- 28 weapons
- Best-weapon tiers
- Ammo & recipes
- Exact locations
Sons of the Forest weapons
Every weapon in the game, ranked — the best melee, ranged and throwable picks, their ammo and clip, which take a Solafite upgrade, and where to find or how to craft each one.
Best weapons — tier list
Ranked by overall combat value — our call, from each weapon's role as the wiki describes it. S is best-in-slot; C is situational or early-game only.
Grenade
Tactical Axe
Crafted Spear
Molotov
Sticky Bomb
Utility Knife
Crafted Bow
Crafted Club
Torch
Stick
RockReading the cards. Ammo, clip size and the Solafite badge come from the Sons of the Forest Wiki (Fandom); damage is the game's own number, read from its files (client build 53951): base damage is the melee data's Damage field, muzzle damage is the ammo's, × the weapon's ammo multiplier where it has one. Stamina, charged attack, ground smash, block and the Solafite plating multiplier are the game's numbers too; speed and range are still the wiki's words, marked wiki, because the files hold no number for them. Recipes were checked against the game's crafting data.
28 of 28 weapons shown · tap a pin to open that spot on the full map.
All melee weapons
SKatana
meleeBunkerSolafite ✓Best melee — fast, high DPS, staggers mutants.
- Base damage
- 30
- Stamina per swing
- 8
- Charged attack
- 45 damage, 20 stamina
- Ground smash
- 60 damage, 20 stamina
- Block damage percent
- 75 %
- Speed (wiki)
- High
- Range (wiki)
- Medium
- Solafite plating
- ×1.5
On 2nd bunker floor
AChainsaw
meleeBunkerShreds groups and bosses — but drains batteries.
- Ammo
- Batteries
- Base damage
- 12
- Stamina per swing
- 12.5
- Charged attack
- 25 damage
- Ground smash
- 30 damage, 20 stamina
- Speed (wiki)
- Medium
In the Theater room
AModern Axe
meleeSurfaceSolafite ✓Strong all-rounder that also fells trees.
- Base damage
- 30
- Stamina per swing
- 9
- Charged attack
- 35 damage, 16 stamina
- Ground smash
- 40 damage, 12 stamina
- Block damage percent
- 90 %
- Speed (wiki)
- Low-Medium
- Range (wiki)
- Medium
- Solafite plating
- ×1.5
In the chest of a dead soldier
AFirefighter Axe
meleeBunkerSolafite ✓Heavy hits with good reach.
- Base damage
- 35
- Stamina per swing
- 12
- Charged attack
- 45 damage, 20 stamina
- Ground smash
- 50 damage, 16 stamina
- Block damage percent
- 90 %
- Speed (wiki)
- Low
- Range (wiki)
- Medium
- Solafite plating
- ×1.5
At the end of the hallway
BMachete
meleeSurfaceSolafite ✓Fast, light cutting weapon.
- Base damage
- 14
- Stamina per swing
- 6
- Charged attack
- 22 damage, 12 stamina
- Ground smash
- 18 damage, 10 stamina
- Block damage percent
- 75 %
- Speed (wiki)
- High
- Range (wiki)
- Short
- Solafite plating
- ×1.5
Inserted into the sleeping bag
BStun Baton
meleeSurfaceStun-locks a single target.
- Ammo
- Batteries
- Base damage
- 12
- Stamina per swing
- 6
- Ground smash
- 14 damage, 5 stamina
- Block damage percent
- 80 %
In the pile of skulls
- B
Tactical Axe
meleeStarting gearSolafite ✓Your starting axe — fast, blocks well and chops trees.
- Base damage
- 12
- Stamina per swing
- 7
- Charged attack
- 26 damage, 12 stamina
- Ground smash
- 25 damage, 12 stamina
- Block damage percent
- 82 %
- Speed (wiki)
- Fast
- Range (wiki)
- Medium
- Solafite plating
- ×1.5
In the emergency pack you open at the start of the game.
- B
Crafted Spear
meleeCraftedLong reach, and a thrown spear stuns cannibals and mutants.
- Base damage
- 10
- Thrown muzzle damage
- 20
- Stamina per swing
- 10
- Ground smash
- 25 damage, 12 stamina
- Block damage percent
- 50 %
Recipe (wiki)
2× Stick
1× Duct Tape
1× Utility Knife
Craft it — or take the three that every spear-carrying cannibal holds. You can carry five.
- C
Utility Knife
meleeStarting gearVery fast but weak — it is for skinning and spear-making.
- Base damage
- 12
- Stamina per swing
- 4
You start with it; it is also a Crafted Spear ingredient.
- C
Crafted Club
meleeCraftedSolafite ✓Slower, harder-hitting early alternative to the Tactical Axe — can't cut off limbs.
