Sons of the Forest: Defend your base – locations & traps

In Sons of the Forest, it’s not just about survival – it’s also about building. With the new construction system, you now have more options than in the predecessor to create your own dream base. Of course, it won’t go unnoticed, and before long the mutants and cannibals will turn up and try to assault your base. You should be well prepared for that moment so you don’t get killed or lose your base during an attack. The big, powerful mutants in particular can wreak serious havoc! Our base-defence guide will help you prevent that.

Sons of the Forest: Best location for your base

First, decide exactly where you want to build. The island is large, but not all places are equally suitable for a longer stay. You’ll need to think strategically, especially on higher difficulties. Think of real defensive structures like castles: built on high ground or protected by a moat, yet placed at strategically important spots.

• Flowing water (which doesn’t freeze in winter) is your best defence, as enemies cannot swim.
• Mountains, cliffs and steep drops also serve as natural defensive mechanisms.
• Avoid building near camps or patrols – attacks increase significantly there.

Also make sure you have enough resources nearby, especially in winter. The large mountain in the centre of the map is often a poor choice, as you’ll quickly starve or freeze there.

Construction-system defences: build defensive walls, fences and spikes

We’ve already covered the construction basics in a previous article if you want a refresher: (Sons of the Forest: Building System Guide – Blueprints, Free Build, Base Building) . If you already have security from natural features, you’ll save on building materials later and can invest in targeted defences.

Secure your home and core base: building high, treehouses, companions

Ideally, you want to prevent cannibals from ever reaching your living area. Divide your base, like a real fortress, into an inner living area and an outer defence. For extra safety, build high: treehouses, elevated platforms with railings, and natural rises. Enemies can climb and vault walls, but they also have limits.

Use your companions: Kelvin isn’t much help in a fight, but he’s great for gathering resources and construction. Virginia, on the other hand – once you’ve earned her trust – is a tremendously strong defender. Give her ranged weapons: she keeps attackers at a distance and alerts you early.

Pro tips:

• Secure entrances with gates and keep the number of access points to a minimum.
• Build lookout platforms for better sightlines and fields of fire.
• Keep the Repair Tool handy to patch up damage immediately after attacks.

Layered defensive wall: log walls, stone walls, electric fences

The more layers your defence has, the better. Natural terrain rarely covers every side – shore up your biggest weak spots first.

• Your simplest defence is a wall of logs driven vertically into the ground. Sharpen the tops so cannibals can’t climb over. A log wall around your base is good, but it won’t kill by itself and can be destroyed. Crossbeams behind it increase stability.

• Other variants include shorter sharpened logs or vertically stacked logs. Lower, but ideal as additional outer rings.
• Stone walls are virtually impenetrable and offer excellent protection – but they are resource- and time-intensive.
• You can rig tall fences with an electric wire via cabling and solar panels. It costs more resources but is ideal for stunning or even killing enemies. Caution: don’t run into them yourself.

• Your deadliest passive defence: spikes. Push sticks into the ground, use the axe to sharpen them into spikes, and reinforce with 2–3 stones. They’re cheap, repairable and extremely effective at choke points.

Best practice: Combine log walls, electric fences and spikes into a defensive mix that both slows enemies and deals damage.

Traps in Sons of the Forest: funnel and eliminate enemies

If you want to be more proactive, deploy traps (on the last page of the blueprint book). Build deliberate choke points into your wall and funnel enemies with sightlines and open gates into a kill zone. Augment the traps with spikes for maximum damage.

• The “Hokey Pokey Trap” (known from The Forest) is popular and reliable.
• “Bone Maker Traps” and “Fly Swatter Traps” are inexpensive and perfect for defending choke points.
• The “Multi Trap” is the most elaborate, but extremely lethal against multiple enemies.

More tips:

• Mark trap areas with torches or lights so you don’t run into them at night.
• Plan maintenance rounds after each attack, replace destroyed parts and keep resources on hand.

Conclusion: How to keep your base secure long-term

Base building is one of the most engaging activities in Sons of the Forest – but you won’t be left in peace for long. Invest early in natural defences, set up a layered defensive wall and use traps at choke points. With a smart location, reinforced walls, electric fences, spikes and help from Virginia, your base will stand firm even on higher difficulties.

If you’re playing together in co‑op or on a server, pressure scales with more enemies. If you want to rent a Sons of the Forest server, use this guide to protect your beloved base from every side: https://www.4netplayers.com/en-gb/gameserver-hosting/sons-of-the-forest/