Here’s what each stat does:
Arcane increases elemental damage, and allows you to use magical Hunter Tools Bloodtinge increases firearm damage, and allows you to use powerful Blood weapons
Which one you choose depends on what you want out of your build. We’ll break down exactly what each stat does down below, so you can decide which stat is best for you.
Arcane Stat Details
Arcane is a versatile stat that scales with a wide variety of Skill and Strength weapons. While it shouldn’t be the main offensive stat in your build, it’s an excellent choice if you want a secondary way to deal damage. As well as powering up weapons, Arcane also allows you to use almost all of the Hunter Tools, special items that essentially allow you to perform magic. Arcane also buffs all elemental damage you deal, regardless of whether that source comes from a consumable, a Hunter Tool, or an element-infused weapon. The versatility that Arcane naturally has causes your build to become more versatile, as you can split your damage across Physical, Fire, Bolt, and Arcane more effectively. Using such a wide range of damage types lets you easily take down any enemy or boss, regardless of any resistances they may have. Arcane is an excellent choice for builds that use Skill as their main offensive stat, as the best Skill/Arcane weapons are available early on. Strength users will have a harder time finding a good Arcane-scaling weapon for their build, as almost every great Strength/Arcane is found in the Old Hunters DLC. If you own this DLC, you’ll have access to a wide variety of great Strength/Arcane weapons from the mid-game onwards. If not, you may want to reconsider going all-in on a Strength/Arcane hybrid build.
The Best Arcane Weapons
A large amount of trick weapons scale with Arcane, from huge Strength-scaling clubs to nimble Skill-scaling shortswords. This allows you to invest into Arcane regardless of which type of weapons you prefer to use. One of the best weapons for Strength/Arcane builds is the Whirligig Saw, a mace that transforms into a buzzsaw in its alternate form. You can find it in the Hunter’s Nightmare. One of the best weapons for Skill/Arcane weapons is the Blade of Mercy, a shortsword that transforms into dual-wielded curved swords in its alternate form. You can buy the Blade of Mercy in the Hunter’s Dream Messenger shop after Eileen the Crow’s death, whether it comes naturally or at the hands of the player. Both of these weapons are immensely strong, and are available early on, so long as you own the Old Hunters DLC to get the Whirligig Saw.
The Best Arcane Hunter Tools
Bloodborne’s Hunter Tools are primarily controlled by the Arcane stat. This gives Arcane users a huge variety of Tools that they can use, giving them special offensive or defensive abilities. The best offensive Hunter Tool is A Call Beyond, a huge explosion of homing stardust that seeks out enemies. The best defensive Hunter Tool is the Old Hunter Bone, which heavily buffs your dodge by turning you invisible and increasing your invincibility frames mid-dodge.
Bloodtinge Stat Details
Bloodtinge is much more niche than Arcane, controlling the power of firearms and a select group of weapons that deal Blood damage. The narrowness of Bloodtinge as a stat means that it’s only useful if you have a good reason to invest in it – such as wanting to deal a ton of damage every time you gun parry an enemy. Despite being primarily-focused on firearms, Bloodtinge can also increase the power of a select group of melee weapons. Players that primarily use Skill weapons are in luck, as all but one Bloodtinge-scaling weapons also scale with Skill. Strength users will have to go to greater lengths to find a Strength/Bloodtinge weapon, with the only one being found at the end of the Old Hunters DLC. Where Bloodtinge is at its most limited is in its compatibility with Hunter Tools. Since Bloodtinge only gives you access to a single Tool, players who want to use other magical abilities will be forced to level Arcane rather than Bloodtinge.
The Best Bloodtinge Weapons
Only a mere five melee weapons scale with Bloodtinge – a much lower number than Arcane’s lineup of 25. Luckily, most of these weapons are among the most powerful in the game. The most notable of these weapons is the Chikage, a Skill/Bloodtinge katana that transforms into a longer, Blood-infused sword in its alternate form. You can find the Chikage in Cainhurst Castle. Where Bloodtinge really shines is its effect on firearms. While most firearms are made stronger by leveling Bloodtinge, the best of these is the Evelyn, a pistol with the best Bloodtinge scaling in the game. You can find the Evelyn in Cainhurst Castle.
The Best Bloodtinge Hunter Tools
Leveling Bloodtinge only gives you access to one Hunter Tool: The rather underwhelming Madaras Whistle. Using Madaras Whistle causes a giant snake to burst out of the ground, dealing massive damage to anything it touches. The problem with this ability is that the snake emerges underneath the player’s feet, forcing them to quickly flee and blindly hope that the enemy walks into the snake.
Arcane or Bloodtinge: Which Stat Is Better?
Arcane is much more popular than Bloodtinge, and it’s easy to see why. Its huge variety of effects, weapons and Hunter Tools makes it the ideal secondary stat for many classes. If you aren’t quite sure what form your final build will take, be sure to invest in Arcane, since its versatility makes it much more likely to fit your build than Bloodtinge. But if you want to focus on powering up your firearms, or want to use one of the extremely powerful Blood weapons, Bloodtinge is the way to go.
