If this is your first journey into Where Winds Meet, deciding which Martial Arts to unlock can be one of the first major differences in how your adventure unfolds. While every weapon has its perks, there are a select few that are generally easier to get the hang of, level up faster, and give you a noticeable edge both when exploring alone and dealing with formidable bosses. Where Winds Meet is not an MMORPG with defined classes, you can have two Martial Arts equipped simultaneously, and you create your own fighting style. The less plentiful your resources get later on, the more that investing wisely in your early Martial Arts choice will pay dividends later on.
This guide covers the best Martial Arts to unlock first, who should use them, and why they're worth prioritizing.
As you unlock stronger Martial Arts and refine your perfect combat build, having enough premium currency can help you progress more efficiently. If you're looking for a reliable way to recharge, Where Winds Meet Top Up is available through LootBar, offering a fast and convenient option for your next adventure.
Enjoy up to 22% off on Game Top-Ups.
3-Minute Delivery for Non-Stop Gaming.
Trusted 4.9/5 on Trustpilot, 10/10 among Players.
Official Partnership Route, Protect Your Game Wallet.
How Martial Arts Work in Where Winds Meet
Rather than locking into a class for the whole game, players gain access to different Martial Arts related to weapons of various types. Players can swap between two equipped Martial Arts, combining offensive skills, defensive stances, mobility moves or support capabilities to suit their desired combat style.
Each Martial Art becomes even stronger through systems such as:
- Inner Ways
- Refine Arts
- Martial Points
- Gear progression
Because these upgrades require significant investment, focusing on one or two Martial Arts early is much more efficient than spreading your resources across several different weapons.
Best Martial Arts to Unlock First
1. Sword - The Best Overall Starter
If you are unsure what to get for a starting martial art I would recommend the sword.
It offers one of the most balanced combat styles in the game, combining reliable damage, mobility, and strong defensive options. Sword skills are forgiving for new players while still scaling well into endgame content.
Why unlock it first?
- Easy to learn
- Excellent single-target damage
- Strong counterattack potential
- Useful in both PvE and PvP
- Great mobility during exploration
The Sword also pairs well with nearly every secondary Martial Art, making it an excellent long-term investment.
Best for:
- New players
- Story progression
- General exploration
- Boss fights
2. Spear - Outstanding for PvE Progression
The Spear aims at providing ranged capabilities, crowd control, and sustained damage.
Beginning players can maintain a safe distance in battle thanks to the impressive attack range, and its high group attack can tear through enemy clusters.
The Spear is one of the best martial arts for the main story and as per many seasoned players; it is one of the most easy martial arts due to the efficient and well-performing actions without a lot of complex combos.
Strengths
- Excellent range
- Strong AoE attacks
- Safe positioning
- Reliable boss damage
- Beginner-friendly
If your goal is efficient leveling and farming, the Spear is one of the best first unlocks.
3. Umbrella - High Utility and Survivability
Sure it doesn't look anything like anything else that has been seen in martial arts, but the umbrella is actually the single most versatile Martial Arts available.
Combining attack and defense skills with enhanced mobility skills to make a deadly, highly useful asset for exploration and challenges.
A lot of early game guides are urging for players to obtain the umbrella at the earliest opportunity as later acquisition can be more tedious and may even result in more time wasted.
Why players love it
- Great survivability
- Strong mobility
- Flexible combat style
- Effective in solo content
- Useful support capabilities
The Umbrella is ideal for players who enjoy adapting to different combat situations instead of relying purely on raw damage.
4. Dual Blades - Best for Aggressive Players
If fast-paced combat is your preference, Dual Blades are an excellent early investment.
This Martial Art emphasizes speed, combo chains, and high burst damage. While mastering it requires better timing than Sword or Spear, experienced action game players will find it incredibly rewarding.
Advantages
- Extremely high DPS
- Fast attack animations
- Excellent mobility
- Fun combo potential
The downside is lower survivability, meaning positioning and dodging become much more important.
5. Fan - Great Support and Team Utility
The Fan may not be the greatest option for solo players, however it is something that increases in usefulness when you hope to participate in co-op gameplay.
Healing & Support With healing and support strengths, the role can make group content significantly easier and has decent offensive strengths at that
Best for
- Multiplayer
- Co-op dungeons
- Team support
- Survivability
If you frequently play with friends, unlocking the Fan earlier can provide long-term benefits.
Best Martial Arts Pairings for Beginners
The game has this awesome dual-weapon setup that one of its biggest positives is Where Winds Meet. Unlike the one single Martial Art that other games in this genre often make you use, you can pair two of them to benefit the best of both worlds.
Some beginner-friendly combinations include:
Sword + Umbrella
This comp boasts decent offense, survivability and mobility, potentially the safest choice overall to start off your game with.
Spear + Sword
Great for players who demand top tier PvE content clear rates, while remaining adaptable for when you have a boss phase encounter.
Dual Blades + Umbrella
Offensive output with the addition of both movement & defensive options provides an all-in type play style that either wins or it loses.
Fan + Sword
Ideally for those who love to party up, but can still pull their own weight when playing solo.
Should You Unlock Every Martial Art Early?
I get the idea that you want to unlock everything as fast as possible, but this is certainly not the fastest way to proceed.
With upgrades being relatively expensive for Martial Arts, dedicating focus towards a single main weapon and single secondary is almost always better than diluting upgrades among many forms of combat. This is a concept found in nearly all experienced build guides where they recommend early specialization before later expansion of equipment options.
Tips for Choosing Your First Martial Art
Prior to expending any cash think of the manner you like to engage in RPG action games.
The Sword is tough to beat for those who appreciate even fighting, the Spear should appeal to those who like managing groups, and the Umbrella should appeal to mobile and adaptive fighters. Fans of quick combat may like the Dual Blades, while those who like working with others may be better off using the Fan.
Fortunately, Where Winds Meet encourages experimentation, so your first choice doesn't permanently lock your character into a single playstyle.
Conclusion
Your ideal Where Winds Meet Martial Art choice is highly dependent on your combat preferences, but a few will typically emerge as solid starter options. The Sword is generally the most balanced, offering a strong mix of offensive, defensive and flexible choices. The Spear is great for early PvE, with the Umbrella providing solid utility and survivability, whilst players who favour aggressive styles could opt for Dual Blades for their damage, or the Fan for team based applications. Instead of unlocking every Martial Art that is available, your best bet is to dedicate yourself to one primary and one secondary weapon, a strategy that makes resources more plentiful and allows you to get the most of our characters build going into harder gameplay scenarios. If you're looking for a reliable way to recharge, Where Winds Meet Top Up is available through LootBar, offering a fast and convenient option for your next adventure.














