Guides/Making Bigger and Better Weapons
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This article may contain instructional language and subjective recommendations. Readers should read the content carefully, and follow accordingly. |
Combat is one of the main features in Don't Starve, and often killing enemies is the way to advance progress in your world; and a Spear and a Grass Suit isn't really good enough when planning to survive in the long run.
This guide will focus on how to obtain Bigger and Better Weapons in the fastest and most efficient method.
Spear
Making a Spear is essential in the early game, and if you're good enough, you won't be needing to craft more than one in the entire game if you manage to get enough resources for better alternatives.
How do I get it 
You are just going to need a Science Machine (where in situations of exploration you can destroy just after crafting the Spear, along with a Backpack and other equipables). The materials needed to build a Spear are very common (x2 
, x1 
, x1 
), and can be crafted in emergency situations on the go, when no other option is available.
Best situations to use it 
- During the early days.
- If no other option is available.
Advantages
Generally, a simple Axe isn't really enough to kill the occasional Spider or Hound threat, while the Spear has the advantages of being available for use early on, and having a higher damage output than common tools.
The materials needed to build a Spear are very common, and can be crafted in emergency situations, when no other option is available.
It can be used as a ranged weapon in 
with the Spear Gun 
to deal a decent amount of damage per second, provided you're quick and swift enough to recharge it every time.
It is a particularly versatile weapon in , as it can be converted into a Poison Spear 
or to an Obsidian Spear 
to increase the damage output by a little bit, and gain different effects and drops from each one.
Disadvantages
Unfortunately, Spears don't usually deal enough damage to take care of many bosses, and you are often required to obtain better weapons, especially against tanky bosses, such as the Dragonfly in 
or the Toadstool .
Against bosses whose main perk is to drain your character's sanity, such as more commonly the Deerclops, the Spear is an inefficient weapon and you are inevitably going to get insane in most of the cases, especially if sanity sources are scarce.
Tentacle Spike
While a Spear can be useful during the early phases of the game, after a while you are going to need an upgrade, especially by the end of Autumn.
How do I get it
Getting a Tentacle Spike can be really difficult to obtain, as you need to kill a Tentacle, which can easily lead to death to unexperienced players. The worst part is that the odds of getting one is one in two cases, and thus, meaning that you are going to lose precious time and health, if you get hit by the Tentacle.
Getting someone to help can prove useful, the helpers being Pigs, Abigail, or Merms encountered along the way matters not; as they can tank all the damage a Tentacle deals, while kiting with ideal timing.
Best situations to use it
- Anytime you get one, as it's always a better alternative than tools and most starting weapons.
- Against weaker bosses.
Advantages
It is an incredibly strong weapon during the early game, and it can take out weaker bosses with ease.
It is easily renewable if you happen to be more experienced.
Disadvantages
Not lasting so long as other weapons, it's better not to rely on this weapon alone when going to defeat tanky bosses, or when going for a long journey. Because of this, it's recommended to bring more than one, or save it as the ace in the hole for stronger foes; although this can take out precious inventory slots out of your reach.
Morning Star
Being a particularly efficient and strong weapon in the Caves and in other wet environments (during Spring, or in via Seaworthy), the Morning Star can prove useful also during the night, as it emits light.
How do I get it
The materials needed to get a Morning Star are moderately rare, and can be difficult to produce en masse. The fastest way to do it is to kill all Volt Goats (except one!) once they have reproduced, and if you're lucky, if you are going to get a bunch of Volt Goat Horns 
, although it is a very rare occurance to get a horn from each one of them.
- Note that, if you already possess a Morning Star, killing the goats with it can let you get Electric Milk each time you start a slaughter. Yum!
Other materials, while being more easy to get access to, are somewhat renewable (x2 
, x2 
), so take care not to craft too many of them and not to go short of Rocks, Gold, and Nitre.
Best situations to use it
- Against wet targets.
- To kill Volt Goats and get Electric Milk.
- During the night and when no other light source is available.
Advantages
While not the best weapon on its own, the Morning Star is best used when stroke on wet targets, especially against those which are perpetually (such as Depth Worms).
It gives off a bright light when is held by the character, which can be useful when night has fallen, or in the Caves when the water drips through the ground while it's raining in the surface, making it probably one of the best weapons to choose when venturing the depths, and if one is prepared enough, beat the Toadstool .
