Overview
Jagged Steel is a weapon in Phantom Blade Zero designed around inflicting bleeding damage that stacks over time. Its serrated edge leaves wounds that continue dealing damage after each hit, making it the premier attrition weapon in the game. Players who prefer sustained damage over burst combos will find Jagged Steel rewards their playstyle.
Design
The blade of Jagged Steel is lined with irregular, saw-like teeth along its cutting edge. The weapon looks brutal and industrial, fitting the game's steampunk aesthetic. The serrations are not decorative. They are the mechanical source of the weapon's bleeding effect, designed to tear rather than cut cleanly.
Moveset
Item | Description |
|---|---|
Ripping slashes | each hit applies a stack of bleed that deals damage over time |
Saw combo | a grinding multi-hit attack that applies multiple bleed stacks rapidly |
Serrated thrust | a forward stab that applies a heavier bleed stack than normal attacks |
Bleed burst | a special finisher that detonates all active bleed stacks for instant damage |
Bleed mechanic
Each hit from Jagged Steel applies a bleed stack to the target. Bleed stacks deal a small amount of damage per second and can accumulate to significant levels over sustained engagements. The weapon rewards players who can maintain contact with the enemy consistently, as bleed stacks decay over time if no new stacks are applied.
Against bosses with large health pools and long fight durations, Jagged Steel's accumulated bleed damage can account for a substantial portion of total damage dealt. The weapon is less effective in short encounters where the fight ends before bleed stacks reach meaningful levels.
Sha-Chi interaction
Jagged Steel has lower per-hit Sha-Chi generation than faster weapons, but the bleed damage also contributes a small amount of Sha-Chi as it ticks. Over long fights, the total Sha-Chi generated is competitive with other weapons.
Key details
Action | Key/Button |
|---|---|
Type | primary blade (serrated sword) |
Style | attrition, damage-over-time, sustained pressure |
Sha-Chi | lower per-hit, supplemented by bleed ticks |
Unique mechanic | stacking bleed damage with detonation finisher |