Overview
A list and description of all current Project Zomboid weapons and their characteristics.
NOTE
Please keep in mind this guide is out of date and requires updating so some information may be invalid or wrong.
Introduction
Project Zomboid is a survival RPG set in a zombie apocalypse. The game itself is currently in alpha stages so expect changes to take place in the future.
This guide will detail the current full list of obtainable weapons in the game.
Melee weapons are much quieter than that of their ranged counterparts and do not require ammo making them more suited for quietly taking down small groups of zombies. They do however involve the player being dangerously close to the target. Using melee weapons for an extended period of time will result in the player becoming tired and exhausted.
Ranged weapons are loud but powerful firearms which will likely attract the attention of any nearby zombies.
Blade Weapons
Using bladed weapons to dispatch zombies will increase the blade combat skill which will further increase the damage caused by the following weapons:
Pencil/Pen: This improvised weapon has low damage and low durability with very little knockback. It can also be used to create doodles and journals when combined with a sheet of paper or an empty notebook.
Scissors: Another improvised weapon with slightly higher damage than a pencil but is ineffective at dispatching more than a few zombies.
Fork/Spoon: These kitchen utensils have low damage, low durability and poor knockback.
Butter Knife: A commonly found piece of kitchen equipment with low damage, low durability and little knockback.
Kitchen Knife: A larger and more capable weapon with low damage, low durability and poor knockback. This knife can be used with a watermelon to create watermelon slices.
Screwdriver: This improvised weapon does low damage, has low durability and a weak knockback. The screwdriver is used to created knotted boards from wooden planks.
Axe: A slow but hard-hitting weapon that is capable of taking down zombies in one well-timed swing. This weapon has extremely high damage and high durability but low knockback. Its other uses include effectively taking down wooden doors, chopping trees down to collect wood logs and creating watermelon slices from a watermelon.
Blunt Weapons
Using blunt weapons to dispatch zombies will increase the blunt combat skill which will further increase the damage caused by the following weapons:
Unarmed: This type of combat is used when the player has no weapon equiped. Using bare hands deals no damage to zombies but is useful for pushing back opponents. It is suggested to use a weapon to deal with enemies as unarmed combat will quickly tire out the player. If a zombie has been knocked over, the player will then be able to perform a stomp attack which will deal damage and prevent the enemy from getting back up.
Wooden Plank: This improvised weapon has low damage and durability but is effective at knocking zombies back from a distance. Wooden planks can be crafted by cutting wood logs with a saw. Their primary function is to barricade and fortify houses as well as being used to create walls, doors and other construction items.
Nailed Plank: This weapon is created from using a hammer to combine a wooden plank with nails. it is considered an improvement on a standard wooden plank with higher damage but has a lower durability and knockback than that of its regular counterpart.
Rolling Pin: A common kitchen utensil with low damage and low durability but good knockback.
Golf Club: This piece of sporting equipment has a large range so is useful for keeping zombies at a distance from the player. It does reasonable damage with good knockback but has low durability.
Frying Pan: This reasonably heavy piece of kitchen equipment deals moderate damage, good knockback but has poor durability. It’s short range can cause issues when encountering larger groups of zombies. The frying pan can also be used to create grilled cheese sandwiches.
Pool Cue: The pool cue is a rare weapon which is useful for knocking back zombies due to its extended reach. It is a fairly light piece of equipment but deals only a small amount of damage and has low durability.
Baseball Bat: The baseball bat deals reasonable amounts of damage, has a large range and is good at knockbacking enemies, it does however have poor durability.
Spiked Baseball Bat: This improved baseball bat is created by using a hammer to combine nails with the original bat. It deals more damage and is able to kill zombies in one well-placed swing. It does however have a lower durability.
Hammer: The hammer is a crafting tool that can also be used as a weapon. It deals reasonable damage with good durability but has a short range and low knockback. The primary purpose of the hammer is to create barricades and fortifications for houses.
Crowbar: This heavy piece of equipment deals high damage at a good range with reasonable knockback and has high durability.
Spade: The spade is an extremely proficient weapon which has moderately high damage, a good range, strong knockback and high durability. It is a light weapon which can be swung at a fast rate.
Sledgehammer: This extremely heavy weapon is capable of killing zombies in one well-timed hit. It deals the most damage out of all melee weapons as well as having the greatest knockback. It can however quickly tire out the player when used. The sledgehammer can also be used to break funiture and doors as well as chopping down trees for wood.
Also note that all blunt weapons (excluding the spiked baseball bat) are capable of creating watermelon chunks when used with a watermelon.
Ranged Weapons
Using ranged weapons (excluding the Molotov Cocktail) to dispatch zombies will increase the aiming combat skill which will further increase the damage caused by the following weapons:
Pistol: The pistol is the quietest of all firearms but will still attract several zombies from a reasonable distance. It deals very high damage and will take around 1-2 shots to kill a zombie. With the pistol being a lighter ranged weapon, it is advised to also carry a melee weapon. It holds 15 rounds of 9mm ammo.
Shotgun: The shotgun is a loud, two-handed firearm that will attract large groups of zombies from distance. It deals extremely high damage which combined with its spread pattern when shooting will easily dispatch groups of zombies. The closer the target is to the player when the gun is fired, the higher the damage will be. It holds 6 rounds of shotgun shells.
Sawed-off Shotgun: The sawed-off shotgun is created when a saw is combined with a standard shotgun. This smaller, more lightweight version is very loud and will attract zombies from even further distances. The sawed-off shotgun does however deal reduced damage compared to that of the original but has a wider spread pattern. It holds 6 rounds of shotgun shells.
Moltov Cocktail: This thrown projectile is created from combining cloth (bandages, towels, socks) with empty bottles and a gas can. It is advised to take care when using these incendiary weapons as the fire can spread quickly, burning zombies or structures nearby. A lighter is required for the molotov to be used properly. Without a lighter it can be thrown as a distraction device.
It has been reported that the Molotov Cocktail is no longer craftable but this has yet to be confirmed.
Further Notes
As I said at the beginning of this guide, the game is still in the alpha stages so expect some of this information to become outdated as the new versions and patches are released. I will try my best to update the guide as new items are added or their characteristics change.
If you have any questions, suggestions or improvements please leave a comment below.