Complete Beginner's Guide to Rust
Welcome to Rust! This comprehensive guide will teach you everything you need to know to survive your first hours in one of the most challenging survival games ever made. Whether you're playing solo or with friends, these fundamentals will set you up for success.
Table of Contents
1. Understanding Rust
Rust is a multiplayer survival game where you start with nothing but a rock and a torch. Your goal is to survive against the environment, wildlife, and most importantly, other players. The game features a wipe cycle where servers reset regularly (weekly or monthly), giving everyone a fresh start.
Key Concepts
- Wipes: Server resets that clear all player progress
- Blueprints (BPs): Learned crafting recipes that sometimes persist through wipes
- Monuments: Points of interest with better loot but higher danger
- Rad Towns: Irradiated areas requiring protection but offering valuable items
- Safe Zones: Areas where PvP is disabled (Outpost and Bandit Camp)
2. Your First Spawn
When you first spawn on a beach, you'll have only a rock and torch. Your immediate priorities are:
- Find food and water: Look for mushrooms, corn, and pumpkins along rivers
- Gather basic materials: Hit trees for wood and rocks for stone
- Craft basic tools: Make a stone hatchet and pickaxe immediately
- Find hemp: Green plants that give cloth - essential for sleeping bags
- Avoid other players: Fresh spawns are easy targets
Spawn Tips
- • Press G to open your map and identify your location
- • Look for roads - they lead to monuments and outpost
- • Avoid snowy areas initially - you'll freeze without proper clothing
- • Listen for gunshots and avoid those areas
3. Gathering Basic Resources
Resource gathering is the foundation of Rust. Here's what you need and where to find it:
Wood
Hit trees with rock/hatchet. Look for red X marks for bonus wood.
Stone
Mine rock nodes with rock/pickaxe. Light gray nodes are best.
Metal Ore
Dark rock nodes give metal. Smelt in furnace for metal fragments.
Sulfur Ore
Yellow rock nodes. Essential for gunpowder and explosives.
Cloth
Harvest hemp plants (green bushes). Also from recycling.
Animal Fat
Kill animals (boar, deer, bears). Used for low grade fuel.
Pro tip: Always hit the glowing weak spots when harvesting for 2x resources and faster gathering.
4. Crafting Essentials
Your first crafting priorities should be:
1. Stone Hatchet
200 Wood + 100 Stone
Faster wood gathering than rock
2. Stone Pickaxe
200 Wood + 100 Stone
Essential for mining metal and sulfur
3. Sleeping Bag
30 Cloth
Respawn point - place in hidden locations
4. Wooden Spear
300 Wood
Basic weapon for hunting and defense
5. Bow and Arrows
200 Wood + 50 Cloth (bow) | 25 Wood + 10 Stone (arrows)
Ranged combat essential
5. Building Your First Base
Your first base doesn't need to be big - it needs to be secure. Here's how to build a starter 2x1:
- Craft a Building Plan and Hammer: 20 Wood each
- Find a hidden location: Away from monuments and roads
- Place a foundation: Use twig (wood) first
- Add walls, doorway, and roof: Complete the shell
- Upgrade to wood immediately: Twig decays in hours
- Place a door and lock: Wood door (300 wood) + Key lock (100 wood)
- Add Tool Cupboard: 1000 Wood - prevents others from building
- Place storage: Small boxes for loot
Base Building Tips
- • Always upgrade to stone when possible (300 stone per piece)
- • Place your TC in the center, protected by walls
- • Add an airlock (double doors) to prevent door camping
- • Spread loot across multiple boxes
- • Consider a 2x2 for more space and better defense
Starter Base Checklist:
- Tool Cupboard with resources for upkeep
- Sleeping bag inside
- Door with lock (make extra keys!)
