Top 18 Best Melee Weapons in Rimworld

Using the right type of weapons in Rimworld can help you defeat powerful enemies quickly. If you use weapons that are weak or are not meant for certain situations, then you’ll only stay at a disadvantage against your enemies. Earlier, we talked about the best weapons in Rimworld. And today, we are going to talk about melee weapons.

Through our Rimworld best melee weapon guide, we are going to help you select weapons that you should be using when you’re extremely close to the enemy. The right melee weapons will help you stay alive when things get up close and personal.

Stats of all the best Melle Weapons:

Beer

The first Rimworld melee weapon that I would like to mention on this list is the Beer. Now, before you say it, I know that Beer is just a consumable item. However, it can be used as a Melee weapon as well. For those who don’t know, Beer’s primary function is to boost the mood of the characters. But if an enemy comes to your face while you have the Beer in your hand, then you can attack them with it.

While the amount of damage it will deal won’t be that much, it will still make a difference. However, do keep in mind that overuse of Beer can lead to alcohol addiction, and instead of boosting the mood of your characters, it will only make things worse. 

Elephant Tusk

The Elephant Tusk is an amazing melee weapon, especially for the early stages of the game. The best part about it is that it is not that difficult to acquire, and it can help you take down the weaker enemies that you’ll most likely face at the start of the playthrough. For an early melee weapon, the weapon can do a good amount of damage with each hit.

However, keep in mind that the Elephant Tusk will fail to perform effectively against enemies who have armor on. The weapon can not be carried over to the later parts of the game as you’ll have much better options available by then.

Club

Another great melee weapon that is ideal for the early stages of Rimworld is the Club. It looks like a baseball bat, but it comes with spikes at the top. If you ever wanted to look like Negan from The Walking Dead in Rimworld, then this is your chance. Just like the Elephant Tusk, this weapon can help you get through the start of the game, and you won’t have to worry about going through a lot of trouble to get it.

The best part is that since it can deal blunt damage, the Club can help you take down enemies with armor as well. This is something amazing for a weapon that can be acquired so early and easily in the game. 

Eltex Staff

Next up on our list is the Eltex Staff. The reason why this weapon is one of the best weapons in Rimworld is that it can greatly benefit those who use Psycasts. It can give a boost to their power and help them perform well in combat. If you have this in your hands, then the staff will boost your Psychic Sensitivity by 42%. Furthermore, it will help you recover fast from heat.

The Eltex Staff can also be used as a melee weapon, as its capable of dealing blunt damage to enemies. However, keep in mind that it won’t deal a lot of damage, so you can’t expect a lot from it in terms of combat. But since the weapon will grant you other benefits, it’s definitely worth it. 

Knife

A simple yet reliable melee weapon, the Knife can deal sharp damage to its enemies. The thing that makes the knife one of the best melee weapons to use in Rimworld is its slow cooldown time, which comes at the cost of low damage output.

Despite this, the weapon is still something that can help you defend your colony from the enemy’s threat when you have no better weapons available.

For the early stages of the game, this weapon is perfect. However, we suggest you make a switch to a better weapon, such as the Longsword (a weapon we’ll talk about later), as soon as you get the chance. This is because the Knife isn’t the type of weapon you can trust against armored enemies. 

Also Check: How To Cure Muscle Parasites in Rimworld  

Warhammer

The Warhammer is the type of melee weapon that you can trust in multiple situations. It might have been given the title of a great weapon, but only if it was a little better. When it comes to combat, the Warhammer can deal massive, blunt damage to all enemies.

In fact, only a few other weapons are capable of dealing this amount of damage. But since the weapon deals blunt damage, you can’t expect it to make the enemies bleed.

However, no matter how tough the enemy’s armor is, the Warhammer can destroy it. Overall, this melee weapon is ideal for multiple situations. The only downside about it is its long cooldown period, but it’s something expected from a weapon of this much power.

Axe

The Axe is yet another melee weapon on our list that can deal sharp damage to its targets. Compared to most of the other melee weapons in the game, the Axe offers better stats. However, there do exist melee weapons that are even better than this one. In any case, this weapon can do a good amount of damage with each hit. You can even use it against armored enemies.

However, keep in mind that its armor penetration level is fairly low, so you shouldn’t expect a lot from it. Overall, the Axe is a decent weapon that can do wonders if in the right hands. 

Jade Knife

The Jade Knife is one of the unique weapons in Rimworld because of how you acquire it. The weapon is better than the regular Knife in every way, but there are better options available. Even though it is a knife, the weapon deals decent blunt damage to its enemies instead of sharp. However, you still can’t expect it to perform effectively against armored enemies. Overall, the Jade Knife is a decent weapon that can deal a good amount of damage to its enemies. 

Bionic Arm

If you’re someone who likes to attack their enemies by landing punches on them, then it will be wise to get the Bionic Arm. This is because with the Bionic Arm equipped, the melee attack you’ll perform with your arm will deal 12 damage instead of 8 that you usually get from a normal arm. The best part is that you get the luxury to place the equipment either on your left or right arm.

