Choosing the right base location in Kenshi changes everything. Whether you want a quiet farm or a fortress that makes raiders think twice, this guide covers the best spots for your playstyle.
Building your first outpost is always a headache, but damn, it is addictive. One minute you are surviving on bread stolen from The Hub; the next, you are planning an entire civilization. As a strategy fan, I can tell you that planning in Kenshi feels completely different.
When Should You Build Your First Base?
Here is my advice: do not even think about building a base until you have 10-20 fighters with stats around 40 and about 60,000 Cats. I know that sounds harsh when starving bandits still beat you up and your squad consists of 3-4 battered survivors, but trust experience.
The smart move is to buy a house in a friendly town first and install a research bench. That lets you safely research up to tech level 3 without risking a housewarming raid. Trust me, they will arrive as soon as you put up your first shack. I learned that when Dust Bandits flattened my first settlement before I had even finished the wall 😅
What you need to start:
- 100 Iron Plates; you will need more, just wait.
- 200 Building Materials.
- 20 Electrical Components.
- 20 Fabric.
- A prayer that the gates hold.
The beauty of researching in town is that nobody cares what you craft behind closed doors. You can research every technology branch while sipping grog at the bar, then head into the wilderness prepared.
The Interactive Kenshi Map I Use to Plan Outposts
This map more or less helps me decide where to put my next outpost.
Scouting is half the battle, and trying to remember where the copper was while running from Beak Things is a special kind of hell. Maps showing resources and faction territories can help you plan your base. Keep them on your second monitor while planning your empire; it will save you a lot of stress.
The Best Locations for Your First Base
For your first base, you need decent resources, enemies you can actually beat, and civilization nearby.
Border Zone, North of Squin and South of The Hub:
- Pros: Beginner-friendly enemies, trading towns nearby, and flat terrain.
- Cons: Mediocre farming, and occasional visits from the Shek.
- Resources: Iron, copper, plenty of stone, and decent fertility.
The plateau between The Hub and Squin, with access to the road, is basically Kenshi's training area. You will fight Dust Bandits and Starving Bandits. Annoying, but manageable. And when food runs out, Squin is close by.
The eastern plateau in the Border Zone is a great choice for a trader playthrough. There is plenty of stone, iron, copper, and good wind. Shops are just a little farther away. It is east of the ruined Holy Nation outpost.
Tax-Free Base Locations
Sometimes you just want to live freely without a faction demanding tribute. These regions offer complete independence, although in Kenshi that usually means a constant struggle to survive.
Cannibal Plains : No major factions means no taxes. The local cannibals will not give you a warm welcome, though. On the upside, you get constant combat practice. The downside? Well, you can see where it is.
Fog Islands : The fog hides you from most factions, leaving only the Fogmen to deal with. Honestly, after Holy Nation patrols, they almost seem friendly. Stock up on gas masks and prepare for a horror atmosphere.
Vain : The western plateau is entirely neutral territory. Think Switzerland, except with Beak Things that want to eat you. At least the wind is excellent.
Gut : A paradise for Beak Things and a training ground for your squad. Survive here and you can survive anywhere. Ideal if you want to toughen your squad through pain.
The Best Base Locations for Skeletons
Playing as Skeletons means constantly facing racism from meatbags. Some factions literally want to dismantle you for parts, so choosing where to settle is a matter of survival.
Floodlands : No organic life here, but Burn's Tower has free Skeleton beds. It is like a retirement home for robots, only with radiation.
The Black Desert City area : Skeleton civilization is nearby, and the locals are not trying to break you apart. You have the Scraphouse close by and understanding neighbors.
Deadlands : The Skeleton homeland. If you are roleplaying an all-robot party, this is your Mecca. Just watch out for the local wildlife.
The valley between the Dust King's Tower and the Waystation is another option. No Holy Nation patrols means nobody screaming about abominations while you mine copper.
Bases in Peaceful Locations
Sometimes you just want to build farms, research technology, and avoid losing limbs to the local wildlife every morning. These locations keep conflict to a minimum.
