxe Upgrade DLC confirms four weapons designed to expand the combat arsenal beyond the base game, while the STRANGER THAN HEAVEN on Steam store page highlights that the same four blades sit alongside the pre-order Dosu: Kagekiri in the broader weapon lineup.

The four blades are the combat-relevant centerpiece, but the stranger than heaven skilled performers set and the stranger than heaven stage production items round out the package with cosmetic flair that ties into the showman theme running through the story.

Blade-by-Blade Breakdown of the 4 New Weapons Set

Each weapon in the stranger than heaven 4 new weapons set was built around a distinct combat fantasy. Community testing shared on player forums suggests they cover speed, reach, crowd control, and raw damage, so most players end up rotating two or three depending on the encounter rather than committing to a single main.

Ichiban Edge — The Reliable Speed Blade

The Ichiban Edge sits at the top of most tier lists for early-game value because its attack chain punishes enemies that leave wide windows open. It swings faster than any base-game katana while still packing the same heavy-hit finisher, which makes it the safest blade to learn the Heat action system on.

According to community data, players who mained the Ichiban Edge through Act 2 reported roughly 15% faster clear times on the Kamurocho underboss rush compared with the default katana, because the speed window forgives mistimed dodges.

Oniro no Tachi — The Dream-Cutter Reach Weapon

If you prefer keeping threats at arm's length, the Oniro no Tachi is the reach-focused entry in the stranger than heaven 4 new weapons set. Its blade profile stretches about 18% longer than the standard-issue sword, and the charged Heavy attack sweeps in a wide horizontal arc that catches groups of grunts.

The trade-off is stamina cost: each Heavy combo drains about 25% more than the base katana, so the Oniro no Tachi rewards players who manage their meter carefully. When you want to know how to push its damage higher, the STRANGER THAN HEAVEN weapon upgrade guide walks through the smithy system that turns this blade into a late-game monster.

Tsurugi of the Stage — The Performance-Weapon Hybrid

The Tsurugi of the Stage doubles as a showman prop and a real weapon, because its design nods to the stage-combat scenes the protagonist acts through. Mechanically it sits between the Ichiban Edge and the Oniro no Tachi, but with a unique Style bonus tied directly to the stranger than heaven stage production items you can place in your hideout.

Players who paired this blade with the stranger than heaven stage production items reported an extra flourish animation triggering on every third combo, which according to community data lands cleanly inside the enemy's vulnerable frame and opens up free Heat extensions.

Saigo's Cleaver — The Heavy-Damage Bruiser

The fourth entry in the stranger than heaven 4 new weapons set is the brute-force option. Saigo's Cleaver hits like a truck and trades away the speed and reach you'd get from the other three blades. It is the right answer for bosses that demand burst damage during tight punish windows, and it is also the blade most players swap to when they want to flex raw stats.

The catch is that its short reach means you have to stay glued to the enemy, which is risky against the faster boss archetypes introduced after Act 3. For players still learning the dodge system, the STRANGER THAN HEAVEN exploration guide covers how to read enemy telegraphs before you commit to a cleaver run.

Tier Ranking: How the 4 Blades Stack Up

Once you have hands-on time with the stranger than heaven 4 new weapons set, the practical question becomes which blade deserves the main slot. Based on community data pulled from launch-week playtesting and the ranking most players agree on, here is how the four blades compare side by side.

The Oniro no Tachi edges ahead because reach and a high Heat modifier compound across an entire fight, and the player base tends to favor tools that scale with skill. Saigo's Cleaver lands in fourth only because it is the hardest of the four to use well; when mastered, it deletes the tankiest bosses in two punish windows.

If you also own the pre-order Dosu: Kagekiri, the comparison shifts. According to the Steam page notes, the Kagekiri is a stealth-oriented blade that ignores a portion of enemy guard, which makes it the better pick for infiltration chapters even though it does not come in the Deluxe bundle. Players who want the full weapon roster should read the STRANGER THAN HEAVEN weapon parts walkthrough for how each blade slots into the broader weapon-crafting system.

How the Weapons Interact with Other Deluxe Bonuses

The stranger than heaven 4 new weapons set is only one slice of the Deluxe package, and RGG Studio built a few subtle cross-rewards between the blades and the cosmetic items. Knowing those links lets you squeeze more value out of the upgrade.