- Base damage
- 22.5
- Stamina per swing
- 8
- Charged attack
- 30 damage, 15 stamina
- Ground smash
- 30 damage, 12 stamina
- Block damage percent
- 85 %
- Speed (wiki)
- Medium
- Range (wiki)
- Low
- Solafite plating
- ×1.5
Recipe (wiki)
- 1× Stick
1× Skull
1× Rope
Craft it from a stick, a skull and rope.
- C
Torch
meleeCraftedA light first, a weak weapon second.
- Base damage
- 3
- Stamina per swing
- 5
Recipe (wiki)
- 1× Stick
1× Cloth
Craft it from a stick and cloth.
CPutter
meleeBunkerSolafite ✓A golf club — lacklustre as a weapon.
- Base damage
- 4
- Stamina per swing
- 5
- Charged attack
- 4 damage
- Ground smash
- 4 damage, 5 stamina
- Block damage percent
- 60 %
- Solafite plating
- ×1.5
On the golf course and in the Residential Bunker's lounge. (The game places 10 of them.)
CGuitar
meleeBunkerSolafite ✓Plays songs; as a weapon the Modern Axe outclasses it.
- Base damage
- 8
- Stamina per swing
- 8
- Ground smash
- 15 damage, 13 stamina
- Block damage percent
- 70 %
- Solafite plating
- ×1.5
On the bar counter of the Entertainment Bunker (maintenance keycard).
CCross
meleeCaveSolafite ✓Burns demons without ammo; does nothing to cannibals.
- Solafite plating
- ×1
In the Rope Gun Cave.
- C
Stick
meleeLootOnly when nothing else is to hand.
- Base damage
- 4
- Stamina per swing
- 5
- Ground smash
- 4 damage, 8 stamina
- Block damage percent
- 55 %
- Speed (wiki)
- Medium
- Range (wiki)
- Short
Everywhere in the woods, and from cutting down saplings.
- C
Rock
meleeLootFine for small game, poor against cannibals.
- Base damage
- 10
- Stamina per swing
- 13
- Ground smash
- 20 damage, 16 stamina
- Speed (wiki)
- Low
- Range (wiki)
- Short
- Block (wiki)
- None
On the ground, and in quantity along the beaches.
All ranged weapons
SRifle
rangedCaveSolafite ✓Best ranged — drops mutants at long range.
- Ammo
- Rifle Ammo
- Clip
- 4
- Muzzle damage
- Rifle Ammo 100
- Speed (wiki)
- High
- Range (wiki)
- Medium
- Solafite plating
- ×1
In hands of dead soldier
SShotgun
rangedSurfaceSolafite ✓Devastating close-range burst damage.
- Ammo
- Buckshot Ammo or Slug Ammo
- Clip
- 8
- Muzzle damage
- Slug Ammo 100 · Buckshot Ammo 25 × 8 pellets
- Speed (wiki)
- Slow fire rate
- Range (wiki)
- Short (buckshot), Short-Medium (slug)
- Solafite plating
- ×1
Inside grave
ACrossbow
rangedBunkerSilent traps and stealth kills.
- Ammo
- Crossbow Bolt
- Muzzle damage
- Crossbow Bolt 100
- Speed (wiki)
- Low
- Range (wiki)
- Medium-High
Next to the projector
ACompound Bow
rangedBunkerQuiet, high-damage, retrievable arrows.
- Ammo
- Arrows (any but Crossbow Bolts)
- Muzzle damage
- Carbon Fiber Arrow 35 × 1.5 · 3d Printed Arrow 30 × 1.5 · Stone Arrow 20 × 1.5
- Speed (wiki)
- Low-Medium
- Range (wiki)
- High
Inside the bathroom
BRevolver
rangedBunkerSolafite ✓Reliable mid-game sidearm.
- Ammo
- 9mm Ammo
- Clip
- 6
- Muzzle damage
- 9mm Ammo 35 × 1.6
- Speed (wiki)
- High
- Range (wiki)
- Medium-High
- Solafite plating
- ×1
In hand of dead worker
BPistol
rangedSurfaceSolafite ✓Easy, early one-handed pistol.
- Ammo
- 9mm Ammo
- Clip
- 12
- Muzzle damage
- 9mm Ammo 35
- Speed (wiki)
- Fast
- Range (wiki)
- Medium
- Solafite plating
- ×1
On Emergency Raft
CStun Gun
rangedCaveUtility stun, very low damage.
- Ammo
- Stun Gun Ammo
- Clip
- 1
Inside the right tunnel
CSlingshot
rangedSurfaceThe earliest ranged option.
