The planet you land on in Satisfactory isn’t always friendly. Nasty creatures prowl around, defending their territory. At the same time, you want to push your factories and research forward, which inevitably means confronting the local fauna. The question is how to approach these fights and what tools you have. You should also know which creatures you’ll face, how they attack, and what useful drops they provide for your research. Today we take a closer look at the Satisfactory combat system and how to get the most out of it!
Satisfactory weapons guide: all craftable weapons and ammo
The game offers a total of five weapons to defend yourself against the creatures on this alien world. It’s a varied mix of ranged and melee options, plus some explosive tools. With these you’ll be well-equipped to handle the wildlife.
Xeno-Zapper: This weapon is given to you right at the start and deals only 5 damage. It isn’t great, but it will get you through your first hours. Most smaller creatures can be handled with it. Later, you’ll craft the Xeno-Basher and the Zipline using the Zapper.
Xeno-Basher: The second weapon you’ll encounter. You unlock it in Tier 3 – Defensive Measures and it deals 9 damage, almost double the Zapper. You also need a Zapper to craft the Basher. It’s another melee weapon you swing like a sword.
Rebar Gun: This will be your primary ranged weapon. You unlock it in the MAM under Alien Megafauna, and you should do so early. The pistol supports four ammo types: iron, stun, shatter, and explosive. Iron rebars are your standard rounds; the others are situational. Base damage is 15.
Rifle: Unlocked in the MAM via Sulfur Research. It holds more ammo than the pistol, but individual rounds deal only 3–5 damage. It has three ammo types: regular, homing, and turbo ammo. In total, magazines can deal 60–300 damage — very handy later on.
Nobelisk Detonator: A remote trigger for several types of explosives. These can deal standard damage, release gas, discharge electricity, explode in clusters, or even set off a small nuke. Best used against larger groups. Damage ranges from 50 to 150, plus additional effects depending on type.
Satisfactory monster guide: enemy types and the best counters
You know the weapons — but what will you use them against? The planet where you’re building your giant factory is teeming with unfamiliar critters. Some fly peacefully, others ignore you, but a few are aggressive. If that annoys you early on, you can set creatures to “Passive” or “Retaliate” in the Options for some peace and quiet.
Creatures fall into three categories: passive, aggressive, and non-interactable. We’ll focus on the first two; the third group exists purely for world-building. You can’t interact with them, they can’t be damaged, and they drop no loot. This includes most flying animals and some land creatures.
Passive creatures in Satisfactory
These creatures are friendly and won’t attack. Some are even quite useful, so keep an eye out and try to interact with them.
Lizard Doggo: Adorable creatures that behave like dogs — hence the nickname. They’re orange and can be tamed with Paleberries. Move calmly and slowly so you don’t scare them. Once friendly, they’ll follow you or collect items.
Bird: A small green bird that won’t harm you.
Power Slug: Found in three colors and essential for MAM research. They don’t attack and deal no damage.
“Bean”: A strange land creature with a big body and thin legs. It can toss you into the air but is otherwise peaceful. Many players love it for its funny appearance.
Flying manta ray: Graceful animals that float through the air… or is it swim? Later on, you can ride them if you get high enough and manage to jump on.
Beetle: Long-legged insects that look dangerous but aren’t. Sometimes they emit a gas cloud, but it causes no damage.
Aggressive enemies in Satisfactory
Then there are the hostile creatures that definitely want to hurt you. Watch out for them. There are a handful of these, often with variants. Alpha versions are stronger. Other mutations align with elements like radioactivity or gas.
Flying Crab: Small flyers that hatch from egg-like nests. Destroy the egg to stop them from spawning.
Spore Flower: A stationary plant that releases poisonous clouds. Can only be destroyed with the Detonator.
Hog: Dinosaur-like beasts that primarily use charging attacks. Found almost everywhere, sometimes in stronger variants.
Spitter: Adaptable monsters common across many biomes. As the name implies, they spit and lob fireballs. Fight them from range as well for safety.
Stinger: Creepy spider-like monsters that act accordingly. If you’re arachnophobic, enable the setting in the menu to replace them with cute cat images. They move quickly and can pounce or climb. Be cautious.
Combat tips, equipment, and status effects
- Prepare protective gear: Use the gas mask against gas and the hazmat suit against radioactivity. This lets you explore areas with Spore Flowers or uranium more safely.
- Increase mobility: Blade Runners make you faster and boost your jump. A Jetpack or Hover Pack gives you more control in combat and while dodging. A parachute can save you from big falls.
- Healing & supplies: Bring Medical Inhalers and put them on your hotbar to heal quickly after taking hits.
- Plan your ammo: Keep enough Rebar and rifle ammo on hand. Use stun or shatter rebar for groups, explosive rebar for stationary targets like Spore Flowers.
- Positioning & kiting: Against Hogs, dodge sideways and counter in melee with the Xeno-Basher. Handle Spitters safely from cover with ranged fire. Use height and terrain for cover.
- Prioritize targets: Destroy crab eggs first to prevent endless spawns. Against groups, the Nobelisk Detonator is worth it — mind the blast radius.
- Use the loot: Collect alien carapaces and alien organs for MAM research and new tech (e.g., better ammo, gear, healing).
Conclusion: master Satisfactory combat and farm efficiently
Even though factory building is the focus, take a closer look at the planet’s vibrant fauna. From adorable critters to terrifying monsters, there’s a lot to discover. Sooner or later you’ll confront them to find important items and resources during your expeditions.
We recommend you rent one of our multiplayer servers for Satisfactory to take on the fight with friends: https://www.4netplayers.com/en/gameserver-hosting/satisfactory/. You’ll handle nasty creatures more easily and secure that valuable loot together.
