Don't Starve is Klei Entertainment's single player wilderness survival roguelike, where Wilson is dumped into a hand drawn nightmare by the demon Maxwell and told to work it out. You juggle health, hunger and sanity, build a Science Machine, learn which biomes hold reeds and gold, and hope you have a Log Suit before Deerclops arrives in winter. Unlike Don't Starve Together, it runs solo, it has permadeath with no ghost to resurrect you, and it has Adventure Mode, the five chapter gauntlet that eventually unlocks Maxwell as a playable character.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spear | S | Everything from day one until you have a Ham Bat or a Tentacle Spike | 34 damage over 150 uses from two Twigs, one Rope and one Flint. |
| Ham Bat | A | Planned boss fights where you can craft it fresh the same day | One Pig Skin, two Twigs and two Meat for a weapon that starts near 59. |
| Tentacle Spike | A | The best sustained weapon before you have Nightmare Fuel | 51 damage over 100 uses, and it cannot be crafted. |
| Dark Sword | B | Boss fights, provided you have a sanity source such as cooked Green Caps or a Tam o' Shanter | 68 damage over 100 uses from five Nightmare Fuel and one Living Log, at the cost of 20 sanity per minute while it is in your hand. |
| Boomerang | B | Hitting birds, Tallbirds and anything you would rather not stand next to | 27. |
S-Tier: Spear
34 damage over 150 uses from two Twigs, one Rope and one Flint. The weakest dedicated weapon in the base game and also the one you will craft first and most often.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | Everything from day one until you have a Ham Bat or a Tentacle Spike |
| Key Mechanic | Health hunger and sanity |
| Recommended Build | Wilson |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using Spear: Pairs naturally with Wilson thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Ham Bat
One Pig Skin, two Twigs and two Meat for a weapon that starts near 59.5 damage and falls toward 29.75 as it spoils, so it is strongest the day you make it.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Planned boss fights where you can craft it fresh the same day |
| Key Mechanic | Season cycle |
| Recommended Build | Wolfgang |
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 Wolfgang thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Tentacle Spike
51 damage over 100 uses, and it cannot be crafted. It only drops from Tentacles in the Marsh, which is why experienced players farm that biome early.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | The best sustained weapon before you have Nightmare Fuel |
| Key Mechanic | Science and Alchemy tech tiers |
| Recommended Build | Wickerbottom |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Tentacle Spike: Pairs naturally with Wickerbottom thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Dark Sword
68 damage over 100 uses from five Nightmare Fuel and one Living Log, at the cost of 20 sanity per minute while it is in your hand.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Boss fights, provided you have a sanity source such as cooked Green Caps or a Tam o' Shanter |
| Key Mechanic | Crock Pot cooking |
| Recommended Build | Wendy |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Dark Sword: Pairs naturally with Wendy thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Boomerang
27.2 damage over 10 throws from one Boards, one Silk and one Charcoal. It returns to you and hits you if you fail to catch it.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Hitting birds, Tallbirds and anything you would rather not stand next to |
| Key Mechanic | Adventure Mode |
| Recommended Build | Maxwell |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Boomerang: Pairs naturally with Maxwell thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
Equipment Progression Path
The order you should acquire equipment as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear Grasslands
- Ham Bat → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Tentacle Spike → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- Spear → 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.
- Build the Science Machine on the first day from one Gold Nugget, four Logs and four Rocks, because almost every survival craft is locked behind it.
- Check our tier list for how equipment rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More Don't Starve Guides
- Don't Starve Don't Starve Overview
- Don't Starve Best Builds
- Don't Starve Tier List
- Don't Starve Walkthrough
- Don't Starve Beginner's Guide
- Don't Starve Tips & Tricks
- Don't Starve Combat Guide
- Don't Starve Boss Guide
- Don't Starve Maps & Locations
- Don't Starve Crafting Guide
- Don't Starve Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Don't Starve, 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
