Hero Sword

Hero Sword
Type	Melee, Projectile
Description	Slashes through multiple enemies and fires a slashing projectile.
Unlock	Defeat a Stage Boss without picking up any ground items, powerups, or using shrines.
Upgrades With	Damage, Projectile Count, Projectile Speed, Size
Silver Reward	4
Special Effect	Melee slashes also fire a ranged projectile.; Projectiles pierce enemies.

The Hero Sword is an unlockable weapon in Megabonk that serves as a direct upgrade to the standard Sword. It rewards skilled play with a powerful hybrid moveset that combines the familiar close-range slash with a new, long-range slashing projectile.

How to Unlock (Purist Challenge)

Unlocking the Hero Sword requires completing a "purist" run, testing the player's ability to survive using only the core level-up mechanics.

The rule is to defeat any stage boss while adhering to the following restrictions for the entire run:

DO NOT pick up any items or powerups from the ground.
DO NOT open any chests.
DO NOT activate any shrines (Charge, Greed, etc.).

VERY IMPORTANT: You can still choose upgrades for your weapons and tomes from the normal level-up screen. The restriction only applies to objects on the map.

Challenge Tips:

Character Choice: Start with a strong, self-sufficient character. Sir Oofie is an excellent choice due to his high durability, which is crucial when you can't pick up healing items. CL4NK is a better choice, as he starts with 50 shield, so unless you're getting hit constantly you essentially never lose health.
Weapon & Tome Focus: Rely on strong starter weapons and tomes. Since you can't find new items, you must make your initial choices powerful through level-ups alone.
Play Style: The run becomes a pure test of dodging and positioning. Actively avoid all ground items and learn enemy attack patterns.
Stage Choice: It is highly recommended to attempt this challenge on the very first Forest stage, as the enemies and the boss are the weakest.

After defeating a boss under these conditions, the Hero Sword must be purchased from the Unlocks tab for 4 Silver.

Strategy and Synergies

The Hero Sword's strength is its versatility, allowing the player to control both close and mid-range combat simultaneously.

Projectile Count is an excellent upgrade as it adds more close range and ranged projectiles.
Size increases the size of the melee slash as well as the ranged slash projectile.
Projectile Speed increases the maximum range of the ranged slash projectile will travel before disappearing.

Upgrades

The Hero Sword can receive the following upgrades upon leveling up:

Stat	Common	Uncommon	Rare	Epic	Legendary
Damage	2	2.4	2.8	3.2	4
Projectile Count	1	1.2	1.4	1.6	2
Projectile Speed	4	4.8	5.6	6.4	8
Size	15%	18%	21%	24%	30%