What’s The Best Base Location In Subnautica?

[@DetectiveWraith]

Gets the cure Sets up a rocket Disables the defenses Gets hypnotized by tree cove and never leaves

[@Breathtaker5000]

Subnautica in a nutshell

[@thegood_soup]

So true

[@Lunaraia]

It is your primary directive to swim clooser to that beautiful plant.... cloooser now....

[@Mohammed_mazen_khalifa]

I could say the same but for the voids ghost leviathans

[@TheDragonCat99]

I’m just trying to avoid billions of credits in debt

[@simonnachreiner8380]

Honestly missing the most important category. Power generation. No solar and no heat means either draining the ultimately limited supply of nuclear power in the world or micromanaging a bio reactor with crops or if you aren’t insane a fish farm.

[@t_gabiuel6058]

Conclusion: the cooler the biome, the more it wants to kill you (except the tree cove).

[@Breathtaker5000]

Pretty much 🤣

[@AloisAgos]

Pretty sure the "Style" category is just the "Flexing" category.

[@Kangur08]

Unless it's lavaland xd

[@akidwell1]

@@AloisAgosI was like how the hell is getting eviscerated by a reaper stylish them mountains looks ugly af

[@Marc83Aus]

The tree cove is doing the same thing as everything else, just with different methods.

[@xy9231]

The Bulb Zone is highly underrated in terms of beauty. The amp eels and bulbs at night make the black ocean water look like a starry night sky. 10/10 ambiance!

[@ranekeisenkralle8265]

I found the ampeels rather annoying, to be frank. They have a nasty tendency of interfering with my building and feel like more of a hassle to deal with than the Ghost Leviathan Juveniles down in the river. Which is why I avoided that biome as best i could when playing subnautica.

[@Shorty_Lickens]

Yes but they are also dangerous. I try to not make main bases with electric eels around. But its fine for a mini base.

[@mrjblacc85]

My primary base will always be at the intersection of safe shallows, kelp forest and grassy plateaus, near the Jelly shroom cave entrance. Along with a secondary base location in the room right before the Tree Cove in the lost river, which is at maximum Seamoth depth. Both locations are rich in resources (even table coral) and are honestly very convenient too in their own ways.

[@kemicalhazard8770]

I love that starter location, it is great for building the larger vehicles as well as easy to navigate to whichever biome you need

[@hoked2194]

I've been doing that too! Such an amazing location for a starter base.

[@MaxSiddiq]

You can build seamoth dock in the tree room above smoky craters at -890m))

[@mrjblacc85]

@MaxSiddiq yeah, I tried that too, but I just like to keep the tree cove prestine. Also the room has more resources, is closer to the lost river portal and building on a crossroads is just convenient.

[@yourfutureself3547]

Dude I do the same thing except I build my 2nd base right next to the tree cove and just park my seamoth above my base lmao

[@johnpett1955]

I'm the kinda guy to build bases everywhere. Specifically just the scanner room for the most part. That scanner room is great for finding reasources

[@k9wazere]

My first and only playthrough was the same. Put bases (and scanners!!) everywhere, and then watch the frame rate plummet :p In the end I decided to deconstruct a few in the hope of getting some FPS back! But yeah, just about everywhere on this list had a base, whether it was just a stores and a scanner, or something more expansive.

[@lzrshark617]

I end up building a scanner in areas I know have reapers bc I'm terrified of them, and make sure to have the scanner active before I do anything in that area, so that I can keep track of where the bastards are

[@ulisesmendoza4271]

@@lzrshark617u can track reapers?

[@douglasdoyle5746]

@@ulisesmendoza4271 scanner room tracking reapers + HUD chip combo is a godsend

[@mace1234]

i’m in the middle(?) of my first playthrough rn and i’m doing this exact thing. i BELIEVE ive found a lost river entrance we’ll see

[@easymodegamer501]

I'd honestly probably bump both islands down a safety point because although they may not be very threatening, they do have hostile creatures in the form of those crab thingies.

[@thegood_soup]

One time it took me a couple minutes to get on the Aurora because of those.

[@kizuro1792]

also mountain island has a reaper right on the other side

[@thegood_soup]

I thought mountain had two next to it?

[@wizardpajamas6405]

The real danger on the islands is fall damage.

[@thegood_soup]

That and the cave crawlers

[@GwnTim1]

Alternative Solution: Become a Cyclops-hermit

[@tyler-js]

If only you could put a water purification station in there and maybe a bio reactor

[@Shadowxat]

@@tyler-js for the power part all you need is a power cell chargers

[@johnadams5513]

The Powercell charges use the Cyclops' battery.

[@Rebirth._]

yeah thats what i do most playthroughs. build basic base for moonpool in shallows -> build cyclops -> setup necessary base components there -> make interior growbeds for marblemelons -> finish the game after going to the lost river for the first time

[@error_idiot8329]

@@johnadams5513 You could have them in other smaller bases made just to charge stuff though and place them around. You'd just need to get them sufficient power. But they could have also played during the early access where at one point power cells charged faster than they drained.