- Ammo
- Small Rock or Golf Ball
- Clip
- 1
- Muzzle damage
- Small Rock 2 × 4 · Golf Ball 2 × 4
On middle mercenary corpse
- C
Crafted Bow
rangedCraftedFirst bow — draws faster than the Compound Bow, hits a little softer.
- Ammo
- Arrows
- Muzzle damage
- Stone Arrow 20 · 3d Printed Arrow 30 · Carbon Fiber Arrow 35
- Speed (wiki)
- Medium-High
- Range (wiki)
- Low-Medium
Recipe (wiki)
- 2× Stick
- 1× Rope
- 1× Duct Tape
Craft it from sticks, rope and tape.
Throwables
- A
Grenade
throwableLootHeavy damage over an area.
- Explosion damage
- 200
In explosive cases, in caves and at points of interest such as abandoned camps. (The game places 9 of them.)
- B
Molotov
throwableCraftedSets a small area alight — clears groups of weak enemies.
Recipe (wiki)
1× Vodka Bottle- 1× Cloth
Craft it from a vodka bottle and cloth.
- B
Sticky Bomb
throwableCraftedA big timed blast — the way to blow up the blob in the caves.
- Explosion damage
- 200
Recipe (wiki)
5× Coins
1× Watch
1× Wire- 1× Duct Tape
1× Circuit Board
1× C4 Brick
Craft it; you can carry three.
Ranged numbers and Solafite plating
The game's own numbers (client build 53951), as its files hold them. 24 ranged-weapon objects carry ammo data: 17 of them are weapons on this page, the other 7 are things the game throws or fires that this page has no card for. A dash means the file holds no value there.
Ranged weapons on this page
| Weapon | Ammo | Magazine | Damage per shot | Cone | Speed (m/s) | Ammo mult. | Status effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compound BowTacticalBowHeld |  Carbon Fiber ArrowTacticalBowAmmoProperties | 1 | 35 | — | 60 | ×1.5 | — |
 Crafted SpearCraftedSpearHeld | Crafted SpearCraftedSpearAmmoProperties | 1 | 20 | — | 40 | ×1 | — |
| RifleRifleHeld |  Rifle AmmoRifleAmmoProperties | 4 | 100 | — | 600 | ×1 | — |
| SlingshotSlingshotHeld |  Small RockSmallRockAmmoProperties | 1 | 2 | — | 80 | ×4 | — |
 GrenadeGrenadeHeld | GrenadeGrenadeAmmoProperties | 1 | 5explosion 200 | — | 30 | ×1 | — |
 Sticky BombTimeBombHeld | Sticky BombTimeBombAmmoProperties | 1 | 0explosion 200 | — | 30 | ×1 | Knock Down 1 s · Stun 3 s |
| Crafted SpearSpearWeapon | Crafted SpearVailSpearAmmoProperties | 1 | 30 | — | 40 | ×1 | — |
| Crafted SpearRangedWeapon | Crafted SpearSpearThrowerAmmoProperties | 1 | 100 | — | 100 | ×1 | Knock Back 1 s · Bleeding 1 s |
 MolotovMolotovHeld | MolotovMolotovAmmoLitProperties | 1 | 0 | — | 30 | ×1 | Burning 10 s |
| PistolCompactPistolHeld | 9mm Ammo9mmAmmoProperties | 12 | 35 | — | 350 | ×1 | — |
| Stun GunStunGunHeld | Stun Gun AmmoStunGunAmmoProperties | 1 | 0 | — | 50 | ×1 | Electrocute 16 s |
| MolotovVodkaBottleWeapon | MolotovMolotovAmmoUnlitProperties | 1 | 0 | — | 30 | ×1 | — |
 Crafted BowCraftedBowHeld |  Stone ArrowCraftedArrowProperties | 1 | 20 | — | 32 | ×1 | — |
| ShotgunShotgunPumpActionHeld | Buckshot AmmoBuckshotAmmoProperties | 8 | 8 × 25 | 20° | 500 | ×1 | — |
| CrossbowCrossbowHeld |  Crossbow BoltCrossbowAmmoBoltProperties | 1 | 100 | — | 150 | ×1 | — |
| RevolverRevolverHeld | 9mm AmmoTimmyAmmoProperties | 6 | 70 | — | 350 | ×1.6 | — |
| RevolverRevolverHeld | 9mm Ammo9mmAmmoProperties | 6 | 35 | — | 350 | ×1.6 | — |
One row per weapon object and ammo properties, so a weapon the file lists more than once has more than one row (Crafted Spear, Molotov, Revolver); the small grey names are the game's own object and ammo-properties names. Damage is the ammo's own damage per projectile; the weapon's ammo multiplier is its own column, and the page does not multiply them. Fire rate and reload time are not shown: the files hold no fire rate (every gun's delay field is the same default, 0.2) and reload exists only as the length of an animation clip, so any number here would be a guess.
