Best Weapons To Use Against Mutants

Out of all the enemies in Sons of the Forest, the various types of Mutants are by far the most deadly and volatile. Mutants — separate from Cannibals — have 11 distinctive variants; Armsy, Creepy Virginia, Demons, Fingers, Holey, Legsy, Mutant Babies, Blind Mutants, Sluggy, Twin Mutants, and Caterpillars. Each Mutant has its own unique characteristics and weaknesses, so some weapons will be stronger against certain Mutants depending on their anatomy, their behavior, and the nature of their attack and defense styles.

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Sons Of The Forest: Best Weapons (And Where To Find Them)

Endnight Games’ Sons of the Forest is a game where survival is never guaranteed. What are the best weapons in the game?

In Sons of the Forest, Mutants are more intelligent and more lethal than Cannibals. Once the players have survived a set number of days and proven their mettle, Mutants can begin spawning above ground. Mutants are extremely violent and will even attack groups of Cannibals unprovoked. Especially when exploring cave systems, players will need to arm themselves with high-power weapons to take out the Mutants and avoid a Wrong Turn-esque scenario. Mutants have adapted to their environment to use echolocation and a heightened sense of smell to track their prey. They will attack on sight if they find unwelcome visitors on their island. Here are some of the best weapons to use against Mutants in Sons of the Forest to fend off the deadly species.

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Flaming Arrows

These Projectiles Stun Mutants And Inflict Burning Damage

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Flaming Arrows can be fired from either a Crafted Bow or a Modern Bow. In order to light an Arrow, the player can use a lighter or a pre-lit fire, and once the Flaming Arrow makes contact with an enemy, it will set them on fire to inflict burning damage. While an enemy burns, they will pause their advance to flail about for a few seconds, giving the player a window of opportunity to close in and finish them off.

This is particularly effective against Fingers and Caterpillar Mutants, since Fingers can be stunned to close in on them with powerful melee attacks and Caterpillars are quick on their feet, so a hit from a Molotov will slow them down considerably.

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Shotgun

A Particularly Effective Close-Range Weapon With Buckshot

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For a close-range weapon that packs a punch, the Shotgun is a go-to as far as firearms. Other weapons like Bows and Explosives are worth keeping on deck to wipe out a larger variety of Mutants, but it’s hard to go wrong with a Shotgun. Especially when using buckshot ammo, the Shotgun blast can deal significant damage.

Groups of Mutants are also no match for the Shotgun as the widespread spray of pellets can take on a bunch of them at once. Buckshot, the most powerful non-explosive ammo in Sons of the Forest, can kill Fingers, Twins, or Blue Puffys in just three shots maximum. The Shotgun can be found in a marked grave in the north peninsula of the map; you will need a GPS tracker and a shovel to retrieve it.

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Explosives

Detonate To Inflict Regular And Burning Damage Simultaneously

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Explosives in Sons of the Forest range from Molotovs and Grenades to Sticky and Time Bombs. Pretty much any kind of explosive will deal a respectable amount of damage to any Mutant, but explosives are perfect for wiping out Fingers, Twins, Caterpillars, Sluggys, and Jianyu Zhang — the game’s final boss.

As for finding or crafting them, it isn’t as difficult as it may seem. Grenades are found in cases throughout the map or cave floors and Molotovs can be crafted with a bottle of alcohol and a cloth, but Sticky Bombs are a little trickier. They require a C4 Brick, a Watch, a Circuit Board, Coins, Duct Tape, and Wire.

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Traps

Incapacitate Or Kill Mutants Instantly Depending On Their Purpose

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Due to their unique anatomy, Armsy and Legsy Mutants have a few natural advantages that can get overwhelming quickly. Armsy moves with surprising speed and charges headfirst at the player to attack, whereas Legsy uses jump attacks. Legsy also hangs from the ceiling inside caves in the hopes of ambushing the player.

Both of them are weak against explosives, but another surefire way to take them out requires crafting the game’s many traps. Sons of the Forest has many inventive traps. Some of the best are the Hokey Pokey Trap, the Molotov Tripwire, the Explosive Tripwire, the Spring Trap, and the Silent Alarm. These Traps in particular will alert the player to enemy presence, catapult enemies into the sky, or set them ablaze — among other things.

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Crossbow

One Of The Best Long-Range Weapons Against Slow Mutants

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Perhaps one of the best long-range weapons, the Crossbow can catch Mutants off guard from a safe distance. Obtaining the Crossbow is a complicated task, but it’s worth the investment, particularly against mutants who are on the slow side. Rather than risking injury or death with a close encounter, it’s easier to fire off a few darts to land some shots without diving headfirst into danger.

Crossbows are a necessity against Puffys, which have no sense of sight and therefore rely on other senses to detect players. Since they won’t detect anyone up close, they’re easy to snipe at long range. Virginia’s parents, Edward and Barbara, appear as mid-game bosses, and they can also be downed with a Crossbow.

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The Cross

Burns Demons And Saves Ammo In Later Segments Of The Game

When players are navigating the final cave, which is chock-full of Demons, it’s worth having a Cross handy so as not to waste ammo unnecessarily. Crosses burn Demons, but they will not have any effect on Cannibals. Virginia may become uncomfortable if the player uses a Cross, which can also scare cave dwellers provided that they aren’t already hostile. It is possible to upgrade the Cross with six Solafite, giving it a minimal damage increase. Solafite can be mined with either the Pickaxe or Solafite Generator and the material is used to upgrade several weapons, not just the Cross.

Solafite upgrades the Axes, Katana, Pistol, Revolver, Shotgun, and more. Demons won’t appear until late in the game, so there’s no need to go rushing to find a Cross immediately. However, once the player finds themselves exploring more caves, it’s worth bearing in mind that the Cross can spare a lot of ammo.

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Sons of the Forest

Systems

Released

February 23, 2023

Developer(s)

Endnight Games

Publisher(s)

Newnight

OpenCritic Rating

Strong