Dead Cells Guide | Best Blueprints and Locations

If you want to have the best chance of succeeding in Dead Cells, you'll need to collect some powerful blueprints. One of the most important items you'll need to gather is blueprints. Blueprints are used to unlock more powerful weapons and tools so you can take down enemies and slay bosses. There are a lot of blueprints to find, and many are stashed away in secret areas. Here are some of the best and where you can hunt them down.

Rampart

Rampart is a shield that gives the player 85% damage reduction when blocking. But where it really shines is the two-and-a-half seconds of invincibility that's triggered whenever the player successfully parries an enemy attack.

To get this highly defensive shield for yourself, you need to hunt Shieldbearers. They appear in the Prisoner's Quarters, Ramparts, Ancient Sewers, Ossuary, Graveyard, and Forgotten Sepulcher. When killed, there's a 0.4% chance they'll drop the Rampart Blueprint. Coincidentally, the Ramparts area is considered the best for farming this blueprint.

Spartan Sandals

When 300 hit theaters, the idea of Spartan soldiers became a meme revolving around the pit scene. Though the reference has become quite dated, that hasn't stopped creators from introducing Spartan-related items into their combat systems, including Dead Cells.

The Spartan Sandals are powerful footwear that gives you a knockback attack that deals extra damage to enemies if they hit a wall or a solid object like a statue. You have a high chance to loot this blueprint from Runners, enemies with bladed arms found in the Promenade of the Condemned.

Hokuto's Bow

Hokuto's Bow is a great reference to the classic anime Fist of the North Star and a great weapon in the game. At first, it doesn't seem worth your time as it deals a base damage of 25, but it marks the opponent it strikes, causing them to receive an additional 75 DPS from any and all sources for 20 seconds. If that opponent dies, the mark passes on to those in the area.

The blueprint for this weapon drops from Cannibals that appear in the Clock Tower, the best place to farm. They'll also appear in Ramparts, Slumbering Sanctuary, and Graveyard with 4 BSC active. They have a 1.7% chance of dropping the blueprint.

Giantkiller

When you discover a potent item during your exploration, a part of you instinctively urges you to preserve it for future use. You never know when a huge monster will be lurking around the corner.

Dead Cells has the Giantkiller, a large sword filled with energy that guarantees critical damage against bosses and elite enemies. To obtain it, you'll need to defeat The Giant, which can be fought in the Guardian's Haven.

Great Owl of War

The Great Owl of War is a skill that allows you to summon a permanent pet owl that automatically attacks enemies on the same level as the player. It deals 32 damage, and since it's automatic and homing, you can turn it on and not think about it. Unfortunately, the owl despawns if the player takes damage, so kiting enemies and using things like Rampart helps keep it in play.

The blueprint has a 0.4% chance of dropping from Knife Throwers, who only appear in higher difficulties. At 1 BSC, they'll be found in High Peak Castle.

Hemorrhage

Hemorrhage is a throwing axe that deals a base of 47 damage and applies bleeding of 25 DPS for three seconds. The weapon really shines when it strikes an enemy that already has bleed or poison, as it deals a critical hit worth four times the base damage (187 in one hit) and reapplies the bleeding.

If you want this throwing axe to fight elite enemies, then you'll need to hunt down Magistrates of Death, who have a 10% chance of dropping the blueprint. They are only found in Astrolab if the player has 5 BSC active.

Punishment

The Punishment shield provides safety and more. In addition to allowing for blocking and parrying, it deals with an area-of-effect attack whenever you're successful.

This blueprint is specifically found in the Clock Tower behind the puzzle door, which you'll need to open with the Bell Tower Key.

Lightning Bolt

This fantastic ranged weapon is brutal when used in bursts. It has a 0.2-second charging period before the bolts of lightning fly. The longer you channel the power, the more damage is dealt, starting with a base of 114 and climbing up to 331 DPS. If you channel too long, the color of the lightning will change from blue to yellow and then red, at which point the player starts receiving damage.

To obtain this blueprint, hunt Inquisitors, who have a 1.7% chance of dropping it. These foes are best farmed in the Graveyard.

Explosive Crossbow

The Explosive Crossbow is a ranged weapon that fires bolts that explode, dealing 100 damage to those caught in the blast and causing knockback. A direct hit deals critical hit damage.

This blueprint is found in the Promenade of the Condemned as a reward for finding the Gardener's Keys.

Merchandise Categories

The Merchandise Categories are undoubtedly the best blueprint in the game. It's not a tool or weapon but instead unlocks more items whenever you visit vendors—a perk that's incredibly valuable throughout the game.

The blueprint is behind a locked door in the Graveyard. To unlock the door, you'll need the Architect's Key, which is found in a randomized secret compartment in the Cemetery. Use this to open the door, traverse the secret tunnel, trigger the hidden pressure plate, and find the blueprint above the initially locked door in a hidden room.

Also, check our Dead Cells Review and other guides below:

• Dead Cells Guide | How To Get All Keys and Door Locations
• Dead Cells Guide | How To Unlock All Crossover Outfits
• Dead Cells Guide | Top 10 Builds