Sons of the Forest guides
- Sons of the Forest beginner’s guide covering inventory usage, food and water gathering, first aid kits, printers, and other essential tips
- How to build a shelter and save progress in Sons of the Forest
- Using Kelvin and satellite tools in Sons of the Forest
- Where to find a shovel and how to dig graves in Sons of the Forest, plus diving gear and a rope thrower
- Weapons guide in Sons of the Forest, including crafting a spear, bow, pistol, axe, shocker, shotgun, chainsaw, and katana
Sons of the Forest weapon basics
In the early game, primitive survival tools demand improvisation and smart resource gathering. Players can craft basic arms and upgrade to more powerful gear as they explore the open world. This guide explains how to craft a spear, a club, and a bow, and how to locate firearms and other weapons such as a pistol, shocker, axe, shotgun, and more.
How to make a spear
The spear is typically the first thrown weapon a player can obtain and is among the easiest to assemble. Required items are simple and accessible:
- stick
- Scotch whiskey
- Knife that remains with the player after use
Multiple spears can be crafted at once, which is handy if a thrown spear is not recovered after a skirmish.
How to make a club
Blunt weapons play a solid role in close combat and can be crafted to become dependable companions. To build a club, players need:
- stick
- skull
- rope
Rope frequently appears in storage boxes or native camps around the map, often found in or near tents.
How to craft a homemade bow and arrows
A homemade bow serves well for hunting and defending against threats. The essential resource is rope, which can be found along the explored routes or at various points of interest. A bow requires:
- stick
- Scotch whiskey
- rope
Arrows can be created in the inventory or printed using a 3D printer. In many bunkers and dungeons, consumables, including arrows, are stocked in large quantities.
To craft arrows, players will need:
- stick
- stone
- spring
Feathers stay in abundance, harvested from birds. When a bird sits on the ground, it is possible to ambush with a spear to obtain feathers for arrows.
Where to locate a modern axe
Early on, a basic battle axe may appear, but a more advanced version exists and is worth pursuing. Map screenshots indicate the exact location and highlight the superior statistics of the late-game axe compared to the starting tool.
Where to find a gun
Firearms offer a strong advantage at the start and throughout the game. The location of a pistol or rifle is often marked by a notable map marker. The weapon might be found in a raft that floats in a bay, requiring a swim to reach and caution for dangers along the way. Before diving in, players should be sure to replenish health and have basic medicines on hand. A simple healing mixture can be crafted from dependable ingredients.
Stock up on medical supplies before attempting retrieval, as threats in the water can pose real hazards.
How to find a shocker
The shocker is non-lethal but can immobilize an enemy briefly, buying time in tricky encounters. It is typically obtainable early, but exploring carefully and gathering a gun, medicine, and arrows first is advised. The exact location is depicted in the accompanying visuals.
The gun lies with a corpse hanging from the ceiling at the end of a cave. Cartridges can be found by inspecting all corpses and caches in the surrounding area.
Where to locate a rope thrower
A rope thrower is a special device that shoots a rope to reach previously inaccessible spots. It can be discovered in the cave shown in the map screenshot. This tool is also useful for obtaining the shovel later in the journey.
Where to find a shovel
The shovel is a versatile tool capable of dealing penetrating damage and digging graves, revealing many useful resources and access points that were previously blocked. After obtaining the rope thrower, players can overcome major cave walls and reach new areas, as shown in the dungeon entrance images.
The shovel enables grave digging, a rich source of materials and exploration opportunities beyond the surface world.
Where to find a fire axe
The fire axe stands as a powerful melee option. Access to this item is gated behind a bunker entrance that requires possession of a shovel. A map screenshot helps players locate the precise bunker where the tool awaits inside.
Where to find a shotgun
Finding a shotgun also hinges on having a shovel. Once the indicated area is reached and a grave is opened, a box can be broken open with a melee weapon to reveal a shotgun and a GPS tracker. This weapon is best saved for peak threats since ammunition is limited and not craftable in large quantities.
Where to locate a chainsaw
The chainsaw is an excellent tool for quick firewood collection and serves as a formidable weapon. It resides in an underground bunker that can be accessed on the map. Holding the right mouse button continuously damages enemies, and the chainsaw rests in the remains of a man.
Where to find a katana
The katana appears later in the storyline after retrieving another key card. Players should search all rooms in the bunker because many useful supplies lie around. The katana rests on a stand in one of these rooms, ready to be claimed.
Additional guides
End note: all essential tips and locations presented here expand the frontier of survival and resource management within the game world.