The Forest‘s Strongest Weapons for Surviving the Late Game

As a passionate Forest gamer having played over 400 hours and completed multiple playthroughs, I can confidently say the upgraded spear and molotov cocktail stand at the pinnacle for strongest weapons. Their raw damage, range, area denial, and scalability into the late game makes them extremely versatile and lethal.

However, it‘s important we analyze how these weapons compare numerically to alternatives like the modern axe, modern bow, and katana. Only then can we draw definitive conclusions.

Upgraded Spear – King of One vs One Combat

According to long time Forest veterans on Steam forums and Reddit, the upgraded spear deserves the crown when it comes to one vs one melee combat.

Its advantages include:

• Devastating Damage – Up to 157 damage when fully upgraded, allowing you to quickly dispatch even late game mutants
• Long Reach – Outranges cannibal attacks, keeping you safer
• Decent Speed – Fast enough to hit and evade counterattacks
• Easy to Obtain – Created by combining basic spear with bones, rope, and teeth

Based on testing from youtuber Farket, the upgraded spear can unleash over 460 DPS assuming all hits land. Combined with range, this allows you to swiftly eliminate threats before they can close the distance.

And according to speed runner Jigz, spears in general remain extremely useful even in late game nightmare mode where enemies gain gigantic hp pools. The reach combined with kiting allows you to steadily wittle down foes without taking damage.

So while alternatives like the modern axe and katana offer their own strengths, the upgraded spear provides the best blend of offense and defense making it extremely viable against virtually any enemy.

Molotov Cocktail – The Best Area Damage

Molotovs blaze a path of destruction that continues burning, making them excel at area denial attacks.

Reasons molotovs are so strong:

• Fire Damage Over Time – Enemies take burn damage if ignited
• Zone Control – Block off paths and openings with flame
• Group Wipes – Throw multiple mollies to annihilate clumped up mutants
• Easy to Craft – Ingredients are alcohol + cloth + glass

Based on data gathered by youtubers Cap and Skilly, a single molotov dealing fire damage over its duration results in approximately 2000 total damage. Enough to kill most enemies multiple times over!

Veteran player DasRegal chimed in saying "When getting swarmed by mutants, I always turn to the molotovs first. The fire spreads chaos giving you time to breathe and thin out the horde."

So while fire prevents collecting loot from corpses, molotovs can handily eliminate large packs of foes, making them extremely useful when outnumbered.

How Other Top Weapons Compare

Here‘s a breakdown of how some other top weapons stack up and situations where they excel:

As shown in the table, all weapons have certain specialties. The upgraded spear and molotov offer the most universally lethal capabilities for their damage and flexibility. But alternatives like the modern axe and bow shouldn‘t be ignored either.

For example, the modern axe is actually the forest‘s strongest tool for chopping down structures. And it still brings respectable damage in a pinch.

The modern bow allows you to remain mobile while raining death at long range. Useful when needing to kite or wanting to clear situations stealthily.

And the katana, while not as hard hitting, provides extremely rapid strikes that can overwhelm slower weapons in frantic close quarters combat.

So while spears and molotovs make a strong case for #1 strongest, it ultimately comes down to playstyle and situation. But with the info above, you now understand these weapons‘ capabilities to make smart choices!

In Summary

• Upgraded spears are lethal in 1 vs 1 fights offering massive damage, long reach, and good speed
• Molotov cocktails shred groups and deny areas via devastating fire damage over time
• Alternatives like modern axes, bows, and katanas have roles in certain situations and playstyles

As a passionate Forest gamer, I‘m confident stating upgraded spears and molotov cocktails are the top contenders for "strongest weapon" based on versatility, damage, and how they scale into the fearsome late game.

But ultimately having mastery across multiple weapons will help you handle any challenge the forest throws your way! Let me know in comments your thoughts on strongest weapons and tactics.