Spawning on the Beach
When you first spawn in Rust, you wake up on a random beach with nothing but a rock and a torch. Your immediate priorities are gathering resources and finding a safe spot to build. Hit trees with your rock to collect wood, and hit stone nodes for stone and sulfur. Gather hemp plants (the green bushes) for cloth, which you need for a sleeping bag.
Avoid other players initially -- beach spawns are chaotic and many players will attack on sight. Move inland quickly to reduce encounters with other freshly spawned players who are also desperate for resources.
Crafting Your First Tools
Your first crafting priority is a Stone Hatchet (200 wood, 100 stone) and a Stone Pickaxe (200 wood, 100 stone). These double your gathering efficiency compared to the rock. Next, craft a Hunting Bow (200 wood, 50 cloth) and Wooden Arrows (25 wood, 10 stone each) for self-defense and hunting animals.
Always craft a Sleeping Bag (30 cloth) as soon as possible and place it somewhere hidden. This is your respawn point -- without one, you will respawn on a random beach if you die. A sleeping bag has a 5-minute cooldown between uses.
Finding a Base Location
Your first base should be near a road (for barrel loot and component farming) but not directly on it. Avoid building next to large monuments -- these attract experienced players. Look for areas with trees, stone nodes, and a nearby Tier 1 monument like Oxum's Gas Station or Supermarket for recycling.
The sweet spot is 2-3 squares on the map from a road or small monument. This gives you access to resources without being in the highest-traffic areas. Check for nearby bases -- building too close to established players makes you a target.
Building Your Starter Base
A 2x1 (two squares wide, one square deep) is the standard solo starter base. Place a Building Plan and Hammer in your hotbar. Start with a twig foundation, then upgrade to wood immediately. Build walls, a doorframe, and a roof. Place a Tool Cupboard (TC) inside -- this prevents others from building near your base.
Always add an airlock: a small room between your front door and main room with two doors. This prevents doorcamp kills from exposing your loot. Upgrade to stone as soon as possible, since wood structures burn easily with incendiary ammo or flame arrows.
Surviving Your First Night
Nighttime in Rust is extremely dark. Craft a Furnace (200 stone, 100 wood, 50 low grade fuel) and place it inside your base to smelt metal ore into metal fragments. You can craft a Camp Fire (100 wood) for cooking raw food you get from killing animals.
Use night time productively: smelt ore, craft items, and organize your inventory. If you need to go outside, use the torch sparingly -- it makes you visible from far away. Pressing the flashlight key on some weapons also works. Once you have a Code Lock (100 metal fragments) on your door, your base is reasonably secure.
Next Steps
Once you have a secure starter base with stone walls, a code lock, and basic tools, focus on these goals:
- Find a Workbench Level 1 to research basic items and craft better gear
- Run monuments for components and scrap (used for researching and crafting)
- Upgrade your base to include honeycomb (extra walls around the outside)
- Craft better weapons -- the Revolver and Double Barrel Shotgun are affordable early-game options
- Learn the tech tree progression by spending scrap at workbenches
Rust has a steep learning curve, but every death teaches you something. Expect to die frequently in your first 50-100 hours. Focus on learning the basics before worrying about PvP combat.