Grounded Equipment Guide
In Grounded, your gear determines whether you feast or become a spider's lunch. With three tiers of armor and weapons, plus a robust upgrade system through science, this guide covers every piece of equipment and optimal loadouts for every stage.
Equipment Tier System
| Tier | Science Cost | Materials | Best For |
| Tier 1 | 100–200 Raw Science | Basic bug parts | Early exploration, first bases |
| Tier 2 | 500–1,000 Raw Science | Advanced bug parts | Mid-game, Hedge/Pond/Haze |
| Tier 3 | 2,000–5,000 Raw Science | Upper yard bug parts | Endgame, Mant/Broodmother |
Progression Tip: Don't skip to Tier 3 immediately. Each tier's armor set has a set bonus that synergizes with specific playstyles. Mixing tiers is often optimal.
Complete Armor Sets
Tier 1 Armor
| Set | Defense Each | Total Defense | Set Bonus (3+ pieces) | Crafting Materials |
| Clover | 1 | 4 | +1 additional heal from all healing items | 5 Clover Leaves, 3 Woven Fiber |
| Grub | 1.5 | 6 | +2 extra stamina per attack/combo | 4 Grub Hide, 3 Woven Fiber |
| Acorn | 2 | 8 | +2 armor (stacking) | 3 Acorn Bits, 2 Woven Fiber |
| Red Ant | 1.5 | 6 | +1 attack, +1 hauling strength | 4 Red Ant Parts, 2 Woven Fiber |
Set Analysis
| Set | Best For | Why |
| Clover | Healers, early game survival | Extra healing means fewer deaths. Clover is free (craft from grass) — great starter set. |
| Grub | Stamina builds, two-handed weapons | The stamina bonus lets you swing heavy weapons 2–3 more times before tiring. |
| Acorn | Tanks, first spider fights | Highest Tier 1 defense. The +2 armor from the set bonus stacks with everything. |
| Red Ant | Hauling, combat | +1 hauling means you can carry a weed stem without Grass Chestplate. +1 attack is a flat damage increase. |
Tier 1 Recommendation: Acorn set for defense, Red Ant set for general utility. Grub set for stamina-heavy builds.
Tier 2 Armor
| Set | Defense Each | Total Defense | Set Bonus (3+ pieces) | Crafting Materials |
| Spider | 3 | 12 | +3 attack, +2 poison damage | 6 Spider Silk, 4 Spider Fangs |
| Ladybug | 4 | 16 | +3 armor, heal 25% on perfect block | 4 Ladybug Head, 5 Ladybug Shell |
| Koi | 3 | 12 | +3 stamina regen, +2 perfect block window | 4 Koi Scale, 3 Koi Fish Scale |
| Bee | 2.5 | 10 | +2 attack, +5% crit chance | 5 Bee Fuzz, 4 Bee Stinger |
Set Analysis
| Set | Best For | Why |
| Spider | Max DPS, poison builds | The poison damage procs on every hit, stacking with venom weapons for 15+ damage over time. |
| Ladybug | Tank builds, perfect block practice | The perfect block heal makes you nearly unkillable against most Tier 2 enemies. |
| Koi | Parry-focused builds, boss fights | Extended perfect block window (from 0.3s to 0.5s) makes parrying significantly easier. |
| Bee | Crit builds, ranged | Bee armor + crossbow + Bee Shooter mutation = 20%+ crit chance for massive burst damage. |
Tier 2 Recommendation: Ladybug for general combat. Koi for boss fights. Spider for DPS builds.
Tier 3 Armor
| Set | Defense Each | Total Defense | Set Bonus (3+ pieces) | Crafting Materials |
| Fire Ant | 4 | 16 | +4 attack, corrosion on enemies | 8 Fire Ant Parts, 5 Fire Ant Mandible |
| Roly Poly | 6 | 24 | +5 armor, taunt enemies on heavy hit | 4 Roly Poly Shell, 3 Roly Poly Head |
| Moth | 4 | 16 | +4 stamina regen, slow fall | 6 Moth Fuzz, 4 Moth Scale |
| Mant | 5 | 20 | +5 attack, executions restore HP | 8 Mant Parts, 4 Mant Claw |
| Widow | 4 | 16 | +3 attack, venomous retaliation on hit | 8 Widow Fang, 5 Widow Venom |
| Roller | 3 | 12 | +3 hauling, increased sprint speed | 4 Roller Skate parts, 3 Wheel Spindle |
Set Analysis
| Set | Best For | Why |
| Fire Ant | Corrosion builds, speedrunning | Corrosion reduces enemy defense by 15%. Combined with Mint Mace, this shreds anything. |
| Roly Poly | Ultimate tanking | 24 base defense + taunt = the enemy focuses you while teammates DPS. Self-heals well with ladybug trinket. |
| Moth | Exploration, kiting | Slow fall is a mobility blessing. Great with bows for hit-and-run. |
| Mant | Endgame DPS | Executions restoring HP lets you chain-kill groups. Best for upper yard exploration. |
| Widow | Poison stacking | Venomous retaliation damages enemies that hit you. Stack with Spider set bonus and widow dagger. |
| Roller | Farming runs | +3 hauling + sprint speed makes material gathering fast. |
Tier 3 Recommendation: Roly Poly for survivability, Mant for damage, Fire Ant for debuffing.
