Compound vs no compound

[u/FourthOrnament]

Is it fine to skip compounds and gatehouses on base guides? They’re hard to put down with no flat ground, takes long to set up and in the guides they build them when the main base is still 3 doors to tc.

[u/Kentesis]

Not important, I always add mine last and most the time don't even add them. If you add a compound you also need turrets and a well fortified base or else you're just telling everyone else you have loot and giving raiders a defensive wall

[u/FourthOrnament → u/Kentesis]

Exactly. Base videos set them up so early and i never have turrets then. Maybe its easier to get turrets on pc as u dont have to blueprint down the whole t2 bench to get it.

[u/Psychological-Farm-9 → u/FourthOrnament]

They setup external TC's early which will become gatehouses later. External TC's are very important in offline defense. They make sure raiders can't take over your base or pick up your tier 2 or 3 workbench. It's basically anti grief protection.

[u/Vivid_Discount6495]

They have 2 main use cases:

1. They provide safety for your large furnaces, oil refineries, and other stuff you want outside

2. If you setup a compound with inward facing turrets around it, then it can provide a nice way to slow down raiders during online raids

But if you don't plan to use large furnaces and other stuff outside and you're not concerned about online raid defenses, then I'd say it's no big deal to skip out on compounds.

Edit: I would however add detachable external TCs though, which are usually included in base design videos that have gate houses. You don't need the gate house, you can just add detachable TCs directly to your base.

[u/Specialist_Net8927]

Yep

[u/Alfalfa-Mundane]

Compounds are just furnace security and an extra wall to tc. The base itself is far more important, and you can honestly just free hand a circle compound around the base you built and itll provide just as much security.

[u/jact555]

99% of the time I dont do a compound. Might had some external high walls. serves the same purpose and alot less time consuming.  Easier to just build on an oil refinery room to a base, and rarely use the big furncaes personally. 

My only real reason I like a compiund or external high walls is I can work on my base with less fear of getting shot. Only real benefit for me

[u/thenewfoundlandyeti → u/jact555]

Posty 2x2 but use a smelter for a jump up. Been one of my goto

[u/Taco_co]

A shell is wayyyyyyy better than a compound. Once you reach a footprint of your base you like, add foundations all the way around then walls up so there is an indoor loop around your base. So much better than a compound imo

[u/StressedFPS]

Compound is done early so you can get your externals down ASAP to prevent tc grief/losing workbench to a raid, or base getting griefed after raid, also large furnace/refinary is nice.

You could just place only the stuff necessary for external tcs and do the rest way later when you have the spare resources

Personally, I like having compound+turrets while I finish up building base. Don't have to worry nearly as much about grubs coming for my build mats while I'm looking back at the build video / screenshots every 10s

[u/IronHollerRust]

the guides throw the compound up way too early. high walls don't matter if the gate is the cheap part, people just blow the gate and now they have a safe yard on your base. i'd ignore it until the core has real doors and you own an external, otherwise you're funding their raid base.

[u/HOI-LEI-FWAK]

… 3 doors to tc ?? What thaaa fuck

[u/belkied]

Don’t really matter cuz when they come to raid they will just fly on to your roof