One of the worst feelings in Rust is getting to a base with three C4 and realizing you need four to get through the wall. Planning your raid materials in advance is the difference between a successful hit and a demoralizing retreat.
This guide covers the exact number of explosives needed to destroy each building type, plus the raw materials required to craft them. Bookmark this before your next raid.
The Main Raiding Explosives
Timed Explosive Charge (C4)
The highest damage per explosive. Fast, precise, and expensive. You stick it to a surface and run.
Crafting cost (per C4):
| Material | Amount |
|---|---|
| Sulfur | 2,200 |
| Charcoal | 3,000 |
| Metal Fragments | 200 |
| Cloth | 5 |
Requires researching: Explosives → Timed Explosive Charge
Rocket
The best cost-efficiency option for most raids. Slightly less damage than C4 per explosive, but cheaper to produce and deals splash damage that can hit adjacent surfaces.
Crafting cost (per rocket):
| Material | Amount |
|---|---|
| Sulfur | 1,400 |
| Charcoal | 1,950 |
| Metal Fragments | 100 |
| Low Grade Fuel | 30 |
Requires a Rocket Launcher to fire.
Incendiary Rocket
Effective against wood and cloth structures — sets them on fire. Useless against stone or higher.
Crafting cost (per rocket):
| Material | Amount |
|---|---|
| Sulfur | 250 |
| Charcoal | 300 |
| Low Grade Fuel | 100 |
| Metal Fragments | 100 |
Satchel Charge
Early-tech explosive, available before you can research C4 or rockets. Requires many more to destroy a structure and has a random chance to become a dud.
Crafting cost (per satchel):
| Material | Amount |
|---|---|
| Beancan Grenade | 4 |
| Small Stash | 1 |
| Rope | 1 |
Requires a Tier 1 Workbench. This is the vanilla recipe — four beancans, a small stash, and rope.
Raid Cost by Building Material
Wood
The weakest building tier. Even low-tier explosives destroy it easily.
| Explosive | Wall | Door | Floor/Ceiling |
|---|---|---|---|
| C4 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Rocket | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Satchel | 4 | 2 | 4 |
| Incendiary Rocket | 2 | 1 | 2 |
Wood is also vulnerable to fire damage — an incendiary rocket will start burning it down over time.
Stone
The most common building material on standard servers. Rockets are the most cost-efficient option here.
| Explosive | Wall | Floor/Ceiling |
|---|---|---|
| C4 | 3 | 3 |
| Rocket | 4 | 4 |
| Satchel | 10 | 10 |
| Explosive 5.56 rounds | 185 | 185 |
Note: For stone doors specifically, explosive 5.56 ammo can be a more efficient option if you have an assault rifle and plenty of ammo.
Sheet Metal
The mid-tier building material. More expensive to raid than stone.
| Explosive | Wall | Door | Floor/Ceiling |
|---|---|---|---|
| C4 | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| Rocket | 8 | 2 | 8 |
| Satchel | 23 | 4 | 23 |
Armored
The toughest building tier. Extremely expensive to destroy.
| Explosive | Wall | Door | Floor/Ceiling |
|---|---|---|---|
| C4 | 8 | 2 | 8 |
| Rocket | 15 | 4 | 15 |
| Satchel | 46 | 12 | 46 |
Total Material Cost Breakdown
Breaking 1 Stone Wall
With 4 rockets:
| Material | Total |
|---|---|
| Sulfur | 5,600 |
| Charcoal | 7,800 |
| Metal Fragments | 400 |
| Low Grade Fuel | 120 |
With 3 C4:
| Material | Total |
|---|---|
| Sulfur | 6,600 |
| Charcoal | 9,000 |
| Metal Fragments | 600 |
| Cloth | 15 |
Rockets save sulfur vs C4 for stone. C4 is faster but costs more per wall.
Breaking 1 Sheet Metal Wall
With 8 rockets:
| Material | Total |
|---|---|
| Sulfur | 11,200 |
| Charcoal | 15,600 |
| Metal Fragments | 800 |
| Low Grade Fuel | 240 |
With 4 C4:
| Material | Total |
|---|---|
| Sulfur | 8,800 |
| Charcoal | 12,000 |
| Metal Fragments | 800 |
| Cloth | 20 |
C4 is actually more sulfur-efficient than rockets for metal walls.
