Key Highlights:
- The Modern Axe is found at an abandoned camp near the Flashlight GPS locator on the western side of the island.
- It deals more damage and cuts trees more efficiently than the starting Tactical Axe, although it swings more slowly.
- The Modern Axe can later be upgraded with six Solafite using the Weapon Plater.
The Modern Axe is the first serious step up from the Tactical axe in Sons of The Forest. It is reliable for early fights and quick building, with better damage and block while keeping usable swing speed. I grab it on day one whenever possible, because it sets the tone for a safer start and faster base work.
From the crash, open your GPS and look to the northwest. You are heading for the purple locator that marks the flashlight body in the forest.
If that marker is already gone, use landmarks instead. Follow the river that runs to the coast and watch the road for a small gap in the path. As you approach, you should hear radio music.
The camp has two or three tents around a small clearing. The Modern Axe is on the body propped against the middle tent. If you prefer a shoreline cue, this camp sits west of the flashlight ping and inland from the north beach.
Loot the site quickly. Check the crates for C4 bricks, grenades, MREs, meds, and spare materials.
Smash the radio to harvest a circuit board for time bombs. Do not linger around for too long. There are cannibal camps north and south of this clearing and patrols drift through.
Equip the axe from your inventory, add it to the backpack, or bind it to a hotkey.
The Modern Axe has high damage, high block, medium range and low-medium swing speed. Compared with the Tactical Axe, you trade some attack speed for stronger melee damage and considerably better cutting power.
That makes it particularly useful early in the game because the same tool works well for both combat and large amounts of woodcutting.
In my testing, the Modern Axe brings down a mid-sized tree in about six swings, making it considerably quicker for gathering logs than relying on the Tactical Axe.
The next major axe upgrade is the Firefighter Axe, although obtaining it requires further progression because it is inside Maintenance A.
The Modern Axe can also be upgraded with six Solafite using the Weapon Plater. The process gives the axe its gold Solafite finish and increases its melee damage.
For more weapon locations and progression tips, check out our Complete Sons of the Forest Guide.
