Crucifix

The Crucifix is available early in the game, from an incapacitated Father Aville and is unique in that it functions more as a tool with multiple uses rather than a weapon you'll constantly be fighting with. Holding down the fire button with the crucifix equipped will cause you to brandish the crucifix. A brandished crucifix will cause certain enemies (such as Lesser Vampire, Desmodiij, and Zombie) to cower away from you for several seconds. After several seconds they will recover and charge you, but start cowering again if you're still brandishing the crucifix at them. Be careful to keep your distance, though, because enemies that are close enough to hit you won't be as affected by the crucifix and may not cower until they've already hit you several times. You also have to be facing the enemy to cause them to cower away from you. Releasing the fire button after you've brandished the crucifix for a second will cause it to emit a blast of holy energy. Only pure vampires (Lesser Vampire, Lesser Vampiress, Shadow Vampire, and the game's boss) can actually be harmed by the crucifix's blast. It's got a decent range of several feet, allowing you to hit such enemies while still staying just outside the reach of their claws. You'll mainly use the crucifix to defeat Shadow Vampires, who are immune to practically everything else you have. The crucifix blast also emits a great deal of light and will light up in the entire room for a brief second, making it somewhat useful as a portable light source. The crucifix can also be used to consecrate water troughs inyo Holy Water to refill your Ancient Chalice with.

Strategy
The crucifix makes a decent weapon to use as your default. You can use it to light up dark rooms, and running around with it brandished will cause most of the more common enemies to cower as soon as they spot you, allowing you to switch to a firearm or melee weapon to finish them off while they're still repelled. Certain enemies (such as Devil Dog, Gypsy Henchmen, and Gargoyle) aren't affected by it, though, so you may want to equip a more physical weapon if you run into lots of such enemies.