Lightning Shiv

Hitting an enemy spawns a lightning projectile that bounces 1/2/3/4 times and deals 5/6/8/11 (+80% Elemental Damage) damage

Unlock: Available from the start
Starting weapon for: 23 characters

Community builds that use it

ApprenticeLevel-ups give every damage stat, so hybrid weapons pay off: Plank, Lightning Shiv and Cacti Club, or SMG/Double Barrel Shotgun and Slingshot for ranged. Take Luck to reach the higher Max HP level-ups.
CrazyUse Precise weapons, which keep the full +100 Range, and push Crit Chance toward 100% with plenty of Melee Damage; Thief Dagger is the economy pick, Lightning Shiv, Shuriken, Claw and Icicle are the other main options. Leave Dodge negative and rely on Armor and Max HP instead.
CuriousAvoid duplicate weapons and mostly buy single copies of items; chase loot aliens with high base damage or elemental burn weapons. Javelin, Icicle, Double Barrel Shotgun and Brick are named entry points.
DemonItems cost Max HP, so early shopping at very low HP is normal; Ghost Scepter (which grants HP on kills) and Thief Dagger are the late-game picks, and Lightning Shiv the beginner-friendly one. Sharp Bullet helps Ghost Scepter clear.
GangsterSteal items each shop and kill the elites it spawns; guides favour ranged weapons (SMG, Revolver) to handle those elites, with Luck early so stolen items are better. Avoid stealing right before elite or boss waves until the build is strong.
LoudThe extra enemies supply materials, so skip Harvesting and pick weapons that handle crowds: Spear, Jousting Lance, Lightning Shiv and Thief Dagger for melee, Double Barrel Shotgun, Shredder, SMG or Slingshot for ranged. Take items that add more enemies.
MageElemental build carried by the starting Scared Sausage and Snake: buy more of both, stack Elemental Damage and Attack Speed, and use Tasers (slow plus Support harvesting), Icicles or Lightning Shiv, adding Flamethrowers when offered. Torch is suggested as a tankier start before switching around waves 8-9.
One-ArmedWith a single weapon and doubled modifiers, pick one that handles crowds: Slingshot or Lightning Shiv are the safe choices, SMG for high-roll Ranged Damage runs. Focus and Silver Bullet suit the one-weapon setup; switch to Nuclear Launcher or a legendary when offered.
SaverBuild a base of weapons and key items, then stop spending around waves 8-9 so held materials raise % Damage through the passive and Piggy Bank. Spear, Lightning Shiv, Icicle and Thief Dagger are recommended; Padding became a good pickup after its buff.
SickUse fast or multi-hit weapons so Life Steal outpaces the 1 HP-per-second drain: SMG, Slingshot or Lightning Shiv, with Bandana and other piercing items. Never buy Weird Ghost.
VagabondEach weapon counts toward every weapon class you hold, so get six different melee weapons with as many classes as possible; Cacti Club, Spear, Quarterstaff and Lightning Shiv starts are recommended. Ghost weapons and chasing Luck/Harvesting are discouraged.
VampireStay at low HP to boost damage and heal only through Life Steal; Spiky Shield, Stick, Lightning Shiv, Sharp Tooth or SMG are suggested, with Armor and some Dodge. Aim to keep HP around a third to half.
Well-RoundedNo restrictions, so any build works; the common picks are six SMGs or Double Barrel Shotguns with Ranged Damage, or Sticks/Spears as a primitive melee fallback. Take early Luck and Harvesting, then split between offence and defence.

Stats by tier

Tier I Common
Damage
3 (+80% Melee Damage)
Cooldown
1.01s
Crit
x2 (4% chance)
Range
150
Tier II Uncommon
Damage
6 (+80% Melee Damage)
Cooldown
0.93s
Crit
x2 (6% chance)
Range
150
Tier III Rare
Damage
9 (+80% Melee Damage)
Cooldown
0.86s
Crit
x2 (8% chance)
Range
150
Tier IV Legendary
Damage
15 (+80% Melee Damage)
Cooldown
0.78s
Crit
x2 (10% chance)
Range
150

Damage in brackets is added from your stats before %Damage multiplies the total; see the damage formula or the calculator.

DPS at tier IV

21.2 DPS with no stats, 43.7 at 20 Melee Damage and 77.6 at 50 (single target, every projectile hits, crits averaged): #46 of 58 weapons that scale with Melee Damage. Full ranking or your own stats.