Icarus is a session-based survival game from RocketWerkz (DayZ creator Dean Hall) where players drop from an orbital station onto a terraformed alien planet for timed prospect missions. Each drop is a race against the clock — gather resources, complete objectives, and return to your dropship before the timer expires or lose your character permanently. Between drops, you spend earned currency on Workshop gear that persists across missions. The Open World maps added permanent bases, and the game has evolved significantly since launch with biome additions and talent rework.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hunting Rifle | S | Hunter Build and Solo Build — reliable ranged damage for wildlife and hostile fauna | The first firearm you can craft, requiring iron ingots and a Machining Bench. |
| Compound Bow | A | Solo Build for quiet hunting, Hunter Build as a secondary weapon | Craftable at Tier 2, the Compound Bow is silent (doesn't alert nearby wildlife) and uses craftable arrows. |
| Recurve Bow | A | All builds in the first 30 minutes of any prospect | The starting ranged weapon available at Tier 1, using basic wood and leather. |
| Bolt Action Rifle | B | Hunter Build — top-tier damage for dangerous prospect targets | The strongest craftable firearm, requiring platinum ingots and advanced components. |
| Spear | B | Emergency melee in the first 10 minutes, before crafting a bow | The earliest melee weapon, crafted from sticks and stone. |
S-Tier: Hunting Rifle
The first firearm you can craft, requiring iron ingots and a Machining Bench. It uses Rifle Rounds and deals solid damage with a slow fire rate. Headshots on bears and wolves are one-shot kills with proper talent investment. The Workshop version comes with better stats and a scope mount.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | Hunter Build and Solo Build — reliable ranged damage for wildlife and hostile fauna |
| Key Mechanic | prospect missions |
| Recommended Build | Solo Build |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using Hunting Rifle: Pairs naturally with Solo Build thanks to stat scaling synergies.
A-Tier: Compound Bow
Craftable at Tier 2, the Compound Bow is silent (doesn't alert nearby wildlife) and uses craftable arrows. Bone arrows deal more damage than stone, and carbon arrows are the best craftable option. The bow's silence makes it superior to rifles for stealth hunting near predator-dense areas.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Solo Build for quiet hunting, Hunter Build as a secondary weapon |
| Key Mechanic | orbital station |
| Recommended Build | Construction Spec |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Compound Bow: Pairs naturally with Construction Spec thanks to stat scaling synergies.
A-Tier: Recurve Bow
The starting ranged weapon available at Tier 1, using basic wood and leather. Damage is modest but sufficient for wolves and deer. It serves as your primary weapon until you can craft a Hunting Rifle or Compound Bow. Keep a stack of bone arrows for better damage early.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | All builds in the first 30 minutes of any prospect |
| Key Mechanic | talent trees |
| Recommended Build | Hunter Build |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Recurve Bow: Pairs naturally with Hunter Build thanks to stat scaling synergies.
B-Tier: Bolt Action Rifle
The strongest craftable firearm, requiring platinum ingots and advanced components. Higher damage per shot than the Hunting Rifle with better accuracy at range. Workshop Bolt Action Rifles with scoped attachments are the best weapons in the game for prospect missions requiring exotic creature kills.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Hunter Build — top-tier damage for dangerous prospect targets |
| Key Mechanic | weather survival |
| Recommended Build | Agriculture Build |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Bolt Action Rifle: Pairs naturally with Agriculture Build thanks to stat scaling synergies.
B-Tier: Spear
The earliest melee weapon, crafted from sticks and stone. While underpowered compared to ranged options, spears work for emergency self-defense against wolves when caught without a bow. Thrown spears deal moderate damage but are lost on miss. Mostly obsolete after Tier 2.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Emergency melee in the first 10 minutes, before crafting a bow |
| Key Mechanic | resource extraction |
| Recommended Build | Combat Medic |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Spear: Pairs naturally with Combat Medic thanks to stat scaling synergies.
Equipment Progression Path
The order you should acquire equipment as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear Forest Biome
- Compound Bow → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Recurve Bow → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- Hunting Rifle → 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.
- Always bring Oxite on your first drop into Arctic prospects — without it, you can freeze to death before building any shelter. Oxite provides 10 minutes of cold resistance when consumed.
- Check our tier list for how equipment rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More Icarus Guides
- Icarus Icarus Overview
- Icarus Best Builds
- Icarus Tier List
- Icarus Walkthrough
- Icarus Beginner's Guide
- Icarus Tips & Tricks
- Icarus Combat Guide
- Icarus Boss Guide
- Icarus Maps & Locations
- Icarus Crafting Guide
- Icarus Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Icarus, 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
