Sons of the Forest BEST Weapons: Ranged & Melee

Wield the best weapons to overpower these Mutants and Cannibals!

By Muhammad Haris Umer

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April 18, 2023

2 minutes read

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Sons Of The Forest has a big catalog of weapons to choose from, and that includes both ranged and melee weapons in the game. However, there are only a few weapons in both categories that get the title of the best weapons. Obtaining some of these weapons can get a bit tricky, but we will guide you through the process.

Key Takeaways

The Best Sons of the Forest Weapons are divided into Melee and Ranged categories.

Best Melee Weapons:

Modern Axe: Effective against enemies and for tree-cutting.
Chainsaw: Ideal for handling groups of enemies.
Katana: Fast for slicing mutants at close range.
Machete: Similar to the katana with added knockback.

Best Ranged Weapons:

Compound Bow: Potentially one-shots most enemies.
Crossbow: Faster but deals less damage than the compound bow.
Pistol: Larger magazine; revolver deals more damage per shot.

In order to obtain some of these best weapons, you’ll need to get your hands on the Shovel and Keycards in the game.

Sons of the Forest Best Weapons And Comparison

As we have already mentioned before, the game features two different types of weapons, including ranged and melee. Additionally, some of these weapons can be crafted, while others are located in the various bunkers and caves scattered around the world of the game.

Our picks for the best weapons in Sons of the Forest, compared to each other in the table below:

Weapons	Best For	Speed	Damage	Range
Modern Axe	Best Damaging Melee Weapon.	Medium	Godly	-
Chainsaw	Best Melee Weapon For Crowd Control.	High	Medium	Medium
Katana	Best Fast Melee Weapon For Close Range Combat.	High	Medium	Short
Machete	Best Agile Melee Weapon With Crowd Control Capabilities.	-	-	-
Compound Bow	Best Ranged Weapon For High Damage And Long Range.	Low-Medium	High	High
Crossbow	Best Versatile Ranged Weapon.	Low	Medium-High	Medium-High
Pistol	Best Fast Ranged Weapon.	Fast	Low-Medium	medium

Best Melee Weapons

Melee weapons are used for close-range combat in the game, where you get face-to-face with the enemies, such as the cannibals, and smash them to their death. The following are the best melee weapons in the game;

Modern Axe
Chainsaw
Katana
Machete

Modern Axe

Most Damaging Melee Weapon.

sons of the forest best weapon — The Modern Axe And Its Location In The Game (Image Captured by Us)

Why I Chose This: The unparalleled strength and utility this weapon provides make it an essential tool for survival.

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The Modern Axe is the strongest version of the axe that you can find in the game, and it doubles down as an extremely powerful melee weapon as well. Not only will this axe deal massive damage to Cannibals, but it is also more useful for cutting down the trees in the game.

However, the only negative thing about the weapon is that it is a bit slow to swing, but it hits hard when you do land a strike with the weapon. As for how to obtain the modern axe, you’ll have to go visit an Abandoned Camp, which has been marked on the map shown in the image above. Once you arrive at that camp, you will find the modern axe placed on a dead body which you can pick up.

Strongest axe version.
Extremely powerful.

Slow to swing.

Chainsaw

Best Melee Weapon For Crowd Control.

Speed	Damage
Medium	Godly

Why I Chose This: The ideal choice for efficiently dispatching groups of enemies.

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The Chainsaw is an extremely powerful melee weapon to take down groups of enemies in the game. You can basically just slash away at a group of cannibals or mutants once you fire up that Chainsaw in Sons Of The Forest.

In order to obtain the weapon, you’ll have to make your way to the location marked on the map. There you will find the entrance to a cave, and inside the cave will be an entire hidden facility. Make your way to the theatre room inside the cave, and there you will find the chainsaw placed on a dead body in Sons Of The Forest.

Highly powerful.
High damage.

Medium speed.

Katana

Best Fast-Paced Melee Weapon For Close Range Combat.

Speed	Damage	Range
High	Medium	Medium

Why I Chose This: The high speed and agility it provides results in the swift elimination of enemies.

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The Katana is a fast and swift weapon to slash down your enemies in the game. You will be able to cut off the limbs of your opponents very easily using the katana. It is basically a fast melee weapon that you can use at close range. The damage might not be on par with something like the modern axe, but it is the speed that matters.

