How to Play Rust: The Ultimate Beginner’s Survival Guide

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Are you ready to dive into the brutal and thrilling world of Rust? This popular multiplayer survival game will put your skills to the test as you gather resources, craft tools, and weapons, build bases, and fight to stay alive against other players and environmental threats.

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It’s not for the faint of heart, but with the right knowledge and strategy, even a total beginner can learn to thrive in Rust.

In this ultimate beginner’s guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to get started, from choosing a server and gathering your first resources to building a secure base and crafting weapons to defend yourself. Let’s get into it!

How to Play Rust?

How to Play Rust: A Step-by-Step Guide

Choose a server

Select a low-population server if you’re a beginner.
Look for a newly wiped server to start on an even playing field.
Consider factors like server location, gameplay style, and community.

Create your character

Customize your character’s appearance.
Choose a unique username that doesn’t reveal personal information.
Prepare to spawn into the world naked and without any items.

Gather basic resources

Collect wood by hitting trees with your rock.
Gather stones by finding boulders with shiny spots and hitting them with your rock.
Pick up cloth from hemp plants scattered around the map.
Be mindful of your surroundings and avoid drawing attention to yourself.

Craft essential tools

Open your inventory and navigate to the crafting menu.
Craft a stone hatchet using 200 wood and 100 stone to gather wood more efficiently.
Create a stone pickaxe with 200 wood and 100 stones to mine rocks and ores.
Craft a wooden spear with 300 pieces of wood for basic defense against animals and players.

Build a shelter

Gather enough wood to craft a building plan (20 wood) and a hammer (100 wood).
Find a secluded spot to build your first base, preferably hidden from view.
Use the building plan to place a foundation, then use the hammer to upgrade it to wood.
Build walls and a roof around your foundation, creating a small shelter.
Craft a wooden door and lock to secure your base.

Expand Your Base

Continue gathering resources to expand and fortify your base.
Upgrade your walls to stone for increased durability.
Create an airlock by adding a second door to your entrance.
Build multiple rooms to store loot and create a respawn point.
Place a tool cupboard (TC) in your base to prevent others from building nearby.

Craft Storage and Utilities

Craft small and large wooden boxes to store your items.
Create a sleeping bag using 30 clothes to set a respawn point inside your base.
Build a furnace (200 stone, 100 wood, 50 low-grade fuel) to smelt metal ore.
Set up a research table (200 wood, 75 scrap) to learn item blueprints.

Explore the world

Venture out from your base to discover monuments and points of interest.
Search for loot crates, barrels, and other sources of valuable items.
Visit the Outpost or Bandit Camp to trade with NPCs and access vending machines.
Engage in PvP combat or avoid confrontation, depending on your playstyle and goals.

Progress through the tech tree

Collect scrap from recycling components or complete puzzles at monuments.
Research new item blueprints at the research table using scrap.
Craft progressively better gear, weapons, and tools as you unlock them.
Work towards late-game items like assault rifles, explosives, and high-quality armor.

Join or create a clan

Consider joining forces with other players to share resources and protect each other.
Communicate with your team using voice chat or the in-game messaging system.
Collaborate on larger projects like building a clan base or raiding other groups.
Engage in clan wars, politics, and diplomacy as you establish your group’s reputation.

Remember, Rust is a sandbox game with no set objectives or endpoints. The beauty of the game lies in the emergent gameplay and player-driven experiences. Experiment with different strategies, adapt to the ever-changing world, and most importantly, have fun!

Tips to Play Rust Survival Game Like a Pro:

#1: Choosing the Right Rust Server for Beginners

One of the first key decisions you’ll make is which server to play on. You might be tempted to jump right into a packed server with hundreds of players for maximum action. While that can be a real adrenaline rush, it’s not the best choice when you’re first starting out.

Instead, as a beginner, you should look for a low-population server. The emptier, the better! Here’s why:

Less risk of being attacked right off the bat by experienced, aggressive players.
More space to quietly gather resources and get your bearings.
Avoid large groups/clans that will easily overpower you.

Also, consider the age of the server. Brand new servers are ideal for beginners since other players won’t be as developed yet.

Factors	Best Choice for Beginners
Population	Low (emptier the better)
Server Age	Brand new

#2: Gathering Resources Wisely

Rust has a day/night cycle and your very first task should be resource gathering, focusing on the essentials of wood and stone. But there are some important things to keep in mind:

Don’t start at night! If it’s dark when you first join, leave and re-join until you get daytime. Nighttime is dangerous and disorienting for freshspawns.
Use your rock to hit trees for wood and boulders with a shiny spot for stone.
Don’t get greedy! Gathering too many resources at once risks attracting unwanted attention from other players who will see you as an easy target.
Be stealthy, keep moving, and spread out your gathering.

#3: Your First Rust Base

Your next immediate priority is to get a simple starter base built ASAP using your wood and stone. This will give you a relatively safe place to store resources, craft, and respawn. You’ll need to craft:

Building Plan (20 wood)
Wooden Hammer (100 wood)

Use the building plan to place a twig foundation, then upgrade it to wood with the hammer. From there, build wood walls and a roof around it. Avoid windows or large gaps.