[@theogilbert7695]

Hey, for the Bulb Zone, you said it's 5/10 in convenience. I think it's way better in that category since you can eat the bulb bush samples, an almost infinite source of food. Also, theres a lot of ''hell holes'' or heat vents (holes in the ground that are really hot), so you can place thermal plants in them and have free, unlimited energy.

[@lavabiscuits]

Yeah, but you can just farm the bulbs easily. Honestly, I think the amount of heat gives a good 1 to make 6 out of 10. There are better places with heat geysers.

[@ThatJay283]

in terms of "free, unlimited energy" i really like the nuclear plants of subnautica. they're basically limitless and aren't location based.

[@theogilbert7695]

@@ThatJay283 these need nuclear rods that are expensive

[@ThatJay283]

@@theogilbert7695 true, but if you fill up a reactor completely it'll last anyone until endgame, even when charging cyclops ion batteries.

[@UltraViolence33]

I hated the bulb zone because of the reapers around it

[@AloisAgos]

Surprised that the Grassy Plateau ranked so low. I loved the ease of access, plenty of space, spectacular views of the sweeping terrain, the low moans of the Reefbacks offering ASMR and an alien view as they swim overhead.

[@1God1Fury]

low moans? Reefbacks were practically screaming at my ears at full volume when kept swimming above my base close. It became so obnoxious because how loud they were that I never wanna build my base near that biome ever again

[@SuperDestroyerFox]

@@1God1Furymaybe turn your headphones down. They really aren’t that loud.

[@1God1Fury]

@@SuperDestroyerFox You haven't lived in a base in middle of grassy plateau with reefback moaning 24/7 from 50-100m distance. Doesn't help it takes 10min to half a hour for them to leave and before you know it another pack them came to replace to moan into your ear...

[@SuperDestroyerFox]

@@1God1Fury except for how most of my bases have been there

[@1God1Fury]

@@SuperDestroyerFox Then I guess you haven't stayed in base for long. Turning down sound isn't helpful advice if immersion and listening to music and ambience is part of what I enjoyed in this game

[@sawyermccall2370]

Personally, I like to build my starter base in the grassy plateaus because they are loaded with basic resources. After that, after I complete the story, I make a base in the lava zone because there you have access to almost every resource in the inactive lava zone, and then ion cubes in the primary containment facility for all my ion batteries

[@shadydaemon4178]

Of course, all the other biomes across the whole area.

[@K_M279]

Same

[@isdrakon9802]

For me its a base next to the jellyshroom cave and that one wreck, or the floating islands for a quick jump into the lost river

[@K_M279]

@@isdrakon9802 mine is set up next to the jellyshroom cave

[@isdrakon9802]

@@K_M279 easy access to magnetite and shale, and plenty of the other resource nodes around. Next to a kelp forest, the island, and the grand/deep grand reef

[@taylorrathbone5638]

The tree cove has always been my favorite, and I'd argue it's the most convenient location for late game. Direct, easy access to the lava lakes is nice, and the lost river lets you quickly travel across the map. Combine that with the fact the two adjacent biomes have every resource you need, so you can make an entire megabase without ever leaving the area. The nearby bladderfish are just the cherry on top.

[@bombthing]

I personally love the quiet ambience of the sparse reef, and its honestly safer than the shallows because at least theres no crashfish. Right next to a lot of the important areas too and it looks great imo

[@Canadian_Ale]

Glad to see another sparse reef resident. May I stop by later to get some salt for my cured peepers?

[@infinitypeaches3329]

I don't get the crashfish hate. they explode and take away like 20% or 10% of your health, and you can easily escape them with a seaglide

[@powerful7845]

@@infinitypeaches3329 I let one hit my seamoth... to my surprise it healed its damage(I gained hp in my seamoth it was at 91% and went up to 100%)... probably a bug... so then I let the next one hit my seamoth and it insta killed it. So yeah the hate is real.

[@infinitypeaches3329]

@@powerful7845 the insta-kill is a bug, and why would you take your seamoth into those tiny caves?

[@HH-hd7nd]

True - however if you are building close to the entrance to the Deep Sparse Reef you might encounter Bleeders - the caves are full of the blasted things and unlike larger predators they unfortunately respawn. When I build in the Sparse Reef I prefer to build at the northern cliff of the biome, not at its bottom. @infinitypeaches3329 The damage you take from Crashfish explosions depends on the distance and can be as high as 40 %. As for outrunning it - sure that's possible eventually, but most people encounter their first crashfish without having any equipment at all - and you cannot outrun a crashfish without flippers and a seaglide.

[@WardyLion]

I always establish a base in the Tree Cove, specifically towards the back near the thermal spires and the entrance to the inactive lava zone. It’s beautiful, safe, has resources aplenty (and you can always pop out into the Lost River for more) and you can get free recharges on the Cyclops if you have the thermal generator and leave it parked close to the thermal spires.

[@imahaloguy]

Nice to see the Northern Blood kelp so high on the list! By far my favorite biome and base location. “This biome matches 7 of the 9 preconditions to stimulate a homely feel in humans!” 😂

[@xtremelymoderate829]

That last quote... 💀

[@ElectricityTaster]

I love that place. It's dark and deep, but you can still look up and see the surface way up. It feels deeper than most other places in the game, even though it's just ~500m.

