Grounded: Best Damage Types For Weapons, Ranked

Throughout the world of Obsidian Entertainment's Grounded are many formidable foes, as well as weapons to face them and take them down. Not to be confused with Damage Augments (installed modifications to existing weapons), Damage Types will offer a similar damage bonus depending on their usage, but will not need to be installed or modified by the player in any way in order to take effect.

Each creature will have a range of weaknesses and resistances, so it is important for players to ensure that they always have the right weapon type to target the enemy creature's vulnerabilities, as well as the requisite armor to defend against its specific damage type as well.

8 Generic

As the name suggests, Generic damage is that which is inflicted by the most basic and unenhanced items in the game. Weaker weapons and tools, as well as thrown objects in the environment, will provide generic damage, which is considerably less effective than that which is inflicted by bladed and modified weapons.

RELATED: Grounded Beginner Tips

No Creatures are especially vulnerable to Generic Damage. Tools that inflict Generic damage include the following:

Canteen
Charcoal Canteen
Grass Plank
Pebblet
Weed Stem
Club Of The Mother Demon
Fire Ant Club
Groundy Rounds
Pinch Whacker
Pointy Rounds
Prod Smacker
Red Ant Club
Rocky Rounds
Sappy Rounds
Spiky Sprig

7 Explosive

Explosive Damage occurs when an object is modified with some kind of violently bursting projectile. Players must stay at range when deploying weapons of this damage type, since they will not be invulnerable from taking damage from their own exploding weapons.

Tools that utilize the Explosive damage type include:

Bomb Arrow
Blaster of the Moldy Matriarch
Bratburst
Splatburst
Splody Rounds
Explosive Bur Trap

Creatures that inflict the Explosive damage type with their attacks include:

Infected Broodmother
Infected Ladybug
Infected Larva
Infected Weevil
Infected Wolf Spider
Mant Wasp Queen

6 Slashing

Slashing Damage often accompanies bladed weapons such as daggers and swords. As a result, it is relatively common as a base effect for many weapons. Slashing damage will only apply damage upon contact, rather than over a duration of time as with some other damage types. This can make a difference depending on how tough the enemies are.

Tools which benefit from the Slashing damage type include:

Antlion Greatsword
Black Ant Sword
Bone Dagger
Larva Blade
Pebblet Dagger
Scythe Of Blossoms
Spciy Coaltana
Spider Fang Dagger
Tick Macuahuitl
Toenail Scimitar
Widow Dagger

Enemies that utilize the Slashing damage type include

Antlion
Ladybird Larva
Mantis

5 Burning

Burning damage is associated with any flammable weaponry or corrosive acid weaponry. As a long-lasting damage type, this can be an incredibly effective basis for many types of combat build. However, there are limited options when it comes to the weaponry that is able to utilize this damage type, as well as the types of enemies that are most vulnerable to this elemental damage type.

The only tool that uses Burning damage is Burny Rounds. More common are enemies that make use of Burning damage, including:

Bombadier Beetle
Fire Worker Ant
Termite Worker

4 Shock

Shock damage is a very rare damage type, and is mainly based on the power of electrical charges. This damage type is not a non-lethal alternative as its name may suggest, but will instead compound attacks with additional electrical damage in the rare circumstances that it can be used.

There are only two tools that utilize Shock damage: the Pinch Whacker and Prod Smacker. However, these are only deployed during special attacks.

Enemies which use Shock damage include:

Assistant Manager
Director Schmector
RUZ.T
TAYZ.T

3 Smashing

Smashing damage is a brute-force damage type commonly associated with large, two-handed weaponry such as hammers, as well as opponents which out-scale the player and possess considerable strength. Attacks which utilize Smashing damage are to be avoided at all costs, as they can devastate the player with a single hit.

Tools that make use of this damage type include:

Black Ox Hammer
Insect Hammer
Pebblet Hammer

Smashing Damage is used by the following enemies

Antlion
Black Ox Beetle
Ladybird (Slam Combo)
Roly Poly
RUZ.T
Sickly Roly Poly
Stinkbug
TAYZ.T

2 Chopping

Chopping damage is associated with axes and underwater daggers, as well as a range of enemy types. One of the most effective damage types in Grounded, Chopping damage will be effective against almost all enemy types, and will be particularly useful at the start of the game for players looking to craft effective early-game weapons.

Weapons utilizing the Chopping damage type include:

Insect Axe
Pebblet Axe
Scythe Of Blossoms
Sour Battle-Axe
Termite Axe
Bone Dagger
Pebblet Dagger
Spider Fang Dagger
Widow Dagger

Enemies that make use of Chopping damage include:

Black Soldier Ant
Black Worker Ant
Fire Solider Ant
Fire Worker Ant
Infected Larva
Ladybird
Ladybug
Larva
Red Soldier Ant
Red Worker Ant
Stinkbug
Termite Worker
Termite King
Termite Soldier

1 Stabbing

Finally, the most effective and versatile damage type in Grounded is Stabbing damage. Commonly associated with pointed weapons and projectiles, stabbing damage will provide an attack damage bonus to many spears and swords within the game. It is also used by some formidable enemies, ensuring that requisite armor is always necessary to face them.

Weapons utilizing Stabbing damage include: