LocalScript in StarterCharacterScripts not working on server?

The script below works when testing locally in studio, but fails to work when tested on a server. For the life of me I can't figure out why, I figured I'd ask here because it's probably something small that I overlooked.

sidenote: excuse all the prints, i tried using them to debug to no avail

local replicatedStorage = game:GetService("ReplicatedStorage")
local equipToolEvent = replicatedStorage:FindFirstChild("EquipToolEvent")

local player = game.Players.LocalPlayer
player:WaitForChild("Backpack")
local humanoid = game.Workspace:WaitForChild(player.Name):WaitForChild("Humanoid")
wait(2.5)

function getWeapons()
    local backpack = player.Backpack
    if backpack then
        print("backpack")
        local weapons = {}
        for _, weapon in pairs(backpack:GetChildren()) do
            print("getting " .. weapon.Name)
            table.insert(weapons, weapon)
        end 
        return weapons
    else
        print("!backpack")
    end
end

function getBestWeapon(weapons)
    if weapons then
        print("weapons")
        local bestWeapon
        for _, weapon in pairs(weapons) do
            print(weapon.Name)
            if bestWeapon then
                if weapon.Values.Damage.Value > bestWeapon.Values.Damage.Value then
                    bestWeapon = weapon
                end
            else
                bestWeapon = weapon
            end
        end
        return bestWeapon
    else
        print("!weapons")
    end
end

local weapons = getWeapons()
local bestWeapon = getBestWeapon(weapons)
if bestWeapon then
    equipToolEvent:FireServer(bestWeapon.Name)
else
    print("!bestWeapon")
end