Building a base in Rust can be a daunting task for new players. Not only do they have to survive long enough to find a good spot, but they also must farm enough materials without dying to actually start building.
It can be very frustrating to see that little notification pop up saying, “Your base is decaying,” especially when you’ve spent a while trying to build it. Fortunately, there’s an easy fix for that.
Why is your base decaying? It’s decaying because you don’t have any materials in the tool cupboard. The tool cupboard allows you to claim land so that other players can’t build on it, and you need to place the appropriate amount of resources in it to stop the decay.
I’ll briefly explain how the TC (Tool Cupboard) works so you can start building without worry.
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Why you need a Tool Cupboard
Without one, anyone could walk up and start building on your land. They could easily access the top parts of your base and make it easier to raid you.
However, TC’s don’t stop them from building twig structures on your land. People can also place ladders on your base, but they can’t build anything that will be harmful to your base.
How to use a Tool Cupboard
Back in the early days of Rust, players would simply close enclose their TC into a wall and never touch it again. With the addition of decay, this is no longer possible.
You should place it in an area of your base that’s well defended, and then you should put a lock on it. There is quite a bit of inventory space inside it that people often use as chests early in game.
Once you authorize yourself on it, you can then build in that area. Anyone else authorized on it will be able to build, and a lock will prevent random people from becoming authorized.
When you press “E” on a TC, the inventory opens and you can see all of its storage space. At the top of the TC, you’ll notice that it shows you what kind of resources you need and how much to put in. The amount shown in-game is enough to keep your base from decaying for 24 hours.
Once you’ve placed the appropriate materials inside the TC, your base will stop decaying. The bigger the base is, the more materials you’ll need. Also, whatever material your base is made out of is what the TC will require. Wood bases require wood to be put in, and sheet metal bases require metal fragments.