[@AmandaFessler]

Absolutely terrified of that place. PDA doesn't lie, it freaked me out when I first got down there, even without the PDA saying the original quote.

[@Whydidimakethisa]

@@AmandaFessleri took a cyclops there once, not knowing there was a ghost Needless to say, i didn’t go back there ever again

[@SalesmanWave]

Cringe.

[@semajniomet981]

`1:00 I'm honestly surprised that the Crater's Edge didn't score any lower. The only thing really going for it is the brag factor of saying that you built a base in it without dying. `2:55 The radiation could also pose a problem if you don't fix the Aurora. `5:20 If you've already --redacted--, then the Warpers become non-hostile towards you. `11:15 There is ONE biome that you missed: Open Ocean. Basically, it's any location above the surface of the ocean that is not an island or the Aurora. I'd say it ranks 10 in Safety, and exactly 1 for everything else, as there's nothing to look at, nothing to collect, and not very amazing overall.

[@CarMADforever]

Honestly, I have a favorite base location and I routinely build the main base there. I don't have coordinates but it's a Safe Shallows area to the East of the Seamoth Bay where I will lay down my initial room then build out into the Grassy Plateaus so it overhangs. Around the immediate area you have, Safe shallows for table coral and shrooms, 5 wrecks of varying size, 2 kelp forest biomes and 2 access points to the Jellyshrooms one of which being the Degasi entry point. Further afield you are near to the Grand and Sparse Reef, The Tench and the Crag Field. Materials 4 Days. And you get to watch the Reefbacks meander and sing their songs, while the Sandsharks and Stalkers prowl.

[@michaeldora9068]

I think I know that one, a section of kelp forest on the left right?

[@CarMADforever]

@@michaeldora9068 The way I'd orient the base, yes to the left would be a Kelp biome, specifically that one leads into the Grand Reef

[@firestarex3544]

I think I know which location you're talking about an I gotta say, it's probably the best spot to build a main base in the entire game.

[@exaltz]

does anyone have coordinates now?

[@CarMADforever]

@@exaltz I do not have the exact coordinates, however I can give -33 -25 -398 This is a wreck not far east of the location, ~100m maybe, you can't miss the location once you find it though it's a distinct bowl shape in the Safe Shallows.

[@Dad_420]

0:16 when he said” there are so many choices” and then showed 3 awful places to put a base.

[@tf2gamingschannel]

Hey, the mushroom caves is a perfect base for early thermal and resources and the lost rives is also perfect for resources

[@NotControlledByMillipedes]

Those are... the best choices. My first base was in the lost river actually, because I found it and thought it looked cool... and I found a bioreactor in my first day.

[@PolyphonicSpr33]

Bro the Great Mushroom Tree is the best location, change my mind. Great style, total safety from reapers, all 3 rock formation types, multilevel options, right on the edge of a bunch of other biomes and their resources, lategame teleporter for mushroom biome is in your backyard, plenty of room to park a cyclops fleet, and just a short hop over to the lost river.

[@thegood_soup]

Same though for lost river. Every resource except kyanite and ion cubes and can go anywhere using the portal to the pcf. Plus you have garg skeleton and cove tree.

[@PolyphonicSpr33]

@@thegood_soup Yeah but with mine there's no cave roof over your head 🙌🏼

[@thegood_soup]

@@PolyphonicSpr33 mine has a glowing tree

[@PolyphonicSpr33]

@@thegood_soup mine has a bigger tree you can go inside lol

[@thegood_soup]

@@PolyphonicSpr33 my tree looks better and has more loot in the area plus entrance to lava zone.

[@crsedgames]

I've found that the most optimal base location for me is in the Mushroom Trees on the port-side of the Aurora, somewhat close to the Bulb Zone. There's limestone, sandstone, shale, scrap metal (and also fragments to scan for titanium), tons of lithium, quartz, salt deposits, and it's also close enough to the natural island that utilizing the teleporters there isn't too inconvenient late-game. Only real downsides are the risk of encountering Reapers if you stray the wrong way, the radiation if you haven't repaired the drive core yet, and the Cyclops might be a bit hard to utilize effectively there (I never use the Cyclops, so this isn't a problem for me, at least).

[@abcsir9415]

me wanting to build my base somewhere different but always building it in safe shallows because subnautica scary😔

[@mememan1546]

You can build in the grassy plateaus instead. Good visibility, pretty central to the rest of the map depending on which plateau you choose, the ability to park a cyclops and plenty of resources make it a great location. About the only things youll have to worry about are sandsharks and tigerplants.

[@kaybombsadventure6934]

And the only leviathan there is the Reefback, who isn’t even actually deadly

[@tyler-js]

Build it in the tree cove in lost river

[@FatSealAppreciation]

Real 😔

[@thiccythins785]

Build it at the top of the giant mushroom tree. It's very, very close to the PCF warp and Lifepod 13. Only about 60 meters deep, in the center of a very fragment and resource rich location, so it can use every type of power save for thermal.

[@benlampron6922]

Suprised nobody ever mentions it, but the aquarium inside the primary containment facility is absolutely my favorite place to build a base. Unlimited power because of the lava outside, unlimited ion cubes, portals leading to every single place in the game, one of the portals leads to the quarantine enforcement platform which has a dock to put your cyclops in, the sea emperor is right ouside your window and its the only place in the game with friendly hostile creatures.