Complete Weapons Database
Tier 1 Weapons
| Weapon | Damage | Stun | Speed | Special | How to Get |
| Pebblet Axe | 8 | 10 | Medium | Harvesting | Crafted: 2 Pebblet, 2 Woven Fiber |
| Pebblet Hammer | 7 | 20 | Slow | Smashing | Crafted: 3 Pebblet, 2 Woven Fiber |
| Red Ant Club | 15 | 40 | Slow | +50% stun to ants | Crafted: 2 Red Ant Mandible, 1 Web Fiber |
| Larva Blade | 8 | 5 | Fast | Burn on hit | Crafted: 2 Larva Spike, 1 Silk Rope |
| Sprig Bow | 8 | 0 | Medium | Ranged | Crafted: 2 Sprig, 3 Woven Fiber |
| Pebblet Dagger | 6 | 5 | Very Fast | Speed | Crafted: 2 Pebblet, 1 Silk Rope |
Early Best: Red Ant Club — highest damage and stun in Tier 1. One-shots worker ants.
Tier 2 Weapons
| Weapon | Damage | Stun | Speed | Special | Where to Craft |
| Bone Dagger | 12 | 5 | Very Fast | Bleed (5 dmg/2s) | Crafted: 3 Bone, 1 Silk Rope |
| Mosquito Needle | 15 | 10 | Fast | Life steal (5 HP/hit) | Crafted: 2 Mosquito Beak, 1 Silk Rope |
| Crossbow | 30 | 0 | Slow | Ranged, weapon upgrade | Crafted: 3 Silk Rope, 2 Woven Fiber |
| Spider Fang Dagger | 18 | 10 | Very Fast | Venom (10 dmg/5s) | Crafted: 4 Spider Fang, 2 Silk Rope |
| Insect Hammer | 20 | 50 | Slow | Smash Tier 2 | Crafted: 3 Bombardier Part, 1 Boiling Gland |
| Salt Morning Star | 28 | 30 | Medium | Salty (+30% salt damage) | Crafted: 5 Salt, 3 Spider Silk |
| Antlion Greatsword | 35 | 35 | Slow | +20% fire damage | Crafted: 5 Antlion Part, 2 Antlion Pincer |
| Tick Blood Needle | 18 | 10 | Fast | Life steal (8 HP/hit) | Crafted: 2 Tick Abdomen, 1 Silk Rope |
Mid Best: Mosquito Needle for survivability (life steal = infinite sustain). Salt Morning Star for raw damage.
Tier 3 Weapons
| Weapon | Damage | Stun | Speed | Special | How to Get |
| Coaltana | 55 | 40 | Medium | Fire (20 dmg/5s), +50% to spiders | Crafted: Mant drops + charcoal |
| Mint Mace | 65 | 60 | Slow | Minty (+50% to ladybugs, 20 dmg/5s) | Crafted: Mint Shard + moth parts |
| Rapier of Life Steal | 30 | 15 | Fast | Life steal (15 HP/hit) | Crafted: Widow Fang + spider silk |
| Widow Fang Dagger | 28 | 15 | Very Fast | Venom (20 dmg/8s) | Crafted: 4 Widow Fang, 2 Silk Rope |
| Club of the Mother Demon | 70 | 80 | Slow | Venom + stun | Broodmother drop |
| Black Ox Hammer | 50 | 70 | Slow | Smash Tier 3, stun bonus | Crafted: 4 Black Ox Part, 1 Black Ox Horn |
| Sour Battle-axe | 68 | 50 | Medium | Sour (+50% to robots, -25% armor) | Crafted: 2 Sour Glob, 8 Fire Ant Parts |
Endgame Best: Club of the Mother Demon (highest damage), Coaltana (spider meta), Mint Mace (general DPS).
