You need
- A Land Plot Title that matches the district level: Land Plot Title ($150,000 total), Land Plot Title ($1,000,000) or Land Plot Title ($3,000,000)
- A house: Trailer ($10,000) or Small House ($800,000 total, tier II)
- A settlement that has an owner and a free spot
Total: $160,000 for a level-1 spot. A level-2 spot with a Trailer costs $1,060,000 from scratch (both research fees, the title and the Trailer). Highlands costs at least $4,060,000, because you have to hold a level-2 plot before the level-3 title appears on your laptop.
The 10 districts
There are 10 districts around Looty Bay. Each has a level, a Sales Center in the middle, and lots of settlements. The level sets your laptop tier and the Sales Center bonus. Higher levels also mean tougher neighbours.
| District | Level | Laptop tier | Sales Center | Bonus buildings nearby |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rustvale | 1 | I | +10% | Arms Factory |
| Fairfield | 1 | I | +10% | Gear Factory, Bunker |
| Dustbow | 1 | I | +10% | Arms Factory, Gear Factory, Bunker |
| Redstone | 1 | I | +10% | Arms Factory |
| Lonford | 1 | I | +10% | Gear Factory, Bunker |
| Cascadas | 1 | I | +10% | Arms Factory, Gear Factory |
| Fallrock | 2 | II | +20% | Arms, Gear, Bunker, Checkpoint |
| Rivertown | 2 | II | +20% | Laboratory, Reservoir, Bunker |
| El Peso | 2 | II | +20% | Laboratory, Arms Factory, Checkpoint |
| Highlands (central) | 3 | III | +30% | Six of the seven (no Gear Factory), including the only Black Market |
Only tenants of a district can sell at its Sales Center. Anyone can walk in, but outsiders can’t trade there.
Six of the ten districts are level 1, so that’s where most players start and where free spots go fastest early in a wipe. Fallrock, Rivertown and El Peso are the middle ground: tier II gear, a +20% Sales Center and fewer of the big clans than Highlands.
The seven bonus buildings
| Building | Bonus to neighbours | Count | Who wants it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laboratory | Whole cooking cycle 20% faster (reactor, freezer, lab table) | 3 | Chem lab owners |
| Reservoir | +50% chance of an extra harvest from a garden bed | 2 | Growers |
| Arms Factory | −15% on all weapons at vendors | 7 | Anyone who buys guns |
| Gear Factory | −10% on all equipment at vendors | 5 | Armor and bag buyers |
| Bunker | +3 defense to the house, outbuildings and fence | 6 | Anyone who gets raided |
| Abandoned Checkpoint | Different settlement layout, ringed by a checkpoint | 3 | Groups who like one way in |
| Black Market | Repacking contraband at the Contraband Workbench pays more | 1 | Contraband repackers |
Settlements where bonuses stack
| District | Level | Settlement | Bonuses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highlands | 3 | #23 | Laboratory, Black Market, Arms Factory |
| Highlands | 3 | #29 | Reservoir, Black Market, Arms Factory |
| Highlands | 3 | #40 | Reservoir, Bunker |
| Highlands | 3 | #16 | Laboratory, Abandoned Checkpoint |
| Highlands | 3 | #22 | Laboratory, Abandoned Checkpoint |
| Rivertown | 2 | #27 | Reservoir, Bunker |
| Rivertown | 2 | #32 | Reservoir, Bunker |
| El Peso | 2 | #16 | Laboratory, Arms Factory |
| Fallrock | 2 | #9 | Arms Factory, Gear Factory |
| Fallrock | 2 | #18 | Arms Factory, Gear Factory |
| Fallrock | 2 | #41 | Abandoned Checkpoint, Bunker |
How to pick, step by step
- Decide what the base is for. Pick one main business. Bonuses help one business a lot and the others not at all.
- Pick the cheapest level that unlocks your gear. The UV Lamp, the Chemical Reactor III and Unique Collections are tier III, so they need Highlands. Water Pumps, Reactor II, Small Houses and epic fuses are tier II.
- Match the building to the business using the recommendations below.
- Check the owner and the neighbours. The owner taxes your laundering and laptop buys. A settlement full of big, rich bases attracts raiders.
- Sign, place and fuse. Follow Renting your first plot and Base defense.
Recommendations by playstyle
- Chem lab and contraband: Highlands #23. You get the 20% faster lab, better repack pay and cheaper weapons. Budget pick: El Peso #16.
- Grow Room: Highlands #29 for the Reservoir, plus tier III for the UV Lamp. For better defense, Rivertown #27 or #32 (Reservoir and Bunker, but tier II).
- Gun and gear buyer: Fallrock #9 or #18. You save 15% on weapons and 10% on equipment, plus a +20% Sales Center.
- Raid-shy: anything next to a Bunker. +3 sounds small, but it’s 3 more uncommon Decoders on every structure. Highlands #40 also has a Reservoir.
- New player: a level-1 settlement next to an Arms Factory, Gear Factory or Bunker. Dustbow has all three types.
What a bonus is worth
| Bonus | Example | Saving or gain |
|---|---|---|
| Arms Factory −15% | A weapon priced at $50,000 | $7,500 |
| Gear Factory −10% | Armor priced at $140,000 | $14,000 |
| Bunker +3 | Trailer with no fuses: 5 → 8 defense | +3 uncommon Decoders per structure |
| Laboratory 20% | Reactor I run: 4 × 900 s = 60 min | 12 min saved per run |
| Sales Center +30% | 8 Gold Bars at $52,000 | $124,800 |
Sales Centers
Every district has one Sales Center, a three-cell hangar in the middle of the district. It buys loot with a bonus that depends on the district level: +10% at level 1, +20% at level 2, +30% in Highlands. Only tenants of that district can sell there, and access unlocks once you rent a plot. Pick a settlement close to your district’s center and you cut the riskiest part of every run, the drive from your base to a buyer.
On Harvest Bags the bonus is easy to see: a legendary bag goes from $8,000 to $10,400 in Highlands. On eight Gold Bars it’s $124,800.
Check the owner
You can only rent in a settlement with an owner, and that owner takes a percentage of everything you launder and buy on the laptop. Kefir raised the tax for level-2 and level-3 owners on 5 Nov. The exact rates haven’t been published.
- Rent from your own clan where you can. The tax stays in the family, and the owner has a reason to defend the settlement.
- Or buy your own. A level-1 Settlement Title costs $300,000 all in. You live free, collect rent and can’t lose the settlement before the wipe.
- Look at the neighbours. Rich, heavily built bases draw raiders, and raiders passing through look at every plot nearby.
Moving later
Your first spot doesn’t have to be your last. Renting a new plot moves your whole base, structures and contents included, and frees the old one. The only block is a raid lock. So the usual path is a level-1 spot next to a useful building early in the week, then a move to a level-2 or Highlands settlement with the right bonus once you have the title money. Buy the new title, check the spot is still free, then sign.
Mistakes to avoid
- Buying the title before checking spots. Popular stacked settlements fill first.
- Settling for a bonus you don’t use. A Laboratory does nothing for a grower.
- Jumping to Highlands too early. It costs $4,000,000+ to get there, and the competition is the toughest on the map.
- Forgetting the Sales Center rule. You can only sell at your own district’s center.
- Assuming a Checkpoint protects you. It changes the layout. It adds no defense points.