[@chucheeness7817]

My most preferred location is the hydro vent facing the floating island, near the mushroom cave entrance. It has space for Cyclops parking and an eventual hydrothermal recharging area. In addition, it has a good vantage point for Reef Leviathan watching from an observatory

[@Breathtaker5000]

That’s a cool one, I’ll have to take a look it at!

[@charlie570]

i usually prioritize resources and convenience above all else and i found that putting my base at the border between the northern blood kelp zone and the mushroom forest, with the dunes a short swim away, gave me the perfect combination of resources. i had everything i needed to craft reactor rods and the countless pieces of tech that needed plasteel. all with easy access to the lost river

[@TheLastBacon]

I'm a backrooms-base kinda guy ;) Great video!

[@trappist-1d587]

Let me guess... to enter it you got to no-clip using the cyclops glitch don't you?

[@thegood_soup]

I’m pretty sure it’s cause of his largest base video.

[@Breathtaker5000]

🤣 Thanks man! Always a pleasure seeing you here ;)

[@Xelaria]

I always make bases in the tree cove, being right in the center of the lava zone and surface, I’d say it’s quite Convenient, and thermal vents for an easy power source. And with a few outdoor growbeds you have everything you need.

[@TheWeirdkid_64]

Ok probably one of the best places to build your main base (and where I personally put my first base in almost every playthrough) is the northwestern mushroom forest. Now one of the first reasons it’s really good is there are no hostile creatures in it, and though it is bordering the dunes, that’s actually more of a bonus than anything, because it might seem like you might accidentally get into the dunes, it’s pretty easy to spot if your in the dunes or not. Now for resources, it might not seem to have many resource outcrops, but if you look for them on the cliff walls you can find a good amount of shale and sandstone outcrops, and if you have a drill arm you can even get a ton of copper from large deposits. Now probably the best part about the northwestern mushroom forest is it’s actual location. Now before I mentioned that it borders with the dune, but it also borders with the bloodkelp zone, the grassy plateaus, and the kelp forest. Now the grassy plateaus is really good because it has many resources that aren’t available in the mushroom forest. Now the blood kelp zone might seem like a bad thing, but it isn’t too dangerous if you know what you are doing, and if you go to the end of the large wall that blocks the underwater islands and go downwards, you can go straight to the lost river which is extremely convenient. [SPOILER WARNING] another really good part about specifically the northwestern mushroom forest is it actually has a phase gate that goes to the primary containment facility. Now this fact is very useful because it allows you to not only have an easy way to get ion cubes from the PCF, but also to get to both the inactive lava zone and the lava lakes extremely quickly.

[@williamevans5608]

I also put my main base here. I recently started another playthrough and the big mushroom tree is an amazing place. Lithium everywhere. Easy access to kelp forest, dunes, red grassy area and especially blood kelp and lost river. Absolute godsend late game when you need a load of resources, looks cool if you put your base right at the top and nothing can really kill you. Only downside is getting the prawn up into the moonpool without jump jet upgrade and grappling arm!

[@F.Underhill]

I put a base right next to the northern mountain there, where the blood kelp zone, mushroom forest, and dunes meet. Tons of quartz in the trench into the kelp zone nearby to make building habbitats easy, though titanium can be a little tricky to find. The top of the mountain has plenty of spadefish for food while you're building it.

[@Atoll-ok1zm]

My favorite location is at the edge of the dunes near the kelp canyon. Flat, thermal vent, sea treaders, lost river access, shallow enough to get light, the works. Sparese reef and path are great for farming resources. Only problem is that it's tecnhically in the dunes, so there is a reaper just at the very edge of yelling distance but he's never given me trouble. Bonus points if you get an observatory overlooking the drop-off down to sea treaders.

[@Cantthinkofaname420]

Bro watching 0:47 triggered PTSD. I watched my friend play Subnautica for the first time a while back, they had done almost everything, just needed to get the cockpit for the rocket and then they would be done. They went through the mountains and found that area. Skip ahead a few seconds later and we're both panicking, 30 seconds of oxygen left and stranded in the middle of the cave. That area is a literal underwater maze. We got out though, albeit with 3 seconds of oxygen left.

[@andreworders7305]

8:34 how the hell does lost river get a 3/10 for convenience? It’s like a highway to late game areas once you murder the local ghosts

[@IvanBaAl961]

You forgot to mention a few places but anyway I prefer Sparse Reef for main base: resources, safety, space, access to the Lost River, some important wrecks.

[@c4sualcycl0ps48]

I always forget about the sparse reef, I mainly go around it going from my main base in the grassy plateau near the mushroom forest to the deep grand reef.

[@BrutalSkorpio]

When you say access to the lost river, are you referring to that blood kelp transition area?

[@IvanBaAl961]

@@BrutalSkorpio There are two connected entrances nearby, you can even switch between them right before the Lost River. May be difficult to navigate first time though. The important thing is scan room can see nickel from there.

[@glacity]

That's so interesting to me. The Sparse Reef activates my thalasophobia like crazy so I hold my breathe irl whenever I pass through ^^'

[@IvanBaAl961]

@@glacity It looks scary at first. However, it's very quiet place. A base or enough time can help to get used to it.

