Don't Starve Together is Klei Entertainment's multiplayer survival game with a distinctive Tim Burton-esque art style where you're trapped in a mysterious wilderness called the Constant. Managing hunger, sanity, and health while surviving through seasons, crafting tools, and fighting bosses creates a uniquely punishing experience. The game features 40+ playable characters each with unique abilities, a deep crafting system with hundreds of recipes, and seasonal bosses that can destroy your entire base.
Your choice of equipment defines your damage output and playstyle. This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.
Equipment Rankings
| Equipment | Tier | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Sword | S | Wigfrid, Wolfgang — boss killing | The highest-damage melee weapon (68 damage) crafted from Nightmare Fuel and Living Logs at the Shadow Manipulator. |
| Ham Bat | A | All characters — mid-game weapon | A Pig Skin + Meat weapon that starts at 59. |
| Weather Pain | A | Ranged fighters, kiting builds | A ranged weapon that fires tornadoes dealing 33 damage each. |
| Thulecite Club | B | Ruins explorers, group play | A powerful melee weapon (59. |
| Morning Star | B | Spring season combat, Wigfrid | An Electric weapon dealing 72 damage in rain (46 when dry). |
S-Tier: Dark Sword
The highest-damage melee weapon (68 damage) crafted from Nightmare Fuel and Living Logs at the Shadow Manipulator. Drains 20 sanity per minute while equipped. The DPS king for boss fights — equip it when fighting, switch off when not.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | Wigfrid, Wolfgang — boss killing |
| Key Mechanic | sanity system |
| Recommended Build | Wilson |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using Dark Sword: Pairs naturally with Wilson thanks to stat scaling synergies.
A-Tier: Ham Bat
A Pig Skin + Meat weapon that starts at 59.5 damage and decreases as it spoils over 10 days. Never drops below 29.75 damage. Cheap to craft and does excellent damage fresh. The best mid-game melee weapon.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | All characters — mid-game weapon |
| Key Mechanic | seasonal boss fights |
| Recommended Build | Wigfrid |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Ham Bat: Pairs naturally with Wigfrid thanks to stat scaling synergies.
A-Tier: Weather Pain
A ranged weapon that fires tornadoes dealing 33 damage each. Tornadoes bounce between enemies for AoE clearing. Crafted from Goose/Moose Feather and found components. Excellent for kiting bosses while dealing damage.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Ranged fighters, kiting builds |
| Key Mechanic | character switching |
| Recommended Build | WX-78 |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Weather Pain: Pairs naturally with WX-78 thanks to stat scaling synergies.
B-Tier: Thulecite Club
A powerful melee weapon (59.5 damage) that also spawns protective Shadow Tentacles when used. Found in Ancient Ruins chests or crafted with Thulecite. The tentacles deal extra damage and draw aggro.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Ruins explorers, group play |
| Key Mechanic | base building |
| Recommended Build | Wortox |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Thulecite Club: Pairs naturally with Wortox thanks to stat scaling synergies.
B-Tier: Morning Star
An Electric weapon dealing 72 damage in rain (46 when dry). Crafted from Volt Goat Horn. The highest damage weapon during wet conditions but loses potency when dry. Excellent for Spring when rain is constant.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Spring season combat, Wigfrid |
| Key Mechanic | crafting stations |
| Recommended Build | Wolfgang |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Morning Star: Pairs naturally with Wolfgang thanks to stat scaling synergies.
Equipment Progression Path
The order you should acquire equipment as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear Constant
- Ham Bat → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Weather Pain → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- Dark Sword → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
- Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous
Equipment Tips
- Always upgrade your primary equipment before diversifying — one strong option beats three mediocre ones.
- Match your equipment to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
- Pick a character that matches your playstyle — Wigfrid for combat, WX-78 for power gaming, Wortox for healing, Wolfgang for DPS. Character choice matters more than gear.
- Check our tier list for how equipment rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More Don't Starve Together Guides
- Don't Starve Together Don't Starve Together Overview
- Don't Starve Together Best Builds
- Don't Starve Together Tier List
- Don't Starve Together Walkthrough
- Don't Starve Together Beginner's Guide
- Don't Starve Together Tips & Tricks
- Don't Starve Together Combat Guide
- Don't Starve Together Boss Guide
- Don't Starve Together Maps & Locations
- Don't Starve Together Crafting Guide
- Don't Starve Together Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Don't Starve Together, check out these related guides:
- Palworld Weapons Guide — survival game with similar mechanics
- Rust Weapons Guide — survival game with similar mechanics
- ARK: Survival Evolved Weapons Guide — survival game with similar mechanics