- Storage boxes
- Furnace for smelting
- Workbench Level 1
6. Progression System
Rust uses a blueprint system for crafting advanced items. Here's how to progress:
Workbenches
Level 1
500 Wood, 100 Metal, 50 Scrap
Basic weapons and tools
Level 2
500 Metal, 20 HQM, 500 Scrap
Guns and advanced gear
Level 3
1000 Metal, 100 HQM, 1250 Scrap
High-tier weapons and armor
Getting Blueprints
- • Research Table: Learn BPs from items (costs scrap)
- • Experimentation: Random BP at workbench (scrap cost)
- • Tech Tree: Unlock specific BPs with scrap
- • Monument Puzzles: Elite crates contain items to research
7. Essential Survival Tips
Combat
- • Always heal to full before fights
- • Use bandages while moving, medkits when safe
- • Headshots do 2x damage
- • Practice bow aim on animals first
- • Avoid fights you can't win
Resource Management
- • Always keep food in your hotbar
- • Cook all meat before eating
- • Stack furnaces for faster smelting
- • Recycle unnecessary items for scrap
- • Farm at night when fewer players are active
Base Security
- • Upgrade to stone ASAP
- • Use honeycomb (extra walls) around main base
- • Multiple doors = more raid cost
- • Hide loot in multiple small stashes
- • Consider decoy loot rooms
Social Dynamics
- • Trust no one initially
- • Voice chat can defuse situations
- • Team up carefully - betrayals are common
- • Outpost/Bandit Camp are safe for trading
- • Build away from large clans
8. Common Mistakes to Avoid
Building Too Big Too Fast
Large bases attract raiders. Start small and expand gradually.
Not Managing Upkeep
Bases decay without resources in TC. Always stock 24+ hours of materials.
Carrying Everything
Only take what you can afford to lose. Depot frequently.
Ignoring Food/Water
Starving/dehydration kills quickly. Always carry food.
Making Enemies with Neighbors
Sometimes diplomacy is better than conflict.
9. Next Steps
Congratulations! You now understand the basics of Rust. Here's what to learn next:
Advanced Base Building
Learn about honeycombing, bunker bases, and raid defense
Monument Guide
Master puzzles and get the best loot
Electricity System
Automate your base with electrical components
PvP Combat
Improve your fighting skills and game sense
Remember
Rust has a steep learning curve. You will die, lose gear, and get raided - it's all part of the experience. Each wipe is a chance to improve. Focus on learning from mistakes and having fun. Good luck out there, survivor!
Frequently Asked Questions
What server should I join as a beginner?
Start with a low-population server (under 100 players) or a beginner-friendly server. Look for servers with 'noob friendly' or 'vanilla' tags. Avoid high-pop servers until you're comfortable with the game mechanics.
How often do servers wipe?
Most servers wipe weekly (every Thursday) or monthly (first Thursday of the month). Map wipes reset the terrain and bases, while blueprint wipes (less common) also reset learned recipes. Check the server description for wipe schedules.
What's the best starter base design?
A 2x1 with an airlock is the best starter base. It's cheap, secure, and upgradeable. Place your TC (tool cupboard) in the back, add a code lock, and upgrade to stone as soon as possible.
Should I play solo or join a team?
Both have advantages. Solo play teaches you all aspects of the game but is harder. Teams make progression easier but require trust and coordination. Many players start solo to learn, then join teams later.
What items should I prioritize researching?
Focus on: 1) Code lock (safety), 2) Metal tools (efficiency), 3) Garage door (base security), 4) Semi-automatic rifle (defense), 5) Medical syringe (healing). Save scrap for these essential blueprints.
Ready to Dominate?
Check out our tools to plan your raids and calculate base upkeep.
Continue Learning
Base Building 101
Learn how to build secure and efficient bases
Wipe Day Survival Guide
Master the chaos of wipe day
Resource Gathering Guide
Optimize your resource gathering routes
Upkeep Calculator
Calculate base maintenance costs
All Monuments Guide
Learn about every monument in Rust
Weapons Database
Browse all weapons and stats