[@FireFox64000000]

There's another style perfect 10 base local. I call it Lost River Falls. It's right before the Ghost Tree Cove and provides this perfect eerie atmosphere with these beautiful green "waterfalls" and several fossils. It's free from leviathans. And polar opposite of the Cove in beauty. Also convenience is less of a factor if you build little way stations anywhere you need to be near. With two or three mini bases in your favorite places.

[@swarple]

I built a small base in the Tree Cove, originally just for the view, and 1000% agree on your scores. If it weren’t so far from the surface, it would really be perfect. Even with the smaller scale of resources, it’s basically right next to the most resource-rich biome anyway, and you don’t have to go up to the surface to get to it. It’s just that you… basically do have to get to the surface to do literally anything else. So that stinks.

[@FutureKindaBingus]

Thanks to this list, I’m moving from the ugly grassy plateaus to the bulb zone. Packing up my stuff when I get home from school

[@thegardenofeatin5965]

That shot of a base in the crash zone with two reapers right outside just reminds me how weirdly many game mechanics Subnautica has. Creatures don't attack seabases; they can't see them. But your seabase can be damaged if you run into it with the cyclops, and it will flood, similarly to how it will flood if you build too much without reinforcement.

[@runaasmr]

bz used to allow the electric sharks to damage your base, it was incredibly annoying

[@connorspruit6002]

for a base i would always pick a non-cave biome and have a secondary base in the tree cove as a sort of refueling station. the tree cove base doesnt need more that a thermal generator and a powercell charger but it's a nice place to take a break to charge the cells on your way to the lave zone, a trip i have had to make several times. a base in the tree cove helped me imensely with that

[@KaiTheMemeKing]

I was playing the Death Run mod and went to the Mountain Island for the typical lithium visit. Went into the underwater caves to see if there was anything else, and a reaper had clipped through the walls of the cave and was stuck inside. The section it was in was just large enough for it to sort of swim around, but still small enough that I could swim the hell away from it without being chomped. So, moral of the story, safety is a 10/10 without glitches, much less with.

[@MegaChickenfish]

Spongebob: Oh magic conch shell, what do we do to get out of the Kelp Forest? * pulls string * _Nothing._ Patrick: THE SHELL HAS SPOKEN! I think my first base was roughly the border between kelp forest and the grassy plateau. Immediate access to the critical resources of the kelp, bulbs, stalker teeth, light for entry level power, and food/water fish, while still being just on the edges of a deeper biome with more resources. And, either a pro or a con, fairly close to the ship to where I could constantly hear the reaper leviathans in the distance. They left me alone...until I tried to fight one and it brought friends to my base and took it over in retaliation. _don't fight reapers!_ It won't end well.

[@stolendiamond09]

I would have given at least a 7 in resources for the mushroom forest. Although it is somewhat lacking in drillable resources so it does get beat out by places like the tree cove (which has proximity to the lava zone and lost river, which are both brimming with them), I was able to pick up pretty much every resource in the game from my scanner room in the northwestern mushroom forest, and it makes up for the few things it doesn’t have (such as rubies) by being adjacent to biomes rich in them. Of course you have to go deeper to get nickel, crystalline sulphur, and kyanite, I still found it to be the best surface biome for easy access to a variety of resources. At least the northwestern mushroom forest, I’ve never tried the other one. Besides that, this was a great video! I just picked up the game again recently and have been looking for a good challenge to try in my current playthrough, and setting up a base surrounded by reapers sounds like a lot of fun. If you haven’t done it already, I’d be interested to see a video like this for Below Zero.

[@lavabiscuits]

That's fair

[@lavabiscuits]

Although I don't think having resources in a biome next to it counts as much, so maybe a 6.

[@Someone-sq8im]

Missing the Primary Containment Facility and a lot of sub-biomes, such as the Lava Pit, Deep Grand Reef, and caves

[@chadofchads7222]

I'm still building all my bases in the void to piss off the ghosts

[@Breathtaker5000]

Gotta show nature who’s in charge 💪

[@gojiking1695]

2:54 This is so true, I love the Reapers because I built a large base just to observe one specimen that I named Patrick. They feel more like sharks rather than evil beasts once you get to know them. Sometimes I will swim around them with just a seaglide but still have caution. Veterans will say it's suicide, I say it's fun. I think being able to conquer the fear of being eaten by creatures 2-5 times the size of the blue whale is an example of why Subnautica is one of the best survival games.

[@Diablafeu]

For the grand reef, im killing the crab squid by ramming the seamoth on them after like 3 shot (same for warper),you can clear a good perimeter that way and simply avoid the zone where the ghost is

[@Lones555]

How are you killing warpers? I've tried hitting them for hours with the thermoblade and they never die.

[@Diablafeu]

@@Lones555 like i said,you hit them with the seamoth at full speed,it take two or three shot

[@speedude0164]

I have my main base near the Cove Tree, and although it is certainly annoying travelling to the surface and the music constantly repeating itself can get old, I couldn't dream of a better location for a home. There are 0 predators (maybe I could actually bring a Cuddlefish down here and it won't disappear), there are several Bladderfish which can be used for thirst and hunger, their are Deep Shrooms and Gel Sacks for days, it's right next to the Lost River which is an absolute gold mine for resources, there are mini-volcanoes around so you can use Thermal Plants to power your base easily, and most obvious of all, the view is absolutely stunning.

