There are 8 sidearms in Mortal Shell 2, all powered by Resolve and usable by every Shell and the Harbinger. The best is the Caged Hystrix — a rapid-fire gun that staggers bosses and shreds mobs — followed by the Troubadour's Lute for crowd utility. None are missable: everything can be picked up in free-roam after the final boss, and collecting all eight earns the Guns. Lots of Guns trophy. Below: the full tier list, then every pickup location in progression order.
The Caged Hystrix is the best all-round sidearm: a viciously speedy peashooter for chip damage, staggering and mob clears, and it pairs with flexible Tarstones — including one that adds projectiles without spending Resolve. The Troubadour's Lute deals low direct damage but inflicts confusion and Break damage, turning dense crowds against each other; limited in boss fights, unmatched as utility.
The starting Naylshotte is a fantasy shotgun: poor range, strong close blasts before melee combos, and up to 350% damage fully upgraded with the right Tarstone. The Forgotten Crossbow offers long range and a torrent of bolts — great mid-game and for distant puzzle targets. The Salvaged Trebuchaxe hurls full axes for huge single-target boss damage, but loads slowly.
The Ballistazooka is a rocket launcher that makes enemies burst like melons, but its slow fire rate struggles against the game's fast enemies, and better options exist by the time you earn it. The Triarch Repeater is a rapid alien machine gun that is fun when it fires, held back by a vulnerable charging wind-up; it pairs well with critical-damage Tarstones.
The clear weakest pick: a caged screaming baby that does short-range knockback. Unreliable in damage terms, useful mainly to create distance from aggressive foes — and other sidearms do that job better.
Where: Prologue — automatic
Given automatically at the start of the game. Your workhorse until the mid-game finds better options.
Where: Northwest of Blackridge Pass beacon
Use the arc to open the doorway into the Flooded Village dungeon. After the second elevator, grab the Damp Key from a box by the house at the back left, then unlock the central building — the crossbow is on a table inside.
Where: South of Gloomshade Grove beacon
Defeat the Bloodcursed Lithopod miniboss nearby to open the Ravaged Hideout dungeon. The sidearm is on a body in the dungeon's final room.
Where: Southeast of One Legged Wolf beacon
Inside the One Legged Wolf Tavern, on the stage to the left of the man playing the lute.
Where: Blackwell Cavern, below Castigator's Keep beacon
Drop down behind the beacon to the lower level and head north along the cliff edge to find Blackwell Cavern. The repeater is on the ground in the first lit area partway through.
Where: Sentry's Grave, northwest of Gate of Mammon beacon
Go northwest up the first stairs, circle the building clockwise into the indoor area and descend into the Sentry's Grave dungeon. Defeat the Subjugated Guardian miniboss at the end to receive it automatically.
Where: Revered Beacon dungeon, from Sester's Gate beacon
Take the northwestern stairs past the rolling enemy, drop from the western platform to the Bone Gate ledge, then head north past the hammer enemy. Inside, avoid the tower's damaging golden light, circle counterclockwise up the hill and attack the central pillar to disable the light before picking it up.
Where: Chamber of Becoming, southeast of The Silent Steps beacon
At the large stone platform southeast of the beacon you fight miniboss Sariel, the Endless. Win once to open the walls to the Chamber of Becoming, defeat him again, then break all four tombstones in the final room to stop his revival — the sidearm is near the dungeon exit, up the back stairs.
Routing a pickup run? Beacon-by-beacon directions for the whole world are in the map & beacon list, farming Resolve fuel is covered by the gloom farm guide, and melee options are compared in the weapons reference.