99 Nights in the Forest Best Weapons (2026) — Top 10 Ranked

Quick answer: The #1 best weapon in 99 Nights in the Forest right now is the Cultist King Mace. It's the highest-damage melee weapon you can actually obtain through regular gameplay as of March 2026. The Admin Axe technically hits harder, but it's event-exclusive and no longer available.

We tested every weapon across survival runs, boss fights, and PvP encounters to build this ranking. Each weapon was evaluated on raw damage, utility, ammo economy, and how easy it is to get. If you're looking for active codes to help you gear up faster, check our 99 Nights in the Forest codes list. For a broader look at all items and equipment, see the full tier list for 2026.

Let's count it down from #10 to the top spot.

10. Katana (Assassin Class)

The Katana comes bundled with the Assassin Class, which costs 500 Diamonds. That price tag means it's not free, but the upside is that you get a reliable melee weapon from the moment you start a run. No farming, no boss kills, no luck required.

The Katana's swing speed is noticeably faster than most melee options, and it pairs well with the Assassin Class's other perks. You can close the gap on enemies quickly, land a few fast hits, and back off before they can retaliate. Against smaller mobs like rabbits and early-night creatures, the Katana cuts through them with almost no downtime between kills.

Where the Katana falls short is in the late game. Its raw damage doesn't keep pace with boss-drop weapons, and you'll feel the gap once you're facing tougher enemies past night 50. Still, as a starting weapon that carries you through the early and mid game without relying on RNG drops, it earns its spot on this list.

9. Revolver

The Revolver is the best mid-game weapon in 99 Nights in the Forest, and it's surprisingly easy to find. You can pick one up from the Pelt Trader or loot it from gun cabinets scattered across the map. No boss fights, no rare drops — just explore and trade.

What makes the Revolver so good is its reliability. It fires fast, deals solid damage per shot, and the ammo is manageable. Against wolves and bears in the mid-game nights, you can kite them effectively while popping off shots from a safe distance. It's also one of the first ranged weapons most players will get their hands on, which makes it a natural upgrade from melee-only gameplay.

The Revolver does fall off once you start encountering late-game enemies with larger health pools. Its per-shot damage can't keep up with weapons like the Raygun or Laser Cannon. But for the stretch between nights 15 and 40, there's honestly nothing better for the effort it takes to acquire. It bridges the gap between early survival and late-game dominance.

8. Poison Spear

The Poison Spear offers something that most melee weapons in 99 Nights don't: range. You can poke enemies from further away than any axe or sword, and every hit applies a poison damage-over-time effect that continues ticking even after you back off. That extra reach matters more than you'd think when a bear is charging straight at you.

The poison DOT stacks up over sustained fights. Against bulky enemies, you can land two or three hits, retreat to avoid damage, and let the poison do work while you reposition. It's a safer, more methodical playstyle compared to standing toe-to-toe with a sword. For players who prefer to stay alive over dealing maximum burst damage, the Poison Spear is a perfect fit.

The main drawback is that the upfront damage per hit isn't spectacular. You're relying on the poison ticks to make up the difference, and against enemies that can be killed in two hits by stronger weapons, the DOT doesn't get a chance to shine. Think of the Poison Spear as your safe, consistent option rather than your "delete everything" weapon.

7. Laser Cannon

The Laser Cannon is a powerhouse at range. It can kill bears in just three hits, which puts its damage output above most ranged options in the game. The beam travels far, has a generous hitbox, and lets you engage dangerous enemies from distances where they can't touch you.

It runs on Alien Tech Energy, and a full charge only uses half your total energy supply. That means you can get quite a few shots off before you need to worry about running dry. Compared to the Raygun, the Laser Cannon trades fire rate for raw damage per shot — fewer pulls of the trigger, but each one hits like a truck.

The downside is the firing speed. In close-quarters fights or when multiple enemies rush you at once, the Laser Cannon's slower rate of fire leaves you vulnerable between shots. It's best used as an opening weapon — soften up threats from far away, then switch to a melee option when they close the distance. If you plan your engagements around its range advantage, the Laser Cannon absolutely dominates.

6. Infernal Crossbow

The Infernal Crossbow solves one of the biggest headaches in 99 Nights: running out of ammo. It has infinite ammo, which means you never need to scrounge for bolts or visit a trader mid-run. You just keep firing. On top of that, every bolt applies a burning effect that deals additional fire damage over time.

That burn damage stacks up fast against enemies with large health pools. Hit a boss three or four times, and the ongoing fire ticks add significant damage on top of your bolt impacts. The crossbow's fire rate is steady enough that you can maintain constant pressure without gaps, keeping enemies permanently on fire during extended fights.

The Infernal Crossbow sits below the Raygun because its per-shot damage is lower and the projectile speed is a bit slower. You have to lead your shots more, especially against fast-moving targets. But the unlimited ammo and burn synergy make it one of the most convenient weapons in the game. When you don't want to think about inventory management and just want to shoot things until they're dead, this crossbow delivers.

5. Raygun

The Raygun is flat-out the most overpowered ranged weapon in 99 Nights in the Forest. It fires rapidly, has unlimited ammo, and requires absolutely no reloading. You hold down the trigger and things die. That's the pitch, and it's every bit as strong as it sounds.

Like the Laser Cannon, the Raygun uses Alien Tech Energy instead of traditional ammo. But unlike the Laser Cannon, you're not waiting between shots. The sustained DPS from holding down fire is absurdly high, and it shreds through mobs that would take other weapons multiple clips to clear. Against groups of enemies, you can sweep the beam across a crowd and wipe everything in seconds.