[@Ryvaken]

The kelp forest deserves a severe ambiance penalty. Plants clipping through my base and cyclops rip me out of the game in a heartbeat.

[@sarllaccsarllacc201]

When you place buildings the pieces of kelp are meant to get deleted

[@RainAngel111]

I'm a vanilla fan. I stan the shallows. Part of my base extends into the kelp forest to allow the cyclops to be near. For a mix of convenience and pleasant ambiance, it's hard to beat the shallows

[@danandtab7463]

the thing about the kelp forest is I like having a scanner room to find me all the stalker teeth 🙂

[@Breathtaker5000]

All that calcium…

[@danhill2546]

Finds kelp zone build scanner room lose cameras to stalkers

[@danandtab7463]

@@danhill2546 when you go to retrieve the camera, there are often stalker teeth in the same pile that you find it lol

[@1God1Fury]

Too bad 75% of all stalkers teeth detected by scanner fall through underground if you don't pick them in 1st few minutes

[@raydafuq3570]

I usually have a pack of Stalkers right at my home in the safe shallows for unlimited Stalker Teeth. You can breed them, release them near your base and give them some scrap to chew on.

[@lightnight9822]

My tip is just go with grassy plateau. It’s big for bases and farm/releasing your aquarium when it gets too full, you get to see the reef backs, it’s pretty easy to get to, and it’s pretty much safe.

[@imahaloguy]

You mentioned below zero at the end, will you make a similar video for that game? Bonus points if you figure out the trick to allow you to build your base inside one of the Vent Gardens.

[@darklordnoodlez9863]

My first base was over the Jellyshroom Cave entrance in the Grassy Plateau. Close to a few crash sites for ungodly amounts of Titanium, next to the Kelp Forest, over the Jellyshroom Cave for both advanced resources and immense style points, far from any danger beyond a Sandshark, easy to navigate around. The only real problems i ever encountered were having to listen to the annoying Reefback sounds and, if i remember correctly, a lack of lithium.

[@sarllaccsarllacc201]

Jellyshroom bases are terrible you will go insane leaving and entering your base to get one more quartz or some shit

[@tyler-js]

Put it on the top

[@SusDoctor]

Skill issue

[@Dunedan2]

I just got to the Lava Lakes today playing my first time and I have say I LOVED the Tree Cove region. I stocked up my Cyclops and took it down into the Lost River only to be chased by the Ghost Leviathans right into that area. It was so peaceful and resource-rich that I built an entire base there and cleaned the area out while preparing for the final trek into the Inactive Lava Lakes. Spent like 2 in-game weeks there as I just didn't want to leave. I consider that place my main home even more so than the Kelp Forest base I made first. It's a shame that getting back would be painful...but I made sure to take screenshots before I left just in case I can never return.

[@Electrodoc1968]

Great narration. I just subbed. The tree cove areas "Convenience" ought to be higher as it's a major chill out and preparation base just before the nightmare fuel awaiting you at the next level of depth in your quest towards the bowels of hell.. 3 or 4 thermal vents giving limitless free energy for quickly evaporating body fluids, even the still suit has problems replenishing along with vehicle battery charging.. It's basically end game base camp for my end game preparation and certainly suits my nervous disposition. Cheers.

[@derflerp538]

I love the northwest grassy plateaus for being in such close proximity to basically everything you need for the first half of the game. I barely have to spend 5 minutes venturing out of the base to completely restock on food and water for the next several long excursions to other parts of the map, and being so near the other biomes means resources are a quick jaunt away. As a bonus, I put a max-range scanner room there and since it hits the edge of several biomes, I know where everything I need is right away. It's cozy, convenient, and just plain efficient. That said, I really should branch off and try some other zones soon!

[@ThatJay283]

on one of my playthroughs I built in the sparse reef. it was an excellent location. I was even able to park and construct my cyclops without needing to reposition anything.

[@hammodh500]

For me, the grassy plateaus is the bes it is easy to navigate, and open for some bioms with a blood kelp entrance that goes to the lost river and to the lava zone and an entrance to the jellyshroom caves and a bit close to the grand reefs, and it contains a lot of fragments for most starting equipment like the seamoth the scanner room and the bioreactor and a lot of wrecks, and bieng very cool with the red grass and good visibility at night, also being very safe with only biters and sandsharks the only hostiles in the biom, its very close to the lifepod and mostly the perfect place for a base

[@owlgoddess8534]

lost river and/or tree cove are the one place where you, like, GOTTA build a base. you spend so much time down there in the endgame and the sheer density of resources makes it shockingly easy to turn your base fully self-sufficient if you bring the right supplies. so kind of the devs to make this the coolest location in the game visually as well

[@jdzencelowcz]

After expanding from the starter shallow base, I usually go for the grassy plateau near the BK trench & within swimming distance of a kelp forest, though my current one is set up near the north east wreck in the main grassy plateau. Below the surface, I usually set up on the rock with the dragon bones, since it's a good hub.

