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Two colonists in Rimworld each holding a melee and a ranged weapon.
Screenshot by Pro Game Guides

Rimworld Weapon Tier List

The best of the best.

In Rimworld, there are numerous weapons to select from. When you have sufficient resources to equip all your pawns, you might consider crafting the most effective ones available. Below, I will tell you of the best weapons in Rimworld.

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What the best weapon in Rimworld is depends a lot on your playstyle. If you're someone who wants to focus on close range weapons, you most likely want to focus on a melee build, while longer range combat is done best with the ranged weapons. Regardless of the either option, you have plenty of options to choose from.

I've compiled this list based on weapons that are relatively cheaper to craft or find compared to their DPS (damage per second). These weapons are all affected by modifiers and the materials you use to craft them.

List of best ranged weapons in Rimworld

All ranged weapons in Rimworld go through the same firing cycle, which starts with the aiming time as your pawn prepares to shoot at the enemy, followed by the firing time. The firing process depends on your pawn's ability to shoot and the weapon's base accuracy. This ends with the cooldown process, where the firing cycle resets, and your pawn can begin shooting their weapon again.

These are the best weapons in Rimworld based on cost-effectiveness and optimal DPS. This is a hypothetical scenario where each shot hits the enemy based on the base damage, which differs from real combat situations influenced by range:

  • Touch: 3 tiles
  • Short: 12 tiles
  • Medium: 25 tiles
  • Long: 40 tiles
TierWeaponOptimal DPS (damage per second)
SMinigun36.76
SAssault Rifle10.88
SLMG15.78
SCharge Rifle13.24
AChain Shotgun18.73
AHeavy SMG12.34
AMachine pistol11.02
ATriple rocket launcher15.52
APump shotgun8.37
ACharge lance6.82
BFrag grenades12
BEMP grenades12
BAuto pistol7.69
BSniper Rifle4.31
CBolt-action rifle5.63
CRevolver6.32
CGreatbow4.86
DShot bow3.67
DDoomsday rocket launcher5.56
DTactical turret gun4.86
DNerve spiker3.55
DRecurve bow4.52
EEMP launcher7.14
EMolotov cocktails2.4
EPila3.13
EFlamebow2
EIncendiary launcher1.43

In my opinion, the assault rifle is the best ranged weapon in Rimworld, despite being further down on the list. This is because the Assault Rifle is easily obtainable once you have the machining table, requiring only 60 steel and 7 components. Your pawns only need a minimum of six crafting skills to make one of these powerful weapons.

All ranged weapon quality modifiers in Rimworld

The quality modifiers on each weapon are chance-based. Higher-skilled pawns have a greater chance of crafting a higher-quality weapon, resulting in increased damage and accuracy.

QualityAccuracy ModifierBase Damage ModifierArmor Penetration Modifier
Awful0.800.900.90
Poor0.901.001.00
Normal1.001.001.00
Good1.101.001.00
Excellent1.201.001.00
Masterwork1.351.251.25
Legendary1.501.501.50

Related: All Rimworld Xenotypes and Xenohumans

List of best melee weapons in Rimworld

When it comes to melee weapons, you need to consider not only the DPS (damage per second) a weapon can deliver but also the type of damage it can inflict. These include sharp, blunt, burn, or EMP. Depending on the type of enemy you are facing and your objective of either killing or disabling them, you can make a choice.

TierWeaponDPSType of damage
SThrumbo horn9.44Sharp
SMonosword11.45Sharp
SPersona monosword14.53Sharp
SPersona zeushammer13.17Blunt + EMP
SPower claw9.28Blunt
AHand talon8.18Blunt
APersona plasmasword9.97Sharp + Burn
AElbow blade7.78Blade
AZeushammer9.41Blunt + EMP
AKnee spike7.57Sharp
BVenom fangs6.65Blunt
BElephant tusk6.44Sharp
BLongsword7.9Sharp
BSpear7.88Sharp
BVenom talon6.34Blunt
CClub6.31Blunt
CArcotech arm6.28Blunt
CPlasmasword7.39Sharp + Burn
CDrill arm5.9Sharp
CGladius7.06Sharp
CKnife7.02Sharp
CMace6.95Blunt
DWarhammer6.91Blunt
DBionic arm5.53Blunt
DAxe6.68Sharp
DIkwa6.7Sharp
DBreach Axe6.22Blunt
EJade knife5.73Sharp
EEltex staff4.51Blunt

If you are looking to enslave many pawns to build your colony, I recommend using weapons with lower damage output and blunt damage. This will reduce the likelihood of them dying upon impact, allowing you more time to transport them to your beds for prompt treatment by your pawns.

If you're looking for pure damage at a low cost, I recommend investing in crafting plenty of longswords, as they are the most affordable high-damage melee weapons in the game. They can be crafted at any smithy once you have researched them.

Related: Best schedule for night owls in Rimworld

All melee weapon material modifiers in Rimworld

Unlike ranged weapons, melee weapons in Rimworld can be crafted from a wide variety of materials, with each material slightly increasing the base damage multiplier in addition to the skill of the crafter.

MaterialCooldown speed factorDamage factor (blunt)Damage factor (sharp)Max HP factorDPS factor (blunt)DPS factor (sharp)
Gold110.750.610.75
Granite blocks1.310.651.70.770.5
Jade1.31.510.51.150.77
Limestone blocks1.310.61.550.770.46
Marble blocks1.310.61.20.770.46
Plasteel0.80.91.12.81.131.38
Sandstone blocks1.310.51.40.770.38
Silver110.850.710.85
Slate blocks1.310.61.30.770.46
Steel111111
Uranium1.11.51.12.51.361
Wood10.90.40.650.90.4
Bioferrite 10.91.320.91.3

All melee weapon quality modifiers in Rimworld

The quality modifiers on each weapon are chance-based. Higher-skilled pawns have a greater chance of crafting a higher-quality weapon, resulting in increased damage.

QualityBase Damage Modifier
Awful0.80
Poor0.90
Normal1.00
Good1.10
Excellent1.20
Masterwork1.45
Legendary1.65

The choice of weapon you make will largely depend on the type of colony and gameplay you are focusing on. So, I highly suggest you continue using weapons that fit your playstyle and level of enjoyment.

For more on Rimworld, be sure to check out 15 Essential RimWorld Mods and How To Install Them and RimWorld pollution, explained and how to deal with it here on Pro Game Guides.


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Author
Image of Rayed Nawaz
Rayed Nawaz
Rayed is a fifth-year student of medicine. His gaming journey started on his hand-me-down PlayStation 1. From that to Xbox, and finally to PC. In his free time, he likes to play FPS and open-world games.