The coast of Vain : The area south of the Lost Library has iron, copper, and excellent fertility. The western plateau above the Hive Village offers an enormous building area protected by cliffs.
The Fog Islands highlands : Northeast of Mongrel, you have everything: iron, copper, water, and wind. There are only three narrow entrances to block, and the views are stunning. Only Fogmen live there, occasionally wandering into your base, but a trained squad can handle them easily. Give your fighters polearms and watch them mow down the hordes.
The Northern Coast : Fishing villages nearby, peace and quiet, and decent trade. Ideal for the atmosphere of a peaceful town, provided you can fend off the occasional bandit.
A Base in Shem
Shem sits right in the center of the map, making it one of the best trading locations precisely because it is so central. The constant wind also keeps your turbines spinning.
Why Shem:
- Central location: Everywhere is relatively close.
- 100% wind: Power never runs out.
- Strategy: Ideal for smuggling hashish between the Swamp and Flats Lagoon.
The southern area around the lakes is excellent. You can force raiders to swim toward your gates and shoot them with turrets. Watching bandits flounder in the water while your crossbows do their job is priceless.
A warning up front: plenty of Beak Things and constant Dust Bandit raids mean you need proper defenses from day one. This is definitely not a place for a peaceful farm. It is a location for a strategic fortress.
A Base in the Border Zone
The Border Zone is the best place to build your first bases.
The Hub-Squin corridor : The plateau directly between the towns gives you everything you need. Plenty of nearby traders, easy raids, and varied resources. It becomes boring eventually, but it is perfect for starting out.
The northwestern Border Zone : At the border with Vain, you can cover two biomes at once. A variety of resources is guaranteed.
A Base in the Fog Islands
Although the place looks like Silent Hill's evil sibling, the Fog Islands offer excellent base locations. Provided you are ready to meet the Fogmen, of course.
The northeastern plateau, the best overall option:
- Where: The large plateau northeast of Mongrel.
- Pros: Loads of space, plenty of iron, copper, and shops nearby.
- Cons: Constant Fogmen attacks and awkward terrain.
Wall off the entrances to the valley. Fogmen are predictable, so funnel them into kill boxes. You can grow both food and hemp here.
A Base in Gut
An eastern coastal region with blue sand and iron trees. Beautiful, until something eats you.
Gut is where food walks right up to your gates, although it wants to eat you first.
Where is it? On the continent's eastern coast. The blue sands are visible from far away.
Pros:
- Food literally walks up to your walls. Beak Things constantly attack the base, so you will have more meat than you know what to do with.
- No taxes. Tax collectors usually never reach your gates because they get eaten on the way, although some occasionally make it through.
- A nearby coastline for beautiful views.
- Constant skill training. Your squad will improve at the speed of light.
Cons:
- Beak Things. Lots of them. An awful lot.
- You need high walls and plenty of towers from the start.
- A trained squad of warriors for defense, preferably with polearms to stunlock enemies and prevent them from attacking too often.
Who it suits: Players who want to build a military fortress and are not afraid of constant sieges. Survive the first month here and things become easier. Relatively speaking.
How do you defend this base? Build walls of at least tier 2, preferably tier 3. Put turrets on every corner, and pray your gates survive the next pack of Beak Things. I would take 12-15 Shek with good stats and polearms, open the gates, let the creatures in, and cut them down in the narrow entrance.
Fun fact: by the time raiders from other factions reach your base through the Beak Thing hordes, they are usually already battered. Sometimes they never arrive at all. The local wildlife does half your defensive work for you.
The Best Locations for Farming
If producing food matters more to you than anything else.
Fishman Island:
- Environment: 100% Green, 50% Swamp.
- Pros: The best fertility in the game. Becomes safe once you take out King Gurgler.
- What to grow: Absolutely everything.
The island's best feature is its narrow bridge. Raiders almost always ignore it and come through the water instead. That means your harpoon turrets can shoot them while they flounder. Put a couple of towers by the shore and enjoy the show.
