Rust is a game that is filled with losses. It’s totally worth it though, as Rust makes your blood pump in a way no other game can. Even though I have come to hate certain aspects of the game, it always somehow brings me back, despite constantly taking losses. When you think about Rust, probably the first thing that comes to mind is the raiding.
Related: Take Rust wherever you go with the Rust notebook on Amazon. Check it out here.
When my friends and I played, we were always keeping a sharp lookout for any people who were scouting out our base for easy access. There were those people who did try, but our defenses were well kept.
There also were the people who had no lives whatsoever and played the game constantly. It was basically their job because it seemed like they would never run out of ammo or gear. As they slowly destroyed our base, we slowly migrated to another area because there really wasn’t anything we could do.
There are many tips and tricks to raiding in Rust and some of them are more effective than others. Some might only work on certain bases because of the way they are made. Raiding is a vital part of the game and it is necessary to understand the best possible ways to do it.
Related: Ultimate armor guide on Rust
1. Make sure you are geared up
Your loadout is your best friend when it comes to raiding other players. It needs to be full of items that you can use at your disposal to make everything easier for you. The better the weapon, the easier the fight will be. The better the armor, the longer you will last in the fight. Everything you have should be there for a reason. Don’t have senseless junk sitting in your inventory.
When you are preparing for a raid, you first have to go out and get all the materials needed to create certain items, so keep in mind that a raid isn’t something you can just go do at any time. Unless of course, the base only has 1 door and you can easily get into it. If you can get to the point where you are inside the base, you could use the enemy’s items, depending on if their chests are locked.
Armor – Armor is very important to have in a raid because if you don’t have it, you will take massive damage from the enemy if they are using a very good weapon. If you don’t have any armor, then I would highly recommend playing more to get some, or you will have a lot of trouble. Even if you don’t have any lower armor, a helmet is always recommended because it is the most vulnerable spot to get hit.
Bows – These weapons should be used only if you are going in stealthily. You should never use these in the actual raid though because they are very slow. They are very good, but not good enough for a fast-paced battle like a raid. You can use them to easily pick off enemies if they ever walk out of the base you are trying to raid.
Guns – Guns are the best thing you can use during a raid because it is more reliable than any bow during a firefight. The only downside to a gun is that it attracts unwanted attention to yourselves and you can run out of ammo really quickly if you are not careful. Also, try to keep an eye on your gun’s durability because it could break mid-fight.
Melee Weapons – These are what you will be using most of the time because of their quietness, strength, and durability. Depending on what weapon you are using, it could cut, slice, or bash anyone in your way. You just have to make sure that you hit flesh with the weapon so be wary of the enemies wearing armor.
Healing items – Healing items mean the matter of life and death most of the time. You always want to keep at least some bandages on you at all times because there is no doubt that you will take damage. The better the healing item, the more you should bring it to your fight. Although it does take a few seconds to use each one, it is better than dying.
2. Use the different explosives
Explosives are the other critical item that you need to raid a base unless you use a flamethrower on a wooden house. Even then you would probably still have to use an explosive to open something up inside the house or destroy a trap hidden inside. There are 3 different types of explosives and each of them plays an important role in the raiding process. Some are better than others so keep in mind that the better explosives are harder to make.
Here’s an awesome chart I found on Reddit that gives you all the numbers about how many explosives you’ll need as well as their cost to produce.
Charge – There are a total of 3 different charges in-game and those are Survey, Satchel, and Timed Explosive Charge. Each takes a certain amount of sulfur and materials to make and the more materials it takes to make, the better the explosive performs on the fortifications of the base.
Rocket – There are 2 rocket types in the game, and they both are very useful. The types are Regular and High Velocity. The Regular Rocket is best used for destroying a door or a wall, while the High-Velocity Rocket is best used to shoot vehicles and enemies. It is very helpful in raiding because of its high damage to structures.
Grenade – Grenades are very important for taking out the enemies inside the base. They are not good for destroying doors or walls so take that into account. The best time to use the grenade is to destroy a door with a charge like the Timed Explosive and then throw the grenade into the room to deal extra damage to the enemies inside.
3. Create a temporary base
When you are getting ready for a raid, you first want to scope the area around the base you are looking at. When you find a good spot that is open and you can see the base clearly, you should build a temporary base where you can fit sleeping bags just in case you die and you can also regroup if the raid does not go so well.
Your best bet is simply a 1×1 base with an airlock. Be sure to include a sleeping bag and as many chests as you can fit because you need a place to stash the spoils from your raid.
You also would want to build a cupboard in the house so people don’t build anything around your base and easily get in. Make sure that the person you are trying to raid does not suspect that you are going to raid them so don’t put the base in an obvious spot. Also, keep a chest in it so you can place extra weapons and healing items just in case you die.
The best place to make a temporary base is near a cliff or body of water because the side that is blocked is one less thing to worry about. The main thing is to have the base in full view so you can watch the patterns of the people going in and out of it. Try to learn how many people are in it and also what kind of weapons and gear they are packing.
