The vast island of Sons of the Forest harbors many threats, from cannibalistic mutants to wild animal attacks. Having a reliable ranged weapon like the pistol at your side can mean the difference between life and death. In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll cover everything you need to know about obtaining the pistol, keeping it loaded with ammo, adding powerful attachments, upgrading for maximum damage, and using it effectively against the island‘s many dangers.
The Pistol‘s Core Stats and Attributes
Before enhancing the pistol, it‘s good to understand the base stats:
- Damage: 8
- Fire Rate: 600 RPM
- Reload Speed: 2.5 seconds
- Magazine Size: 15 rounds
- Attachment Slots: 3
These attributes can be boosted substantially through upgrades and attachments. For example, here‘s how the stats improve across upgrade levels:
| Upgrade Level | Damage | Fire Rate (RPM) | Reload Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | 12 | 660 | 2.3s |
| Level 3 | 18 | 720 | 2.0s |
| Maximum | 27 | 780 | 1.8s |
Choosing upgrade paths that align with your playstyle is key. As an aggressive player, I tend to prioritize damage and fire rate first.
Now let‘s get into finding that pistol!
Retrieving the Pistol from Its Ocean Location
The pistol‘s location is marked on your map with a purple icon, overlapping with the position of one of the GPS locators you can recover. Specifically, this one resides in the ocean, requiring an underwater trip to obtain.
As shown in the map image above, you‘ll want to head for the beach and prepare for a swim. Keep medicines, bandages, or herbal mixes ready in case you run into wildlife, and don‘t forget your rebreather!
I cannot stress enough the importance of the rebreather here – trying to retrieve the pistol while constantly surfacing for air makes you shark bait! Equip it in advance.
Once at the location, you should spot an inflatable boat guarded by a circling tiger shark. These beasts move fast and hit hard – 85HP gone from one bite in my last run-in! Waiting it out seems risky with oxygen ticking down too. Instead I ignite a flare – the chaos buys me time to climb aboard the boat while the shark is distracted.
A bloodied body lies in the boat along with scattered ammo boxes and flare guns. But the main prize is the humble yet deadly pistol. As a fan of handguns in shooters, I‘m giddy with excitement picking it up for the first time! However the happy moment is cut short when the boat is suddenly rocked by a deliberate ram…the shark‘s back for round two!
A few frantic shots help scare off the predator once more so I can safely dip into the ocean and leave the area. Though with only two pistol mags as starting ammo, I‘m eager to hunt for more…
Securing Additional Ammo at Camps and Objectives
Ammo in Sons of the Forest comes in identifiable green crates. As you explore, keep an eye out for camps, caves, bunkers, and completed objective areas as prime spots to grab more magazines for your pistol. Resupply often, as you’ll burn through rounds quickly in heated combat. If faced with a swarm of enemies, consider falling back to find more ammo before taking them head on.
In one desperate moment, I expend all ammo reserves including pistol rounds defending against a cannibal raid on my coastal camp. Their chieftain soaks up a full mag while mutated tribesmen flank from all sides, backed by skeletal sorcerers raining projectiles. Once the pistol runs dry I‘m forced to retreat deeper inland.
Thankfully I soon chance upon a small cannibal outpost with access to an underground mining tunnel. The narrow confines give my katana and Molotovs an advantage in wiping out resistance. Inside I discover an abandoned underground laboratory, with desks and lockers holding useful supplies…including a green ammo cache filled with 9mm rounds! My pistol is back in business – these should last a while if I use shots carefully.
Now to upgrade this weapon to its full deadly potential…
Improving Accuracy and Stealth with Advanced Attachments
While the pistol itself packs a decent punch, upgrading it with attachments found across the island makes it even deadlier. Here are some of the most useful pistol add-ons to collect:
Laser Sight
The laser sight drastically improves hip fire accuracy, allowing precise shots even when moving or firing quickly. To obtain it, head to the maintenance bunker entrance marked on your map:
Use a shovel at the site to uncover a hidden underground door. As it emerges something slams against the door from inside, aggressively trying to break through! I ready a Molotov in one hand, pistol in the other as I pull open the door.
