Weapons

SPOILER ALERT! Ancestors is best experienced with the least knowledge possible. A lot of the fun while playing the game comes from learning gameplay mechanics. Try to use our FAQ or ask your questions on Discord before reading this page.

Armed to the teeth!

Weapons are items useful during combat.

Overview

Your clan has quite a selection of Paleolithic weaponry. There are multiple benefits to using weapons:

• Weapons increase damage output and the likelihood of killing hostile threats.
• Weapons help avoid being bitten, scratched, or damaged even while successfully counterattacking or dodging a foe. This helps you to avoid Bleeding, Injury, and Venom Poisoning.
• Weapons increase your chance to intimidate a threat to avoid combat.
• Most weapons also double as Tools.

Even your bare hands are considered weapons but they are the poorest weapon you can use. Any weapon item is better than your hands as they allow you to greatly multiply the force you can inflict upon a threat.

Not all weapons are created equal. Each type of weapon has strengths and weaknesses:

• Wood-based weapons allow distance from an attacker reducing the chances of damage to your hominid but are single time use. Wood weapons either break or get stuck in the threat when striking. They can be sharpened to increase damage and make potent piercing weapons.
• Rocks and stones-based weapons allow multiple uses and do not break. They are close up weapons that cause blunt force damage requiring you to be right near a hostile threat increasing the likelihood of damage to your hominid even when you successfully strike a threat.
• Bone-based weapons are a mix of wood, rocks, and stones weapons. They allow you to have distance from an attacker, they never break, but only cause blunt force trauma. They are a compromise of the best and worst of the other weapons.

Mechanics

Grab a nearby weapon with your free hand and you now wield that weapon. When you no longer want to use the weapon, use the drop action to throw it on the ground.

You can use Switch Hands to move a weapon to your other hand freeing up your hand to grab another weapon. This allows you to dual wield multiple weapons. This allows you to carry more than one type of weapon and/or to have a spare weapon available.

Your hominid will only use one weapon at a time when striking a hostile threat even if you have another weapon in your other hand.

Weapons can be stockpiled for easy access. Gathering up or creating weapons through altering allows you to have an arsenal ready for the times you are unexpectedly attacked. This allows you to have a ready supply of weapons for your entire clan.

As you learn specific neurons, your ability to use weapons successfully will increase. This lowers the chances of damage and increases your ability to cause harm.

When exploring in a group, your clan members may mimic using weapons they have in their hands automatically or even initiate it by themselves once the Group Defense (CO 06) neuron is learned. Pay attention to your clan in dangerous situations! The game AI is very bad at using this game mechanic and it could leave your clan members open to harm or even death.

Weapon Types

Wood

• Dead Branch
  • Stick
    • Sharpened Stick

Stone

• Basalt
  • Basalt Chopper
• Granite Rock
  • Granite Grinder
• Obsidian
  • Obsidian Scraper

Precious Stones

• Blue Agate
• Emerald
• Ruby
• Sphalerite
• Tourmaline

Miscellaneous

• Hard Bone
• Meteorite

Neurons

The following neurons impact weapons.

Image	Neuron	Neuronal Branch	Genetic Mutation?	Description
	Group Defense (CO 06)	Attack	No	Clan members have the ability to defend themselves during an attack, provided they have an effective weapon in hand.
	Proprioceptor Efficiency (BB WH 01)	Dexterity	Yes	The probabilities of inflicting a lethal blow are increased. HOLD (button) to prime counterattack. MOVE (button) to face the aggressor. RELEASE (button) at the right time to counterattack.
	Proprioceptor Efficiency (BB WH 01-2)	Dexterity	Yes	The probabilities of inflicting a lethal blow are increased. HOLD (button) to prime counterattack. MOVE (button) to face the aggressor. RELEASE (button) at the right time to counterattack.
	Proprioceptor Efficiency (BB WH 01-3)	Dexterity	Yes	The probabilities of inflicting a lethal blow are increased. HOLD (button) to prime counterattack. MOVE (button) to face the aggressor. RELEASE (button) at the right time to counterattack.
	Proprioceptor Efficiency (BB WH 01-4)	Dexterity	Yes	The probabilities of inflicting a lethal blow are increased. HOLD (button) to prime counterattack. MOVE (button) to face the aggressor. RELEASE (button) at the right time to counterattack.
	Proprioceptor Efficiency (BB WH 01-5)	Dexterity	Yes	The probabilities of inflicting a lethal blow are increased. HOLD (button) to prime counterattack. MOVE (button) to face the aggressor. RELEASE (button) at the right time to counterattack.
	Released Strength (BB CO 01)	Attack	Yes	A successful strike causes more damage. HOLD (button) to prime counterattack. MOVE (button) to turn toward aggressor. RELEASE (button) at the right time to counterattack.
	Released Strength (BB CO 02)	Attack	Yes	A successful strike causes more damage. HOLD (button) to prime counterattack. MOVE (button) to turn toward aggressor. RELEASE (button) at the right time to counterattack.