Other launched objects in the same file
| Weapon | Ammo | Magazine | Damage per shot | Cone | Speed (m/s) | Ammo mult. | Status effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 ArmSeveredArmHeld | ArmSeveredArmAmmoProperties | 1 | 4 | — | 15 | ×1 | — |
| Small RockSmallRockHeld | Small RockVailSmallRockAmmoProperties | 1 | 1 | — | 40 | ×1 | — |
 LegSeveredLegHeld | LegSeveredLegAmmoProperties | 1 | 4 | — | 15 | ×1 | — |
| Small RockSmallRockHeld | Small RockSmallRockAmmoProperties | 1 | 2 | — | 80 | ×1 | — |
 FlareFlareHeld | FlareFlareUnlitProperties | 1 | 0 | — | 30 | ×1 | — |
 Rope GunRopeGunHeld |  Zipline RopeZiplineRopeProperties | 1 | 1 | — | 200 | ×1 | — |
 Golf BallGolfBallHeld | Golf BallGolfBallProperties | 1 | 2 | — | 80 | ×1 | — |
Solafite plating multiplier
Of the 15 items the files let you plate, 9 carry a damage multiplier of ×1.5 (Crafted Club, Firefighter Axe, Putter, Guitar, Katana, Machete, Modern Axe, Pickaxe, Tactical Axe) and 6 carry ×1 (Pistol, Cross, Ancient Armor, Revolver, Rifle, Shotgun), which take the upgrade without a damage multiplier. The files hold the number, not how the game applies it. The wiki's remark that the upgrade is cosmetic on the pistol and revolver fits the ×1.
Melee handling: swing speed, weight, knockdown, dismember
The other numbers of the melee data, for the 15 melee weapons on this page, as the file holds them (its fields SwingSpeed, SwingSpeedTired, Weight, KnockdownCriticalPercent and Dismember). Swing speed is a multiplier; the "when tired" column is the value the file gives for a tired swing. The file states no unit for weight or dismember, so none is added and no meaning is read into them beyond the field names.
| Weapon | Swing speed | When tired | Weight | Knockdown | Dismember |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Katana | ×1 | ×0.6 | 1 | 5 % | 1.2 |
| Chainsaw | ×1 | ×0.4 | 1.2 | 5 % | 1 |
| Modern Axe | ×1 | ×0.66 | 1 | — | 1 |
| Firefighter Axe | ×1 | ×0.62 | 2 | 10 % | 1 |
| Machete | ×1 | ×0.6 | 1 | — | 0.8 |
| Stun Baton | ×1 | ×0.65 | 0.5 | — | 0 |
 Tactical Axe | ×1 | ×0.75 | 0.75 | — | 1 |
| Utility Knife | ×1.5 | ×0.7 | 0.5 | — | 0.5 |
| Crafted Spear | ×1 | ×0.5 | 0.5 | — | 0.25 |
 Crafted Club | ×1 | ×0.65 | 1.4 | 10 % | 0.1 |
 Torch | ×1 | ×0.7 | 0.25 | — | 0 |
 Putter | ×1 | ×0.75 | 0.25 | — | 0 |
 Guitar | ×0.85 | ×0.5 | 1 | 5 % | 0.1 |
| Stick | ×1 | ×0.75 | 0.25 | — | 0 |
 Rock | ×1 | ×0.5 | 1 | 5 % | 0.2 |
Weapon attachments
The game defines 12 attachment assets (6 different items). 4 weapons are named in them: Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, Crossbow. The tables say which weapon an attachment is built for and whether a rail has to be on the gun first. Every pin for an attachment is on the map, Attachments layers.
| Weapon | Attachment | Fitting | On the map |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pistol |  Pistol Rail | fits directly | 3 pins |
| Pistol |  Silencer | fits directly | 2 pins |
| Rifle |  Rifle Rail | fits directly | none |
| Shotgun |  Flashlight Attachment | needs the rail fitted first | 2 pins |
| Shotgun |  Laser Sight | needs the rail fitted first | 1 pin |
| Shotgun |  Shotgun Rail | fits directly | 4 pins |
| Crossbow | Flashlight Attachment | fits directly | 2 pins |
| Crossbow | Laser Sight | fits directly | 1 pin |
Two more assets name no weapon: Flashlight Attachment and Laser Sight that need a rail socket, plus a variant of each that works without one. The game's name for the pistol attachment is Silencer; the map calls its pins Pistol Suppressor. A pin count of none means the map has no pin by that name (the rail may still be a pickup you find in a container).
Scout every weapon's exact spot on the interactive island map, see the full pickup order in the cave-order walkthrough, check the key-item locations, or see every recipe — arrows, bows, spears, bombs — on the crafting page.
