Best Melee Weapons in 99 Nights in the Forest

Though the game offers ranged options, melee weapons remain a core tool in 99 Nights in the Forest — no ammo cost, instant damage (in close range), and often extra status effects. A good melee choice can carry you through many mid-game encounters, especially when facing beasts, cultists, or crowded zones.

But not all melee weapons are equal. Some excel in raw damage, others in utility (burn, poison, slow), and some are more practical given how easy or rare they are to obtain. In what follows, I'll rank a selection of standout melee weapons, compare them, and then offer recommendations depending on your current stage in the run.

Important criteria for evaluating melee weapons

When I assess melee weapons, I weigh several factors:

With those in mind, I'll go through the top melee options.

Top melee weapons in 99 Nights in the Forest

Here's a curated list (with pros, cons, and usage tips) of the strongest melee weapons in the game, based on current data from the community and wikis.

1. Cultist King Mace

Why it shines: This has the highest melee damage per hit of any melee weapon currently available. 
Pros:

• Extremely high single-hit damage — ideal for nuking powerful foes.
• Good for when you want to finish tough enemies quickly without drawn-out fights. 
  Cons:
• Likely rare / endgame drop (you may need to defeat the Cultist King or access high-tier loot).
• Might be slower swing or heavier, giving windows for enemy counterattacks. 
  Best use: Save this for boss fights or late-game zones where you want burst damage.

2. Morningstar

Why it shines: It's often cited as one of the highest DPS melee weapons available. 
Pros:

• Strong damage output makes it very good mid-to-late game.
• More accessible (via Gold Chests) relative to super-rare weapons. 
  Cons:
• It may lack special effects (like burn or poison), so it's more straightforward damage.
• In very fast fights, its cooldown might limit output compared to faster weapons.

3. Infernal Sword

Why it shines: This is a versatile melee choice — it applies burn on hit and it auto-cooks food when the enemy drops it. 
Pros:

• Burn effect gives damage over time, useful against tanky foes.
• The cooking feature is a nice bonus for resource management (food).
• Damage is reportedly slightly higher than Laser Sword. 
  Cons:
• Because of burn, pure damage might lag behind raw hitters in some cases.
• Probably a high-tier rarity requiring effort to obtain.

4. Laser Sword

Why it shines: It's a more “techy” melee weapon, with high base damage when Alien Tech isn't overheating. 
Pros:

• Strong damage when conditions are ideal (i.e. no overheating).
• Good for players who already engage with Alien / tech systems. 
  Cons:
• If the weapon overheats or underperforms under high use, its efficiency drops.
• Might require management (cooldowns, energy) to use optimally.

5. Ice Sword

Why it shines: Similar in damage to Morningstar (in many cases), with an additional slow (“chill”) effect on the enemy. 
Pros:

• Slowing effect helps control faster enemies, giving breathing room.
• It can turn fast attackers (wolves, cultists) into easier targets. 
  Cons:
• Its raw damage may not match the top hitters.
• Against slow enemies, the chill effect is less relevant.

6. Poison Spear

Why it shines: It combines decent melee damage with poison status, dealing extra damage over time. 
Pros:

• Good balance of reach + damage + poison utility.
• Poison works well in drawn-out fights or on multiple weaker enemies. 
  Cons:
• Poison may struggle against high-resistance enemies or bosses who resist it.
• Its base damage might lag behind strong pure weapons like the Mace or Morningstar.

Whether you favor raw power, control effects, or utility, these melee options give you the flexibility to adapt as nights get tougher. Choosing the right weapon at the right stage makes survival smoother, especially when resources are tight. For those looking to stretch their progress even further, pairing these choices with cheap 99 Nights in the Forest gems can give you the edge you need.

How these weapons compare (summary table)

Here's a side-by-side summary to help match weapon to situation:

When to upgrade and how to choose

Given the above, here's a rough guide I'd follow as a player progressing through a run:

Early game (first ~20–40 nights)

• Use Spear or a decent axe to get by (Spear is solid early–mid weapon).
• Prioritize chests to get a Morningstar or Ice Sword when available.

Mid game (~40–70 nights)

• Upgrade to Morningstar or Ice Sword (whichever you can acquire).
• If you can find or craft Infernal Sword, it's a worthwhile upgrade for utility and added burn.
• If your class / build supports tech / energy, Laser Sword becomes more viable.

Late game (70+ nights and boss zones)

• Try to get Cultist King Mace — use it for high-stakes fights.
• Keep an Infernal Sword around as backup.
• Use Ice Sword or Poison Spear situationally (e.g. for crowd control or fights where burn/poison help chip down health).

Also, always be ready to switch: sometimes a weapon with lower raw damage but better utility (slow, burn) helps avoid damage more than just hitting harder.

Practical tips / caveats from player experience

• Because of how spawn rates work, even “good” weapons may not appear reliably. Don't delay upgrading just to wait—use what you can and improve as opportunities come.
• Some weapons require management (e.g. Laser Sword's energy/overheat), so if you like simpler “swing and hit” gameplay, stick to those more passive weapons.
• Consider your class: for Brawler (which is melee-focused), leaning into top melee damage makes sense. Other classes may prefer hybrid builds where melee is backup.
• In fights where multiple enemies converge, area control (slow, burn, poison) becomes as valuable as raw damage.
• Keep redundancy: never depend on a single weapon; always have a fallback weapon in your inventory.

Summary

In 99 Nights in the Forest, melee weapons play a critical role alongside ranged options. Among melee weapons:

• Cultist King Mace offers the highest pure hit damage (ideal for bosses).
• Morningstar is a dependable high-DPS option accessible via Gold Chests.
• Infernal Sword brings burn and auto-cooking benefits, making it very versatile.
• Laser Sword suits tech / energy-oriented builds, with excellent damage when maintained.
• Ice Sword gives you control via chilling effect, useful against fast foes.
• Poison Spear is a balanced reach + damage + poison choice for drawn-out combats.

Your ideal progression is to start with accessible weapons (Spear, axes), upgrade to strong midgame ones (Morningstar, Ice Sword, Infernal), and reserve the top-tier Mace for when you hit late zones. Also, don't neglect utility (burn, slow, poison) — in many fights, survival is more about control than brute force.