If you have not heard, Facepunch Studio’s multiplayer survival video game Rust is making its way to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles this year! Players new to the game or looking to refresh their skills ahead of the release can get plenty of practice on the game’s Steam port. If you are looking for a significant competitive edge, you will want to know how to stave off raiders.

To not get raided in Rust, practice solo on a dedicated server offline, then incorporate the defensive techniques you learn into online games. Some of the methods you can use to up your game include design choices like armored front doors, trick rooms, walls, barricades, and traps.

Are you tired of getting raided in Rust and not having that competitive edge? Read on to learn how to avoid this very scenario.

How To Not Get Offline Raided

Rust has a steep learning curve, making online play very difficult if you are not familiar with the game’s mechanics. After all, crowded servers will leave your fortress open to multiple raids before you even get a chance to get a handle on the game.

Luckily, it is possible to play Rust solo offline, leaving you time and space to practice crafting and building a fortress without outside interference. Here is a guide to enable offline solo play.

Download the Dedicated Server

The first step to playing solo offline is to download this dedicated server. This server is a .zip file, which means you will need to extract the files within the .zip folder to use them. However, both operating systems should have archiving tools already installed if you are a Windows or Mac user.

After extracting the files from the .zip, follow these steps to install the server:

1. Open the extracted "Rust Server" folder.
2. Open and run the file named "Run_DS.bat".
3. The file will install the server.

Once the dedicated server gets installed, you will be able to use it the next time you run the game.

Configure the Dedicated Server

The next time you play Rust on your PC, follow these steps to set up the dedicated server:

1. Open the console with the F1 button.
2. Next, type the command, "client.connect localhost:28015" into the console.
3. After pressing Enter, a new game will start on the offline server.

After you install the dedicated server, you will have a space to explore the world of Rust and study its gameplay. With no outside players to disturb you, this is a great tool to craft new tools and try out different techniques. For example, you can train yourself in some of the raid prevention methods you can use in online play.

How To Avoid Getting Raided in Rust

Getting raided online playing Rust is practically inevitable. However, that does not mean there is no preventive measure you can take to make raids happen less often. Protecting your house against invasions is an essential part of Rust gameplay.

An intimidating fortress can trap raiders in their tracks and discourage potential raiders from wasting their resources on a failed attempt. Here are some tactics you can use to defend your apocalyptic home:

Find a Secluded Location Away From Raiders

Like in everyday real-estate, location is everything when it comes to making your house raid-proof. However, it is best to make your location as inconvenient and inaccessible as possible in this case. For example, open fields or places close to monuments may seem like a great option. Unfortunately, if you have an easy time finding your home, so will raiders. Instead, focus on mountainous, enclosed areas that your opponents cannot see from a distance.

Furthermore, remember to accommodate for external defenses. Enclosed areas are great for hiding out. Still, you need enough room to protect your home if someone else finds it.

Have a Strong Front Door (Sheet Metal or Armored)

House protection is not an ‘open door’ policy. On the contrary, the door that serves as your front entrance needs to be as impenetrable as possible. Straightly put, a Wooden Door will not do at all. Wooden doors break down quickly with a little effort from a hatchet or pickaxe. Sheet metal or armored doors are much better options. These entrances require at least a couple of Timed Explosive Charges or a higher number of Satchel Charges to destroy.

Furthermore, I highly recommend doubling up your doors. Placing one door in front of another creates an airlock that will protect you from getting shot if someone manages to break down the first door.

Create Trick Rooms to Protect Loot From Raiders

Deception makes a great defense, especially against the raiders. Creating some trick rooms creates mind-boggling diversions that will redirect your opponents away from important loot. I suggest placing a pit with a pillar in the center in every trick room you design. This feature traps your opponent, and the post prevents them from crafting a staircase and escaping. Even if your opponent avoids falling in, they will lose resources breaking into the room.

Another deceptive design you can try is a door hidden by a staircase. This trick is more elaborate than it sounds. The scheme starts with a hallway lined with metal doors. However, only one of the doors has a staircase behind it. When the attacker finds the stairs, they will enthusiastically climb them to the top. In their excitement, they will miss the wooden door placed behind the staircase. This illusion is due to the door’s ability to blend in with the stairs.

The wooden door hides the actual staircase that leads to your loot. The diversion stairs lead to nothing but multiple metal doors. Between breaking down the entries in the hallway and the doors at the top of the stairs, the raiders will waste plenty of resources.

Avoid Creating a Loot Room (Chest Room)

One design choice I do not recommend is dedicating one room to all of your loot. A better strategy is dispersing the loot across multiple rooms. If you decide to have a dedicated loot room, design it with some tricks or traps to debilitate your opponents once they find it.

Build High Walls (i.e., High External Stone Walls)

External defenses are another effective defense against raiders when playing online. High walls are one example you can use. For instance, High External Stone Walls are a formidable option. These walls boast 500 health and will not go down before taking on two Timed Explosive Charges first. However, these stone walls are subject to decay, which means they require consistent maintenance.

Additionally, there are many kinds of barricades available to you to ward off raiders. All you need to do is install them around the base, except for the front door. Raiders will waste plenty of time and resources trying to break down these spiked barriers.

Use Booby Traps to Kill Your Opponents

Booby traps offer a dangerous defensive boon that can not only slow down but injure and kill your opponents. There are plenty of traps to choose from, including the Snap Trap, the Land Mine, the Auto Turret, and the Wooden Floor Spikes. These traps all require different materials. Here is a table to break it all down.

Snap Trap

• Furnace or large furnace
• 50 Metal fragments
• 1 Gear

Land Mine

• Furnace or large furnace
• 50 Metal fragments
• 100 Gun Powder

Auto Turret

• 1 Targeting computer
• 1 CCTV Camera
• 10 High-Quality Metals

Wooden Floor Spikes

• 300 Wood
• 1 CCTV Camera
• 10 High-Quality Metals

Final Thoughts

There are plenty of ways you can avoid getting raided while playing Rust. Beginners should focus on playing solo offline to learn the game without constant interference from other players. More experienced players can use their crafting skills to build plenty of defensive structures in and around their house. Between formidable armored doors, deceptive tricks, and diabolical traps, players have plenty of options to make their raiders pay! You can also make sure to have the best graphics settings for Rust to prevent lagging, freezing, or choppiness while playing.