| Tool | Tier | Purpose | Materials |
| Pebblet Hammer | 1 | Crush rocks, pebbles | 3 Pebblet, 2 Woven Fiber |
| Insect Hammer | 2 | Crush larger rocks, mints | 3 Bombardier Part, 1 Boiling Gland |
| Black Ox Hammer | 3 | Crush everything | 4 Black Ox Part, 1 Black Ox Horn |
| Pebblet Axe | 1 | Chop grass, small weeds | 2 Pebblet, 2 Woven Fiber |
| Insect Axe | 2 | Chop weed stems, large plants | 2 Stinkbug Part, 1 Spider Silk |
| Crow Crossbow | 2 | Ranged tool, shoot down berries | 1 Crow Feather, 2 Silk Rope |
| Tool | Effect | Materials |
| Web Glider | Glide from high points | 6 Spider Silk, 2 Berry Leather |
| Dandelion Tuft | Slow fall (consumable) | 1 Dandelion |
| Lilypad Trampoline | Launch upward (stationary) | 2 Lilypad Wax, 1 Koi Scale |
| Zipline | Rapid travel (stationary) | 3 Silk Rope, 2 Stem, 1 Weed Stem |
Upgrade Path Through Science
Weapon Upgrade Tiers
| Level | Cost | Effect |
| 0 (Base) | None | Base stats |
| 1 | 500 Science + Brittle Whetstone | +10% damage |
| 2 | 1,000 Science + Brittle Whetstone x2 | +20% damage |
| 3 | 2,000 Science + Sturdy Whetstone | +30% damage |
| 4 | 3,000 Science + Sturdy Whetstone x2 | +40% damage |
| 5 | 5,000 Science + Supreme Whetstone | +50% damage + special effect upgrade |
| 6 | 8,000 Science + Supreme Whetstone x2 | +60% damage + enhanced special |
Science Farming Locations: | Location | Raw Science Per Run | Time | |----------|-------------------|------| | Hedge Lab | 2,000–3,000 | 20 min | | Pond Lab | 1,500–2,500 | 25 min | | Haze Lab | 3,000–4,000 | 30 min | | Black Anthill Lab | 2,000–3,000 | 20 min | | Upper Yard survey | 1,000–2,000 | 15 min |
Recommended Loadouts
Melee DPS
| Slot | Item | Why |
| Armor | Mant (full set) | +5 attack, execution heals |
| Weapon | Club of the Mother Demon | 70 damage, venom stun combo |
| Secondary | Rapier of Life Steal | Sustain between fights |
| Mutation 1 | Coup de Grass | +10% crit chance |
| Mutation 2 | Meat Shield | +50 HP |
| Mutation 3 | Parry Master | Easier perfect blocks |
Tank
| Slot | Item | Why |
| Armor | Roly Poly (full set) | 24 defense, taunt mechanic |
| Weapon | Mint Mace | High stun, minty damage |
| Secondary | Black Ox Hammer | Crush armor, more stun |
| Mutation 1 | Meat Shield | +50 HP |
| Mutation 2 | Parry Master | Perfect block easier |
| Mutation 3 | Mithridatism | Poison resistance |
Archer
| Slot | Item | Why |
| Armor | Moth (full set) | Stamina regen, slow fall |
| Weapon | Crossbow (Tier 2+) | 30+ damage at range |
| Secondary | Widow Fang Dagger | Melee backup + venom |
| Mutation 1 | Bee Shooter | +10% ranged crit |
| Mutation 2 | Sprint Distance | Kite enemies forever |
Poison Stacker
| Slot | Item | Why |
| Armor | Spider (legs + hood) + Widow chest | 3 attack + venom + poison synergy |
| Weapon | Widow Fang Dagger | 28 dmg + 20 dmg/8s venom |
| Secondary | Club of the Mother Demon | Venom + stun |
| Mutation 1 | Blade Master | +30% dagger damage |
| Mutation 2 | Coup de Grass | Crit synergy with poison procs |
Equipment Tips & Tricks
- Armor doesn't stack via multiple pieces of the same set — The set bonus activates at 3+ pieces. You need 3 different pieces (hood, chest, legs) for the bonus.
- Mix Tier 2 and Tier 3 — Wearing 2 Roly Poly pieces + 1 Ladybug piece gives you most of the tank bonus plus the healing. Experiment.
- Weapon upgrade > new weapon — A fully upgraded Tier 2 weapon often out-damages a base Tier 3 weapon. Upgrade before replacing.
- Mutations are equipment — You can equip 3 mutations (5 endgame). Treat them as part of your loadout. Change them per fight.
- Durability matters — All equipment has durability. Carry repair glue (2 Sap, 1 Insect Part) for mid-expedition repairs.
- Elemental matchups — Mint > Ladybugs/Spicy Coaltana. Spicy > Spiders/Fire Ants. Salty > Salt enemies/Sour. Sour > Robots/Ox beetles.
- Trinkets — You can equip 1 trinket (from bosses/labs) for additional bonuses like +HP regen or +block efficiency.
- Blocking > dodging — Perfect blocks (timed right before hit) negate all damage and stagger the enemy. Practice on weevils.
- Web armor works underwater — Koi armor doesn't slow swimming. Spider armor doesn't slow climbing. Read armor descriptions.
- Gliders stack with Moth armor — Web glider + Moth set = you can cross the entire upper yard in one glide.