[@knuckleheadwestwind3585]

You underrated the sparse reef. For resources it has: Copper, Quartz, titanium, gel sacs, lead, silver, gold, ruby, lithium, and uranninite. This means you can easily get everything for your base in one place. Especially reactor rods, so basically unlimited energy.

[@zomble_Guy]

Kelp forest and safe shallows are my favourite looking ones i love the calm and peaceful style.

[@lord0fmemes266]

I am a sparsa reef fan of myself. You have a good amount of resources lots of rubies in the crevices. You border the grand reef which is one of the best biomes in the game already you can also build high enough to see the bottom of the floating island. Pretty stunning visuals. Also very close to the trench, again another good spot for resources.

[@cheererobinson475]

I like to put my base next to the gun island on the kelp forest side, it’s really convenient after you’ve got the teleporter’s up and running

[@MortonGoldthwait]

The beauty of Subnautica is that you can make your own style and ambience. I always set up shop in the south west Grassy Plateaus. It's close enough to the Jellyshroom Caves and the Blood Kelp Canyon that I can get any ore I want except for Nickel and Kyanite. Then I just hatch near infinite Jellyrays and grow whatever cool plants I want to create style and ambience. Plus you get the luxury of seeing Reefbacks swim over your glass ceiling. Edit: Building a base in the Ecological Dead Zone is the ultimate expression of one's love for Subnautica. It's one of those things like Ultra Nightmare in Doom or Knife Only in Resident Evil where it's the endgame for one's love and dedication to a particular game.

[@cmudd9788]

In the Dunes just north of the Blood Kelp Trench there’s a heat geyser for thermal energy and plenty of open space for a big base. There’s a reaper nearby but it’s near the surface and hasn’t bothered my base since it’s like 300 meters deep there. The convenience is great since you’re right on the border of 6 different biomes, the Blood Kelp Trench, the Sparse Reef, the Sea Treader’s Path, the Grassy Plateaus, the Safe Shallows and the Northwestern Mushroom Forest and if you’re feeling gutsy you can explore north into the Dunes.

[@D4rkkay]

Dunes my fav biome (ill never go there)

[@k0pafti401]

When I first started to subnautica, I build my base at mushroom forest, and I found it very good base location because there is so much cyclops and seamoth fragments, a kelb forest nearby with safe shallows being close too , and If you want energy you can go gather it with thermal energy in dunes (you need to watch out for reaper :D ) and you can get bacis and mid game material from there so easily so I finished story for 5-6 times and everytime I build my base there and I still think there is not better base location, mushroom forest is a safe place with enought materials and If you want to go lost river or smthing like there you just need to go full right and you will be there, You need to go aurora, you can go forward and its there

[@TheEpikStormIsComing]

Tree cove is def the best, it includes calm colors and is the safest location to be at, just hook up a thermal plant, get some bulbo seeds and your good to go

[@thegood_soup]

Also it has tons of uranite for nuclear reactors.

[@TheEpikStormIsComing]

@@thegood_soup true but I use bio reactors because blood oil is a good source

[@thegood_soup]

@@TheEpikStormIsComing I get that it’s a really good source of energy, but I’m too lazy to constantly refill it. That’s why I use nuclear reactors. Cause if you fill them to max you get 2500 energy for around 5 hours in real time.

[@TheEpikStormIsComing]

i guess but i never made a nuclear reactor, plus it is right there to get uranite and the blood oil is all the way at the entrance@@thegood_soup

[@thegood_soup]

@@TheEpikStormIsComing bioreactors are best for like 80% of the game though. Only in endgame is when I think nuclear rectors are better.

[@jlb9577]

I love grassy plateaus near the blood kelp trench. Relatively central to other biomes, lots of space, good visibility, and i’m just a big fan of the ambient reefback noises. So relaxing.

[@katiehable9841]

My go to place for my base is that one area of the grassy plateaus that is sandwiched between the crash zone and the crag fields. There is some dangerous creatures around, and not a lot of reasources right there, but its pretty close to other major biomes and is overall quite safe. Not to mention lots of room to expand

[@tnwhiskey68]

To me, A biome without immediate surface access is ruled out. There is no way I would build in the tree cove for my main base! Grassy plateau is my go to.

[@knellycornnan5132]

I think tree cove should be lower, because although the biome itself may be safe, in order to get to the biome at all you have to through the blood kelp reef and the lost river. And both have dangerous enemies on their way there. Same goes with exiting out of it.

[@stolendiamond09]

There are safer entrances to the lost river. If you go in through the bulb zone it’s a breeze getting in, and then the only danger you have to pass by is a juvenile ghost leviathan, which was pretty easy for me because I just put my cyclops in silent running and went right passed it without provoking it at all.

[@thegood_soup]

Plus the lost river has every resource in game, except kyanite and ion cubes. And ghost leviathans there are a breeze to get past. I honestly just killed them for fun in like 2 days.

[@raistlarn]

I go through the Grand Reef. It is pretty safe with the only thing you have to really worry about is the ghost leviathan if you make a wrong turn, and the little ghosts in the Lost River, but those are easy to dodge if you do it smart. Also this is if you use a cyclops (I don't go with a prawn so I don't know about that.)

