Rust is a bold mash-up of the FPS, base-building, and survival genres, alluding to various influences from the Fallout series and the Mad Max movies. While it certainly took some time before the developers fully realized their idea, their continuous attention resulted in a game that many can’t keep themselves away from even in 2024.
The deluge of content updates and fixes keeps pulling players back, and the steady addition of extra challenges in the form of monuments ensures the Rust accounts remain well-maintained.
The Nuclear Missile Silo monument is the latest exciting addition to Rust, and here’s our guide to tackling and surviving it!
Finding the Nuclear Missile Silo Monument
Similar to other Rust challenges of this ilk, the Nuclear Missile Silo monument can spawn in various locations, appearing with slightly different designs and properties depending on the biome. Either way, it’s framed as a “final” event of sorts, potentially being tied to more profound in-game changes scheduled for future updates.
From the outside, it looks like a small military complex, constantly patrolled by armed guards, and protected by manned towers and barbed wire set all around the perimeter. At the center, there’s a wide, metallic circular opening housing the entrance to the subterranean part of the silo, where the titular nuclear warhead is primed for launch.
Going in Prepared
Rust revels in using harsh conditions to stop ill-prepared players in their tracks, as much as it enjoys pinning players in high-stakes, tug-of-war scenarios. As a result, players who have spotted the silo within a particular biome should take all external factors into account before deciding to infiltrate it.
Aside from climate-related peculiarities, players should equip themselves to counter constant radiation levels of a minimum of 25, assuming they can quickly deal with the four guards found at the surface level of the silo.
Similarly, discerning whether another player or a group of players is currently braving the monument is supremely important. Luckily, sound ques and fresh remnants of a battle are all the tips you’ll need. Then, you can decide whether your skills and weaponry are strong enough to result in you outsmarting the raiders or retreating is your best play (for now).
As a rule of thumb, a successful Missile Silo raid would require at least ten rations (pumpkins), a dozen syringes, a dozen bandages, an armor kit, a flashlight for your weapon, and at least 200 rounds of ammunition. As for the enemies you’ll encounter patrolling there, note that their numbers will increase the deeper you go, so it’s best to carry plenty of flashbang grenades to tip the odds in your favor.
Entering the silo in the first place is gated by a Blue Keycard, and you can only get that as a drop from the initial group of guards securing the silo. In any case, approaching the silo with a vehicle is a bad idea, as loud noises will alert guards to your presence, not to mention signaling other players that they can probably sneak up on you at the worst possible moment.
The Layout of the Nuclear Missile Silo
The Surface Area
On the surface, all around the blast hatch, there are several propane tanks players can cover behind, and two hangar-like buildings where you’ll likely square off against the guards. However, they can also use elevation to their advantage by climbing the four strategic guard towers.
The key item, the Blue Keycard, is used at the largest nearby building – the Communication Tower. To open the giant hatch, you’ll have to swipe the keycard at the intended access terminal and press the red button. Note that the hatch won’t remain open for long, so be sure to enter the silo during that small window.
Inside the Nuclear Missile Silo
The underground levels of the facility are full of metallic scaffoldings, stairs, and elevators leading all the way to the -5 level. Almost every level comprises security rooms, lobbies, and employees-only areas, as well as tight passages connecting them. Unsurprisingly, the deeper the player goes, the tougher the opposition gets, alongside the rising radiation.
The enemies there are not pushovers in the slightest. They’re endemic to the Nuclear Missile Silo monument and have hit points between 150-300. To make things worse, they have a good aim and carry night-vision goggles. Expect to run into small groups of them all through the tight corridors, and remain especially alert upon exiting an elevator.
As you progress downward, you’ll also reach valuable storage rooms, providing brief respite and allowing you to restock on healing supplies and explosives. The lowest point – the final area of the silo – houses a computer screen with a countdown to the next server wipe, which happens once every 24 real-life hours.
Successfully solving the puzzle at the end and escaping via the exit-only blast door can result in the player walking out with a bevy of juicy rewards, including three Diesel Barrels, rare camera codes, and all of the other loot they’ve collected along the way!
