In the gritty, zombie-infested world of H1Z1, survival hinges on your ability to scavenge, craft, and most importantly, maintain your arsenal. Whether you prefer to get up close and personal with melee weapons or keep your distance with firearms, understanding the tools at your disposal is crucial. This guide will walk you through the diverse weapon types in H1Z1, from makeshift melee tools to powerful explosives, and how to keep them in fighting shape.
Mastering Melee Combat in H1Z1
Melee weapons in H1Z1 are your reliable companions when ammunition is scarce or when you need to conserve your shots. These weapons can be found scattered throughout the map or crafted from basic materials. They are categorized into blunt and sharp weapons, each with unique damage profiles and uses.
Blunt Force: Blunt Melee Weapons
Blunt weapons are effective for dishing out consistent damage. While they may not cause bleeding like their sharp counterparts, they are readily available and can be lifesavers in the early game.
- Fists: Your starting weapon, dealing minimal damage (5% body, 9% head).
- Branch: A simple but slightly better option than fists (7% body, 13% head).
- Torch: Offers a bit more damage and can set enemies on fire (8% body and head).
- Lead Pipe, Wrench, Crowbar, Hammer: These offer similar damage output (8% body and head, except Hammer at 13% head), providing slightly more impact than basic branches.
- Baseball Bat & Aluminum Baseball Bat: These are stronger blunt weapons, capable of inflicting significant damage (12% body, 45% head).
Sharp Edge: Sharp Melee Weapons
Sharp weapons are more specialized, often causing bleeding in addition to damage. This damage over time effect can be particularly useful against both zombies and players.
- Makeshift Hatchet & Hatchet: Entry-level sharp weapons dealing moderate damage (10% body, 30% head).
- Combat Knife: A fast and concealable option, also with moderate damage (10% body, 30% head).
- Machete: A step up in damage, capable of inflicting significant wounds (12% body, 47% head).
- Wood Axe & Fire Axe: Heavy hitters among melee weapons, dealing substantial damage (17% body, 50% head). Importantly, axes and machetes can be used to chop down trees for resources.
- Wood Spear: Offers the longest reach of all melee weapons and deals high damage (19% body, 56% head). Spears can also be thrown for ranged attacks (38% damage) and retrieved.
Sharp weapons like axes, machetes, and combat knives are essential for dissecting animals to gather resources.
Ranged Supremacy: Guns and Bows in H1Z1
When you need to engage targets from a distance, ranged weapons are indispensable. H1Z1 offers a variety of bows and firearms, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.
Bows and Arrows: Silent and Versatile
Bows are craftable ranged weapons that offer stealth and versatility. Different arrow types add tactical depth to your archery.
- Makeshift Bow, Wooden Bow, Recurve Bow, Crossbow: All bows share the same damage stats (35% body, 100% head) but may vary in draw speed and durability.
- Arrow Types:
- Wood Arrow: Basic arrow for standard damage.
- Flaming Arrow: Sets targets on fire for continuous damage.
- Explosive Arrow: Deals instant kill damage and area-of-effect damage.
Firearms: Power and Precision
Firearms offer superior firepower but require ammunition and can attract unwanted attention due to their noise.
- Pistols:
- R380: Low damage, but common (15% body; 50% head).
- M9: Better damage than the R380 (17% body; 100% head).
- M1911A1: Solid damage pistol (25% body, 100% head).
- .44 Magnum: Hard-hitting pistol (30% body, 100% head).
- Shotguns:
- 12 Ga Pump Shotgun: Devastating at close range (100% body and head). Damage is proximity-based.
- Rifles:
- AR-15: Versatile assault rifle (25% body, 100% head).
- AK-47: Powerful assault rifle (29% body, 100% head).
- .308 Hunting Rifle: High damage sniper rifle (64% body, 100% head).
Firearms can be modified with Gun Upgrade Kits to add features like select-fire modes or flashlights, and also repair durability to maximum. Larger caliber rounds increase the chance of causing severe bleeding.
Explosives and Traps: Area Denial and Crowd Control
Explosives and traps are powerful tools for controlling areas, dealing with groups of enemies, or setting ambushes.
Grenades: Thrown Explosives
Grenades are found items that can be thrown to inflict damage or create tactical advantages.
- M67 Frag Grenade: Standard explosive grenade.
- M47 Gas Grenade: Creates a cloud of toxic gas causing continuous damage and coughing, revealing enemy positions.
- M83 Smoke Grenade: Provides visual cover.
- M-84 Stun Grenade: Blinds enemies with a flash.
Improvised Explosives and Traps: Crafted Destruction
Improvised explosives and traps can be crafted and offer various offensive and defensive options.
- Land Mine: Explodes 5 seconds after proximity trigger. Detonatable by gunfire.
- I.E.D. (Improvised Explosive Device): Timed explosive (15 seconds after lighting). Detonatable by gunfire.
- Molotov Cocktail: Creates an area of fire, causing continuous damage. Detonatable by gunfire.
- Biofuel & Ethanol: Can be shot to cause detonation, useful for environmental explosions.
- Traps:
- Fire Trap: Creates an area of fire.
- Shock Trap: Stuns enemies.
- Gas Trap: Releases toxic gas.
- Flash Trap: Blinds enemies.
Traps are triggered by pressure plates. Molotovs and Fire Traps create persistent fire damage areas, while Gas Grenades and Traps create toxic gas areas. Stun Grenades and Flash Traps offer temporary incapacitation.
Ammunition: Keeping Your Guns Firing
Ammunition is essential for ranged combat and can be acquired through looting, killing other players, or crafting.
Finding Ammo: Scavenging for Supplies
Ammo can be found in various locations across the map, including:
- File cabinets in offices, gas stations, and houses.
- Tables in campsites.
- Shelves in supermarkets.
- Random locations within buildings and containers.
- Carried by zombies and other players.
Crafting Ammo: Resource Management
Ammo can be crafted at a workbench by breaking down existing rounds into bullet components and reassembling them into the desired caliber. However, it takes two bullet components to craft a single round, making scavenging more efficient. Arrows of all types can be crafted without a workbench using wood sticks and other materials.
Weapon Repair and Durability: Maintaining Your Gear
All weapons in H1Z1 have durability, which decreases with use. Maintaining your weapons is crucial for long-term survival.
Weapon Repair Kits: Field Maintenance
Weapon Repair Kits are found in wrecked vehicles or looted from players. They are single-use and restore a fixed amount of durability (250 or 500 depending on the kit).
Gun Repair Kits: Advanced Maintenance
Gun Repair Kits can be crafted at a workbench by breaking down guns into gun parts. They provide a more significant durability repair for firearms than standard Weapon Repair Kits.
Durability and Weapon Degradation
Max Durability represents a weapon’s overall lifespan. It decreases by 200 when a player dies while carrying the weapon and further reduces each time the weapon is used to kill another player. If durability reaches zero, the weapon breaks down into Broken Metal Items, which can be used for crafting. Regular repair is essential to prevent weapon breakage and maintain combat effectiveness in H1Z1.
By understanding the diverse arsenal available in H1Z1 and mastering weapon repair, you’ll significantly increase your chances of survival in this unforgiving world. Remember to scavenge wisely, craft strategically, and always maintain your weapons to stay one step ahead of the hordes and other survivors.
