In Rimworld you must know what weapon to use in every situation.
The right tool for the job is the one distinguishing thing between you and those pesky raiders. It can really make all the difference. While they will send frail attackers with clubs you will equip your most capable to do what they do best, and ward off these attacks with no issue. At least most of the time.
In order to do that, you need to know your weapons. It might be that not all of them are exactly what you think, so I decided to list my top 5 best weapons in Rimworld, with one rule: no single-use weapons, or this would be a orbital laser parade. They might not be the best for certain situations, but will generally work.
5. Longsword
Armored colonist with a plasteel longword.
Ever heard of “never bring a knife to a gunfight?” How about a longsword?
This is the strongest melee weapon in the game damage-wise and it’s an excellent choice to arm your brawlers. Good melee fighters will chop limbs off left and right, however, it won’t fare so well in your less capable colonists, so equip them accordingly.
Weapon stats:
- 8.60 average DPS
- 33% average Armor Penetration
- 2 - 2.6 seconds cooldown
What this weapon is good for:
- Highest damage in all weapons.
- The best choice for equipping brawlers.
- When combined with a shield belt, it can put out a lot of damage with reduced risk to your fighter.
- Chop till you drop!
4. Minigun
Miniguns mowing down manhunting Muffalos.
For all the heavy weapons guys and gals out there, this is a very good late-game gun for dealing with large groups of enemies. It has the higher raw damage out of all guns and has the potential of taking out several enemies in just one burst.
You should keep this one for large groups of enemies or bigger targets, like centipedes or thrumbos. Its accuracy is very low as expected, so not the best one for taking out single targets.
Weapon stats:
- 22% average accuracy.
- 25 shots per burst
- 2.3 cooldown
- 36.76 DPS.
- 30.9 tiles range
What this weapon is good for:
- Great late-game gun for crowd control.
- Good at taking down bigger targets.
- Long cooldown is mitigated by the 25 shot burst.
3. Sniper Rifle
Colonist aiming at fleeing attackers with a Sniper Rifle.
This great support weapon is awesome to have at medium to long distances. It has a lot of stopping power and damage, great to engage enemies before they can even get near you. It can be used to get some shots in centipedes from a distance, harassing siege camps and taking out turrets in bandit outposts. It is however very slow and has very little accuracy at close range, so it’s not to be used in large scale.
Weapon stats:
- 76.2% average accuracy
- 1 shot per burst
- 2.3 cooldown
- 4.31 DPS
- 44.9 tiles range
What this weapon is good for:
- Specialized weapon.
- Good for supporting other combatants from afar.
- Will usually kill or incapacitate humans without armor if the shot hits.
- Range will help you get shots in before attackers even think about shooting you.
2. Charge Lance
Colonists fighting insectoids with Charge Lances.
More on the sci-fi side, the Charge Lance is an excellent late game gun for raids and mechanoid attacks. Its armor penetration makes armored enemies and centipedes way less dangerous and it has a decent range and high damage output, making it very well suited for medium to long range combat. It will usually kill humans in 2 hits or less, and incapacitate them in 1.
Weapon stats:
- 79.5% average accuracy
- 1 shot per burst
- 2.7 cooldown
- 6.82 DPS
- 36.9 tiles range
What this weapon is good for:
- Great for taking out high-priority targets.
- Solid armor penetration helps taking care of armored enemies.
- High accuracy and damage make most shots really count.
- The sound it makes when it fires is really satisfying.
1. Assault Rifle
Bear attack defense with assault rifles.
You can never go wrong with assault rifles. It doesn’t really excel in anything, but has little to no downsides either, making this a go-to weapon for most situations. It has a decent rate-of-fire, good damage and accuracy. Everything you need. It’s also a great gun for colonists with a lower shooting skill, if you have extra rifles lying around.
Weapon stats:
- 65.2% average accuracy
- 3 shots per burst
- 1.7 cooldown
- 10.88 DPS
- 30.9 tiles range
What this weapon is good for:
- Versatility
- Balanced stats for most situations
- Good single-target damage output
- Great when combined with more specialized weapons
Remember that the quality of the gun will make a difference in its stats. It’s a good idea to always assign your best crafters to making guns, so you don’t waste materials on poor quality pieces.
Knowing how to equip and place your colonists in combat will help you be more efficient in your defenses and not lose as many people. Always study your options and attackers so you can formulate the best strategy.
Oh, and give your hunters some good guns too!
You may also be interested in:
50 Most Useful 'Rimworld Tips' For Beginners
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Top 3 Rimworld Best Clothing and How To Get Them
