Rust is a survival game where players build their own bases and fight each other for loot until the server gets wiped. Though there are many other things to do, base raids are the most popular pastime for most Rust players.
Due to bases being such an important part of the experience, all Rust fans, new and old, need to learn how to properly build structures that will last raids and keep their loot safe.
Recommended Read: Tips on How to Raid in Rust
Unfortunately, there is no easy way to learn how to build in Rust, as most users are usually too preoccupied with killing you to actually help you out.
Luckily, if you are a beginner Rust player, you are in the right place, as we will show you everything you need to know about how to build a base, what tools and resources you need, the best locations to place your base, and some basic designs/layouts.
Table of Contents
- Why Building is Very Important in Rust
- How to Build Your First Starter Base in Rust
- Where is a Good Place to Build in Rust
Why Building is Very Important in Rust
If you are just getting started in Rust, you might think that building isn’t as important or interesting as looting Monuments and fighting players/NPCs.
However, you will need a place to deposit the amazing items and weapons that you find in your adventures.
This is why building is very important in Rust, and all players should learn how to do it properly.
Once you master building, you will realize that getting loot is much more rewarding when you can actually keep it.
How to Build Your First Starter Base in Rust
There are quite a lot of things you will need to learn to build your first starter base in Rust, and we will go through all of them:
What is a Starter Base in Rust?
When you first start Rust, you won’t have enough time to gather resources and build a mighty base. Your starter base will be the location where you gather all your resources and prepare to build your real base.
Usually, the starter base should be placed close to the location where you plan to have your real base.
The starter base should also usually be extremely easy to make and maintain, as we will explain later how easily a base can be destroyed if you can’t pay for its upkeep.
This base will only exist to give you a good place to get started and then should be abandoned for better, larger, and safer options.
Tools and Necessary Resources to Build a Starter Base
To build a starter base in Rust, players will need two tools:
- Building Plan
- Hammer
You can craft both of these items either by pressing Q and selecting them or by opening your inventory and selecting them from the bottom right corner. The Building Plan will cost Wood x20, and the Hammer will be Wood x100.
To build the starter base that we will recommend you to make, you will also need an extra Wood x25 for the foundations, Wood x74 for the walls and doorways, and Wood x13 for the floors (roof).
Since you will also have to upgrade your base to be made out of Stone rather than twigs or Wood, you will have to gather Stone x3,345.
When it comes to doors, players need to build and place Sheet Metal Doors if they don’t want people getting in. A single Sheet Metal Door costs Metal Fragments x150.
Since this might be hard right at the start, you can also momentarily place Wooden Doors, which cost Wood x300 a piece.
The last item on the list that is necessary to make a base in Rust is the Tool Cupboard (TC). The TC is a mandatory item that players will need to have in their base if they don’t want others coming in whenever they want.
The TC creates an invisible forcefield around your base that will stop other players from building and destroying your base using the Hammer or other tricks.
So, to build the best starter base in Rust that we will explain in detail in a few seconds you will need these exact resources:
- Wood x232
- Stone x3,345 (or the same amount in Wood if you want a Wooden base)
- Metal Fragments x300 (or Wood x600 if you want to quickly finish the base)
How to Build in Rust
To build in Rust, you will need to equip the Building Plan. Once you do this, you will start seeing the blueprint of a foundation in front of you. If you left-click, you will place that foundation exactly how you see it.
You can only place a structure if it is blue while you are using the Building Plan.
If the structure is red, then it means that something is wrong. Usually, the terrain might be uneven, or you are too close to a base or Monument (named location).
Once you’ve placed a foundation, you can start placing either more foundations or walls that are directly attached to it. You just have to see how the blueprint sits when you look at where you want to place the new structure.
To change what type of structure you are trying to build in Rust, just press and hold the right mouse button. Hover over the new structures that appeared on the wheel in the middle of the screen and left-click when you find the one that you want to use.
Generally, you will only need to know right now about foundations, walls, doorways, and floors. Foundations and floors can have two different looks. They can be either triangles or squares. Floors work as roofs for most bases.
