Cheapest Raid Solver
Every wall and door can die a hundred ways. The solver ranks them all by sulfur - so “cheapest raid” becomes a shopping list, not a guess: e.g. 2 sheet doors + 1 stone wall = 7,550 sulfur (126 explosive rounds + 2 C4).
Your plan
Ranked by sulfur
Worked example: 1× Sheet Metal Door
Rendered on the server with the same ranking the tool runs - no JavaScript involved.
63 explosive rounds × 25 sulfur = 1,575 - the paper-cheapest opener in the game. MLRS (1, not craftable) and torches (excluded as a meme method) are covered in the full chart.
How the solver ranks your raid
For each target in your plan, every craftable explosive gets a score: count × sulfur per explosive, where count = ceil(target HP ÷ damage). The cheapest option per target wins a slot in the mixed raid, and the sidebar total is the sum - that’s your “cheapest raid” quote, like 4 rockets + 1 satchel = 3,340 sulfur for someone else’s base. Your quote is computed live from your own target list.
What the ranking deliberately ignores
- Workbench gating is shown, not sorted on. A T3 route can be sulfur-cheapest yet uncraftable for you - the badges tell you when.
- Time and risk. 112 beancans are cheap in sulfur and expensive in exposure. Offline vs online changes the right answer.
- Dud chance. Satchel minimums are exact; the wiki documents a malfunction chance, so budget spares.
Ranked data snapshot 2026-10-11 · sources and reconciliation on the methodology page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest way to raid in Rust?
On pure sulfur: beancan grenades and explosive ammo win on paper for doors, satchels win for wood, and C4 or explosive ammo for stone and metal - but the practical answer depends on your workbench tier and how much time you have. The solver ranks every option by sulfur for your exact targets and flags the workbench each one needs.
Why does the solver recommend C4 for stone walls when everyone uses satchels?
Because 2 C4 (4,400 sulfur) is genuinely cheaper than 10 satchels (4,800) on paper. The catch: C4 needs a Tier 3 workbench, 2 tech trash and a long craft chain, while satchels need only Tier 1. The solver shows the bench tier next to every option so you can pick the cheapest route you can actually craft.
How much cheaper is soft siding?
It depends on the explosive. Explosion-only charges (C4, rockets, satchels, beancans) damage both sides equally - soft siding saves nothing. Explosive ammo and melee tools hit the weak side harder: 173 rounds instead of 185 on a stone wall (saves 300 sulfur), and a torch “pick” drops from 962 hits to 97. Details in the soft side guide.
Are beancan grenades really worth using?
For sulfur-per-damage, yes - 69 beancans (8,280 sulfur) is the paper-cheapest way through an armored door, and they cost nothing but gunpowder and metal frags. In practice they are slow to throw, one at a time, with no stick bonus unless right-clicked onto the structure. Great for cheap offline raids on a budget; painful online.
Why is the MLRS rocket not ranked?
MLRS rockets aren’t craftable - they come from APC, helicopter and elite crates and are fired remotely from the Launch Site MLRS. With no crafting cost there is no sulfur price to rank. The raid cost calculator still shows how many you need: 3 for a stone wall, 4 for an armored door.
Does this account for satchels that dud?
No - the ranking is exact minimums. Satchels have a random fuse and a small chance to malfunction (documented on the Rust Wiki), so many raiders multiply satchel counts by ~1.2. We keep the numbers honest and let you choose the buffer.
Related tools & guides
Raid Cost Calculator
Build the target list: walls, doors, TC, turrets - with quantities and sides.
Build a plan →Sulfur Farming ETA
Turn the sulfur quote into farming time at your nodes-per-hour rate.
Time the grind →Rust Raid Chart
Every explosive × every target in one static table.
Open the chart →Soft Side vs Hard Side
The mechanics behind the solver’s soft-side switch.
Learn the trick →