Base building tips in 7 Days to Die – How to survive Blood Moon Hordes

For long-term survival in 7 Days to Die, you’re going to need to build a secure base and defend yourself from Blood Moon Hordes of zombies. 

In the early game, it’s still a decent option to find a house, clear it out, and use it for shelter during the night. However, the more days that pass, the more you’re going to need a base. Here’s everything you need to know about them. 

Best base locations in 7 Days to Die

In your first few days in 7 Days to Die, it’ll be easier to find already-built structures to secure yourself and your items from zombies and other players if you’re on a PvP server. Here are three of the best base locations: 

Silos

Grain and Gas Silos are some of the best places to survive your first Blood Moon, because they have height and protection so you can take on the Horde of zombies one-by-one. 

Both can usually be found in Forest areas near Trader Joel, who’s the first trader you’re likely to meet when you start a new server. 

Farms

Farms are great because they have a ton of resources available, which you may struggle to find at first when you’re surviving your first few days. 

The houses also usually have basements and attics where you can hide out from zombies, although you may need to build some of your own defenses before the Blood Moon comes.

Bart’s Salvage

Lastly, if you’re looking for something that can last you until the endgame, you’re going to need to find Bart’s Salvage. Not only is it usually near traders and other resources, but it offers some of the best defenses you can ask for without building it yourself. 

Bart’s Salvage also has a Bomb Shelter you can hide in, and if you want to keep an eye on your surroundings, there’s a water tower you can use for high-ground defense. 

Best locations for custom bases

• Near a trader
• Near the forest
• In the countryside
• In a large open space
• Just outside a city

If you’re looking to build a custom base, those are the best general areas to look in.

Try and find big open areas where you can effectively build your shelter. You’re going to need the space for trenches and other defenses, especially against late-game Blood Moon Hordes. 

Large, open spaces also give you a better chance at setting up auto-firing weapons that can shoot at Hordes before they actually reach you.

If you want to build your base near an urban area where you can find traders and more resources, you’re going to need to demolish things around the area you’re in to make sure you have the space you need.

If you’re a more experienced player, you could also consider building an underground base. These will take a lot more time to build, but you’ll get excellent security from both zombie Hordes and other players trying to steal your stuff. 

How to gather resources quickly in 7 Days to Die

If you’re building your own base in 7 Days to Die, you’re going to need to gather a range of essential materials like wood, stone, iron, nails, steel, mechanical parts, and concrete. 

The quickest way to gather mechanical parts, nails, iron, and steel is to go into old buildings and loot containers. While you’re in there, make sure to break down furniture, because it’s likely that you’ll get scrap you need to forge iron and steel.

Your Stone Axe is the best tool at your disposal in the early game because it can chop trees and pretty much everything else you need to break down to get the resources you need. 

Lastly, you can also get some game-changing items from traders if you do their quests. Even the Tier 1 quests give you some really nice resources and items, so make sure to grab them when you can. 

You’re going to be at your most efficient when you use the right tools and have the right skills for harvesting. These are the best skills to invest in for quick resource gathering:

• Attribute: Strength
  • Mother Lode: Harvest more resources 
  • Miner 69er: Maximizes mining efforts

Base design

Now that you have the resources you need, you’re going to have to understand the basics of base design. Here are some tips to keep in mind: 

• Don’t start too big. Start smaller, make sure you have good security, and build on from there.
• Start on a flat location.
• Prioritize getting your defenses ready.
• Build in a linear fashion so you can direct the zombies where you want them to go.
• Craft better construction equipment.

To start, it’ll be best to dig a small trench before you place your building blocks on the surface. This makes it a little more difficult for zombie Hordes to dig around your base and damage the building. 

It may be easier and a little more efficient to build higher tier blocks from the get-go, but we suggest building your basic building block first and then upgrading them. This just means that you’ll get the maximum amount of XP that you can from the resources you’re using. 

Building a base in a more linear way can help you fend off Hordes easily. For example, make sure that there’s a small entry point between your door and where you’re standing so zombies can only climb through one by one. 

This way you can protect yourself, and they only have one way to get to you. This is mainly to deal with your first Blood Moon Horde, because later on in the game you’re going to need a more fortified base.

How to fortify & defend your base in 7 Days to Die

You can fortify your base in 7 Days to Die by upgrading your building blocks to higher tiers like Cobblestone and Steel. 