Once you clear out the Fishmen, you have enormous room to expand. You can build a whole town with every production chain. Constant rain means water never runs out. Grow everything from wheat to hashish with hydroponics.
It is also an excellent trading location: Flats Lagoon is a few minutes' walk north. If you smuggle hashish, this place is a gold mine. Produce it on the island, sell it in town, and profit.
Okran's Pride
- Environment: 100% Green fertility.
- Pros: Wheat grows like crazy. Safe for humans who know how to follow the rules.
- Cons: The Holy Nation will drive you mad with its restrictions. There is no copper here, either.
- Requirements: Only male humans to deal with patrols, and be ready to pray on schedule.
The Swamp:
- Environment: 100% Swamp.
- What to grow: The best location for rice, hashish, and vegetables for gohan.
- Cons: Swamp Raptors think your crops are delicious.
Locations Near The Hub
If you want to stay near the familiar Hub but need room to expand.
The ravine between The Hub and the Rebel Base. Space is limited, but it is safe. Shops and guards are close by. Think of a house in the suburbs: convenient and peaceful.
North of Stack, west of Bad Teeth. You avoid the cramped mountains around The Hub while keeping access to the main trade routes. Plenty of room without unnecessary hassle.
The northwestern Border Zone. This spot covers part of Vain, giving you two biomes at once. The best option of the bunch.
Bases in Okran's Pride
Holy Nation territory offers the best farmland, but there are a few complications… religious ones.
Northwest of Stack. A cliff overlooking Okran's Pride. There are 3 iron deposits, 2 copper deposits, and plenty of stone, plus a reasonable route down to fertile fields. The views are excellent, too.
The northern edge near Blister Hill. Convenient if you are roleplaying a Holy Nation believer. Easy access to prayers and trade.
Requirements: You absolutely need a human man carrying The Holy Flame to deal with patrols. Hide your nonhumans well away when inquisitors come visiting. A headache? Yes. But the wheat harvests are worth it.
Specialized Bases for Different Purposes
Mining Ore
The Great Desert and Stenn Desert. Both offer enormous mining potential, but you need to prepare for a harsh environment. Think extreme mining: the rewards are great, but everything around you wants to bury you.
Bases for Training Your Squad
Gut and the Shrieking Forest. Something is always attacking, so skills improve quickly. Ideal for a get-tough playthrough where you want to harden your squad through endless chaos.
Endgame Base Locations
Sonorous Dark and the Ashlands. Only head here when you have already done everything and are ready for real pain. Trust me, Kenshi will find new ways to humiliate you.
Base-Building Tips
- Use prospecting. Always check stone, fertility, water, copper, and iron before putting up walls. Nothing is worse than building your dream base and realizing the nearest iron is a three-day trek away.
- Prioritize resources. Iron is everything; you need it for every last bolt. Copper comes second for electronics. Stone becomes less important once you are wealthy enough to buy Building Materials.
- Plan your defenses. Look for narrow passages and build walls on high ground. The terrain should help you, rather than get in your way. Enemies climb uphill more slowly, and your turrets gain a height advantage.
- Power. Check the wind strength. Build backup generators if wind is unreliable in your area. Few things are more annoying than a dark base during a nighttime raid.
- Visible towns: A good location has at least one town visible on the horizon. That means traders are nearby.
- Natural entrances: Look for valleys with 1-3 entrances. Fewer entrances mean easier defense.
Whether you are building a quiet farm or a military outpost, Kenshi has a place for whatever you have in mind. Just make sure your ambitions match what your squad can handle.
Questions Answered
How much money do I need to start a base?
At least 60,000 Cats. You can manage with less if you enjoy risk, but that amount covers materials, blueprints, and food for the early days before everything goes wrong. And it will.
How large can a base be?
Technically, you could cover half the map within the building area. The Fog Islands have enormous plateaus. The real questions are how much patience you have and whether your PC can handle that many NPCs.
Can I have two bases in Kenshi?
Absolutely. You can build an entire network of outposts around the world. Plenty of players do: one base for farming, another for mining, and a third as a military post. Just remember that every base needs defending. More bases mean more raiding problems.
