Tool cupboard guide

The tool cupboard (TC) gives you building privilege and holds your upkeep. The in-game text says 50 m but the real reach is nearer 30 m, and it depends on...

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The tool cupboard (TC) gives you building privilege and holds your upkeep. The in-game text says 50 m but the real reach is nearer 30 m, and it depends on the shape of your foundations. As a rule, 6 square foundations or 12 triangle foundations in a line fit between the TC's last piece and the edge of privilege.

Upkeep is a tax that grows with base size, doors and windows. Pay it and the base does not decay and slowly heals. Servers may lower or turn off upkeep.

Decay starts at the outermost, highest parts. In mixed bases only the depleted material decays.

If your TC is destroyed, it keeps absorbing up to 24 hours of your resources, which gives you a day to come back.

Authorization needs you to press E on the TC. It cannot be granted by proxy, so removing your list and re-authing keeps out anyone who sneaked on.

Authorized players are ignored by flame turrets and shotgun traps.

Always lock it. Keep a spare TC on your hotbar in case raiders get close.

Outer TCs near the base protect workbenches and stop raiders placing doors or bags close by.

Honeycombing (extra triangle wall layers) and pancaking (half-floors between levels) both raise the raid cost and the upkeep.

About 95% of raids happen when the owners are offline, so extra door and corridor layers matter more than shooting floors. Online raids are rarer but need gatehouses, inner peaks and bed kits.