Note: this page covers the Standalone version of DayZ; for information on the Mod, see Mod:Projects/Weapons.
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Weapons are any wield-able item that a survivor can use to inflict damage on other players, animals or the infected. In DayZ Standalone players can find various firearms and items across Chernarus that can be used as weapons.
Melee Weapons[]
Melee weapons are weapons, tools or objects used in close quarters combat to kill or incapacitate. In DayZ Standalone, almost any object a player can pick up can be used as a melee weapon. This flexibility, along with their potential use as a tool, requiring little to no upkeep and relative silence make melee weapons one of the first priorities for freshly spawned players. Since melee weapons require a player to engage their targets at close range, the player has to expose themselves to potential ranged weapon fire and/or attacks from the target's own melee weapon.
Melee Weapon Types[]
- Main Article: Melee Damage Types
Since melee weapons can come in just about any form, melee weapons are grouped by the type of damage they inflict.
Blunt[]
Blunt-type items are tools or weapons used to bludgeon other players or entities. Relative to other melee weapons, blunt weapons have a smaller chance to cause a player to bleed and do not deal much damage to a player's Health or Blood stats. What blunt weapons lack in Health and Blood damage, they make up for in Shock and Hit damage, making them excellent tools for knocking down other players.
Bladed[]
Bladed items are tools or weapons that can be used to chop or slash other players or entities. Excelling in Blood and Health Damage, bladed weapons deal lasting damage to players and almost always cause them to bleed. Lacking mass behind their hits, bladed weapons do not cause as much Shock damage as Blunt weapons and may require several hits before a player falls unconscious.
Piercing[]
Piercing-type items are tools or weapons used to stab other players or entities. Lacking in damage relative to all other melee weapons, Piercing-type weapons make up for it in either speed or range.
Powered Weapons[]
The most powerful melee weapons in DayZ, these items can very quickly kill or incapacitate players and entities. While these weapons can be used on their own, in order to get the full effect of these weapons, they must have an energy source (either gasoline or a battery).
Ranged Weapons[]
Ranged weapons are weapons that fire projectiles in order to kill or incapacitate a target from a distance. Players can find or even craft several types of firearms including but not limited to: bows, pistols, rifles and submachine guns. Ranged weapons offer several advantages over melee weapons. Allowing the user to put distance between themselves and their target, players can pick their engagements, get into suitable cover or concealment, ambush unsuspecting players or entities and allow players to stay in relative safety. Firearms also tend to be much more powerful relative to melee weapons and can often kill or incapacitate players and entities with a single well placed shot. Unfortunately, firearms tend to be loud; attracting unwanted attention from the infected and other players alike. They also require maintenance and ammunition to fire which, depending on the firearm, may be difficult to find. Firearms also require a degree of skill and familiarity in order to use them efficiently.
Types of Firearms[]
DayZ Standalone features many different types and grades of firearms. With no single firearm being the best in every situation and with DayZ's focus on realism and realistic combat, any firearm can be a dangerous weapon in the right hands.
Bows[]
Bows are projectile weapons that fire arrows. The user draws back a string tied at both ends of the bow which, when released, fires the arrow forward at great speed. Crossbows are bows that are mounted on a stock with a mechanism that holds the bowstring drawn. This allows the user to have a bolt, smaller and heavier arrow-like projectiles, ready to fire immediately which also gives the user more time to aim. In DayZ Standalone, bows and arrows can be crafted easily with very little materials. Both bows and crossbows are incredibly silent and effective weapons for killing the infected and animals. At close range, the crossbow is very lethal and can kill well-equipped players with a single shot. These weapons are more difficult to use than other firearms, requiring a lot of practice and precision. They also have long reload times and a very low effective range.
Pistols[]
Pistols are small firearms designed to be held with one or both hands. Typically semi-automatic, most pistols fire pistol cartridges and have a magazine capacity ranging from 6 to 15 rounds. Though they are quite numerous around Chernarus, their short barrel length and small cartridges make it difficulty to engage targets at distances greater than 75 meters. Nevertheless, other survivors with pistols should be considered just as dangerous as those with rifles.
Shotguns[]
Shotguns are shoulder-fired firearms that fire shells containing several small spherical pellets or a single solid projectile. DayZ Standalone has two types of shotgun loading mechanisms, double barreled and pump-action. Currently buckshot is the only available shell for shotguns. These weapons are very lethal at close range and can instantly kill infected and player alike. Players who aren't instantly killed will likely have most of the equipment they are wearing ruined and rendered unusable. They are, however, quite loud and can attract attention from very far away. They also have slower loading mechanisms and are not as effective at ranges greater than 100 meters, meaning the user will need to get close and pick their shot well in order to be effective.
Rifles[]
Rifles are a broad range of firearms that are intended to be fired from the shoulder. Rifles in DayZ Standalone have several types of actions, capacities, attachments and fire everything from pistol to fully-powered cartridges. Almost all of the rifles found in DayZ Standalone share a common characteristic, a low rate of fire. This requires the player to be accurate and patient in picking their shots in order to be effective.
Submachine guns[]
Submachine guns, also referred to as machine pistols, are fully-automatic firearms that fire pistol cartridges. The lack of range, accuracy and stopping power relative to a rifle or assault rifle make submachine guns a poor choice for mid to long range combat. However, the magazine capacity; ranging between 15 and 30, high rate of fire, and small size and weight make submachine guns an excellent choice for close quarters combat.
Assault rifles[]
Assault rifles are selective fire, magazine-fed weapons that fire intermediate cartridges. Assault rifles tend to be "jack of all trades, master of none" in regards to accuracy, rate of fire and stopping power. However, the large selection of attachments, scopes and magazine sizes make Assault rifles the most flexible set of firearms available.
Battle rifles[]
Battle rifles are semi-automatic rifles that fire full-powered cartridges. Compared to assault rifles, battle rifles tend to have more stopping power and greater range. Due to their increased recoil from the cartridges they fire, perform poorly if fired rapidly.
Sniper rifles[]
Sniper rifles are high precision, high powered rifles used to engage targets at distances greater than 500 meters. Sacrificing rate of fire for accuracy and stability at long range, sniper rifles fire full-powered cartridges, feature telescopic sights and can be semi-automatic or fully-automatic.
Explosive Weapons[]
See Also[]
- Loot
- Ammunition
- Attachments
- Magazines
- Planned Weapons