You will have to separately craft doors to place on doorways. If you don’t use doorways, you cannot place doors. So, be careful not to wall in your base.
The Hammer can be used to upgrade structures and to rotate them, if necessary.
Walls have a soft side and a hard side, and you will have to make sure that you place the soft side on the interior. We went into more detail about the soft side of walls in our raiding guide.
Best Starter Base Design
The best starter base design will only need these structures:
- Doorways x2
- Sheet Metal Doors x2
- Square Floors x2
- Square Foundation x2
- Triangle Floor x1
- Triangle Foundation x1
- Walls x6
You can see the exact design in the image above. To start, you will just have to place two square foundations right next to each other and then place a triangle foundation to the side. This way, you will have more than enough space for everything you need.
The triangle foundation will be placed there to create an airlock so that you can leave your base without someone killing you right at the door.
Once you have those three foundations set, you will have to place walls everywhere except two places.
You will have to build doorways in between the square foundation and the triangle one, and then another one on the side of the triangle foundation that is facing the inner side of the base.
You will place two doors on those doorways. Now, every time you leave your base, you will open the first door, advance in the triangle, close the first door, and then exit the base.
If someone catches you exiting the base, everything inside will still be safe.
If you also set the outer door in such a way that it will open on the inside, the door will also block the pathway to the second door, allowing you to spawn in and fight whoever came inside.
Now, build the two square floors over the two square foundations and also a triangle floor over the airlock. Make sure to upgrade your base to have at least Wooden materials, as it will otherwise explode when someone attacks.
How to Upgrade Your Base in Rust
To upgrade your base’s structures in Rust, you will have to use the Hammer. Just hold it in your hands and hold down the right mouse button to open the upgrade wheel.
If you hover around, you will see all the upgrade options for the structure.
At this point, you will only have two viable options: Wood or Stone. Wooden structures are very weak, but they are a million times better than the Twig structures you have now.
Stone structures are really good at the start of the game, and they usually hold their ground for a long time. The Stone base will require quite a lot of resources from raiders to bring down, so quickly upgrade to this level.
What Items to Place Inside the Starter Base
Now that you have your Stone starter base set, you just need to craft some deployables and place them inside the base. The only items that you will need in your starter base are:
- Tool Cupboard x1
- Large Wood Box x2
- Sleeping Bag x2
- Workbench x1
- Furnace x3
The TC is the most important item as anyone can get inside your base if you don’t place it. The TC will protect your base from decaying if you feed it resources.
All structures in Rust slowly lose HP if you don’t repair them. The TC repairs them for you if you place the necessary resources inside of it.
You don’t have to worry about the amounts and types of resources you need, as you can see all of that when you open the TC.
The TC should be placed as far away as possible from the doors, as it is the most important thing in your whole base. If you look at the image we used of the starter base, you can place the TC in the upper left corner.
On top of that same square fountain, you can also place two Large Wood Boxes to place all your starting loot.
One box should be placed horizontally, right at the edge between the two square foundations, and the second one vertically, in the upper right corner.
You should try to cram those in that room since you can later place a wall frame in between the square foundations and then place a Garage Door or Sheet Metal Double Doors there to defend your loot and TC.
In the other room, you will have to find the space to place a Workbench, three Furnaces, and one or two Sleeping Bags.
Where is a Good Place to Build in Rust
The best place to build your base in Rust is at least one or two squares from one of the important Monuments in the game. The best location you can have a base close to is the Outpost.
At this place, players can buy almost every resource they need in Rust. It is also an incredible location, as players can’t attack each other without getting killed by sentries there. They also can’t loot your body, even if you die.
Some other good places to set up your base are the various mines. The best one would be the Sulfur mine, as you need this resource more than anything in Rust. However, you should be careful as you won’t be the only one looking to profit from this.
As a starting player, the Abandoned Supermarket and Oxum’s Gas Station are also decent choices, as they will be a constant source of food and simple resources.
The only problem is that there will be a lot of other beginners around the area, so try not to place your base too close. Otherwise, they will constantly attack your base.
That’s everything you need to know about building and how to do it in Rust!
Have any input or suggestions for this guide? Let us know in the comment section below.