A crazed mutant charges out but is quickly set ablaze, buying me a minute to descent into the bunker. Dim fluorescent lights barely illuminate the gloomy corridors. I soon reach a central control room – a desk inside holds the laser sight! Unfortunately I also spot movement in the rear door – three mutants sneak up weapons drawn! My pistol barks lead while I retreat room to room trying to thin the horde. Eventually I put down the last assailant and finally grab the laser sight upgrade. This hip-fire boost will prove invaluable in many future run-ins…
Suppressor
The suppressor attachment muffles the sound of gunshots, allowing for stealthier takedowns. It’s held in another maintenance bunker with a similar dirt-covered entrance marked on the map:
This time I approach more cautiously, lobbing a lit explosive into the bunker first. The blast badly wounds a tough mutant inside, allowing me to safely claim the spoils including suppressor, med kit, and a useful map showing locations of plane crash sites across the island.
Soon this silenced pistol lets me quietly take down a clueless cannibal from behind, avoiding detection from his nearby companions. Stealth kills are extremely useful when you’re outnumbered!
Flashlight
For targeting foes in dark caves or nighttime encounters, the flashlight add-on improves visibility. It’s found inside one of the island’s cavern complexes marked here, near some deceased explorers:
Follow the dark tunnels, expecting resistance from spiders and mutants. At a fork, take the right passage, leading to the flashlight amongst the dead.
I underestimate the cave threat initially, trying to save pistol ammo and engaging spiders in melee. This costs me precious health and armor by the time I secure the flashlight attachment. However on exiting the cave, the flashlight quickly proves itself allowing aimed shots against nocturnal predators, saving me from becoming dinner!
With the right attachments, your pistol is ready to take on any challenge the island has to offer! But we can make it even stronger…
Boosting Lethality at the Workbench
Back at one of your camp workbenches, you can invest weapon parts, cloth, booze and other materials into upgrading the pistol directly. This expands the upgrade tree, increasing fire rate, reload speed, damage and more.
Some key upgrade tips:
- Prioritize damage first for dropping foes quicker
- Extra ammo capacity eliminates worries about running dry
- Enhanced fire rate lets you unload shots rapidly
- Faster reloads prevent you getting caught helpless
My personal preference is to boost damage, then range/accuracy for early rounds. This allows dropping mutants fast before they reach melee range. By mid game, upgrading magazine size prevents ammo worries in long battles like defending the heart of the island against endless mutation spawns. Fast reloads also help when things get frantic!
With these pumped up stats, your pistol will erase threats with ease!
Mastering Pistol Combat Tactics
To fully leverage your upgraded pistol’s potential across the island’s many battles, keep these combat tactics in mind:
Target Enemy Weak Points
Aim for headshots on humanoid mutants to inflict massive damage and conserve ammo. Center mass shots work too. Stay mobile and keep your distance.
A sneaky trick is to target the shamans first – their ranged attacks are extremely dangerous. Then clean up the melee mutants while kiting them around obstacles.
Use the Environment
Lure aggressive wildlife into spike traps for an instant kill. Or pull down suspended spiked logs onto enemies by shooting the ropes above. The pistol can finish off weakened stragglers.
In one of my most desperate battles, I run completely dry on ammo against a deadly clan of mutants. With spears, arrows, and fists flying my way, I fall back and dive into a small pond. Most enemies rush straight in after me. Then with my last explosive I destroy a weak dam wall upstream, unleashing a surge of water that sweeps the soaked enemies straight into a field of spikes! The pistol pops their heads as the water carries them through the traps. Environment manipulation for the win!
Soften Up Groups from Afar
Open fire at range with pistol or bow to thin numbers first. Pick off lone mutants wandering away from their pack. Then carefully flank and clean up survivors up close.
The pistol‘s boosted range and laser sight assists in long distance shots before closing in. I like to carry some explosives and fire arrows too for flashy diversions!
Combine Tools with Firearms
Using Molotov cocktails against mobs softens them up for pistol fire. Traps help slow targets for easy shots. The pistol in turn covers escape if things get dicey.
In one encounter, the newfound chainsaw helps me quickly chop down small trees to block pursuing mutants. While they clamber over the obstacles I blast them from cover with the pistol, scoring easy kills.
As you familiarize yourself with Sons of the Forest’s many threats, tailor your pistol tactics accordingly. The strategies above combined with your fully kitted out weapon will turn the tide in even the most desperate battles for survival.
Just remember to keep that ammo reserve stocked for the long road ahead! This gun will quickly become your most trusted companion.
