Grounded is Obsidian Entertainment's survival game where you've been shrunk to the size of an ant and must survive in a suburban backyard. Every blade of grass is a towering tree, every puddle is a lake, and insects range from helpful ladybugs to terrifying wolf spiders. The game blends base building, crafting, and Soulslike boss fights against massive bugs. With full co-op support for up to 4 players, Grounded transforms the mundane backyard into one of the most creative survival settings in gaming. The 1.0 release added a complete story with multiple endings.
Combat in Grounded rewards knowledge over reflexes. Understanding how each mechanic works — and how they interact — is what turns a struggling player into a dominant one. New here? Start with our beginner's guide for the basics.
Core Combat Mechanics
1. base building
Building in Grounded uses grass planks, weed stems, and various insect parts as materials. Structures snap together on a grid and must account for ant raids — ants will attack your base if you store food in it. Walls made from Mushroom Brick and Ash Cement resist insect attacks better than grass walls. Ziplines between bases and key locations dramatically speed up traversal.
Why it matters: This is the foundation of all combat. Everything else builds on this.
2. insect combat
Combat uses stamina-based melee (1H, 2H weapons) and ranged attacks (bows, crossbows). Each insect has specific attack patterns — wolf spiders lunge and spin, bombardier beetles spray acid, and stinkbugs release gas clouds. Perfect blocking (timing your block at the moment of impact) staggers enemies and opens counterattack windows. Elemental damage types (spicy, salty, sour, fresh) are effective against specific insect families.
Why it matters: The most underrated mechanic. Players who master this early have a massive advantage.
3. crafting tiers
Crafting progresses through tiers gated by Analyzer discoveries — scanning new materials at a Field Station unlocks recipes. Tier 1 uses basic materials (pebblets, plant fiber), Tier 2 requires insect parts (ant mandibles, spider fangs), and Tier 3 needs boss drops and rare materials. The Smithing Station handles weapon/armor upgrades while the Workbench handles tool crafting.
Why it matters: Unlocks a new layer of gameplay depth once understood.
4. exploration milestones
The yard is divided into distinct biomes with increasing difficulty — from the safe Grasslands to the deadly Upper Yard. BURG.L quests guide you to new areas and reward Raw Science for purchasing upgrades. Finding and powering up labs (Haze Lab, Pond Lab, etc.) reveals story content and unlocks crucial crafting recipes. SCA.B flavor text schematics are hidden throughout the map.
Why it matters: The tactical edge that separates average players from advanced ones.
5. co-op teamwork
Up to 4 players can join in shared or split-screen co-op. Enemies scale health based on player count, but coordinated teams can stagger-lock bosses with perfect blocks. Shared bases mean everyone contributes resources, and different build specializations (tank, archer, assassin) complement each other in boss fights. Reviving downed teammates requires standing near them for several seconds.
Why it matters: The endgame optimization mechanic. Small improvements here compound into massive gains.
Mechanic Synergies
Understanding how mechanics interact is where real optimization happens:
base building + insect combat
Building in Grounded uses grass planks, weed stems, and various insect parts as materials. When combined with insect combat, combat uses stamina-based melee (1h, 2h weapons) and ranged attacks (bows, crossbows). This combination is the core of every effective build.
crafting tiers + exploration milestones
Crafting progresses through tiers gated by Analyzer discoveries — scanning new materials at a Field Station unlocks recipes. Paired with exploration milestones, the yard is divided into distinct biomes with increasing difficulty — from the safe grasslands to the deadly upper yard. This is why the tier list favors builds that leverage both.
co-op teamwork as a Multiplier
Up to 4 players can join in shared or split-screen co-op. Enemies scale health based on player count, but coordinated teams can stagger-lock bosses with perfect blocks. Shared bases mean everyone contributes resources, and different build specializations (tank, archer, assassin) complement each other in boss fights. Reviving downed teammates requires standing near them for several seconds. This system amplifies everything else — the better your co-op teamwork optimization, the more your other mechanics pay off.
Combat by Build
Each build approaches combat differently:
Tank Build (S-Tier)
Combat approach: Face-tank enemies with perfect blocks, draw aggro in co-op, heal through sustained damage. Key equipment: Mint Mace Primary mechanic: base building
The Tank uses heavy armor (Ladybug Armor set for +block strength and HP regen) with a 1H weapon and shield. Full setup in our builds guide.
Archer Build (A-Tier)
Combat approach: Stay at range, pelt enemies with elemental arrows while teammates hold aggro. Key equipment: Black Ant Sword Primary mechanic: insect combat
Ranged builds use the Crow Crossbow or Insect Bow with elemental arrows for safe damage at distance. Full setup in our builds guide.
Assassin Build (A-Tier)
Combat approach: Sneak behind enemies, land backstab criticals, dodge attacks with stamina management. Key equipment: Crow Crossbow Primary mechanic: crafting tiers
Assassin builds use fast daggers (Widow Dagger, Tick Macuahuitl) with the Assassin armor set for backstab damage bonuses. Full setup in our builds guide.
Healer Build (B-Tier)
Combat approach: Distribute healing smoothies, stay near teammates for Mom Gene healing aura, light DPS between heals. Key equipment: Widow Dagger Primary mechanic: exploration milestones
Healer builds focus on the Bard mutation and healing smoothies to support the team. Full setup in our builds guide.
General Build (A-Tier)
Combat approach: Adapt to situations with blocking, dodging, and switching between melee and ranged as needed. Key equipment: Coaltana Primary mechanic: co-op teamwork
The jack-of-all-trades build uses medium armor (Ant Armor for hauling bonus or Acorn Armor for balanced defense) with a versatile 1H weapon. Full setup in our builds guide.
Advanced Combat Techniques
Damage Optimization
- Match your equipment to your build's stat priorities
- Exploit base building for maximum damage windows
- Chain insect combat and crafting tiers for combo damage
- Use exploration milestones to create openings
Survivability
- Learn enemy patterns before committing to attacks
- Analyze everything at Field Stations — scanning new materials unlocks crafting recipes. Carry one of every new material you find and scan it immediately for recipe discoveries.
- Position using base building to control spacing
- Save defensive options for guaranteed survival, not comfort
Boss Combat
Bosses test your understanding of every mechanic. See our boss guide for fight-specific strategies.
- Phase awareness — Most bosses change behavior at health thresholds
- Patience over aggression — One extra hit per opening beats dying to greed
- Build preparation — Swap gear and equipment for specific fights when needed
Common Combat Mistakes
- Button mashing — Committed attacks have recovery frames. Mashing locks you into animations.
- Ignoring insect combat — This mechanic exists for a reason. Players who use it take significantly less damage.
- Wrong equipment for the situation — Check our weapons guide for situational picks.
- Not learning from deaths — Every death teaches something. If you don't know why you died, you'll die the same way again.
- Overcommitting — Trading hits works in Mystery Machine but will get you killed in Upper Yard.
More Grounded Guides
- Grounded Grounded Overview
- Grounded Best Builds
- Grounded Tier List
- Grounded Walkthrough
- Grounded Beginner's Guide
- Grounded Tips & Tricks
- Grounded Weapons Guide
- Grounded Boss Guide
- Grounded Maps & Locations
- Grounded Crafting Guide
- Grounded Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Grounded, check out these related guides:
- Palworld Combat Guide — survival game with similar mechanics
- Rust Combat Guide — survival game with similar mechanics
- ARK: Survival Evolved Combat Guide — survival game with similar mechanics
