Base building is an important component of Rust that can make survival much easier in the game. Players are highly recommended to build at least a basic starter base to ensure they have somewhere to store gear, go to sleep, and hide from enemies.
Unfortunately the game can be a bit finnicky with buildings mechanics. One of the more annoying aspects is that walls can be tricky to remove. If the player finds themselves with a misplaced wall or wanting to expand their base of operations, here’s how to remove those walls.
Small Window Of Opportunity
When the player initially sets the wall down they have a small window of opportunity to remove it. This window is a few minutes after the wall is set down. During this window the player can simply interact with the wall to pick it up and put it elsewhere.
But after several minutes that wall will become a more permanent fixture of the game and the option to move it freely will be gone. This is done to prevent any player from being able to move the wall like the original version of the game permitted. If the player finds they can’t move the wall this way there are some other less-free options.
Let It Rot
One way to move the wall is to simply let it decay. Decay is a mechanic in Rust where items will gradually lose their durability until eventually crumbling to dust. Players can simply choose to avoid repairing the selected wall and let it fall apart, making way for the new wall.
For this method, it’s important to make sure to either not build a Tool Cupboard or to avoid filling it with the relevant materials if one has been built. The wall will automatically siphon out materials to keep itself repaired otherwise.
This can be an issue if the player has built the wall out of a common material like Twig. It might actually be beneficial to upgrade to a higher tier like Stone or Sheet Metal and keep the walls starved of that material specifically.
This method takes the longest and each tier increases the amount of time it takes for the wall or building to fall apart
- Twig – 1 hour
- Wood – 2 hours
- Stone – 4 hours
- Sheet Metal – 8 hours
- Armored – 12 hours.
The Destructive Option
C4 is an obvious method for removing a wall quickly. The player simply needs to plant the C4 on the desired wall and detonate the explosive. Unfortunately, this is a very expensive way to remove walls, and that C4 can be much more useful for raiding other players' bases.
Any damage, in general, will bring a wall down, but C4 is by far the fastest. Patient players can use picks or weapons, but it will take quite some time.
Private Servers Mods
The last option is only available if the player is on a private server. Private servers permit the use of mods and players can simply install a mod that permits the removal of walls after the initial window.
The efficacy of this method depends on the chosen mod. Some only permit the creator to remove the wall while others allow anyone to remove it. Players should be careful which one they pick and how it’s implemented.