Nail Gun

An uncommon ranged weapon that fires a nail dealing 1 damage and applying +1 Thorns to the target. The direct damage is negligible, but Thorns causes enemies to take damage when they deal melee hits — so this works best pre-emptively, stacking Thorns on enemies before they close into melee range. Multiple Nail Gun shots stack the Thorns level, making aggressive melee enemies hurt themselves the harder they press.

Thorns stacks additively, so hitting the same enemy twice gives Thorns 2, three times gives Thorns 3, and so on. An enemy with Thorns 5 will take 5 damage every time it lands a melee hit. Against multi-hit melee attackers, this quickly adds up to significant self-inflicted damage. The Nail Gun's ranged delivery means you can stack Thorns before the enemy ever reaches you.

A niche but powerful weapon in reactive builds that thrive on being attacked. Pairs well with Barbed Paw and other items that grant passive Thorns, stacking the effect from multiple sources for higher retaliation damage. Most effective against enemies known for high melee attack frequency — particularly challenging floors where melee swarm enemies would otherwise overwhelm your defenses.