Raid Calculator

Cheapest sulfur mixes vs pure explosive raids in the Rust Raid Calculator

In Rust, pure C4 or pure Rocket raids waste sulfur on overkill because fixed per-charge damage exceeds a target's remaining health, whereas finishing leftover HP with individual Explosive 5.56 rounds (25 Sulfur each) cuts total sulfur by 23% to 68%. Across all 20 building block shapes (5 grades) and 437 doors and deployables read from the game files, the hard-side efficiency table below compares Timed Explosive Charge, Rocket, Satchel Charge, and Explosive 5.56 Rifle Ammo:

When to use Rockets vs C4, Satchels, and Explosive 5.56 in Rust

Players often assume Timed Explosive Charges (2,200 Sulfur at Workbench Level 3) always cost less sulfur than Basic Rockets (1,400 Sulfur) in Rust. Read from the game files, surface charges cost less sulfur on single walls and Armored Doors, whereas Rockets win on Garage Doors and multi-tile junctions.

• Single-tile wall or Armored Door breach (C4 precision): Timed Explosive Charges (Workbench Level 3) detonate in 10 seconds on the attached hard-side target without splashing neighbors, saving 1,200 Sulfur over Rockets on one Stone Wall (4,400 vs 5,600 Sulfur) and 2,400 Sulfur on a Sheet Metal Wall.
• Four-tile corner junction splash (1.0m core inside 3.8m radius): Read from the Rust game files, Basic Rockets deal 137.5 damage to Stone within a 1.0-meter inner blast core (3.8-meter outer radius), so 4 Rockets aimed at a 4-way corner intersection deal 550 damage to break four touching 500 HP Stone tiles for 5,600 Sulfur.
• Suppressed Explosive 5.56 door breaches (50 direct + 5 splash): Firing Workbench Level 3 Explosive 5.56 Rifle Ammo (50 direct damage plus 5 splash within 1.5 meters in the game files) through a Silencer dampens the distant rifle report, though explosive bullet impacts still sound locally on the door.
• Soft-side exposure and Workbench Level 1 Satchel path: Before unlocking Tier 3 explosives, Workbench Level 1 Satchel Charges (480 Sulfur) break a Sheet Metal Door in 4 charges (1,920 Sulfur), while exposed interior wall soft sides break to spears, swords, or a Jackhammer for zero sulfur.

Hard-side vs soft-side building shells and zero-sulfur siege weapons in Rust

Read from the Rust game files, 6 structural shapes (Foundation Steps, Ramp, L Shaped Stairs, U Shaped Stairs, Spiral Stairs, and Triangle Spiral Stairs) carry no directional exterior shell (shell = 0), whereas walls, floors, and foundations enforce a hard exterior side and take extra damage on their interior soft side. When sulfur or Tier 3 components are scarce, Workbench Level 2 siege engines break Wood and Stone targets for zero sulfur; compare per-grade HP on Rust Building Blocks, tax brackets on the Rust Upkeep Calculator, and scrap paths on Rust Workbench Tech Trees.

• Battering Ram against Wood and Stone walls: Demolishes the hard side of a 500 HP Stone Wall in 10 strikes while dealing zero damage to Sheet Metal or Armored blocks in the game files; after 9 initial hits, one Hammer repair swing costing 16 High Quality Metal restores 3 strikes.
• Ballista with Hammerhead Bolts against doors: Fires heavy iron-tipped bolts read from the game files that bypass sulfur crafting, breaking a Sheet Metal Door in 13 bolts, a Garage Door in 30 bolts, and an Armored Door in 50 bolts.
• Tech Trash (C4) vs Metal Pipes (Rockets) component bottleneck: Breaching a Stone Wall with 2 C4 requires 4 Tech Trash, 6,000 Charcoal, and zero Metal Pipes, whereas 4 Basic Rockets require 8 Metal Pipes, 7,800 Charcoal, and zero Tech Trash.
• Rope and Cloth (Workbench Level 1 Satchel Charge path): Breaching a Stone Wall with 10 Satchel Charges requires 10 Rope, 100 Cloth, and 7,200 Charcoal, bypassing Low Grade Fuel, Metal Pipes, and Tech Trash on early-wipe servers.