Cobblestone is one of the best ways to make use of your resources efficiently while still building a base that has a lot of structural integrity. Cobblestones can be found on Pallets in many Points of Interests, too, making it easy to get from the early game. 

You can also craft Cobblestone using Clay Soil and Small Stone, which are both found all over the map. To upgrade your building block, simply use your Stone Axe’s alternate hit on the block until you get a Cobblestone block.

Base defense

Traps, bombs, and fences are your best bet when it comes to base defense. While nights are more dangerous, this is most important when you’re fending off a Blood Moon Horde. 

You can craft fences and traps in your crafting menu and place them like you would any other building block. Place your traps near the entry points of your base like doors and windows, because this is most likely where the zombies will try and come in. 

Bombs like Pipe Bombs are really effective in clearing out zombie Hordes quickly, so make sure you have some of them on hand. 

Tips against Blood Moon Hordes in 7 Days to Die

• Stock up on First Aid items like Bandages, Vitamins, and First Aid Kits.
• Make sure you have enough ammo.
• Have repair kits on hand.
• Bring enough food and drinks.
• Bring your best weapons.

If you’re still in the earlier parts of the game and you haven’t been able to get proper food yet, find Vending Machines. They’re usually stocked with some great items that can satisfy your thirst and hunger and give you a boost to Stamina or other perks. 

Even if your base is not ready to live in yet, make sure that you build your zombie funnel first and go to it before the Blood Moon begins. Essentially you’re going to want to make a small base structure where you can stand and do damage to zombies one by one while they attack you.

Possibly the most important part of defending against the Blood Moon Horde is finding an actual gun. Melee weapons will do okay, but if you have a shotgun or a pistol, you’ll breeze through the Horde easily until morning.

These tips should get you out of the Blood Moon safely for the first few times, but once you reach the later stages of the game, you’re going to need some more advanced base building. 

Advanced base building tips

Once you’ve dealt with your first Blood Moon Horde, and even if you haven’t already, it’s time to prioritize building workstations like the Forge and Workbench. Here’s what you need to craft them: 

• Forge: 50 Cobblestone Rocks, 1 Wood Log, 10 Leather, 3 Duct Tape, 3 Short Iron Pipe
• Workbench: 25 Forged Iron, 20 Mechanical Parts, 5 Duct Tape, 100 Nails, 100 Wood

The Forge and Workbench both unlock multiple recipes for items that can make your base much stronger. Specifically, the Forge lets you unlock higher tiers of material blocks that you can use to fortify your base even further. 

Once you have your workstations, you can also get a little more creative with your base. For example, you can build Iron Bars for your windows and shoot zombies through them. Or you can make fall away traps inside your base and have zombies fall into a hole with spikes.

Alternatively, you also have the time and resources now to create safe rooms and escape routes in case things go awry.

Multiplayer base building in 7 Days to Die

7 Days to Die is much easier with friends, and building a base can get a lot easier when you have more people helping you. Division of labor is important, and you want to make sure you plan out your base before you start building. 

For example, one player could work on laying out traps and fences while you work on fortifying walls. This kind of setup also ensures that resources aren’t going to waste because you’ll each need different things to build your item. 

Defending a base also gets easier with friends, because you can have multiple points of entry without having to worry about covering them all yourself. Have one player stand at each point, and this will also divide the amount of zombies you have to deal with among yourselves.

If you’re on a private server with your friends, then it’s also best not to use a Landclaim Block at all. These blocks prevent players who didn’t place them from building or harvesting in your area, so if you don’t place one, your friends can come and go as they please and you’ll be able to share your base a lot easier.

Common mistakes to avoid

The most common mistakes that players make when building a base is starting without a plan, not using elevation to your advantage, and not placing traps and fences correctly. 

Firstly, make sure you have the right location for your base. It’s a pain to have to move it, and you’ll have to reinvest the time you spent building it at another location. 

Secondly, make sure you have a plan and use elevation to your advantage. Building a base underground is a great idea, but it takes a long time. Start out with a nice high ground where you can control the way zombies funnel toward you. 

Lastly, make sure you prioritize your defenses over everything else. You can always make your base pretty later, but start out with the idea that it’s a defense point instead of a place to rest. This means you’ll have a decent idea of what to build on for the late game. 

Your base in 7 Days to Die will be the place to go for shelter and to craft in peace when the nighttime comes, and more importantly, survive when the Blood Moon is active. Building bases yourself can be time-consuming, but it’s worth it in the end.