Hey all, today we're going to take a look at two very simple bases you can make - both of these having been made on a specific map, but can be adapted to others, barring perhaps the map with only one core. You might be able to though.

These can typically be defended by a single Eliza or Toni with good success, letting your other 4 people go on the offensive.

They can also be made before the build timer runs out, and with resources you can gather in that time!

As we should all know by now, a core is easier to defend when it is out in the open. Blocking it away just lets enemies dig into it, and then use your own blocks as cover while they destroy it. As such the pedestal takes this a step even further, by making the core easily defendable, yet still difficult to reach.

A completed Pedestal might look something like this:



Note: This angle is taken from how an ENEMY would see it, if they dug through the wall. As such the direction facing the enemy has no vlauables, as they might dig or explode their way here.


The core is on its metal support that is dug down three spaces, this is so that any intruders will have to get out their dig tool and place a block to get up to it, giving you time for some jolly good murder.

The roof is naturally blocked off to prevent people dropping in from above, but it is no problem if they do.

As you might be able to see there are two levels of turrets, one on the upper level, at the exact level of the platform an enemy would stand on to hit the core, and another on the ground level.

These are tucked away in self contained bunkers, typically 3 deep, with a force block entrance, a medic block and an ammo crate. Like such.



Hiding in these one can crouch and repair the sentries as long as need be. A spawn point hidden inside one of these can be a good idea as well, to allow you to get back to the defence quickly.

In this one I have placed 6 turrets, which might be a little optimistic at first. But two on each level for 4 in total should be well within your budget.



A doc Eliza would defend this in a similar manner, except that the bunkers are purely for her own defence. Poison mines and fire mines around the floor will massacre any entrants, and between your medbox healing you AND your F ability, you can defeat any enemies intruding.

The Pedestal is very easy to defend, but you must place key consideration on which direction the enemy will be digging/exploding in from. Your turrets should be placed opposite that, so they are rarely caught in the crossfire.

The Lava core is a rather obvious idea that still works well. The basic premise is that you dig around the core down to the lava level, so that the enemy diggers will get no real results from digging towards you. Which might have alreast wasted loads of their time!



Note: As you can see the lava is only around 10 blocks deep on this map, so it doesn't take as long as most people assume to dig it. I've been able to dig down with 3-4 people working together, with some time left over. If the timer is getting close tell your allies to recall while you finish the last layer off.

Here I have the top open but this would normally be blocked off, either with brick, or fake brick if you're feeling kinky. If you do use fake brick it's very important that you make a normal brick "lip" on the edges above your turrets. Basically look down and ask yourself if someone could shoot your turrets from safety above. No? Great. Yes? Make more roof.

Again we use the same bunker design as last time, but because there is no "floor" you only need the one level of bunkers, typically level with the metal floor around the core itself. Make sure to look where the indestructible flooring is, and have a sentry covering each lane of it.

Also place traps on it for great profit.



The lava trap is very easy to defend as Toni or Eliza, it's worth nothing that for laziness reasons I only made it 3 blocks wide in each direction, but with 5 people working together you can make it 4 wide without any problem, and maybe even 5. An extra benefit to this is that your entire team will be VERY rich after doing this. Allowing for plenty of their own special blocks to be placed.

Eliza should look to cover the platform around the core with gas bombs, and just fire away from the safety of her bunkers. Always make sure to have plenty of force blocks between the bunkers, so that if one is compromised by diggers you can retreat to another and heal, before taking your bunker back and closeing off the entrance.

Considering you only need two bunkers or so, and you have dug down to lava - you should have PLENTY of cash left for forceblocks. They will be your best friend here.

It seems a few of my images were deleted by steam, so I don't have all of them anymore. But the two included here should offer enough.

An idea I came up with while at work, modifying the pedestal on a particular map in such a way as to make Nigel (or anyone really, but requires speed pads) a really viable defender.

It utilises speed pads to make the core really damn hard to get on top of! and is really annoying for an OP, as you have no ability to avoid them if you try to climb up it. Instead you are FLUNG angrily off the edge, leaving you to slog back through the caltrops again. While Nigel snipes you.



As you can see it is the second core on the sky fortress map, and I have dig down again like the pedestal. The beauty of this core is that only the top of it is visible, and it is a flat surface including the core itself.

The sides have been dug away, and a small trench has been dug into the wall across the way - that is so anyone hitting the pads from your team is propelled to the front lines, or an enemy who hits it in that direction is thrown over a wall, and has to walk back around to get back to it :)



I then quickly made a rough and ready bunker on the wall behind this, as picture in the following shots. Ammo crate and medibox up there would be useful, and a spawner/radar would be awesome too, but ultimately Nigel or Eliza, can hold it on their own.



What makes this so useful is that there are literally only 4 tiles the enemy can stand on to melee the core, so you can easily achieve headshots when they do so. Of course they can destroy the speed pads, but would have to stand still to do so again. Kill them, then run in and replace when the coast is clear.

Again the main weakness is that the enemy can deal with YOU, then clear the defences. But once more, if they are dealing with you - your core isn't being killed.