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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →The katana is the most consistently recommended melee weapon in Sons of the Forest, while the rifle and shotgun are the leading ranged choices. The chainsaw, modern axe, firefighter’s axe and pistol are excellent alternatives. You can start effectively with the Tactical Axe, Crafted Spear, Stun Baton and Crafted Bow, so late-game gear is not required to survive your first days.
Several online guides disagree about the exact locations of the katana, rifle and shotgun. The routes below identify those conflicts instead of presenting one unverified map position as certain. Check the live game before making a long expedition, especially after updates.
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Best weapons at a glance
| Weapon | Best use | Why it stands out | Access notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Katana | Fast melee combat | Frequently ranked the best melee weapon for its speed-to-damage ratio and ability to stagger enemies. | Requires progression through keycards and underground facilities; the exact route differs between guides. |
| Rifle | High-value ranged targets | Ranked the top ranged pick by one tier list. | Guides disagree about which cave contains it; one route requires the Rebreather. |
| Shotgun | Close-range ranged damage | Also ranked a top ranged weapon. | Buried at a northwest grave; you need the shovel. Descriptions of the grave marker differ. |
| Chainsaw | Powerful close-range option | A strong alternative to the katana when you reach the recreational facility. | Requires the shovel and Carl Planter Maintenance Keycard. |
| Modern axe | Reliable general melee | Obtainable on an overland route without the bunker keycard chain. | Found at a camp reached by following the river south, then a trail southwest. |
| Firefighter’s axe | Heavy melee damage | Another late-progression axe option. | Inside the shovel-accessed bunker, beneath the circular dirt area around surveying equipment. |
| Pistol | Early firearm | One of the first firearms you can pursue. | On an orange life raft in the western bay; sharks make the swim dangerous. |
“Best” depends on the fight. The katana is the clearest melee recommendation, but a firearm may be preferable when you need distance. Axes are practical when ammunition is limited, and crafted weapons let you explore safely before the major bunker routes are open.
How to choose a weapon for your stage of the game
Starting days: use what is immediately available
The Tactical Axe is in the emergency pack at the beginning of the game. It gives you a dependable weapon before you have explored any cave. Make a Crafted Spear as soon as you can: the recipe is two sticks, one duct tape and one knife. The spear breaks after enough impacts, so treat it as a replaceable tool rather than a permanent answer to every encounter.
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The Crafted Bow uses two sticks, one rope and one duct tape. It provides a way to attack from range before you obtain a firearm, provided you have arrows available. The Stun Baton is found at a small waterfall near the cave containing the Rope Gun; search the bone pile there. These four options cover melee, reach, ranged attacks and crowd control while you work toward better equipment.
Mid-progression: open routes instead of chasing one item
The shovel is a major progression gate. It is found in the Slingshot Cave, and the route to it requires completing the first three main caves. Once you have it, buried caches and several bunker entrances become available. The Rebreather and Rope Gun are also important for the deeper routes associated with high-tier weapons.
If you want a strong weapon without immediately committing to the most disputed location guides, pursue the modern axe or pistol. The modern axe route is on the surface, while the pistol requires a swim to an offshore raft. Both let you improve your loadout while you gather the equipment needed for the katana, rifle or shotgun.
Late progression: keycard facilities and buried weapons
The katana and chainsaw are tied to facilities that use the Maintenance and Guest Keycards. The shotgun is buried and therefore waits until you have the shovel. The rifle is also reported in a cave connected with late exploration; at least one location description requires the Rebreather. Plan your cave order around these prerequisites rather than traveling to a location with no way to enter it.
Katana: the top melee pick
The katana is the most consistently cited melee winner in the available tier lists. Pindrop’s ranking emphasizes its speed-to-damage ratio and its ability to stagger enemies, and Holy.gg also places it among the strongest melee choices. Those advantages make it attractive when you need to keep attacking while avoiding a long recovery animation.
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What you need before searching
Most reported routes require more than simply walking to a marker:
- Maintenance Keycard (Carl Planter): reported at Digsite A.
- Guest Keycard (Arnold Crand): reported in a clubroom inside a recreational bunker.
- Shovel: needed for the digsite and bunker access; the Slingshot Cave route provides it after the first three main caves are completed.
- Rope Gun and Rebreather: listed by one Residential Bunker route as required equipment.
- VIP Keycard: one account says all three keycards are needed, but that requirement is explicitly unverified.
The in-game names for the two commonly cited cards are “Maintenance Keycard (Carl Planter)” and “Guest Keycard (Arnold Crand).” Carry the cards with you before attempting a bunker run, because a door that accepts one card may still reject you at a later checkpoint.
