How to get a weapon in Gothic 1 Remake

Obtaining a weapon in Gothic 1 Remake is much harder than you might expect. If you don't question people, search abandoned places, and avoid fights, you're likely to perish before you've even touched a hilt. Luckily, there's a relatively safe way to find a weapon shortly after arriving in The Valley of Mines.

Here's how to obtain your first weapon in Gothic 1 Remake.

How to get your first weapon in Gothic 1 Remake

In Gothic 1 Remake, weapons aren't just lying around, so it's quite difficult to find your first sword. The first opportunity to secure a weapon presents itself on the road between the Exchange Point and the Old Camp.

If you keep questioning Diego upon your first meeting, he'll tell you to search the abandoned mine down the canyon if you're looking for a weapon. This advice is mostly useless, as the abandoned mine is locked and you don't have a key, but it's worth picking up the old pickaxe in front of the locked door. With the pickaxe in hand, take the path leading up to the hanging bridge.

Graphic: Marloes Valentina Stella/Polygon | Source images: Alkemia Interactive/THQ Nordic via Polygon

On the other side of this bridge is the real "first weapon" we're looking for, a rusty sword. It's just ahead, stuck in the ground. Unfortunately, it's guarded by a molerat who can kill you in two bites, so be careful.

Graphic: Marloes Valentina Stella/Polygon | Source images: Alkemia Interactive/THQ Nordic via Polygon

Take the pickaxe in hand and wait for the molerat to attack, dodge backward, swing your pickaxe, then back away again (don't try to land two hits in a row). You can also try to lure the molerat away and grab the rusty sword before fighting the molerat — not only does the sword deal more damage than the pickaxe, but it's faster, too.

Once you've got your rusty sword, continue following the path to the Old Camp, where you can meet your fellow convicts, pick up quests, and start fights (should you wish to test that sword). If you'd like to hold on to your sword, however, it's strongly recommended to be peaceful and polite — don't try to be funny if a guard questions you, and keep the pickaxe in your inventory as a backup weapon. Eventually, questing, exploration, and robbery will get you better weapons than pickaxes and rusty swords.