2.30. External Tool Cupboards & Compound Building
Expand your base's security and control beyond its immediate footprint with External Tool Cupboards (ETCs) and compound building. This guide details how to strategically place ETCs to protect resources, expand your buildable area, and create formidable defensive compounds.
Take your base security to the next level by mastering External Tool Cupboards and compound building. These advanced techniques allow you to extend your influence, protect vital external resources, and create layered defenses that are incredibly difficult to breach. Learn how to integrate ETCs into your base des for maximum strategic advantage.
What are External Tool Cupboards?
External Tool Cupboards are secondary Tool Cupboards that can be placed outside your main base's primary TC radius. They serve several key purposes:
- Resource Protection: Protect external nodes (stone, metal, sulfur) or other valuable external structures you own.
- Expanded Build Zones: Allow you to build additional defensive structures, traps, or outposts further away from your main base.
- Compound Building: Essential for creating large, fortified compounds around your base.
Strategic Placement of ETCs
The effectiveness of an ETC hinges on its placement. Consider these factors:
- Resource Nodes: Place an ETC near valuable ore nodes you intend to farm. This prevents other players from building on or near them and claiming them.
- Chokepoints: Position ETCs to control access to key areas or pathways leading to your main base.
- Outposts: Use ETCs to secure small outposts for farming, farming specific resources, or as forward operating bases.
- Compound Walls: ETCs are crucial for powering and maintaining the integrity of large compound walls.
Building Compounds
A compound is a fortified area, typically enclosed by high external walls, that surrounds your main base. ETCs are vital for this strategy.
- Initial TC: Place your main TC to cover your core base.
- ETCs for Walls: Place ETCs at strategic points along the intended perimeter of your compound. These ETCs will power and maintain the external walls.
- External Walls: Build high external walls (metal or armored) connecting your ETCs and your main base's build zone. Ensure these walls are placed within the build radius of at least one TC.
- Gateways: Incorporate multiple layers of gates (garage doors, armored doors) to create airlocks and slow down raiders.
- Internal Defenses: Once the compound is established, you can build additional traps, turrets, and defensive structures within the protected zone.
Upgrading and Maintaining ETCs
Like your main TC, ETCs need to be upgraded and maintained:
- Upgrades: Upgrade ETCs to stone, metal, and armored tiers to increase their health and make them harder to destroy.
- Upkeep: Ensure each ETC is stocked with the necessary resources (wood, stone, metal fragments) to prevent decay. This is critical for compound integrity.
Advantages of Compounds and ETCs
- Increased Raid Cost: Makes raiding your base sificantly more expensive and time-consuming for attackers.
- Resource Protection: Secures your immediate farming areas.
- Strategic Depth: Creates multiple layers of defense, forcing raiders to breach each layer.
- Control of Territory: Allows you to claim and control a larger area of the map.
Considerations and Drawbacks
- Resource Intensive: Building and maintaining multiple TCs and compound walls requires a substantial amount of resources.
- Complexity: Desing and executing a robust compound can be complex.
- Vulnerability of ETCs: While protected, ETCs can still be targeted and destroyed by determined raiders, potentially compromising your compound.
By strategically implementing External Tool Cupboards and building fortified compounds, you can create a truly formidable base that deters most attackers and secures your operations.