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 dream base. Of course, it won’t remain hidden for long, and before you know it, mutants and cannibals will arrive and try to attack it. You should be well prepared for that moment to avoid getting killed or losing your base during a raid. The big, powerful mutants can deal serious damage. Our base defense 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 spots are equally suitable for a long-term stay. Think strategically, especially on higher difficulties. Take cues from real defensive fortifications like castles: build on high ground or with a moat and place your base at strategically important locations.

• Flowing water (which doesn’t freeze in winter) is your best defense since enemies can’t swim.
• Mountains, cliffs, and steep slopes work well as natural defensive mechanisms.
• Avoid building near camps or patrol routes — attacks ramp up significantly there.

Also make sure you have enough resources nearby, especially in winter. The big mountain in the middle of the map is often a poor choice because you can quickly starve or freeze there.

Construction-system defenses: walls, fences, and spikes

We covered the basics of the construction system in a previous post if you want a refresher: (Sons of the Forest: Building System Guide – Blueprints, Free Build, Base Building) . If you already have protection from natural features, you’ll save on materials later and can invest directly in defenses.

Secure the house and core base: building high, treehouses, companions

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

Use your companions: Kelvin isn’t much help in combat, but he’s great for gathering resources and building. Virginia, once you’ve earned her trust, is an extremely strong defender. Give her ranged weapons — she keeps attackers at a distance and alerts you early.

Pro tips:

• Secure access points with gates and keep the number of entrances to a minimum.
• Build lookout platforms for better sightlines and fields of fire.
• Keep a repair tool on hand to fix damage immediately after attacks.

Layered perimeter: log walls, stone walls, electric fences

The more layers your defense has, the better. Natural terrain rarely protects every side — cover your biggest weak spots first.

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

• Other variants include shorter pointed logs or logs stacked upright. Lower, but ideal as additional outer rings.
• Stone walls are nearly impenetrable and offer excellent protection — but they’re resource- and time-intensive.
• You can power tall fences with solar panels and run electric wire along them. It costs more resources but is ideal for stunning or killing enemies. Caution: don’t run into them yourself.

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

Best practice: Combine log walls, electric fences, and spikes into a layered defense that both delays 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). Intentionally build chokepoints into your perimeter and use sightlines and open gates to funnel enemies into a kill zone. Add 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 holding chokepoints.
• The Multi-Trap takes the most effort but is extremely deadly against multiple enemies.

More tips:

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

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 alone for long. Invest early in natural defenses, set up a layered perimeter, and use traps at chokepoints. With a smart location, reinforced walls, electric fences, spikes, and help from Virginia, your base will hold even on higher difficulties.

If you’re playing co-op or on a server, enemy pressure scales up. If you’d like to rent a Sons of the Forest server, use this guide to keep your beloved base sufficiently protected from every direction: einen Sons of the Forest Server mieten möchtest,