—Information accurate as of: 904.83 Update
The Tool Cupboard is a deployable item that is typically used to provide base protection and/or secure an area by preventing unauthorised players from being able to upgrade their items beyond twig state, in the vicinity of the cupboard. The protection diameter is about 50 meters(150 feet). The area of protection is a mesh, resembling a hemisphere, above the bottom of the cupboard. Within this protection area of the Tool Cupboard, players will have the "Building Blocked" status; they will still be able to build twig structures, but will not be able to upgrade anything to wood, stone, etc.
Usage
To deploy a Tool Cupboard drag it onto your Action Bar, select it and click(default "Left Mouse Button"), while aiming at the desired location. Initially you will be affected by a "Building Blocked" debuff as a newly spawned cupboard's Authorisation List is empty by default. To gain "Building Privilege" and be able to build in the area, target the cupboard press the Use key (default "E") to authorise yourself. Pressing the Use key, while already authorised, will remove you from the Authorisation List. It is possible for multiple players to approach the cupboard and authorise themselves at any given time. Should you need to restrict authorised players' building privileges, you can clear the Authorisation List by targeting the cupboard, holding the Use key in order to bring up the Wheel Context Menu and selecting the "Clear Authorised List" option. Any player, regardless of his authorisation status, may clear the List.
Mechanics
A visual representation of a cup protection mesh.[1]
Secondary cupboards overlap with the primary cupboard's area of protection.
The Tool Cupboard's protection area is a mesh, resembling a mix between a hemisphere and a cylinder. It's protection radius extends roughly 50m out, covering up to a maximum of 8 Square Foundations in either direction. The protection mesh also extends about half a Wall's length(~1.5m) downwards and up to a maximum of 6 Floors(~19m) upwards.
It is not possible to deploy cupboards within an existing cupboard's protection area, regardless of your authorisation status. It is, however, possible to place another cupboard just outside the existing one's radius and have both of their protection meshes overlap.
In cases where multiple cupboards have been deployed and their protection meshes overlap, the player's authorisation status is determined chronologically, i.e. the cupboard that has been deployed the soonest will take precedent over cupboards that have been deployed at a later point in time. For example, consider two cupboards("First" and "Second", referring to the time at which they have been deployed), whose areas overlap. If a player is authorised on the "Second", but not the "First" one, as soon as he enters the "First" one's protection area he will be "Building Blocked", despite him standing in the "Second" one's protection area as well. The initial cupboard that you deploy is referred to as a "Master Tool Cupboard". Should it be destroyed, the master cupboard status will automatically transfer over to the next deployed cupboard in a chronological order.
Players authorised on a Tool Cupboard will also be able to demolish recently placed building elements, such as foundations, walls, floors, etc. by using a hammer.
Strategy
Recognizing and being aware of the Tool Cupboard's features and limitations is imperative for establishing a secure, well-protected base.
The "Master Tool Cupboard" needs to be protected at all costs. If raiders were to gain access to it, they would be able to build and deploy items(Ladders, etc.) inside your base, even if they were inside the protection area of any secondary cupboards, on which they aren't authorised. This is due to the fact that the "Master Tool Cupboard" overrides the effect of any secondary ones.
Aside from deploying your primary cupboard in hard to reach places or behind heavily fortified walls, if you have external cupboards covering your base, you could try to position your primary one in such a way that it would get destroyed during Rocket raids. If you place it snuggly in the corner of your foundation/floor before building walls, a Rocket fired at that wall will likely demolish the cupboard with its splash damage. Once destroyed, the external cupboards will apply their building restrictions.
The "Master Tool Cupboard" room may also be booby-trapped with Landmines. If a single one is detonated, a chain reaction will be triggered, causing any adjacent ones to detonate as well. It takes 2 Landmines to demolish a Tool Cupboard.
An important tactic to deter against bottom-up raiding is to use the cupboard's downward extending, hemispherical protection mesh to your advantage. Starting from the topmost floor of your base, additional cupboards may be placed on every other floor below, since a cupboard's protection mesh only extends half a floor downwards. For example, a player could deploy his primary cupboard on the 5th floor, then a secondary cupboard on the 3rd and finally another secondary on the 1st(ground/foundation) floor. That way, if raiders were to gain access to the bottom cupboard, they would be able to only build up to the second floor, at which point they would be restricted by the cupboard on the 3rd floor. It is vital that you always place a cupboard on the ground(foundation) floor as to prevent griefing. If you want to employ this tactic, a good rule of thumb is to place your primary cupboard on an odd floor and work your way downwards, placing additional cupboards on every odd floor as well.
Crafting
- 1000 Wood
Notes:
- It takes 60 seconds to craft one Tool Cupboard.
Trivia
- The Tool Cupboard has 100 health.
- The Tool Cupboard will decay overtime, beware that the Cupboard is made of wood so it will decay really fast!
- The Tool Cupboard's protection applies to not just Building Plan structures, but deployable items such as Sleeping Bags, Chests, Lanterns, etc.
- It is advised when building a base that you start off by placing your Tool Cupboard and securing it. Otherwise, players may come and deploy their own cupboards, lock them up and restrict building access to your own base, effectively claiming it for themselves.
- The Tool Cupboard has a note on it that reads, "Rust Beta Release Date =" and then the Lambda symbol with a subscript 3 beside it. This is referencing the Half Life 3 release date which has yet to be announced.
- Wooden Ladders were prevented by the Tool Cupboard with Devblog 75; this was reversed with Devblog 158, the update that also allowed the twig tier.
Gallery
