Sons of the Forest puts its island’s inhabitants through all kinds of survival tests. Some you can stealth through, others you can outrun, but when you can neither hide, nor run, you must fight. The developer has made sure there are plenty of combat options to aid your Sons of the Forest playthrough, but not all weapons are created equal.
One of the best gameplay elements of survival horror is that most of the loot you find along the way is actually vital for your character, something even the most refined RPGs can’t fully master. That being said, perfect balancing has not been achieved yet and Sons of the Forest is not the first game to break from the mold.
There’s a surprisingly high number of weapons that are genuinely good in Sons of the Forest, which makes distinguishing the best of them both more difficult and more fun. There’s a high likelihood that, if you’ve already played the game for a while, you won’t see one or more of your favorites. That’s probably because they are also quite good and barely missed out on our list. Actually making it onto the list is hard enough as we’ve only picked the best of the best in our opinion, so just missing out is a feat on its own.
We have covered every possible combat aspect so that no one’s playstyle is left out. Regardless of if you prefer to go all up in the face of enemies, take them on from midrange, or go all sneaky-beaky-like.
What are the best weapons in Sons of the Forest?
Katana
Every game seems to have that one weapon that’s inexplicably overpowered. In Sons of the Forest, that weapon is the katana. It doesn’t seem like much next to the axes and chainsaws you find along the way, but the katana is a clear example that size does not matter at all, in video games at least.
This sword is fast, slick, and can sever limbs fast and efficiently, which is basically everything you need in a melee weapon. It is also almost guaranteed to get nerfed when the next big SooF update rolls around, so we’d get to chopping off cannibal limbs sooner rather than later.
Firefighter axe
One melee weapon that has a better chance of standing the test of updates is the firefighter axe. Axes in general are the bomb in Sons of the Forest and many players would probably vouch that the modern axe is better. The cool thing about this debate is that both sides are correct and none of them are at the same time.
The difference between the firefighter axe and the modern axe is simple. The former hits harder and the latter swings faster. It is up to the player to decide which suits their playstyle better. We prefer the firefighter axe because of its higher damage output per hit and because it can stun enemies into oblivion, but if you’d rather have the lighter modern axe, that’s a fine choice as well.
Shotgun
Time to pull out the big guns. We can’t help but recommend the shotgun in any game where it’s available. It doesn’t hurt that it deals the highest damage in Sons of the Forest. It is so bloody fun to blast the enemy into a dozen pieces from point-blank range. That last bit is the only limitation to the shotgun, besides finding ammo for it, but that’s a survival horror staple we can’t go without.
This gun can create a little divide between you and whatever’s threatening you but not much. Nevertheless, holding this beast in hand will make you feel like you could take on everything, and you probably could, as long as you don’t run out of ammo.
Revolver
If you want to create any real separation from enemies, the revolver is your best friend. It is perfect for mid-range combat and taking out small groups of enemies. Not so much for larger groups due to its limited ammo capacity.
The revolver holds just six rounds at a time and is slow to reload, so you better pick your timing and be on the money with your shooting. The revolver is definitely a step up skill-wise from most other weapons in Sons of the Forest, but it could be very rewarding if you master it. Its high damage output can make quick work of otherwise tough enemies.
If the six rounds per magazine feel too limiting, you can always resort to the regular pistol. It deals less damage but has double the capacity, a nice safety net to have if you’re not too confident in your shooting.
Compound bow
Our last recommendation is for when you really, really don’t want to smell the enemies’ socks. The compound bow is the easiest weapon to recommend in Sons of the Forest for a lack of competition. The crafted bow is the only comparable weapon and it’s quite literally a weaker version of the compound bow, which quickly settles this argument.
The silver lining is that no competition doesn’t make the compound bow bad, so long-range combat is well and alive in Sons of the Forest if limited to a single weapon. The compound bow can one-shot kill most enemies if you hit a headshot, which we’ve heard is kind of a good trait for a weapon. It can carry two types of arrows at a time, which expands its ammo capacity significantly.
In short, the compound bow is one of the best weapons in Sons of the Forest, period. As long as you make sure enemies are taking arrows to the head, and not the knee, your stealth playthrough will be a breeze.
This concludes our Sons of the Forest best weapons list. We encourage you to try out our recommendations if you haven’t, or give them another run if you have tried them but didn’t vibe with them. We’re confident that your Sons of the Forest playthrough can only benefit from these weapons in your arsenal.
