Wipe Day in Rust is the great equalizer. Whether you’re a veteran or just stepping into the world of Rust for the first time, it’s the moment where everyone starts from scratch—no base, no gear, no blueprints. The stakes are high, and the competition is fierce. But with the right strategy, you can avoid the early chaos and secure a strong start that sets the tone for your entire wipe.
What is a Wipe?
A wipe is when a server resets everything—bases, inventories, blueprints—bringing everyone back to square one. Forced wipes happen once a month with major updates. However, many community servers perform weekly or biweekly map wipes while keeping blueprints intact. Always check the server description before joining so you know what you’re walking into.
Phase 1: The Spawn Rush
The moment you spawn, resist the urge to grab every node or barrel in sight. The first move should be to open your map and decide whether your spawn location is viable. Look for areas near recyclers, safe zones, or high-value monuments—but avoid beaches and open areas where clans tend to dominate.
Top Tip: Push deeper inland as quickly as possible. Most players stay close to the beach; if you can move beyond the initial chaos early, your survival odds spike dramatically.
Phase 2: Group Up and Gear Up
If you’re playing with friends, group up fast. There’s safety in numbers, especially during wipe day’s chaotic early hours. If solo, remain stealthy and avoid PvP where possible—it’s rarely worth the risk when you have no base to fall back on.
Instead of harvesting blindly, head toward roads and harvest red barrels for low-grade fuel, and grab any cloth or foodalong the way. Once you have enough fuel, locate a rail line on the map and find a train. Using the train to travel inland is an excellent way to bypass dangerous hotspots and reach quieter, loot-rich zones.
Phase 3: Establishing Your Base
When you’ve found a good spot, place a sleeping bag first. This creates a respawn point in case things go wrong. Then begin farming stone and wood as quickly as possible. Build a 1×2 with an airlock—if playing solo—or a 2×2 if you’re with a group. Prioritize crafting a wooden door, key lock, building plan, and hammer.
Choose a discreet location. Building in dips or near cliffs can help keep your base out of sight. For your airlock, ensure the outer door opens inward and the inner one outward—this creates a tight space that prevents both from being open at once, making it harder for someone to rush in.
Next, place your Tool Cupboard (TC) to lock down your territory. With that, you’ve officially got a base and a checkpoint to launch from.
Phase 4: Upgrading and Fortifying
Your wooden door won’t hold long, so your next focus is upgrading to a sheet metal door and adding a code lock so all teammates can access it. You’ll need metal ore, cloth, and animal fat to craft a furnace. Red barrels and animals are your best sources for fat and cloth early on.
Once you have metal fragments, build the new door and install your code lock. This marks a major milestone—your base is now significantly more resistant to opportunistic raiders.
Phase 5: Gearing for Combat and Scrap
With a secure base, it’s time to arm yourself. At a minimum, craft a bow and arrow. Then start roaming nearby roads for crates and toolboxes. Not only can you score armor and weapons early, but it’s also a great way to gather components and scrap.
Pro Tip: Water Treatment Plant is one of the most efficient early scrap runs, often netting 400+ scrap in under two minutes.
Once you’ve got the scrap, craft a workbench and begin unlocking key blueprints via the tech tree. These blueprints stick with you for the entire wipe—even if you’re raided. Early unlocks like the nail gun, wooden armor, and doors/lockswill massively boost your survivability.
Phase 6: Expansion and Efficiency
Move out of your starter base as soon as possible into your planned main base. If you can, invest in a jackhammer early by purchasing one at Outpost or finding one via vending machines or crates. It’s a huge time-saver for gathering stone and other essential materials.
Phase 7: Early Oil Rig Run
Once you’re armed and have some meds, consider a run on small oil rig. If solo, the small rig is more manageable, with only 15 scientists. For large teams, the large oil rig (26 scientists) offers better rewards.
Keycard Route:
- Green card – Gas Station or Supermarket
- Blue card – Harbour (requires green)
- Red card – Water Treatment Plant (requires blue)
Consider completing the Dive Master mission at the Fishing Village. You’ll need a scuba set (price varies) and to untie 10 underwater crates. Your reward? A pump shotgun with 16 shells, ideal for early rig fights.
Take a boat (125 scrap), find one on a beach, or swim if desperate. Approach the oil rig and snipe scientists with a bowbefore boarding. Once on, take it slow, use cover, heal often, and bait enemies around corners. After clearing the rig, use your keycard on the terminal to access military and elite crates.
Phase 8: Advanced Strategy – Investment Bases
Trap bases are risky and rarely work twice. A better option is to create investment bases. Build a basic-looking structure near active zones, stash a crate of wooden spears or pickaxes underground, and place a sleeping bag.
Players who find the base will often take it over and begin farming from it. Later, when they’re offline or distracted, you spawn in, dig through the ceiling, and loot everything they’ve stored. With multiple investment bases, this strategy can generate passive income while your enemies do the hard work for you.
Wipe day is intense—but it doesn’t have to be chaotic. Plan smart, move quickly, and avoid unnecessary fights. If you do it right, you’ll be comfortably set up while others are still fighting over their second rock.
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