Sons of the Forest allows players to choose from a wide variety of weapons. That being said, not all weapons will strike a chord with players in the game. We have compiled a tier list ranking each weapon from best to worst.
Sons of the Forest thrusts players into a cannibal-infested island as the player is forced to survive the wilderness alone, making do with whatever resources they come by.
As you progress further in the game, in true survival fashion you will expand your arsenal of weapons. The game has a total of 27 weapons to craft and unlock. That being said, once you have all the weapons in your inventory, you obviously won’t be using all of them.
While some weapons might be useful early on in the game, they lose their utility quite fast as you advance in the game. So, here is a tier list of all weapons in Sons of the Forest.
Tier list of all weapons in Sons of the Forest
| Tier | Weapon |
|---|---|
| S | Compound Bow, Pistol, Katana, Shotgun |
| A | Grenade, Time Bomb, Molotov Cocktail, Firefighter Axe, Crafted Bow, Revolver |
| B | Crossbow, Modern Axe, Chainsaw, Rifle |
| C | Spear, Stun Gun, Stun Baton, Machete |
| D | Slingshot, Cross, Tactical Axe, Crafted Club |
| E | Guitar, Putter, Utility Knife |
S-Tier weapons in Sons of the Forest
- Compound Bow
- Pistol
- Katana
- Shotgun
These four weapons are some of the best weapons in the game. The Compound Bow is an improved form of the craftable bow allowing you to shoot your arrows further which really comes in handy once you’re past the learning curve and good at aiming.
The Pistol is the classic go-to weapon players can always rely on, the Katana on the other hand has a sleek cutting-edge design and is the best melee weapon in the game. Finally, the Shotgun is the most powerful weapon in Sons of the Forest allowing you to take down mutants such as the Fingers in just three or four shots.
A-Tier weapons in Sons of the Forest
- Grenade
- Time Bomb
- Molotov Cocktail
- Firefighter Axe
- Crafted Bow
- Revolver
This tier mostly comprises throwables such as the handy grenade which you can throw to deal large amounts of damage. The Time Bomb and the Grenade are quite similar in the damage they deal. However, the grenade has a slight edge due to its accessibility. The Molotov Cocktail on the other hand helps you slow down huge herds of mutants while also taking down low-level mutants.
The Firefighter Axe takes a considerable time to swing but is the hardest-hitting axe in the game. Crafted Bow is one of those early-game weapons that stay with you till the end, aiding you in high-precision headshots, bested only by the Compound Bow. The Revolver is a strong weapon but can only hold six weapons at a time making the reload time quite a pain.
B-Tier weapons in Sons of the Forest
- Crossbow
- Modern Axe
- Chainsaw
- Rifle
The Crossbow is extremely efficient in long-range combat but only lags behind owing to its long reload time. The Modern Axe is comparatively faster to swing than the Firefighter Axe but doesn’t match its damage.
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The Chainsaw is a fitting weapon to clear out hordes of cannibals but the fact that it uses batteries which are a highly valuable item brings this weapon down. The Rifle is the only weapon in the game with an optic attachment which doesn’t make the weapon any better. With a low range and slow reload speed, you would be better off using the Compound Bow.
C-Tier weapons in Sons of the Forest
- Spear
- Stun Gun
- Stun Baton
- Machete
The Spear is an early weapon that has unimpressive damage but its utility more than makes up for it. You can craft a bunch of these and can even use them as throwable weapons. The Stun Gun is a weapon that is quite useful to stun enemies. However, it only stuns one enemy at a time and requires you to reload after every shot.
The Stun Baton deals quite a bit of damage to enemies while also stunning them. It’s better than the Stun Gun but its reliance on batteries as ammo makes it inefficient. The Machete allows you to deal moderate damage and doesn’t drain much of your stamina. However, when compared to the other melee weapons you find later in the game, it does not fare well.
D-Tier weapons in Sons of the Forest
- Slingshot
- Cross
- Tactical Axe
- Crafted Club
Slingshot is a fairly useless weapon. You can use it to save ammo as it only uses small rocks or golf balls as ammo. However, it only deals enough damage to kill small animals and doesn’t come anywhere close to the other ranged weapons. The Cross is a fun weapon that fails to reach its potential owing to its use being restricted to end-game bunkers.
The Tactical Axe is an amazing axe to use as a starting weapon. However, as you advance in the game, it eventually becomes useless. The Crafted Club shares the same problem as the Tactical Axe but is much better to use when compared to the Tactical Axe.
E-Tier weapons in Sons of the Forest
- Guitar
- Putter
- Utility Knife
The Guitar is quite a cool weapon to have in Sons of the Forest as the weapon makes guitar strums as you hit enemies with it. Players can even press the right mouse button to play it. That being said, the damage this weapon deals is quite bad especially when you have an axe at your disposal. The Putter is yet another interesting weapon that can be swung to play golf while also being able to take down enemies. However, similar to the Guitar, the Putter is quite lackluster when it comes to damage.
Finally, the Utility Knife is a weapon you start with when the game starts. It’s mostly used to craft spears and is futile to use in combat despite having a high attack speed.
For more on Sons of the Forest, check our other guides below:
How to collect water in Sons of the Forest | How many people play Sons of the Forest? | All Sons of the Forest endings explained | Can you play Sons of the Forest on Steam Deck? | How to get the shovel in Sons of the Forest | How to get the Rope Gun in Sons of the Forest | Is Sons of the Forest on Xbox Game Pass | How to use the GPS Locator | All enemies in Sons of the Forest
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