The tool cupboard controls who can build in your base, keeps the structure from decaying, and claims the ground around you. It is the first thing you place and the last thing you want a raider to reach.
Put the TC down before you do anything else. Until it is placed, anyone nearby can build freely in your area. The moment it goes down it creates a no build zone and you become the only person who can build and upgrade within it.
Place it in the room furthest from your entrance, ideally behind its own locked door. A raider has to blow through every wall between the outside and the TC to reach it. The further back it sits, the more it costs them.
The TC costs 1,000 wood to craft. It does not require a workbench. Make it one of your first crafts on a new wipe alongside your sleeping bag and lock.
Open the TC and click Authorise to add yourself. Anyone not on the auth list is building blocked within your no build zone. They cannot place foundations, upgrade pieces, or place deployables.
Authorise teammates by having them open the TC and click Authorise themselves, or open it yourself and add them manually. Remove someone from the list by opening the TC and clicking Clear List or removing them individually.
If a raider reaches your TC without destroying it they can clear your auth list and authorise themselves. This effectively gives them the base. It is why TC placement and the lock on its door matter more than almost anything else in the base.
The TC's no build zone extends outward from every foundation connected to the base, not from the TC itself. The more you build, the larger the zone. A larger base claims more land that unauthorised players cannot build on.
This stops raiders placing twig foundations mid-raid to build a tower against your walls or reach your roof. It also stops neighbours encroaching on your position after you have established the base.
External TCs extend your claim beyond your main build. Place a TC on a small foundation outside your existing no build zone and it creates a second zone from that point. Useful for locking down open ground around a larger compound or denying a neighbour access to a specific spot.
The TC slowly consumes resources based on the total number of building pieces connected to the base. Open the TC and check the upkeep tab to see exactly how much it costs per day and how long the current stock will last.
| Tier | Upkeep resource | Cost per piece per day (approx) |
|---|---|---|
| Twig | Wood | Negligible |
| Wood | Wood | Low |
| Stone | Stone | Medium |
| Metal | Metal fragments | High |
| Armoured | High quality metal | Very high |
A mixed base uses multiple resources simultaneously. If the TC runs out of any one resource, the pieces of that tier start decaying even if other resources are still stocked. Keep all required resources topped up, not just the most common one.
Pieces do not take damage while the TC has resources. Decay only starts when a resource runs completely dry. Once it starts, different tiers go at different rates.
| Tier | Time to full decay (TC empty) |
|---|---|
| Twig | 1 hour |
| Wood | 3 hours |
| Stone | 5 hours |
| Metal | 8 hours |
| Armoured | 12 hours |
A fully decayed piece has zero health and can be demolished by anyone. If your stone base decays while you are offline, every wall is open. Stock the TC. This is not optional.
If a raider destroys the TC, the no build zone drops immediately. They can now build freely on your land, block off your doors with foundations, or place their own TC to claim the area.
If they reach the TC without destroying it and wipe your auth list, they have the base. You are building blocked on your own foundations and cannot upgrade or repair anything. The only way back is to raid your own TC or abandon the base.
This is why the TC is the most important object in the base. Keep it behind the maximum number of locked doors and walls you can afford. On a 2x2, that means back corner room, locked door on that room, locked airlock at the entrance. Three doors minimum between a raider and the TC.