12 — Combat and PvP

Last updated: May 18, 2026

Most of this library covers stuff that happens between fights. This file covers the fights themselves — weapons, recoil, armor, and the tactical patterns that decide whether you live or die when bullets are flying.

Weapons reference

The full crafting cost / workbench / damage matrix.

Primary firearms

Damage modifiers

• Headshot multiplier: approximately 2x damage on all firearms
• Helmet damage reduction: metal facemask (60%), riot helmet (50%), coffee can (40%), bucket (35%), wood (20%)
• Distance falloff: rifles maintain damage to ~100m, then degrade. SMGs degrade past 30m. Shotguns useless past 15m.
• Limb shots: ~75% of body damage (legs/arms)

Recoil patterns

Every firearm has a predictable recoil pattern. Memorizing the AK and LR patterns is the single biggest skill jump in the game.

AK-47 spray pattern (30 rounds)

Rounds 1-3: minimal kick, almost straight up. Rounds 4-8: heavy vertical climb. Pull mouse straight down hard. Rounds 9-15: vertical + slight right drift. Pull down and slightly left. Rounds 16-22: vertical mostly settled, horizontal zig-zag begins. Mirror left/right. Rounds 23-30: random horizontal scatter. Hold short bursts past round 20 or accept the spray.

LR-300 spray pattern

Lower magnitude than AK across the whole pattern. Approximately: Rounds 1-10: vertical climb, easier to control than AK. Rounds 11-20: minor horizontal drift right. Rounds 21-30: slight scatter, still very controllable.

The LR is the "easy AK" — slightly less damage but the pattern is forgiving enough that an average player will out-aim a same-skill AK user past round 10.

MP5 / Thompson / Custom SMG patterns

Pistol-ammo SMGs have lower per-round recoil. Patterns climb mostly straight up with mild left-right wobble. Most players can hold the trigger and stay on-target at close range.

Practicing recoil

The community uses No Recoil Aim Practice servers and Aim Train modded servers to learn patterns. 30 minutes of practice on Bayfield or a similar aim server is worth more than 10 hours of in-game spray-and-pray.

Armor system

Loadout recommendations

Wipe day naked (hours 0-2): Bone helmet + bone armor. Stops a few low-tier shots.

Stone-tier base (hours 2-6): Wood chestplate + coffee can helmet. Affordable defense.

Sheet metal tier (hours 6-12): Roadsign jacket + roadsign kilt + coffee can helmet. The classic mid-tier kit.

Endgame solo: Metal facemask + metal chestplate + roadsign kilt. Best mix of head protection and mobility.

Endgame raid loadout: Heavy plate full set. Slow and clunky but tanks rockets. For raiders standing on C4, not for runners.

Hazmat: Always carry one for monument runs. Mandatory for Power Plant, Launch Site, Train Tunnels.

Combat positioning

Peeking

A peek is exposing yourself to fire just long enough to take a shot. Three peek types:

1. Strafe peek — slide left or right to expose, shoot, slide back. Most common.
2. Crouch peek — crouch to lower hitbox, expose, shoot. Works well at corners.
3. Jump peek — jump to gather info, your hitbox moves erratically. Bait peeks; don't shoot mid-jump.

Always peek from a different angle than the enemy expects. If they're shooting at the right side of a doorway, peek from the left.

Crossfire mechanics

When two players move on an enemy from two angles, the enemy can only face one. The off-angle player gets a free first shot. Co-ordinate with teammates: one engages from the front, the other flanks.

Cover discipline

Use stone walls and metal walls for cover. Wood and twig walls don't stop rifle rounds at all. Always assume thin walls don't protect you.

Sound

Footsteps, gun reloads, eating, crafting, opening doors — all audible. Use:

• Crouch-walk to silence footsteps
• Hold sprint key only when you accept the noise
• Listen at corners for enemy steps, reloads
• Avoid eating mid-fight (the chomping audio is loud)

Specific combat scenarios

1v1 at distance (50m+)

Use the SAR or Bolt. Crouch for accuracy. Aim for the head; body shots take 3+ to drop a metal-armored target.

1v1 at mid-range (15-50m)

AK or LR controlled bursts of 5-7 rounds. Reset recoil between bursts. Aim chest, drag mouse up for head.

1v1 close (under 15m)

SMG or shotgun. Hipfire is viable. Strafe to make their aim harder. If you have a shotgun, single-tap them — pump shotgun headshot is one-tap unarmored, two-tap helmeted.

Defending a base

Embrasure windows are your friend. Pre-position behind embrasures with line-of-sight to your front door. Use auto-turrets to suppress while you flank.

Raid response

If you log in to a raid in progress, do NOT push the C4-er directly. Instead:

1. Find a peek angle on the raid hole
2. Spray short bursts to force the raider off the C4
3. Move repeatedly between peeks — never stay at the same window
4. If you have a turret nearby, arm it remotely via Rust+ smart switch

Bag rush

After death, respawn at a forward sleeping bag (closer to your gear). Grab your loot before the killer reaches it. Bring spare gear in a hidden cache near common death spots.

Group tactics

Roles

• Front-line — primary firepower, AK / LR / MP5, full metal kit. Pushes objectives.
• Sniper — Bolt or L96, holds high ground, picks targets, calls out positions.
• Support — heals, repairs armor, hauls extra ammo, plays backline.

Calling targets

Use voice chat or in-game callouts. "Two pushing from the north door." "One injured on the rock." Avoid generic "they're there" — be specific.

Pushing in pairs

Never push solo into unknown territory. Pairs let one player commit while the other holds. Solos die to crossfires.

Defending a raid as a group

One person defends the breach, two roam the base flanking, one stays high with a sniper. Don't all funnel to the same window — that's a free splash kill for a single rocket.

Crafting cheat sheet for combat

Pro tips

• AK headshot at 100m kills any unhelmeted target. Practice aim train daily.
• Reload behind cover, ALWAYS. Out-of-ammo mid-fight is the most common death cause.
• Pre-position bandages on a hotkey (slot 4 typical). Use them mid-fight if you have a brief safe window.
• Don't carry your best gear on a raid run. Wear mid-tier metal so a death doesn't sting.
• Sound whore. Listen for footsteps, gunshots, opening doors. Information beats reflex.
• Sleep with full armor near a bag, never stripped. If raided, you wake into action.
• Hold corners with crouch. Lower hitbox, harder to hit headshot.
• Practice the AK pattern in single-player aim training maps. 20 minutes a day, 2 weeks, you'll be top 10% of the server.
• Bind voice chat to a separate key. Push-to-talk reduces background noise so teammates hear you clearly.
• Don't engage if you don't have to. Especially solo — if the fight isn't winnable, run.

Common combat mistakes

1. Holding the trigger past 10 rounds without compensating recoil. Spray goes wild after that.
2. Engaging multiple enemies at once with no cover. You'll die before reloading.
3. Carrying unbacked-up gear. Death = total loss. Always have a spare set at home.
4. Standing still mid-fight. Strafe constantly. A moving target is much harder to hit.
5. Hipfire at distance. Hipfire is for under-10m only.
6. Not pre-aiming. When approaching a corner, your crosshair should already be at head height.
7. Forgetting to repair armor. Damaged armor offers less protection. Repair at workbench when below 50%.
8. Engaging from the same window twice in a row. Move after every peek-shot. Predictability = death.