Weapon crafting: early to late game tier list and crafting recipes

Field Complaint

I keep wasting materials on weapons that feel useless. Which ones are actually worth crafting?

Validated Response

Stop crafting everything and focus on what carries. Early game: Pipe Club (Pipe + Gauge + Glue) is your basic beater, fine for office pests. The Stun Baton is your first real upgrade — the electricity stun stops enemy movement and attacks entirely, giving you free hits. The Crowbar is not crafted but found in Shipping and Mines barrels, and it opens crates so keep one on your bar. Mid game: the Makeshift Spear (Tall Floor Lamp + Knife + Desk Phone) gives reach and decent damage. The Welding Spear + Wooden Shield combo is your bread and butter against Order soldiers — block with the shield, poke with the spear. The Makeshift Crossbow unlocks from reading the email titled 'OFFICE SUPPLY CROSSBOWS' and gives you ranged options without gun ammo. Late game: the Energy Pistol is absurdly good — it kills the IS-0059 Reaper in 1 to 3 shots, though enemies get 5 seconds of immunity between hits. The Explosive Sledge (Sledgehammer + 4x Military Electronics + 4x Reinforced Hose + 2x Capacitor) deletes anything in front of you. The Cane Sword comes from the Furniture Store portal and is a solid melee upgrade. Do not sleep on the Stun Baton — disabling an enemy is often better than raw damage.

Summary

Stop wasting materials on weapons that fall off after one sector. Pipe Club gets you started, Stun Baton carries the midgame, and the Energy Pistol is the late-game answer to boss-tier threats.

Prerequisites

• Gather basic salvage for your first melee weapon
• Unlock the Crafting Bench and power it
• Progress into Manufacturing West for better materials

Recommended Loadout

• Pipe Club or Desk Leg for the first few hours
• Stun Baton once you have Circuit Boards
• Shield plus Welding Spear for Order soldier encounters

Step-by-Step Route

1. Craft a Pipe Club (Pipe + Gauge + Glue) as your first real weapon
2. Upgrade to a Stun Baton for the electricity stun effect — it stops enemy movement and attacks temporarily
3. Carry a Crowbar from Shipping or Mines barrels for slashing damage against armored targets
4. Craft a Makeshift Crossbow by reading the email OFFICE SUPPLY CROSSBOWS and viewing the attachment
5. Build a Wooden Shield to block Order soldier ranged attacks, then close with a Welding Spear
6. Craft the Energy Pistol for the IS-0059 Reaper — one shot un-aggroed, three shots aggroed, five-second immunity window
7. Save Sledgehammer, Military Electronics, Reinforced Hose, and Capacitor for the Explosive Sledge if you reach late game

Common Mistakes

• Spending rare components on mid-tier weapons instead of saving for late-game recipes
• Engaging Order soldiers in open ground without a shield
• Ignoring the Makeshift Crossbow because it seems weak — it is actually reliable sustained ranged damage