Aside from dealing damage to the enemies, the Bionic Arm has some other benefits as well. For instance, it can increase the Manipulation of the characters by 12.5%. And since Crafting and Medicine are the kind of skills that are highly dependent on Manipulation, you should use the arm with characters who are highly skilled at them.

Ikwa

Next up in our Rimworld melee weapon guide is the Ikwa. At first, you’ll think this is a Spear. However, it isn’t. The Ikwa is a smaller version of the Spear; a short spear handle is attached to a pointy blade. But even though the weapon is small and all, it is still capable of dealing a lot of heavy damage to enemies.

The damage it does with each attack is good, and you can trust this weapon in multiple situations. However, keep in mind that while the weapon does heavy damage, it still isn’t effective against armored enemies. Therefore, make sure to use it against regular enemies only. 

Zeushammer 

The Zeushammer is an extremely powerful and rare melee weapon that is perfect for penetrating armor. As it deals blunt damage, the weapon can give a tough time to your armored enemies. Another amazing thing about the Zeushammer is that it can generate an EMP blast upon successfully hitting its target, something that can stun Mechanoids, turrets, and mortars.

The effect will last for around 4.5 seconds, but this will be enough for you to land other attacks on the stunned targets. Overall, this melee weapon can help you against enemies that appear in the late game as well. 

Gladius

The Gladius is the type of melee weapon that you should use against regular enemies and not armored ones. This is because its armor penetration level is close to zero. However, for normal enemies, this weapon can prove to be quite deadly.

It is considered an all-rounder weapon as it does a moderate amount of damage but with a moderate cooldown time. The Gladius is similar to the Axe in many ways, but it does more damage than it does. Overall, the Gladius is a great melee weapon that can perform well in different situations. 

Plasmasword

The Plasmasword is possibly the only melee weapon in Rimworld that can set your enemies on fire. The weapon can deal sharp damage to its targets, and its armor penetration is also decent. This means that it can be used against armored enemies as well, unlike some other melee weapons. In a 1vs1 fight, the Plasmasword can give you a great advantage.

This is because if you land a proper strike on the target, then there is a 50% chance of doing some extra Flame Damage. If that happens, then your enemy will be set on fire, and they will be unable to counter any of your attacks or perform any of their own as well. Overall, the Plasmasword is a great melee weapon that can turn the situation in your favor if you’re lucky enough.

Spear

The Spear is another melee weapon in our best melee weapon guide that is capable of dealing heavy damage to its enemies. This means that even though its attacks are powerful, the cooldown times are high. This does not mean that you should avoid using this weapon, as it has the second-highest base damage among all melee weapons.

In some cases, the Spear performs better than the Gladius as it can deal more damage than it. You can also use the Spear against armored enemies, but you shouldn’t expect it to perform as well as the Blunt weapons. 

Also, Check: Rimworld Hydroponics Layout Guide

Mace

The Mace can deal blunt damage to its enemies, meaning that it can be used against armored targets as well. Unlike some other weapons, the Mace can not cause the enemies to bleed unless you destroy a part of their body with it. Since the weapon can be crafted, you can either use Plasteel or Uranium to make it.

However, the Uranium Mace is the best version of it as it offers the highest amount of damage. Furthermore, it also has a higher armor penetration level. Overall, the Mace is a good melee weapon that you can trust against enemies wearing tough armor. 

Thrumbo Horn

The Thrumbo Horn is yet another melee weapon on our list that can be acquired by butchering a specific animal. For it, you’ll need to kill the Thrumbo, a sacred animal that appears in the game. However, the thing that makes it one of the best weapons to use in Rimworld is that it can deal a good amount of damage and can even work against armored enemies.

During the part of the game when the technology levels are low, the Thrumbo Horn can help you against all sorts of enemies. The best part is that after you’re done with using this weapon, or if you do acquire it while you have some other weapons in your arsenal, you can sell it to Exotic Good Traders for a lot of silver. 

Monosword

The Monosword falls in the category of Ultra melee weapons, something which is enough to portray how powerful this weapon is. If you’re looking for a weapon that can deal a large amount of damage while having short cooldown times, then stop looking further.

This melee weapon is also considered one of the best ones to use against armored enemies among all the melee weapons in the game, and this one offers one of the highest armor penetration values. It can even cause armored enemies to bleed quickly, something that only a few other weapons can do.

Overall, the Monosword is an amazing melee weapon that can perform well in almost any situation and against every enemy. This is the kind of weapon that you should definitely try at least once, as it can even help you in the later stages of the game. 

Longsword

Finally, we have the Longsword. This weapon has the title of best melee because of many reasons. If you craft the Longsword by using Plasteel, then you receive the best version of it. The Plasteel Longsword can do a lot of damage with each attack, and it offers the highest base damage among all melee weapons in the game.

Since it deals sharp damage, the Longsword can also make the enemies bleed. Overall, the Longsword is the best melee weapon in Rimworld. There isn’t any other melee weapon that comes close to it. After you learn how to use it properly, this weapon can help you dominate every single battle. 

This concludes our Rimworld melee weapon guide. Keep in mind that until and unless you properly learn how the melee weapon works, you won’t be able to get the most out of it. Also, if you’re struggling in the game, then you can check out our Rimworld tips.