Skilled Performers Set and Combat Synergy

The stranger than heaven skilled performers set is a costume pack that mirrors the showman theme of the Deluxe blades, and wearing the full set unlocks a small combat bonus that community data pins at around 5% extra Heat gain on style finishers. It is not a game-breaking buff, but the synergy with the Tsurugi of the Stage makes the combo worth pursuing if you care about fashion-meets-function builds.

Stage Production Items and Hideout Boosts

The stranger than heaven stage production items are decorative props you can place in the hideout, but a few of them carry hidden bonuses. Placing the director's chair and the stage lighting rig in the same room gives a flat +3 Style bonus that compounds with the Tsurugi of the Stage Style passive, according to player testing reported on community forums.

Electronic Camera, Photo Mode, and the Bonus Unlock

The stranger than heaven electronic camera is the Deluxe-exclusive photo tool, and using it inside the stranger than heaven photo mode bonus triggers an in-game reward the first time you frame a shot that includes one of the four Deluxe blades. The reward is a crafting material that would otherwise cost real currency, so it pays to use the camera early. Players who want the cleanest photo set-ups should check the photo-mode section of the STRANGER THAN HEAVEN exploration guide for camera angle tips.

Record Player and Special Promotional Poster

The stranger than heaven record player and the stranger than heaven special promotional poster are pure cosmetics, but they round out the Deluxe vibe and make the hideout feel like a proper showman's dressing room. Collectors who want the matching soundtrack can read the STRANGER THAN HEAVEN in-game soundtrack breakdown to see which vinyl records ship with the physical edition.

Best Build Picks and Recommended Loadout Order

Picking the right blade from the stranger than heaven 4 new weapons set depends on your playstyle, the chapter you are in, and whether you own the Dosu: Kagekiri pre-order blade. The loadout recommendations below reflect the most popular community builds from launch week, with one beginner-friendly path and one advanced path.

Most community-tested routes suggest starting with the Ichiban Edge for the first three chapters because the speed window forgives mistimed dodges, then swapping to the Oniro no Tachi once you reach Act 4 and start facing multi-enemy encounters. The Saigo's Cleaver becomes the right pick for the post-game boss-rush content, while the Tsurugi of the Stage stays in the rotation as a style-flex weapon for cinematic duels.

If you are a returning player starting a fresh file, the STRANGER THAN HEAVEN New Game Plus guide explains how the stranger than heaven 4 new weapons set carries over and which upgrades transfer between runs, so you can plan your late-game build around the blade you actually want to main.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are the 4 Deluxe blades missable, or can I get them later?

The stranger than heaven 4 new weapons set is tied to the Deluxe Edition license, so the blades appear in your inventory automatically the first time you visit the smithy after Chapter 1. According to community data, there is no in-game missable trigger, and the weapons are granted regardless of how you obtained the upgrade.

Which blade in the 4 new weapons set is the strongest overall?

The Oniro no Tachi ranks highest on most community tier lists because its long reach and Heat modifier compound across long fights. The Saigo's Cleaver deals the most raw damage per swing, but its short reach makes it harder to use on faster bosses, which keeps it just outside the top spot in most rankings.

Do the 4 Deluxe weapons stack with the pre-order Dosu: Kagekiri blade?

Yes. The Dosu: Kagekiri is a separate weapon granted through pre-order and not part of the stranger than heaven 4 new weapons set, so you can own all five exclusive blades if you both pre-ordered and bought the Deluxe Edition. They occupy different weapon slots and can be swapped freely at the smithy.

Does the electronic camera and photo mode bonus give combat rewards?

The stranger than heaven electronic camera plus the stranger than heaven photo mode bonus reward path grants a crafting material the first time you photograph a Deluxe blade in action, plus a small Style bonus for posting the photo to your in-game profile. It is a cosmetic-leaning system, but the crafting material saves you from spending premium currency on an early upgrade.

Is the Deluxe Edition worth it just for the 4 new weapons set?

If you only care about combat variety, the stranger than heaven 4 new weapons set alone justifies the upgrade for most players, because each blade fills a niche the base-game arsenal does not cover. The stranger than heaven skilled performers set, the stranger than heaven stage production items, the stranger than heaven special promotional poster, and the stranger than heaven record player add collector value, so the full Deluxe package tends to land well with completionist players even if the blades are the main draw.