The reason the Raygun isn't higher on this list is availability. Alien Tech weapons are harder to find than melee drops, and the energy system means you eventually need to recharge. But when you've got it in your hands and the energy bar is full, nothing in the game comes close to the Raygun's output. It turns even the most dangerous nights into a light show.

4. Infernal Sword

The Infernal Sword brings two things to the table: solid melee damage and a burn effect that keeps dealing fire damage after each hit. Every swing lights enemies on fire, and those ticks add up to serious bonus damage over the course of a fight. But the real hidden benefit is something most players overlook — the fire auto-cooks raw meat dropped by animals you kill.

That auto-cooking mechanic is a huge quality-of-life upgrade. You kill a deer or a rabbit with the Infernal Sword, and the meat drops already cooked. No campfire needed. In a survival game where managing hunger is constant, skipping the cooking step saves time every single run. It might sound minor, but over 99 nights it adds up to a massive efficiency gain.

Damage-wise, the Infernal Sword sits in a strong middle ground. It won't one-shot anything like the Cultist King Mace, but the burn damage on top of the base hit makes it competitive against most enemies. It's also more versatile than pure damage weapons because of the cooking utility. If you want a single melee weapon that handles combat and survival equally well, the Infernal Sword is the answer. For more on how it compares to other gear, see our full tier list.

3. Ice Sword

The Ice Sword combines high melee damage with a chilling slow effect on every hit. Each swing reduces the target's movement speed, making it dramatically easier to stay on top of them and land follow-up attacks. Against fast enemies that normally run circles around you, the Ice Sword turns the fight in your favor immediately.

The slow effect is what separates this weapon from other high-damage melee options. Fights in 99 Nights often go sideways because enemies close the gap before you can react, or they flee when they're low on health. The Ice Sword prevents both scenarios. One hit and they're stuck in slow motion while you land the finishing blows. It's crowd control and damage rolled into one weapon.

In boss fights, the slow is even more valuable. Bosses with charging attacks or AoE abilities become significantly less threatening when they're moving at half speed. You have more time to dodge, reposition, and heal between your attacks. The Ice Sword doesn't quite match the Cultist King Mace's raw numbers, but the utility it adds to every fight makes it the third best weapon in the game right now.

2. Morningstar

The Morningstar is the third most powerful melee weapon in 99 Nights in the Forest on raw damage alone, dealing 70 damage per hit. That puts it in a league above swords and axes. Against bosses, those 70-damage swings add up fast and can end fights significantly quicker than lower-tier weapons.

You find the Morningstar in Gold Chests, which means it's a luck-based drop rather than a guaranteed boss kill reward. The scarcity makes it feel special when you finally get one, and the power spike is immediately noticeable. Enemies that took five or six hits with a regular sword go down in two or three swings with the Morningstar.

The only thing keeping the Morningstar from the top spot is that the Cultist King Mace outdamages it and has a more reliable acquisition path once you can beat the boss. But for many players, the Morningstar will be the strongest weapon they use for the majority of their runs. It's a genuine late-game powerhouse, and finding one in a Gold Chest is always worth celebrating.

1. Cultist King Mace

The Cultist King Mace sits at #1 because it has the highest melee damage of any weapon available through regular gameplay in 99 Nights in the Forest. It can two-shot wolves, which are one of the most dangerous recurring enemies in the game. Two hits and they're done. That kind of power changes the entire feel of your survival run.

You earn the Mace by defeating the Cultist King, one of the toughest bosses in the game. The fight is no joke — you'll want to bring your best gear, plenty of healing, and ideally a ranged weapon to soften him up before going melee. The Mace is a random drop, so you may need to farm the boss a few times. But the payoff is absolutely worth the effort.

What makes the Cultist King Mace truly dominant is how it scales into the hardest content. The nights past 70 throw relentless waves of high-HP enemies at you, and having a weapon that two-shots wolves means you're clearing threats at a rate that keeps you safe. You're not scrambling to survive — you're controlling the fight. Combined with a ranged backup like the Raygun, the Mace makes your loadout feel complete.

If you're serious about pushing deep into 99 Nights, this is the weapon you're grinding for. Everything else on this list is either a stepping stone to it or a ranged complement for it. The Cultist King Mace is the endgame goal, and once you have it, you'll wonder how you ever survived without it.

Rank	Weapon	Type	Key Strength
1	Cultist King Mace	Melee	Highest damage, two-shots wolves
2	Morningstar	Melee	70 damage per hit, devastating vs bosses
3	Ice Sword	Melee	High damage + chilling slow effect
4	Infernal Sword	Melee	Burn DOT + auto-cooking utility
5	Raygun	Ranged	Rapid fire, unlimited ammo, no reload
6	Infernal Crossbow	Ranged	Infinite ammo + burning effect
7	Laser Cannon	Ranged	3-shots bears, long range
8	Poison Spear	Melee	Extended range + poison DOT
9	Revolver	Ranged	Reliable, fast, easy to find
10	Katana	Melee	Fast swings, instant access (500 Diamonds)

Honorable Mentions

A few weapons didn't make the top 10 but still deserve a shout-out.

Admin Axe — This weapon one-shots literally everything in the game. It's absurdly powerful. The only reason it's not ranked #1 on this list is that it was event-exclusive and is no longer obtainable. If you happened to grab one during the event, congratulations — you own the strongest weapon in 99 Nights. Everyone else will have to settle for the Cultist King Mace.

Stone Axe — Your starter weapon. It's nothing special, but it gets the job done during the first few nights while you're gathering resources and figuring out the map. Don't get attached to it. Upgrade as soon as you find literally anything else on this list.

Bow — The most basic ranged option in the game. It's useful early on when you have no other way to deal damage from a distance, and it can keep you alive against enemies you don't want to face up close. It gets outclassed fast, but everyone uses it at some point. Think of it as training wheels for the Raygun.

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