You just crashed. Your son is gone, there’s a creepy guy covered in red paint, and you’re standing in the middle of a peninsula with nothing but a plane axe and a terminal case of "what do I do now?"
Honestly, the very first thing you need to figure out is how to make spear The Forest style. If you don't, you’re basically a walking lunch box for the local cannibal population. It’s the most versatile tool in the game. It hunts. It fights. It breaks crates.
Most people think they can just swing that tiny starter axe at everything. Big mistake. You'll run out of stamina in three swings and get tackled. The spear gives you reach, and in a game where everything wants to bite your face off, reach is everything.
The Basic Weak Spear: Your Day One Lifesaver
Let's get into the nitty-gritty of the crafting mat. To make a basic Weak Spear, you need exactly two sticks. That’s it.
Find them on the ground or whack some small bushes. Once you have them, open your inventory (usually the 'I' key). Right-click both sticks so they sit on that center piece of cloth, then click the gear icon to craft. Boom. You have a weapon.
But here’s the thing—the Weak Spear is, well, weak. It’s great for stabbing small ponds to get fish, but if a Pale Cannibal rushes you, you're going to feel like you're poking a tank with a toothpick. It’s mostly a stepping stone.
The real magic happens when you upgrade.
Upgrading to the Upgraded Spear
If you’re serious about surviving more than forty-eight hours, you need the Upgraded Spear. It’s faster, does more damage, and frankly, looks cooler.
To craft this version, you’re going to need:
- Your Weak Spear
- 3 Bones
- 2 Cloth
Bones aren't just lying around at the start. You have to "earn" them. The easiest (and darkest) way? Burn a cannibal body on a fire. Once the meat burns off, you can harvest the bones. It sounds morbid because it is. This is a horror game, after all. Cloth is everywhere—check the suitcases scattered around the plane crash site or the small cannibal camps.
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Combine all that on your crafting mat. Now you have a weapon that can actually hold its own in a cave fight.
Why the Spear is Secretly the Best Weapon
Most beginners rush for the Katana or the Modern Axe. They’re fine. They’re flashy. But the spear has a "stagger" effect that is absolutely broken if you use it right.
If you time your stabs, you can keep a single cannibal in a loop where they can't even swing back. You just poke, step back, poke, step back. It’s rhythmic. It’s safe.
Also, fishing. You can’t fish with a Katana. Well, you can try, but you’ll look ridiculous and go hungry. The spear lets you stand in a pond and rack up a massive stockpile of protein in minutes.
The Incendiary Upgrade: Lighting Things Up
Cannibals hate fire. It’s their one big weakness.
You can turn your Upgraded Spear into an Incendiary Spear by adding 1 Cloth and 1 Bottle of Booze.
When you have this equipped, you can light it. Now, every stab has a chance to set your enemy on fire. In The Forest, fire doesn't just do damage; it panics the AI. A burning cannibal isn't hitting you; he's screaming and running in circles. That gives you time to breathe, heal, or move in for the kill.
Just remember: the fire doesn't last forever. You’ll have to re-cloth and re-booze it eventually.
Throwing Mechanics and Why You’ll Lose Your Spear
Here is where most players get frustrated. You can throw any spear by holding the right mouse button to aim and left-clicking to fire.
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The arc is tricky. It’s not a straight line.
If you throw your spear at a deer and miss, that spear is gone. It’ll slide into the bushes or clip into a rock, and you’ll spend ten minutes looking for it while getting stalked by a mutant.
Pro tip: Never throw your only spear unless you’re 100% sure you’ll hit the target or you have a backup. I usually carry a Weak Spear specifically for throwing at small game and keep my Upgraded Spear for melee combat.
Dealing with the "Spear Bag"
Eventually, you'll realize carrying just one spear sucks. You want a Spear Bag.
You make this with 2 Boar Skins and 2 Deer Skins.
Getting boar skins is a bit of a trek. You usually have to head toward the northern part of the map, near the mountain border where the grass turns a bit brownish. Boars are aggressive, so have your spear ready. Once you have the bag, you can carry up to five spears.
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Five spears means five chances to headshot a cannibal from twenty feet away. It changes the game from "scary survival" to "predator simulator."
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Don't use the spear against the big "creepy" mutants like the Virginia or the Armsy unless you're throwing it from a distance. Their reach is longer than yours. If you try to poke an Armsy in melee, he will turn you into paste before you get a second stab in.
Another thing: stamina management.
Every poke uses a bit of energy. If you're cold or hungry, your stamina bar will be greyed out, meaning you can only swing once before gasping for air. Always eat some dried meat or blueberries before heading into a fight.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Session
- Immediate Priority: Grab two sticks the second you leave the plane. Make that Weak Spear.
- Scavenge: Hit every suitcase near the crash for cloth. You need at least 5-10 pieces before moving into the woods.
- The First Kill: If a lone scout cannibal finds you, kill him, build a basic fire, and burn the body. Collect those bones immediately.
- The Upgrade: Use those bones and your cloth to turn that stick into an Upgraded Spear. Your survival rate just tripled.
- Target Practice: Head to a pond. Practice the "throw" mechanic on fish. It’s low stakes and teaches you how the projectile physics work without losing your weapon in the tall grass.
The spear isn't just a piece of wood. It's your ticket out of the food chain. Master the stab-and-retreat, keep your Spear Bag full, and you might actually find Timmy before something finds you.