Rust Beginner Guide: Survive Your First Wipe
Rust is a brutal multiplayer survival game where other players are the biggest threat. You start with a rock and a torch, and everything you build can be raided. Surviving your first wipe is about choosing the right server and building smart.
Last updated: Beginner guide · Oct 18, 2026 · 2 min read
Pick the right server
Servers wipe on a regular schedule, resetting the map and often blueprints. Join near the start of a wipe so everyone is on equal footing. Smaller community servers, low-population servers or servers with group limits are much friendlier for new players than big vanilla servers.
Your first hour
A safe opening routine:
- Gather wood and stone, then craft a stone hatchet and pickaxe.
- Make a bow and arrows for early defence and hunting.
- Find a quiet spot away from big monuments and roads.
- Build a small base as soon as possible.
Build a base that lasts
Upgrade from twig to stone quickly, use a door with a lock, and place a Tool Cupboard so others can't build in your area. Add an airlock — two doors between the outside and your loot — and spread loot across several boxes. Keep the Tool Cupboard stocked so your base doesn't decay.
Scrap, recyclers and blueprints
Scrap is Rust's key resource for progress. Get it from barrels and crates at roads and monuments, and by recycling components at recyclers. Use workbenches and research tables to learn blueprints for better gear.
Stay alive
Don't carry everything you own. Listen for footsteps and gunfire, avoid fights you don't need and log off inside your base. Teaming up with friends or friendly neighbours makes the game much easier.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do first in Rust?
Gather wood and stone, craft basic tools and a bow, find a quiet area and build a small stone base.
How do I stop my Rust base from being raided?
No base is raid-proof, but stone walls, an airlock, several loot boxes and a stocked Tool Cupboard make you a much harder target.
What is a wipe in Rust?
A scheduled reset of the map and progress on a server, so everyone starts again.