Monument Progression and Tier Routes

Monument progression is the structured path through Rust's dungeons and landmarks, progressively accessing better loot as you gather keycards and progression items. Understanding tier systems, radiation requirements, and optimal routes maximizes resource gathering and progression speed. This guide covers every monument tier, access requirements, and strategy for efficient loot farming.

Tier 0 Monuments: Starting Points

Tier 0 monuments are open-access dungeons requiring no keycard, radiation protection, or special equipment. These include Dome, Harbor, Sewer Branch, Satellite Dish, and various smaller ruins. Tier 0 monuments provide accessible loot for fresh spawns without significant resource investment. Expect basic components, some ammunition, and occasional electronic components.

Dome is the classic Tier 0 monument: a crashed satellite with 4-5 loot rooms and basic crates. Harbor contains locked boxes, barrels, and occasional military loot. Sewer Branch is an underground dungeon with crates accessible by swimming. These monuments serve early-game progression, providing components for crafting and survival. Revisit Tier 0 monuments throughout the wipe for passive loot accumulation.

Radiation System and Protection Requirements

Radiation damages players without protection. Radiation levels range 0-500, with higher levels requiring better protection. Cloth does not protect against radiation. Hazmat suits reduce radiation damage by 50%, allowing access to low-radiation areas (100-200 radiation). Radiation protection suits reduce damage by 75%, enabling mid-radiation access (200-300 radiation). Heavy armor reduces radiation by 50%, stacking with hazmat for greater protection.

Radiation suits cost 500 cloth and 50 metal frags to craft. Hazmat suits are extremely rare (found only at specific monuments). Plan monument runs based on radiation level: low-radiation monuments first, working toward high-radiation areas as you gather better gear. Radiation slowly damages players, so minimize exposure time and carry medical supplies.

Green Card Access and Tier 1 Monuments

Green cards unlock Tier 1 monuments: Water Treatment, Power Plant, and Sewer Branch tier 2. Green cards are found at Tier 0 monuments (Dome, Harbor) and early Tier 1 runs. Tier 1 monuments provide significantly better loot: military-grade crates, weapon attachments, springs, and occasional high-tier components. Most Tier 1 monuments have 0-75 radiation, requiring minimal protection.

Water Treatment is a standard Tier 1 monument with 5+ locked crate rooms. Power Plant is larger with multiple levels and increased loot. Both are accessed via green card readers placed on locked doors. Locate card readers, insert green cards, and access restricted areas. After looting, recycle items immediately at monument recyclers to convert unwanted loot into valuable components.

Blue Card Routes and Mid-Tier Progression

Blue cards unlock Tier 2 monuments: Harbor Tier 2, Sewer Branch Tier 3, and underground passages. Blue cards drop from Tier 1 monument runs and higher-tier structures. The optimal progression route: Complete Tier 1 → gather blue cards → access Tier 2. This progression typically takes 5-10 hours of gameplay, establishing supply chains for raids and larger operations.

Tier 2 monuments provide: military crates, high-quality weapon blueprints, electronic components, and valuable loot spawns. Radiation in Tier 2 areas ranges 75-200, requiring hazmat or radiation suits. Most Tier 2 monuments include multiple blue card-locked doors and electric fuses to reset timers. Plan runs strategically—Tier 2 monuments respawn loot on timers (10-30 minutes depending on monument).

Tier 2 Monuments and Advanced Access

Tier 2 includes Airfield, Water Treatment Tier 2, Harbor Tier 2, and underground Sewer sections. Airfield is a large open-area monument with radiation patrols (scientist NPCs), providing military-grade loot. The electrical fuse system at airfield controls radiation doors—find and flip fuses to access restricted areas without hazmat suits.

Tier 2 strategy: Move through monuments quickly, looting elite and military crates while avoiding scientist NPCs. If NPCs spot you, they shoot on sight. Use cover, crouch-walk to avoid detection, and identify scientist locations before approaching crates. Most experienced players complete Tier 2 runs in 20-30 minutes, extracting 5,000-10,000 scrap equivalent loot.