But location matters too! As you explore a building site, keep the following in mind:

Find someplace discrete, like in a forest or near rocks/cliffs to stay hidden from players
Consider building in a cold area. It’s harder to survive there but also less attractive to raiders
Avoid building right next to high-traffic areas like roads or major monuments

#4: Craft Essential Tools

Tools are critical in Rust. Two that you’ll want ASAP are:

Stone Hatchet – Chop trees faster for wood
Stone Pickaxe – Increases stone yield and allows mining metal and sulfur ore

Crafting better tools should be one of your top priorities after building a starter base.

#5: Sleeping Bags and Respawns

By default, when you die in Rust, you’ll respawn at a random location – very dangerous when you’re trying to build up!

To give yourself a respawn point, craft a Sleeping Bag with cloth and place it inside your base. Some important notes on sleeping bags:

Each bag has a unique name and can only be used once every 5 minutes
You can’t place bags too close together (within 15m)
If you die before the cooldown is up, you’ll still respawn randomly
Multiple bags = multiple respawn points (very useful!)

So craft and place bags early and often! This lets you respawn in your base if you die.

#6: Expanding and Fortifying Your Base

A simple wood hut won’t protect you for long in Rust. To be more secure, you’ll want to quickly expand to a multi-room base with airlock and upgrade walls to stone. A few base building tips:

Use airlocks (a square or triangle foundation piece between doors) to prevent enemies from rushing straight in
Create a Core for your TC and valuables surrounded by multiple layers of walls/doors
Honeycomb your design (add extraneous walls/rooms) to make raiding more expensive
Upgrade to metal doors and place metal barricades as you’re able

#7: Essential Crafting: Tools, Weapons, Storage

As you progress, you’ll want to quickly craft some key items:

Tool Cupboard (TC) – Protects your base from other players building nearby. Should be placed in the heart of your base.
Storage Boxes – Basic item storage. Make as many as you can fit!
Furnace – Smelt metal ore into metal fragments for crafting
Weapons – Craft a Wooden Spear or Bow ASAP to help defend yourself

Prioritize the workbench too. Having a workbench dramatically speeds up your crafting – very important as you advance your base and gear!

#8: Surviving Combat and Raids

PVP combat is a core part of Rust and you WILL die a lot, especially as a new player! Some combat tips:

Craft the best weapon you can ASAP, especially ranged weapons like the hunting bow
Don’t be afraid to avoid fights, especially against geared players. There’s no shame in running and hiding!
Listen for enemy movements and predict their peaks. Use alt-look to peek from safety.
Build a shooting floor on your base with a peek down to defend during raids

Getting raided is inevitable, but there are ways to mitigate losses:

Spread loot out between multiple bases.
Use hidden stashes to store valuables separately from your main base.
Place traps like shotgun traps or land mines to kill or hurt raiders.
Always have a backup base to fall back to.

#9: Progressing and Thriving

Once you’ve mastered the basics of getting established, farming, crafting, and surviving Rust opens up! Some key mid/late-game priorities:

Craft high-tier weapons like rifles or SMGs.
Make explosives like satchels or C4 for raiding.
Trade with other players for items you can’t craft.
Complete monument puzzles for high-tier loot.
Try to find a group to play with for safety in numbers.

But above all – explore, take risks, and have fun! Rust is a brutal and unfair game, but every mistake is a chance to improve and every accomplishment is truly earned. Keep at it and you’ll be dominating in no time.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some good starter weapons?

Craft a spear and bow ASAP! The spear helps with close-range defense and the bow lets you engage at range. Upgrade to a crossbow when you can.

How do I prevent offline raiding?

Build smart (airlocks, honeycombing, traps) and hide your best loot in stashes or other bases. No base is unraidable though, so always expect to be hit.

What monuments should I prioritize?

Focus on Harbor, Gas Station, and Supermarket for low-tier crates/barrels early on. Move to Airfield, Sewer Branch, and Train Yard for better loot midgame.

What’s the best way to store loot?

Use vending machines! They’re expensive but indestructible and only you can access them. Great for your most valuable items.

How many C4s does it take to break a sheet metal door?

Two. Sheet metal doors have 250 health and C4 does 550 damage. Most groups will use explosive ammo or rockets instead though.

How can I quickly progress as a solo player?

Build near safe zones like Bandit Camp or Outpost to access recyclers, vendors, and minigames. Avoid high-traffic PVP areas until you’re geared.

How do I earn scrap quickly?

Recycle components at a recycler! You get loads of scrap this way. Also, do monument puzzles and run the road.

What should I research first?

Go for key weapons (revolver, double barrel, semi-auto rifle) and armor, then move to raid tools (explosives) and traps.

What’s the best defense against door campers?

Shotgun traps! Place one facing your front door to kill anyone who tries to camp you.

How do I survive a raid if I’m online?

Utilize peek-downs and shooting floors, move loot to hidden stashes ASAP, and try to kite the raiders through traps. Most importantly, don’t panic! Use your base design to your advantage.

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Conclusion: Go Survive and Thrive!

Ultimately, Rust is a game of creativity, resourcefulness, and sheer determination. There’s no one “right” way to play – experiment with different weapons and tactics, take chances and learn from each life.

It can be a brutal, frustrating, and downright unfair game – but that challenge is what makes it so special.

For every defeat, there’s an equal chance to come back even stronger next time. So craft up, fortify your base, and head out into the world with newfound confidence.

With the tips and tricks in this guide, you’re well-equipped not just to survive your first hours and days, but to truly thrive in Rust.

See you on the battlefield, survivor.