Smalland is a survival crafting game where you play as a tiny creature (about 2cm tall) in a massive backyard ecosystem. Everyday objects like garden tools, flower pots, and rocks become towering landmarks, while insects ranging from friendly ladybugs to hostile spiders become the wildlife you hunt, tame, and ride. The vertical traversal system using ropes and tamed flying insects adds a dimension most survival games lack. Building bases in elevated locations like on mushroom caps or inside hollowed logs protects against ground-level threats and flooding rain.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stinger Sword | S | Mounted Warrior | Crafted from wasp stingers, this is the best one-handed melee weapon with 65 damage per swing and a poison effect that deals 20 DPS for 5 seconds. |
| Chitin Bow | A | Archer Scout | Ranged weapon crafted from beetle chitin with 45 damage per arrow. |
| Ant Mandible Axe | A | Gatherer Crafter, Base Architect | Dual-purpose tool and weapon crafted from ant mandibles. |
| Pebble Sling | B | Explorer, Archer Scout (early game) | Simple ranged weapon using pebbles as ammunition. |
| Spider Fang Dagger | B | Explorer, Mounted Warrior (dismounted) | Fast melee weapon with 35 damage per stab and very fast attack speed (3 hits per second = 105 DPS). |
S-Tier: Stinger Sword
Crafted from wasp stingers, this is the best one-handed melee weapon with 65 damage per swing and a poison effect that deals 20 DPS for 5 seconds. Requires killing wasps for stinger drops — a dangerous but worthwhile farm.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | Mounted Warrior |
| Key Mechanic | insect taming |
| Recommended Build | Mounted Warrior |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using Stinger Sword: Pairs naturally with Mounted Warrior thanks to stat scaling synergies.
A-Tier: Chitin Bow
Ranged weapon crafted from beetle chitin with 45 damage per arrow. Effective range of 30m (at tiny scale, that's significant). Different arrow types: stone (basic), chitin (armor piercing), poison (DoT). Requires a steady arrow supply.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Archer Scout |
| Key Mechanic | vertical traversal |
| Recommended Build | Archer Scout |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Chitin Bow: Pairs naturally with Archer Scout thanks to stat scaling synergies.
A-Tier: Ant Mandible Axe
Dual-purpose tool and weapon crafted from ant mandibles. Chops wood 40% faster than stone tools and deals 40 damage in combat. The first upgrade everyone should craft since it accelerates resource gathering significantly.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Gatherer Crafter, Base Architect |
| Key Mechanic | resource scaling |
| Recommended Build | Base Architect |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Ant Mandible Axe: Pairs naturally with Base Architect thanks to stat scaling synergies.
B-Tier: Pebble Sling
Simple ranged weapon using pebbles as ammunition. Low damage (25 per hit) but unlimited ammo since pebbles are everywhere. Good for pulling single enemies from groups at range. No crafting cost for ammo.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Explorer, Archer Scout (early game) |
| Key Mechanic | base building |
| Recommended Build | Gatherer Crafter |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Pebble Sling: Pairs naturally with Gatherer Crafter thanks to stat scaling synergies.
B-Tier: Spider Fang Dagger
Fast melee weapon with 35 damage per stab and very fast attack speed (3 hits per second = 105 DPS). Poison effect from the spider fang adds 15 DPS for 8 seconds. Best sustained DPS melee weapon for players who prefer speed over power.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Explorer, Mounted Warrior (dismounted) |
| Key Mechanic | weather system |
| Recommended Build | Explorer |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Spider Fang Dagger: Pairs naturally with Explorer thanks to stat scaling synergies.
Equipment Progression Path
The order you should acquire equipment as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear The Garden
- Chitin Bow → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Ant Mandible Axe → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- Stinger 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.
- Tame a grasshopper before exploring beyond The Garden — its jump ability lets you escape any ground-level threat by leaping to elevation.
- Check our tier list for how equipment rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More Smalland: Survive the Wilds Guides
- Smalland: Survive the Wilds Smalland: Survive the Wilds Overview
- Smalland: Survive the Wilds Best Builds
- Smalland: Survive the Wilds Tier List
- Smalland: Survive the Wilds Walkthrough
- Smalland: Survive the Wilds Beginner's Guide
- Smalland: Survive the Wilds Tips & Tricks
- Smalland: Survive the Wilds Combat Guide
- Smalland: Survive the Wilds Boss Guide
- Smalland: Survive the Wilds Maps & Locations
- Smalland: Survive the Wilds Crafting Guide
- Smalland: Survive the Wilds Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Smalland: Survive the Wilds, 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