Why the published routes do not agree
Three different descriptions circulate:
- Use the Carl Planter Maintenance Keycard to obtain the Arnold Crand Guest Keycard in the Recreational Bunker. Then use the Guest Keycard at the Katana facility on the eastern side of the large central lake.
- Enter a well-defended cave on the northern side of the island, just above the lake. This account treats the katana as a deep cave pickup rather than a clearly named apartment room.
- Reach the Residential Bunker on the southeastern side, descend to Level 2 and search the third room. The katana is described as resting on a traditional holder, either in the third apartment or behind a credenza in a bedroom.
The entry instructions conflict as well. One guide says to enter a crack in a rock formation, follow a short cave to an unnatural hole and open a door with the Guest Keycard. A newer description says to use the Rope Gun to descend through a sinkhole into the bunker. These may reflect different entrances, guide revisions or game-build changes; the available summaries do not establish which explanation is current.
A practical katana search plan
- Complete the first three main caves and obtain the shovel in the Slingshot Cave.
- Collect the Maintenance Keycard at Digsite A, then search the recreational bunker for the Guest Keycard in its clubroom.
- Bring the Rope Gun, Rebreather, shovel and both cards. If a door rejects the Maintenance card alone, do not assume the facility is empty; the Guest card or another checkpoint may be required.
- Check the eastern-central-lake facility description first, then compare it with the Residential Bunker route if the layout in your build does not match.
- Inside the reported Residential Bunker, inspect Level 2 and the third room, including the katana holder and the area behind furniture.
Because a Steam commenter reported that the Maintenance card alone failed, treat the two-card plan as the safer preparation. The requirement for the VIP card remains unconfirmed, so do not delay an expedition solely on that claim unless your game displays a locked VIP door.
Rifle: a top ranged weapon with an unresolved location
The rifle is ranked as a top ranged pick, but its location is less settled than its reputation. One guide places it in a Cultist Cave on the eastern side of the island near the bottom of the snowy mountain, at the edge of a large lake. Another says it is in the same cave as the Golden Armor and requires the Rebreather. The available guide summaries do not resolve whether these are two descriptions of one cave or different locations.
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How to prepare for the rifle search
- Carry the Rebreather, because at least one route explicitly requires it.
- Use the eastern side of the island, the snowy mountain’s lower area and the nearby lake as orientation clues rather than treating one exact marker as guaranteed.
- Expect a cave associated by one guide with the Golden Armor; if the entrance or interior does not match your build, do not spend supplies searching every branch indefinitely.
- Keep a dependable melee weapon equipped. The rifle route is described as a deep cave expedition, not a safe roadside pickup.
The rifle’s “top ranged” status comes from a tier-list recommendation, not a published damage test. No named statistics or laboratory comparisons were provided, so the sensible conclusion is that it is a highly rated option, not that a specific damage-per-shot figure has been verified.
Shotgun: the buried northwest-grave route
The shotgun is another top ranged recommendation. Every available description agrees on the broad requirement: you need the shovel, and the weapon is associated with a grave in the northwest. The details differ. One guide says to follow the beeping signal to a soldier’s grave. Another points to a purple GPS Locator marker at a northwest grave and instructs you to dig beneath the wooden cross.
Step-by-step search
- Finish the cave progression needed to obtain the shovel in the Slingshot Cave.
- Travel to the northwest portion of the island with the shovel equipped.
- Look for the grave signal or the purple GPS Locator marker, depending on what your map displays.
- Inspect graves with a wooden cross first; dig the marked grave rather than random ground.
- If no shotgun appears, compare the marker and beeping location. The conflicting descriptions may refer to different grave landmarks or an altered map in your build.
Do not make the northwest trip before obtaining the shovel. Without it, the marker may be visible but the weapon remains inaccessible.
Other strong weapons and their routes
Chainsaw
The chainsaw is reported in a recreational facility on the western side of the island. Reaching it requires the shovel to dig into the facility and the Carl Planter Maintenance Keycard to pass the relevant door. It is a strong alternate for players who want a close-range weapon but cannot yet confirm the katana route in their current build.
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Modern axe
From the starting beach, follow the river south to a pond. From there, take the trail southwest to a camp. This surface route makes the modern axe a useful target while you are still collecting bunker equipment. The description does not state a keycard requirement.