Its durability is consumed while you hold it, rather than when you use it to zap your enemies. Be warned, though, contrarily to popular belief, it cannot be recharged in any way!
Disadvantages
The Morning Star really isn't an efficient weapon when it comes to durability in long fights, in special way when it's unnecessary. Being a situational weapon, most times there are better alternatives, such as the Ham Bat.
Ham Bat
Probably being the most versatile weapon in the game, the Ham Bat is the favorite weapon of most Don't Starve players and veterans.
How do I get it
The Ham Bat can be quickly obtained by killing a Werepig, as it drops all the materials needed to craft it (x2 
, x1 
), minus x1 , which can be found basically anywhere in the world.
- To trigger a Pig transformation, you want to give them two monstruous meals, the most easy to come by being two Monster Meats.
Best situations to use it
- During Winter, as it lasts 2.5 more days.
- When inventory slots are required.
- When fresher than 50%.
Advantages
The Ham Bat is one of the strongest weapon in the game, and its durability is basically infinite, not until it completely spoils to Rot. Because of this, it makes for a good choice when fighting against bosses which are resilient, killing consecutive enemies, or when setting off for a long journey.
Disadvantages
This weapon gets weaker as it slowly spoils (except in 
, where it does not get weaker), and after around 8 days, it's better to craft a new one or pick another alternative, since it becomes weaker than a Spear.
The worst time to craft it is when the world temperature rises, (Summer 
, Dry ) , as it will last only 7.5 days.
Bat Bat
The Bat Bat has a reputation for being a high-cost low-effect weapon.
How do I get it
Being a pretty expensive weapon, as it requires x5 
(x3 in ), x2 
and x1 
, it also requires a Shadow Manipulator to craft.
It's recommended to craft it when required materials come in large amounts.
Best situations to use it
- When farming Nightmare Fuel against Shadows.
- When healing items can be somewhat optional.
Advantages
The Bat Bat is a useful weapon for those who prefer to go tank and spank, and is particularly effective for Wigfrid. Being an unforgiving weapon when it comes to sanity, it can be used to heal 6.8 
each time a hit lands on the enemy, but in the process you are going to lose 3.4 
.
- Characters such as Wigfrid, which can easily restore even more health and dampen the insanity loss, while dealing even more damage, can make optimal use out of it.
Disadvantages
The damage output is not optimal, being one of the weakest weapons in the game (42.5 damage), and the durabily isn't that good, either; making it an extremely situational weapon, especially when you don't need healing and are able to entirely kite any incoming damage.
Insanity can be a problem if you can't deal with Shadow Creatures, cause being inability to kill them or sanity sources being scant is irrelevant.
It is advised to use it as a backup weapon, or while experimenting, and use something entirely different instead.
Battle Spear
Dark Sword
Once you get the Dark Sword, you have access to one of the most powerful weapon in the game.
How do I get it
Materials aren't even that difficult to come by, and if you are capable of farming Shadow Creatures attacks, you can actually get lots of 
with ease. The needed to craft the Dark Sword can be obtained by killing Treeguards en masse later in the game, if you're lucky enough to enrage a cluster of them.
Just remember that you need a Shadow Manipulator to prototype one.
Best situations to use it
- The more damage in your hands, the more tears on bosses' eyes.
- Finishing the job quickly against weak foes, such as Spiders and Spider Queens.
- Farming Nightmare Fuel.
Advantages
The Dark Sword in one of the undisputed strongest weapon in the game, along with others, although this proves often to be probably the most versatile and easier to come by.
Being an extremely proficient weapon in terms of damage, dealing 68 per hit; it can annihilate weaker enemies, often killing them in one blow, and finishes the job pretty quickly against bosses such as Deerclops or against the numerous Moose/Gooses in .
Disadvantages
While being very powerful, it comes with some main drawbacks. One being, it isn't all that durable, lasting only one hundred of hits, and potentially you could deal a total of 6800 damage out of an entire Dark Sword (which is a lot!). Imagine if it lasted more!
Another more interesting drawback, while it can be exploited to induce insanity willingly, it's the perpetual sanity reduction it can provoke if held. It can be annoying, and potentially mortal against foes who drastically drain your sanity, but it can actually be sweet for farming more Nightmare Fuel for more bloodshed caused by nightmares, while also wearing a Night Armor.
