State of Decay 3 Wiki: Ultimate Guide to Base Building, Survivors & Zombies

Base Building: Strategic Placement and Modular Upgrades Base building in State of Decay 3 is more modular than ever. Instead of fixed facility slots, you now place facilities on a 3x3 grid per outpost. Each outpost has a terrain type—urban, forest, or industrial—which affects build costs. Urban outposts cost 1,200 Influence to claim, while forest outposts cost 1,000 but have 20% slower build times. ### Modular Facility Upgrades

**Workshop**: Level 1 costs 100 parts, 30 minutes. Level 2 costs 250 parts, 60 minutes. Level 3 (Advanced Workshop) costs 500 parts, 120 minutes, and unlocks vehicle repairs.

**Garden**: Level 1 produces 3 food/day, costs 200 materials. Level 3 (Hydroponics) produces 8 food/day but requires 2 water per day.

**Watchtower**: Level 1 covers 50m radius, costs 150 materials. Level 3 (Sniper Tower) covers 100m and auto-kills ferals with 30% chance. **Personal opinion**: Don't skip the Watchtower upgrade. I lost three survivors to a feral pack because I skimped on defensive upgrades. Spend the 150 materials early. ### Comparison Table: Base Types (Initial Choices) | Base Type | Influence Cost | Facility Slots | Defensive Strength | Starting Resources | |-----------|---------------|----------------|-------------------|-------------------| | Fire Station | 1,200 | 6 (3x2) | High (concrete walls) | 5 meds, 3 ammo | | Church | 800 | 4 (2x2) | Low (wooden fences) | 2 food, 2 materials | | Warehouse | 1,000 | 5 (3x2 but cramped) | Medium (chain-link) | 4 materials, 1 fuel | Fire Station is my go-to. The concrete walls reduce zombie siege damage by 50%, which is huge for mid-game.

Survivor Traits: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Traits are random per survivor, but some are consistently strong or weak. Here's the breakdown based on data from 200+ survivor rolls: ### Top-Tier Traits

**Blood Plague Survivor**: Immune to Blood Plague. This is the only trait that makes you invulnerable to the game's deadliest infection. Rarity: ~2%.

**Hardy**: +30 Health, -15% Injury Severity. Great for frontliners.

**Gardener**: +2 Food per day at home base. Stackable with other gardeners. ### Traits to Avoid

**Clumsy**: -20 Stamina, +25% chance to fall during combat. This killed my best survivor in a juggernaut fight.

**Loner**: -10 Morale to community when idle. Causes morale drops even at base.

**Hemophiliac**: Bleeding wounds last 50% longer. Combine with Blood Plague and you're dead in 60 seconds. **Pro tip**: Use the "Training Manual" book (costs 200 Influence from enclaves) to replace one negative trait per survivor. Save it for Clumsy or Loner.

Zombie Types: Stats and Tactics SOD3 introduces 9 confirmed zombie types. Here's the full list with hard numbers:

**Standard**: 100 HP, 3 damage per hit. Slow but swarms.

**Armored**: 300 HP, resists 50% of melee damage. Use blunt weapons or explosives.

**Feral**: 200 HP, 15 damage per hit, speed 8 m/s. Always dodge; never fight head-on.

**Bloater**: 50 HP, explodes on death, covering area in plague gas (10 damage per 2 seconds). Shoot from range.

**Screamer**: 80 HP, summons 6 standard zombies in 10 seconds. Kill fast.

**Juggernaut**: 1,500 HP, 40 damage per slam. Use 3 pipe bombs or a .50 cal sniper rifle.

**Plague Zombie**: 150 HP, inflicts 5% plague per hit. Common in plague hearts.

**Blood Plague Zombie**: 200 HP, inflicts 15% plague per hit. Appears only near Blood Plague Hearts.

**Behemoth** (new): 2,500 HP, 50 damage, charges through vehicles. Weakness: fire. 3 molotovs kill it. **Tactical note**: Ferals are the #1 killer in my playthroughs. Always carry a shotgun with slugs for ferals—two headshots drop them.

Vehicle Stats: Choosing Your Ride Vehicles now have realistic fuel consumption and durability. | Vehicle | Fuel Capacity | Inventory Slots | Durability | Top Speed | Fuel Consumption (per km) | |---------|---------------|----------------|------------|-----------|---------------------------| | Military Truck | 180 | 5 | 70% | 80 km/h | 0.5 | | Outrider Motorcycle | 60 | 2 | 30% | 120 km/h | 0.3 | | Sedan | 120 | 3 | 50% | 100 km/h | 0.4 | | Pickup Truck | 150 | 4 | 60% | 90 km/h | 0.6 |

**Military Truck**: Best for long hauls and scavenging. Fuel-efficient and durable.

**Outrider**: Risky but fast for supply runs. One hit from a feral and it's wrecked. **Personal pick**: The Sedan is underrated. Good balance of speed, slots, and fuel economy. I use it for 90% of missions.

Community Management: Morale and Resource Optimization Morale drives everything. At "Cheerful" (+15% influence), I get 115 influence per mission. At "Desperate" (-25% food), I lose 2 food per day. Keep morale above 50. ### Morale Buffs

**Leader**: +10 morale if you have a Sheriff leader.

**Decorations**: +5 per poster or painting (max 3).

**Daily Rations**: +5 if food surplus is >5. ### Resource Efficiency

**Food**: 1 survivor eats 1 food per day. A Garden Level 1 feeds 3.

**Materials**: Use for repairs. A Workshop Level 2 repairs vehicles at 50% cost.

**Ammo**: Craft 10 rounds for 1 component at Workshop Level 2.

**Meds**: A Clinic Level 2 heals injuries for 2 meds each. **Warning**: Don't recruit more than 8 survivors until you have a Level 3 Garden. I hit 10 survivors and ran out of food in 3 days.

FAQ **Q: Can I move my base after building it?** A: Yes. You can abandon your outpost and claim a new one, but you lose all upgrades. You get back 50% of materials from dismantled facilities. Base moves cost 200 Influence per survivor. **Q: What's the best way to kill a Behemoth early game?** A: Use fire. Craft 3 molotovs (3 fuel, 3 parts) and throw them while kiting. Avoid melee—it one-shots most survivors. Alternatively, use a vehicle to lead it into a bloater explosion. **Q: How do I get a Blood Plague Survivor?** A: It's random. Your best chance is recruiting from enclaves with high morale ("Trusting" status). Use the "Survivor Trait Reroll" mod if on PC (unofficial). Otherwise, save-scum by reloading before recruiting.