4. Look for a weakness
Weaknesses are the main thing that you will be trying to find on a base to easily get into it. Look for points along the foundation of the base and also up high. The people could have been sloppy and not have fortified certain locations of the base. Knowing how to locate these weaknesses is key in completing the raid because if you can’t get into the base, then there is no raid at all.
Vantage Points – You have to use your surroundings to your advantage. When looking for a good base to raid, you first have to look at where the base is located. If the base is near a cliff, you have to see if you can get on top of the base using the cliff. Secondly, if there is any way to get under the base. I have seen people build bases where you can easily walk under it.
A Vulnerable Door – Another thing to look for is a wooden door. Wooden doors are much easier to break through and can easily be burnt down with a flamethrower. When people forget to upgrade a certain part of the base, it makes it vulnerable to attack. Keep that in mind when creating your base. Also when breaking through a door, it does not matter if there is a lock on it. The door has its own durability.
Non-upgraded Walls – Walls are also another thing to look at when finding a good base to raid. Most of the bases that will have good items to steal are the bases that are made of stone. Anything higher than that will be very difficult to get inside. Sometimes, the outside layer of the wall is the most upgraded, so if you can get through that first layer, it will be soo easy to get inside because of the non-upgraded structures inside.
An Open Door or Window – Look for an open door or window because the creators of the base can be sloppy at times. Use their mistakes against them and you will most likely succeed, depending on if they are ready for you or not. If there is an open door, run in and hide, and wait for the person to walk in. If there is an open window, craft some ladders and climb into it. Those are the perfect opportunities for a raid.
5. Build around the base
A great way to find new weaknesses is by building on the base. Base builders will often neglect to secure their roofs, so getting to the top could mean easy access to their base.
There are many things that you can place down, but only a few of them will have a big impact on gameplay and surviving from the raid. Also, structures you place around the territory can act as shields from oncoming fire from the enemy.
Ladders – Ladders are going to be your best friend because you can basically place them anywhere. When you place them on an enemy wall, you can climb up the first ladder and place a second one down. Use this strategy to climb to the top of the base if you can. Once at the top, you might have an easier time getting in because it is most likely unprotected.
Platforms – You are able to build with twig roofs that can be used as platforms to stand on. Rust allows you to do this even if they have a tool cupboard, so the best way to climb any base is a combination of ladders and twig platforms.
Traps – If you have any traps, try to place it down outside the base just in case the enemy comes out to fight. Place down spikes or even a turret near the base and lure them close to it. Once they are dead, that could be the perfect opportunity to get into the base and steal their items.
6. Get through the locks on the doors
Locks are the defense that blocks you from actually getting into the base. There are 2 types of locks and those are the basic lock and the code lock. The code lock is a lot more secure because you don’t have to have a ket to open the door as the regular lock does. There is also a chance where if you get killed, someone could steal the key to your base and just walk right in.
The main thing is to break the doors down with the lock, but that takes some time to get the material for the explosives. Raiding is not cheap so be ready to play the game for a while. The lock does not give any kind of extra defense to the door so don’t worry if you see a code lock, the door will take the same amount of explosives.
7. Get to the Cupboard
The cupboard is the heart of the base because, without it, anyone can build or destroy your base very easily. The easiest way to find the cupboard is when you finally get inside the base, look for another door that looks very protected and does not lead to the outside. The only downside to a cupboard is that the enemy could put a code lock on it, which means you have to destroy it.
You can claim the base as your own by destroying the tool cupboard and building a new one. If you manage to destroy the enemy’s doors, they’ll be locked out of their own base.
8. Watch out for traps
Traps on a base can mean life and death sometimes if you are not expecting anything. You could finally break open a door and there would be a turret sitting there and just straight up mow you down. The only way to avoid gun turrets is to wait until all the ammo is used up or destroy it with your explosive ammo. Here are the different traps you must watch out for:
Turrets – There is one gun turret in the game, and that is the Auto turret. The Auto turret is very hard to go against because it locks on to you and mows you down like nothing. It can be destroyed with a few explosives and explosive rounds.
Traps – There is a Shotgun trap, and it works much like the Auto turret, except that it does not swivel. Whatever direction you place it, that is the direction it will shoot at. Not as reliable as the Auto turret but definitely a good defense against enemies.
Spikes – Sometimes the enemy base will have spikes places all around the base so it is not easy for a player to get in using basic items like ladders. They don’t do that much damage if you tap against it, but if you fall on top of it, it is basically a death sentence. There are also giant metal spikes they can place around it as well as wooden ones so keep that in mind.
Mine – Mines are deadly if you step on one because you are as good as dead if you do. The enemy might have place mines around the base, so if they did, watch every step that you take. If you step on one, don’t move off of it because it only goes off if you step off of it.
Explainer Video
Here are some extra tips for you if you want to know more about raiding in Rust.
Conclusion
Raiding is a huge part of Rust because that is how some people get their items. When I played, my friends and I were constantly losing bases because there were always those players that lived in the game and were always playing. Remember that if you ever get into Rust, it basically turns into your job because of how much you need to play.