Breaking 1 Armored Wall
With 15 rockets:
| Material | Total |
|---|---|
| Sulfur | 21,000 |
| Charcoal | 29,250 |
| Metal Fragments | 1,500 |
| Low Grade Fuel | 450 |
With 8 C4:
| Material | Total |
|---|---|
| Sulfur | 17,600 |
| Charcoal | 24,000 |
| Metal Fragments | 1,600 |
| Cloth | 40 |
Armored walls are brutally expensive. Most experienced players avoid raiding armored unless they have strong intelligence on the loot inside.
Door and Gate Costs
Doors tend to have lower HP than walls. Hitting the door first is often the efficient play.
Single Door
| Explosive | Amount |
|---|---|
| C4 | 1 |
| Rocket | 1 |
| Satchel | 4 |
| Explosive 5.56 | 63 rounds |
Double Door
| Explosive | Amount |
|---|---|
| C4 | 2 |
| Rocket | 3 |
| Satchel | 9 |
Garage Door
| Explosive | Amount |
|---|---|
| C4 | 3 |
| Rocket | 5 |
| Satchel | 12 |
Armored Door
| Explosive | Amount |
|---|---|
| C4 | 2 |
| Rocket | 4 |
| Satchel | 12 |
Satchel Duds: What You Need to Know
Satchels have a random chance to fail ("dud") when placed. A dud stays on the structure and you have to pick it up manually before re-placing it. In a live raid, this can be fatal — you're standing next to the structure waiting to grab a satchel while being shot at.
For offline raids (offfline raiding while opponents aren't home) this is manageable. For online raids, stick with rockets or C4 if you can afford it.
Rockets vs C4: Which Should You Use?
| Factor | Rockets | C4 |
|---|---|---|
| Damage per explosive | High | Higher |
| Sulfur cost | Lower | Higher |
| Splash damage | Yes | No |
| Safe distance | Fire from cover | Must be on the surface |
| Best for | Stone + Metal walls, efficiency | Speed, armored walls |
Use rockets when: You want to minimize sulfur cost, or need to hit multiple walls at angles where splash damage helps.
Use C4 when: Speed matters (online raid), you need to take down armored tier, or you need precision on a single surface.
Sulfur: Managing Your Bottleneck
Sulfur is almost always what limits your raid capacity. Here's how to farm it efficiently.
Sulfur Sources
| Source | Efficiency Notes |
|---|---|
| Sulfur ore nodes | Most reliable. Nodes appear as yellow-streaked rocks on the map |
| Mining Quarry | Passive production — set up and collect. High upfront cost |
| Excavator | High-volume production for mid-to-late game |
| Airdrops / crates | Small amounts, supplementary |
A Mining Quarry on a sulfur node produces around 1,000–2,000 sulfur per hour passively. Setting up multiple quarries before a planned raid gives you a supply advantage.
The ratio of sulfur to charcoal matters too — you'll need roughly 1.4x more charcoal than sulfur for most explosives. Make sure you're smelting enough wood to keep up.
Pre-Raid Checklist
Before you roll out:
- Scouted the base and know what building tier it is
- Explosives count calculated (add 20% buffer for mistakes)
- Rocket Launcher or C4 ready, with correct ammo
- Medical supplies: syringes, bandages
- Armor: sheet metal minimum, ideally hazmat or heavy plate
- Team comms established (voice chat)
- Exit route and rally point agreed
- Time check: how long until the server wipes?
Summary
Quick reference for the most common scenarios:
| Target | Rockets | C4 |
|---|---|---|
| Wood wall | 2 | 2 |
| Stone wall | 4 | 3 |
| Metal wall | 8 | 4 |
| Armored wall | 15 | 8 |
| Single door | 1 | 1 |
| Garage door | 5 | 3 |
The key takeaways:
- Rockets are more sulfur-efficient for stone, C4 wins for armored
- Always carry a 20% buffer — math errors happen under pressure
- Satchels are for offline raids and wood structures only
- Sulfur management is what separates prepared raiders from failed ones
Damage values can change with Rust updates. Always verify current numbers at Rust Labs after major patches, especially after Force Wipes.