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Managing simulation games is a popular sub-genre of the simulation umbrella. From creating dystopian cities on alien planets in Aven Colony to building a sizable farm in Stardew Valley, simulators have all areas covered when compared to other popular genres.
RimWorld combines elements from these two titles to make an enjoyable construction and management game, where players are expected to build bases and protect their colonists from the dangers of the world. This top-down indie survival that causes gamers to become attached to their people can only be survived by using the right weapons to protect against raiders and the horrifying creatures of the unknown.
Recurve Bow – Early Game
Commonly wielded by Hunters, recurve bows aren't difficult for players to get into their colonists' hands. It is also incredibly cheap to research and craft, making it a great starter ranged weapon that can also stagger human foes, preventing them from getting any closer.
It also inflicts significantly more bleeding damage due to causing the stab effect over cut. Bows are commonly seen as the worst of the long-ranged weapons, and therefore players shouldn't expect to keep using these as they progress into later days of survival.
Bolt-Action Rifle – Early Game
Starting up in RimWorld can be challenging for beginner players, luckily the pre-set scenarios help those that are getting started. The most basic crash-landing scenario equips the starting colony with three weapons, one of these being the bolt-action rifle.
As one of the best overall accuracies out of the non-exploding ranged weapons as well as a decent amount of range, the bolt-action is a great choice for picking-off enemies from a distance without risking them getting too close. This makes the rifle quite versatile when it comes to supporting the siege of enemy bases and defending the colony from raider attacks.
Assault Rifle – Early Game
Arguably quite a middle-ground kind of gun, the assault rifle is a jack of all trades. However, just as the saying suggests, this does mean this all-rounded weapon doesn't really specialize in anything in particular. Other long-range weaponry is much better suited to combat than it is, but that doesn't make it useless in the early game.
Overall, the assault rifle is a great weapon for a majority of colonists, no matter what their skill in firearms is. However, don't expect it to stagger enemies that are approaching, as it is only strong enough to halt the path of the smallest of creatures.
Heavy SMG – Early Game
Although many ranged weapons outclass the heavy SMG, beginner players will want to equip their careful shooter colonists with this short-range weapon when planning an offensive assault. Commonly, gamers will wish to use this as a hunting weapon when equipped, as there is a lot of danger to approaching raiders and the like head-on.
The heavy SMG may leave something for players to desire when using during mid-game when enemies get stronger, but starting up, this is a reliable weapon to have equipped when compared to weaker weapons such as the machine pistol.
LMG – Early And Mid-game
Players may have been sitting comfortably for a time, building up their base and letting their colonists live comfortably, but danger is always brewing as the days tick by. These attacks will increase in scale over time till eventually crowds of enemies will be attacking.
When these crowds finally start to form or when assaulting scavenger bases, players will want a weapon that can handle these problems. The LMG is a great entry-level crowd-controlling piece of artillery. The amount of damage it possesses combined with its low accuracy means a colonist can fire into a crowd while still causing some decent damage.
Molotov Cocktails – Mid-Game
Grenades are arguably one of the most powerful ranged weapons in RimWorld; they can damage a wide range of foes in an area after being thrown. However, it can be difficult to hit moving targets and in the case of Molotov Cocktails, the damage over time is gradual.
Setting up specific strategies to group enemies together before throwing grenades can improve the damage caused by such grenades. Molotov Cocktails are the easiest to approach due to being fairly cheap to research and craft. Later into the game, this can then be swapped out for EMP grenades, which cause far more damage.
Chain Shotgun – Mid-Game
Surviving in RimWorld commonly requires players to keep their distance from enemies to avoid the lives of their colonists. However, some situations, such as scavenging from nearby bases, will require players to take a more offensive approach.
Besides needing to be up close, the overall damage output of this 3-burst shotgun is incredibly high, putting it up there with many of the late-game weaponry. Even its low accuracy gives the Chain Shotgun the potential to be an admirable crowd control weapon, though it really shines when focusing on singular units.
Doomsday Rocket Launcher – Late Game
The bigger the weapon, the greater the success, and this is no different when it comes to rocket launchers. Many players may suspect that a rocket launcher, especially one that when shot, will annihilate everything, though it can only be used once before another would need to be found.
As the name suggests, a player that meets one of these in combat might as well kiss their base farewell, as it will leave nothing to be reclaimed. Players may struggle to get their hands on this rocket launcher as it can't be crafted. They must instead purchase it from a merchant or find it on a heavy mercenary while avoiding it using the weapon.
Charge Lance – Late Game
Although a single-shot weapon before needing to be crafted once more, the Charge Lance is by far one of the most powerful mid to long-range weapons in RimWorld. It has the sheer power to instantly kill many human enemies or leave them heavily injured.
Firing the Charge Lance does take a while, which is why it is better suited for long-range combat. Therefore, colonists have a higher chance of accuracy to make sure that the shot isn't wasted.
Minigun – Late Game
With a burst count of 25, the minigun takes the perks of the LMG and puts it into overdrive. The base damage from this monster of a gun is by far the best in the game when compared to other generic ranged weapons.
Its low accuracy means it's best suited for shooting into a crowd of enemies in a room rather than picking off foes from a distance. Though due to the research requirements and materials needed to create this damage dealer, colonists won't be wielding this until the late game.
RimWorld is out now for PC.