The best weapons in Sons of the Forest

The best weapons in Sons of the Forest will help you take on the game's many horrors whilst not causing too much damage to your surroundings. You often need to strike that balance between power and efficiency, and here's what we recommend throwing into your inventory as you start the game.

In this Sons of the Forest guide, we'll go through both the best melee and ranged weapons, describing what they do, and how to handle them properly. If you think about it right, almost anything can be used towards a great setup.

If you're looking to learn even more about the game, here's how to find the flashlight in Sons of the Forest, how to get the cross, and how to save. If you want even more, here is our Sons of the Forest enemies list.

The best Sons of the Forest weapons

Generally, you should be aiming to pick up a handful of weapons and regularly upgrade your gear as you get through the game. For this reason, we will give some recommendations of what to aim for as you get a little more time in that haunting forest.

Tactical Axe

Found at the very first spawn spot, this axe can be retrieved by going into your inventory and opening the plastic bag you start with. You will be granted a small digital map, axe, and knife. This axe is powerful at the start of the game, but its limited range can make you struggle after a little bit of time. Against single creatures, it is incredibly effective, but isn't the greatest crowd-control weapon.

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Spear

With just a stick, knife, and some tape, you can make one of the most effective early-game weapons. It has a strong attack and its range is particularly good. As well as this, it can be thrown, which gives you a slightly broader toolset. Being easy to build, you never miss out too much when you throw it at an enemy.

Katana

Though it can be very hard to get, the Katana is possibly the very best melee weapon in the entire game. You have to go to the very east of the snowy mountain, where you find a huge lake. A cave will be nearby, that gives you access to a lab with the machete in it. You can read more about that here!

Stun Gun

You can find the Stun Gun in the same cave you find the rebreather. You can read all about that here. What makes this weapon so great is that it's a ranged weapon that neutralises enemies without calling others on you. Other firearms may end up getting the attention of all nearby enemies, whereas this one will allow you to slip away unseen.

Shotgun

The Shotgun is by far the most impressive and dangerous ranged weapon in the game. Before getting it, check out this guide on how to get the shovel because you will need it. After there, head to the east-most GPS tracker on your map, where you can dig it up. This will take down or scare multiple enemies with a single shot and works particularly well up close. Just make sure you have the ammo for it!

If you're looking for more information on the game, here's what we know about Sons of the Forest crossplay, whether the game is cross platform, and the Sons of the Forest rope gun location.