Defense materials

[Yuvs]

Steel for walls?

Sand bags or barricades?

Which are the best or recommended materials for base defense?

[CyberianK]

I usually go with Barricades first as I don't have the cloth for the sandbags in the beginning.

Granite is best for walls after steel but it does not matter that much. More important is efficient layout even if you don't build killboxes. Plasteel usually don't waste for walls but keep for turrets (if you use them).

[Yuvs]

Why sandbags over barricades though?

[Astasia]

Uranium for walls. Steel is bad. Any stone is a good early game option.

[Cormac]

if you play unmodded, steel walls can burn (the last time i checked) use stone for outside walls
grantie>sandstine>slate>marble.

wooden barricades 195 hp (fire!)
marble barricade 360 hp
cloth sandbags 300 hp
devilstrain sandbags 390 hp.

unless build put of slate or higher stone (whicgh should not be a problem) the devilstrain sandbags have just a small amount of higher hp, once you build them of higher stone, you realy don't have a reason to use sandbags (granite has 510 hp)

if you are talking about modded, there you can add composite (rimfeller) to the mix, barricades out of those are 780 hp and you don't even have to touch your plasteel storage.

embrasures are from a mod with the same name, if you were talking about those: as far as i remember, they give better cover for your pawns and they prevent enemies from climbing over them, they are in nearly all situations superrior to barricades (unless you want to get over them yourself to hunt down the enemie)

[grapplehoeker]

Originally posted by Astasia:

Uranium for walls. Steel is bad. Any stone is a good early game option.

Stone for walls should be good right to the end. Uranium is far too valuable to be used for walls, which, let's face it, are hardly ever targeted.
That said, I'll always use whatever steel can be found on event maps (quests) to build a quick and easy temporary shelter. Quite often there are more steel structures/partial ruins that can be recycled than there are trees for wood lol ;)
If you had to use it for defensive structures, then it would be far more practical to use it for uranium slug turrets which are awesome!
Much better to use uranium for mid to late game usage such as advanced components, gear and the spaceship.

[CyberianK]

Unmodded I guess the only reason you might wand sandbags instead of stone barricades is if you have lots of cloth available but need stone for building construction and walls. Or because you like the looks.

[grapplehoeker]

Thrumbofur sandbags for the extravagantly decadent! ;)

[Astasia]

Originally posted by grapplehoeker:

Stone for walls should be good right to the end. Uranium is far too valuable to be used for walls, which, let's face it, are hardly ever targeted.
That said, I'll always use whatever steel can be found on event maps (quests) to build a quick and easy temporary shelter. Quite often there are more steel structures/partial ruins that can be recycled than there are trees for wood lol ;)
If you had to use it for defensive structures, then it would be far more practical to use it for uranium slug turrets which are awesome!
Much better to use uranium for mid to late game usage such as advanced components, gear and the spaceship.

Ever since uranium became a large material instead of a small one I've found it's pretty easy to replace my outer wall with uranium most games. Resources are infinite, getting another 1000-2000 uranium isn't that difficult. It's true that stone is "good enough" though, and it really doesn't matter much. But OP asked what was best, uranium has 50% more health than granite and isn't flammable like plasteel, it is hands-down the best material for defensive walls in the base game and you will reach a point where it's cheap enough to swap out that you might as well.

[grapplehoeker]

Originally posted by Astasia:

Ever since uranium became a large material instead of a small one I've found it's pretty easy to replace my outer wall with uranium most games. Resources are infinite, getting another 1000-2000 uranium isn't that difficult. It's true that stone is "good enough" though, and it really doesn't matter much. But OP asked what was best, uranium has 50% more health than granite and isn't flammable like plasteel, it is hands-down the best material for defensive walls in the base game and you will reach a point where it's cheap enough to swap out that you might as well.

It only becomes plentiful once you get deep scanning and long distance scanning into swing. The new mechanics for that make it a much longer process than before for either of them. But yes, once you do score an underground deposit for deep drilling, that can provide plenty.
By that point though, I'll no longer be concerned about defences and I'll be looking to use uranium for producing advanced tech as I mentioned above.
Besides, I've never considered a wall as a defensive structure. It's just something that holds a roof up IMO ;)