Combat Tips For My Time At Sandrock

In an area as dangerous as the desert around town in My Time at Sandrock, it’s no wonder your builder needs to know how to hold their own in combat. Whether it’s Logan and his gang of bandits or the always-offensive Geeglers waiting to strike, you’re in for quite a few hand-to-hand experiences in Sandrock.

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Thankfully, there are plenty of different weapons for you to use to fend off these fiends, and the townsfolk are always interested in keeping their skills sharp, ready to spar with you for practice at almost any given moment. Be ready to kick some butt!

Updated on November 13, 2023: Now that we’ve progressed more into the story and have unlocked our guns, we’re back to update our My Time at Sandrock combat guide to add new weapons and info.

How Does Combat Work In Sandrock?

In My Time at Sandrock, combat is your builder’s primary method of defense against the assorted monsters and bad guys lurking out in the sands.

Before you get too far into My Time at Sandrock, you’ll likely have noticed a few stray monsters not far from your Workshop.

You’ll notice the further you wander through the desert, too, that there are plenty of various monster spawns outside Sandrock proper.

Once you’ve begun making tools as part of your initial arrival in Sandrock, you can use your tools as weapons until you get actual weapons a bit later on. The better the tool is, the more damage it will deal.

Different Weapons Offer Different Perks

As you try out different weapons in My Time at Sandrock, you may see that your weapon has gained a unique perk based on the type and quality of the weapon. This primarily has to do with its rarity and attributes.

Make different weapons and experiment with what works best for you! You can check out a weapon’s stats from your inventory before choosing what to use.

Additionally, be sure you’re spending your Combat Knowledge Points as you earn them. You can unlock combo attacks specific to each weapon, boost your stats, and more.

Sparring Offers Practice And Relationship Points

Bold and brash as he may be, Pen is the costumed superhero in town, and after a bit of teasing, he’ll give you the basics on how to fight.

When you first spar with Pen, you’ll be able to choose one of four weapons for the tutorial, which offers a bit of insight into how that weapon works.

• The spear has a slightly weaker stab but a longer range, allowing you to keep your distance.
• The large sword takes longer to actually swing but dishes out more damage per hit.
• The sword and shield offer both offense and defense, both with solid stats for each.
• The daggers are rather quick to use, but they require you to be within close range of the enemy.

Once you’ve chosen a weapon, Pen gives you a comprehensive tutorial on offense, defense, and combining the two in a proper fight. It’s quite likely you’ll lose here, but absorb the lessons and apply them when actually in combat!

From here, you can then invite the townsfolk to spar with you. They have different reactions to winning or losing, but you’ll typically earn relationship points with your opponent in addition to the helpful fighting practice.

How To Unlock The Pistol

When you and Justice fall from the recently repaired suspended tram car and into the abandoned ruins of Geegler Station, you’ve got quite an army coming your way. Thankfully, Justice has a spare gun he’s able to give you.

Unless you’ve been using Fireworks or Throwing Stones, this may be your introduction to ranged combat, which allows your builder to keep a distance while still attacking. Without question, the gun is much better than your starter projectiles!

You’ll need both gunpowder and ammo to use your gun, both of which can be made at your Workshop or purchased. You’re never forced to use the gun, but it certainly comes in handy!

You can later unlock different guns from the Commerce Store, like other weapons, which you can then build yourself back at the Workshop.

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How To Get New Weapons In My Time At Sandrock

Make Melee Weapons At The Worktable And Forge

As a builder yourself, it’s probably not a surprise to learn that you can make weapons at your Worktable, if you have the blueprints and materials necessary.

Additionally, once you’ve built the Forging Machine at your Workshop, you’ll be able to make all manner of weapons – both melee and ranged – straight from the machine.

The Forge is your primary weapons manufacturing machine in My Time at Sandrock, with the very best weapons limited to the Forging Machine and its upgrades.

Weapons Made At The Worktable

Weapons Made At The Forging Machine

Buy Melee Weapons From Hugo

If you’d rather spend your hard-earned Gols than your hard-found materials, Hugo operates Hammer Time, the blacksmith shop not far from your workshop. Interact with the cash register to the left of the door to open his shop.

Not only does Hugo sell materials, but he’s also pretty good at making assorted melee weapons. Everything you’ve tried in the sparring circle is available for purchase, so if you’ve found a new favorite weapon, grab it for a price.

All Weapons At Hugo’s Shop

Find Projectiles To Use As Ranged Weapons

As you go about life in Sandrock, you’ll begin finding items you can use as ranged weapons to safely fire from afar at your foes.

You’ll eventually have access to far more of them, but Throwing Stones that come from various rocks and rock scraps, as well as the Fireworks you get from handling the Rocket Roosters act as ranged weapons.

These tend to deal less damage, but for the trade-off that you’re able to keep your distance. You’ll also continue to unlock new ranged weaponry throughout the game, offering far more variation in the later chapters.

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