Red Card Access and End-Game Monuments

Red cards are the rarest progression item, dropping from Tier 2 monuments and accessible only by elite players. Red cards unlock Tier 3 monuments: Launch Site, Military Tunnels, and extreme radiation areas. Red card routes require radiation protection suits, significant preparation, and often coordinated team execution. Tier 3 provides ultimate loot: rare blueprints, C4, grenades, and substantial scrap.

Acquiring red cards requires 15-20+ blue card runs and significant investment. Most players don't pursue red card routes until 100+ hours playtime. The extreme radiation (200-300+) and NPC scientists make solo attempts dangerous. Coordinate with teammates for safety. Red card runs yield 15,000-30,000 scrap equivalent loot per successful run.

Launch Site: End-Game Monument

Launch Site is the ultimate PvP monument—massive, dangerous, and extremely rewarding. It contains military loot, red card spawns, and occasional exosuit blueprints. Launch Site has extreme radiation (300+ in central areas), numerous NPC scientists, and high-value PvP loot that attracts groups. Most experienced groups farm Launch Site repeatedly for consistent end-game income.

Launch Site layout: Multiple buildings (tunnels, silos, offices) connected by exterior roads. Optimal strategy: Wear radiation protection suit, move quickly between buildings, loot military crates, avoid scientist patrols. Use cover and peek carefully around corners. Solo Launch Site is high-risk—teams of 3-5 significantly increase survival chances. Fully looted Launch Site requires 45-60 minutes.

NPC Scientists and Combat Tactics

Scientists are NPC enemies spawned at monuments. They use MP5 rifles, shoot accurately, and have substantial health pools. Scientists shoot on sight if you're in their visual range. Avoid combat with NPCs when possible—bullets waste ammunition and healing items. Move stealthily by crouching and using cover. If forced to fight, use superior tactics: peek-shoot from behind cover, maintain distance, and use medical supplies as needed.

Some scientists drop blue keycard fragments that accumulate to form blue cards. Monument farming involves killing scientists specifically for card drops. This is resource-intensive (high ammunition cost) but guarantees card acquisition. Experienced groups eliminate specific scientist spawns systematically.

Electrical Fuses and Monument Mechanics

Electrical fuses control radiation doors at several monuments. Find fusebox locations and flip switches to disable radiation in specific areas, allowing exploration without heavy hazmat. Fusebox locations vary by monument—explore and map them out. Some monuments reset fuses after 30+ minutes, requiring re-activation on subsequent runs.

Monument timer systems reset loot spawns after respawn timers expire (typically 10-30 minutes). Some monuments are "green card farms"—high spawn rates of green cards. Others are "blue card farms" or "red card farms" depending on primary loot type. Identify monument roles and farm them accordingly for progression acceleration.

Optimal Monument Farming Sequence

Early game: Dome, Harbor, Sewer Branch → gather green cards. Loot at recyclers immediately. Store cards in base storage. Time investment: 3-5 hours. Result: 50+ green cards, baseline components.

Mid game: Water Treatment, Power Plant, Harbor Tier 2 → use green cards, gather blue cards. Identify blue card hotspots. Investment: 10-15 hours. Result: 20+ blue cards, mid-tier components, weapon attachments.

Late game: Launch Site, Military Tunnels, Tier 2 monuments → use blue/red cards repeatedly. Establish farm routes. Investment: 50+ hours. Result: Blueprint variety, massive scrap accumulation, end-game wealth.

Group Coordination and Monument Raids

Group monument runs are more efficient than solo farming. Divide responsibilities: lookouts watch for enemies, runners loot crates, fighters engage NPCs if necessary. Large groups can farm Tier 2 monuments simultaneously, clearing multiple buildings in single runs. Coordinate with teammates over Discord for efficient execution.

Monument PvP: Monuments attract combat-focused players seeking monument loot. Expect ambushes at popular monuments. Travel in groups, be alert for enemy proximity, and be prepared for combat. Some servers have monument peace agreements or clan rules—respect these to avoid unnecessary conflicts.