You will have more room to dodge whilst dealing damage to cannibals in the game while using the Katana. When you arrive at the location shown in the image above, you will find an entrance to a cave. Inside the cave, the Katana will be present in one of the rooms where you will be able to pick it up.

High speed.
Effective close-range combat.

Limited damage.

Machete

Most Agile Melee Weapon With Crowd Control Capabilities.

Speed	Damage	Range
High	Medium	Short

Why I Chose This: The knockback effect and high speed it provides on top of the ability to interrupt enemy attacks.

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The Machete is almost similar to the katana except that it deals more knockback to enemies in the game. Basically, you’ll be able to stop the attacks of your enemies and force them back while you deal damage to them. It is also another swift weapon that you can use at close range.

It is additionally very easy to obtain the Machete in Sons Of The Forest. Just make your way to the beach marked in the image above, and the weapon will be present on one of the deflated boats in the area.

High speed.
Good damage output.

Short range.

Best Ranged Weapons

Ranged weapons include guns and bows that you will utilize to take out your enemies from a distance. However, some of the guns will require you to get close and personal, but not as much as the melee weapons. The following are the best-ranged weapons in the game;

Compound Bow
Crossbow
Pistol

You should note that most of the long-range weapons in the game are guns, and the ammunition for guns is quite limited. However, you can make the best use of guns by giving them to Virginia, a companion in Sons Of The Forest who will defend your base using these guns. The trick here is that Virginia doesn’t run out of ammo for these weapons and acts as the best defense for your base when she is equipped with guns in the game.

Compound Bow

Best Ranged Weapon For High Damage And Long Range.

Speed	Damage	Range
Low-Medium	High	High

Why I Chose This: The capability to deliver one-hit kills with headshots and the massive damage it can deal with.

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The Compound Bow is not only the best bow but also an amazing ranged weapon in the game. Its headshot damage is so good that you’ll end up killing most enemies in a single hit if you’re good at landing headshots in Sons Of The Forest. The damage output of this weapon at the range is just outstanding, and you can pick up the arrows from enemies that you kill, so you’ll always have enough ammo.

In order to obtain the weapon, make sure that you have the Shovel with you in the game. With the shovel in your inventory, go to the location marked on the map, and there you will come across an area where the game will allow you to dig. Use the shovel, and you will uncover a bunker entrance. The compound bow will be present inside the bathroom of the bunker in Sons Of The Forest.

High damage output.
Excellent range.

Limited speed of firing.

Crossbow

Most Versatile Ranged Weapon.

Speed	Damage	Range
Low	Medium-High	Medium-High

Why I Chose This: The effectiveness and versatility it provides in different combat scenarios.

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The Crossbow is faster to use than the compound bow and can shoot multiple bolts at once as well. It is also a really good long-range weapon that you can use in the game. The crossbow itself is located in a lab, and the entrance to the lab is connected to a cave.

The entrance to the cave is marked on the map in the image above, and once you enter the lab, you’ll need another important item to proceed. You will need a Maintenance Keycard here in order to unlock the door and the lab. Inside the lab, you will find the crossbow on the ground between dead bodies.

Quicker follow-up shots.
Shooting multiple bolts capability.

Low speed.

Pistol

Most Fast-Ranged Weapon.

item in the game — The Pistol And Its Location In The Game (Image by eXputer)

Speed	Damage	Range	Max. Stack
Fast	Low-Medium	Medium	12

Why I Chose This: The ease of acquisition and the bonus damage it provides on headshots.

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The Pistol is the first long-range gun on our list of the best long-range weapons. Guns have limited ammo, so always use them when absolutely necessary. However, the pistol deals decent damage at medium to long range, and you can deal bonus damage if you land a headshot.

You can also obtain the pistol quite easily. It is located in the ocean, as marked in the image above. In that area, you will find a raft where you’ll get some supplies in addition to the Pistol itself. Additionally, you can upgrade the pistol with attachments found in Sons Of The Forest as well.

Quick aiming and firing.
Bonus damage with headshots.

Limited ammo capacity.

This concludes our guide on the Best Weapons in Sons Of The Forest. We have entailed not only the best-ranged weapons but also the best melee weapons in the game additionally. The locations of all of these weapons have also been explained in complete detail. We have also clarified the best weapons in the early game as well as the late game. We hope that the guide was helpful in getting overpowered. Let us know what you think about Sons Of The Forest in the comments below!

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