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Firefighter’s axe
The firefighter’s axe is in the bunker opened with the shovel. Search beneath the circular dirt area surrounding the surveying equipment. This is a separate pickup from the modern axe and is tied to the same broad shovel progression, so it is a sensible objective after you have opened the relevant bunker.
Pistol
The pistol is on an orange life raft with a tent floating offshore in the bay on the western side of the island. You must swim out to it, and sharks are the main hazard named in the route. Approach with enough health and a retreat plan; the raft is not a land pickup you can reach by following the shoreline.
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Early-game weapons and exact recipes
| Weapon | How to obtain it | Limit to remember |
|---|---|---|
| Tactical Axe | Take it from the emergency pack at the start. | No special progression required. |
| Crafted Spear | Combine 2 sticks, 1 duct tape and 1 knife. | Breaks after enough impacts. |
| Stun Baton | Loot the bone pile at the small waterfall near the Rope Gun cave. | Requires a short exploration trip rather than crafting. |
| Crafted Bow | Combine 2 sticks, 1 rope and 1 duct tape. | Requires arrows for continued ranged use. |
These weapons are not merely emergency substitutes. They allow you to clear the first caves, gather the shovel route’s prerequisites and defend yourself while preserving scarce ammunition for situations where a firearm is genuinely safer.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A sensible weapon progression
- Secure the starting kit. Take the Tactical Axe and craft the Crafted Spear and Crafted Bow as soon as their materials are available.
- Get control of cave encounters. Search the waterfall bone pile for the Stun Baton and use it alongside your axe or spear.
- Complete the first three main caves. This is the stated prerequisite for reaching the Slingshot Cave and obtaining the shovel.
- Choose a surface upgrade. Visit the modern axe camp or swim for the pistol if you want a stronger weapon before committing to bunker routes.
- Collect keycards. Find the Carl Planter Maintenance Keycard at Digsite A and the Arnold Crand Guest Keycard in the recreational bunker clubroom.
- Open shovel-dependent facilities. Use the shovel for the chainsaw facility, firefighter’s axe bunker and shotgun grave as your map and supplies allow.
- Attempt the katana route. Bring both keycards, the Rope Gun, Rebreather and shovel, and verify which entrance exists in your build.
- Attempt the rifle route. Take the Rebreather and use the eastern snowy-mountain/lake cave clues, checking for the Golden Armor cave description if needed.
How to handle conflicting locations
Location disagreements are unusually important here because a failed trip can consume food, medicine, ammunition and an entire in-game day. The newest guide found for this subject was roughly 79 days old as of October 14, 2026; other guides were one to three years old. The summaries do not establish whether subsequent updates moved weapons, renamed entrances or changed access requirements.
- Record your game version and compare the physical entrance, not just the wording of a guide.
- Prioritize prerequisites over coordinates: a shovel, Rebreather, Rope Gun or keycard can explain why an apparently correct door does not open.
- Use broad landmarks such as the snowy mountain, central lake, western bay and northwest graves, then rely on in-game signals and map markers.
- When two descriptions disagree, test the least expensive route first and leave a marker at every inspected entrance.
- Keep an alternate weapon equipped so an incorrect location does not leave you defenseless.
No published weapon statistics, developer quotations or official location-change notes were included in the available material. The rankings therefore describe guide consensus rather than independently verified damage numbers. Treat every exact room, cave and entrance above as a route to check in the current live build, not as a guarantee.
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Recommended loadouts by objective
Exploring the first caves
Use the Tactical Axe with a Crafted Spear, and add the Stun Baton once you have reached the waterfall. The Crafted Bow gives you a ranged option without waiting for a firearm.
Opening bunkers
Carry a reliable melee weapon, the shovel and the keycards required for the facility. The modern axe is a practical choice if the katana’s entrance is still uncertain.
Hunting a grave or offshore raft
For the shotgun grave, bring the shovel and enough supplies for the northwest journey. For the pistol raft, prepare for a water crossing and shark exposure; do not treat the raft as a risk-free pickup.
Preparing for a deep cave
Take the Rebreather and Rope Gun where the route calls for them, plus a melee backup. This is especially important for the unresolved rifle and katana entrances.
Bottom line
Build toward the katana for melee and the rifle or shotgun for ranged combat, but do not postpone survival while chasing disputed coordinates. The Tactical Axe, Crafted Spear, Stun Baton and Crafted Bow cover the early game; the modern axe and pistol offer practical intermediate upgrades; and the shovel, Rebreather, Rope Gun and keycards unlock the strongest late-game searches. Because the available location reports conflict and vary in age, verify each entrance against your current game build.
Quick Recap
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