Base Building and the Sunbeam

Learn how to build effective bases in Subnautica: Below Zero. Discover essential components, optimal locations, and strategies for managing hull integrity and power.

If you've been following my advice, your current base is likely near your lifepod. This is good early on, but now is a good time to expand out if you're ready for it. There are pros and cons to having multiple bases. In general, you will likely find yourself with one large base and a lot of smaller ones. At this stage in the game, my base by my lifepod is still pretty small (multipurpose room + moonpool), so I often leave it as-is, grab some seeds for plants I want to grow in my new base, and go create my true big base elsewhere. You can do this, you can expand your lifepod base, or whatever else you want.

If you decide to make a large base somewhere, there are two things you really want to consider: Location and Components.

Location is quite important. In general, it's good to have a base a convenient distance from areas you are currently exploring or that you visit often. Not only proximity to biomes, islands, and structures, but you also want to consider your proximity to various energy sources and what they mean for how you will power your base. If your base is down close to heated vents or other sources of extreme heat, you will likely want to use thermal plants. If you are wanting to use solar panels, consider your distance from sunlight. If you are going to use a bioreactor, consider your power source and how readily available it will be in your proposed location.

As for components, that is largely going to be at your own discretion. I have some suggestions that I'll put in the box further down, but base building is largely a personal thing and will depend on what works for you.

The only thing to be careful of is how sturdy your base is. Depending on where it is referenced you will hear it referred to as base integrity, hull integrity, or base hull strength. It is how resistant your base is to the pressure of the sea. If your Hull Integrity goes to or below 0, leaks will start springing up in your base and it will flood. You will need to do something about the Hull Integrity first, then use the repair tool to go around and repair the damage. Depth plays a factor in how much your Hull Integrity is affected by adding components. If you want more in-depth information, check out the wikia page on Hull Integrity.

Recommended Base Components

• Fabricator/Radio/Medical Kit Fabricator: If your base is not close enough to use these out of your lifepod, it is likely time to recreate them. They aren't too expensive and they don't take up a lot of room.
• Reinforcements: Putting reinforcements around your base will help with keeping Hull Integrity up. I highly recommend placing them on walls where you plan to put wall-mounted objects anyway, which would keep you from putting a window in that spot. As long as you install the Reinforcement first, you CAN mount most wall-mounted objects on the reinforced wall.
• Bulkheads: Bulkheads can be placed in many "doorways" and in hallway sections. They can be opened permanently so they don't actually delay your movements through your base. Their presence in the base is enough. Open or closed, they give +3 to your Hull Integrity, which is a nice boost.
• Foundations: Having several foundations under your base will help with Hull Integrity, each piece giving +2. Not only that, but depending on their location, foundations are a nice place to put floodlights, spotlights, and exterior growbeds.
• Interior/Exterior Growbeds: As we've discussed, growing plants is helpful. So far, you've probably only really used Interior Growbeds, as most things you could grow in an Exterior Growbed grow near your lifepod. When making a base far from home, though, it's nice to grow your own Creepvines and Acid Mushrooms, especially since you'll likely be needing a lot of rubber and batteries, even late in the game. Plus the newer, deeper places will give you more Exterior Growbed plants to bring home with you.
• Moonpool: It's always nice to have a Moonpool at any base, big or small. Even if you don't give it an upgrade panel, it gives you a place to charge your Seamoth without having to change out its power cell.
• Scanner Room: This is largely going to depend on where you set up your base, but the more resources that are clustered near your base, the more use you will see out of this room. I could make a whole section just on using the scanner room, but to keep it as short as possible, here are the basics. It does what the name implies: it's a room that scans. The room has a hologram showing the floor around you in the middle. There's an upgrade console and a fabricator for its modules. There is also a place to tell the scanner room what nearby resources you want to scan for. The hologram will show glowing dots where it has found this resource. You can also use the fabricator in the room to create an equipable chip that lets you see your scanner room's current results on your hud in real time. You can increase the speed of its scan and increase the scan range as well. It also comes equipped with two drone cams to use to safely explore an area visually without putting yourself in direct danger. New camera drones can be created at the fabricator if they get destroyed.
• Water Filtration Machine: If you have the incoming energy for it, I say go for it. Easy salt and water is always a plus.
• Battery Charger/Power Cell Charger: Things to charge your batteries are always a plus. It sure as heck beats having to replacing your drained batteries all the time. You may not find a Power Cell Charger is all that useful QUITE yet, as the only thing you have that uses them is your Seamoth, which you can (and should) charge in the Moonpool. The other two vehicles you can make in the game also use them, so later on, this may see more use.
• Modification Station: I almost want to call this a requirement instead of a suggestions. There are just certain things that can and should be upgraded that can