[@thegood_soup]

With prawn suit, sea moth, or even cyclops on silent running. You can drive through with no damage, although in prawn you might take a little. But nothing serious.

[@stolendiamond09]

@@raistlarn won't the crabsquids pose a threat to your cyclops still?

[@Shorty_Lickens]

In most play thrus I frequently set up a large base at the tree cove. Tons of thermal vents for the initial power, and eventually you find so much uranium you'll never lack for electricity. Also the tree cove is relatively safe and you need to pass through it many times as part of the story. Only downside is the seamoth can never go deeper than 900 meters, so I usually set up a mini base for my mini sub further up, closer to the green. Again theres thermal vents so no big deal.

[@gamersreactions9267]

Hot Take: The best base location is inbetween Kelp Forest, NE Mushroom Forest and Bulb Zone. Best access to copper in the game with outcrops being abundant in the Kelp, while Large deposits being in the Mushroom Forest and in the Lost River which is also farely accessible. Style points for being close to Sammy the safety Reaper too. P.S. For a general location, its Sparse Reef supremacy all the way baby

[@DPSVEGAS]

It’s so cool to see how many others see the Tree Cove as an ideal place to build. I built my base there in my first play through without even knowing how many people love it.

[@George.Coleman]

For some reason. Im liking the Sparse Reef lately

[@DaemonJax]

The problem with the kelp forest and really ANYWHERE there are stalkers, is that they'll steal/move your beacons. So, assuming you want a beacon at your base (you certaionly do), you can't really build in the shallows either (except right next to your pod), with one exception -- _inside_ that one thermal vent. You can use those distress signals you get as beacons, so that's another option.

[@T0ucan]

In my opinion the best biome is the observatory because you can put it anywhere.

[@thegood_soup]

True

[@Shorty_Lickens]

Keep in mind the Lost River is huge, with great big east and west sections, separated by that cave with the destroyed research facility. The far west cavern of lost river accesses the Tree Cove and thats necessary for late game exploring and mission completion.

[@mcrews77]

"Hey that starter base looks just like mine." - A bunch of people, probably. Myself included. I built a huge base on the westernmost safe shallows that's right between kelp forest, grassy plateaus, shroom forest, and dunes. Very convenient.

[@raistlarn]

I put mine over one of the wrecks overlooking the grassy plateaus and sandwiched between 2 kelp forests. From where mine is it is either a straight shot to the jellyshroom caves, the sparse reef, or a little off shoot to the grandreef wreck and entrance to the lost river.

[@Snellythedog]

I built in the fungal forest in my most recent play through and its the best I’ve ever done. I love it and it is a very good spot.

[@Prak_Giggles]

Doubt you'll see this but can you do a version for Below Zero? Starting my first play through on it and it would be very useful (Nvm, just found 50 people ask the same question in the comment section lol)

[@Breathtaker5000]

I will definitely be doing one for BZ, it'll likely either be the next video, or the one after that.

[@ElectricityTaster]

Pretty early on in my first play through I made a base in the northern Blood Kelp forest, right next to lifepod 2. The feeling of knowing you're in danger but not even sure how much, the desperation to get enough resources to keep the bioreactor going, and then exploring the lost river with a control room's drone cameras because I was too scared to go down there at first was awesome. Later on in the game I'd cruise right by on my cyclops and thought "oh you sweet summer child" as I went to hunt down leviathans.

[@TheOnlyT0asty]

Instantly saying no to building a base near leviathans? Nothing a prawn suit, a drill arm and an american goddamn way of thinking cant fix.

[@ThatFoxGuy]

What if your not American

[@TheOnlyT0asty]

@@ThatFoxGuy 🦅.

[@tf2gamingschannel]

2:34 the side of the ship is full of resources and reaper safe, with sloped but very flat terrain

[@andreworders7305]

I’m realizing now I entirely missed a couple optional biomes. I didn’t recognize half of these.

[@oldmankatan7383]

Yeah, after my first play through, I realized I never went to half of the map (except two spots about 10m away from some arches). Took me about 10 minutes to decide to start another game and go see the rest!

[@MegaChickenfish]

One of my favorites to make was my sub-base in the molten lava endgame zone. Just far enough down the Pit of Despair that leads to it guarded by the two ghost leviathans, but far enough back in the tunnel that the fire breathing leviathan always patrolled back by then. *Very challenging* to build, but man it was a great view. Also loved making a side-base to collect the materials from the passive leviathan walkers powered entirely by bioreactor leviathan poop. The lava area does get some significant convenience points of being a short jaunt away from that teleport network, *a short jaunt past a fire breathing leviathan of course,* but if you have a fully upgraded grapple suit it's manageable.

[@trashdan1661]

Me with my base at the dunes at the start of the game 💀

[@Zomboss9038]

Bro a peeper did a flip at 6:21

[@Dragon_gamer6989]

9:57 we gonna talk about bros graphics quality 😂😂😂😂

[@Sonic_K]

Me: let's build in the Underwater Islands! Bonesharks: oh, your base will be in the Grassy Plateaus.

[@CraigMcDaniel45]

Most annoying mob in the game, imo. You'd better have a moonpool to park your seamoth, or it's going to get eaten!

[@Strontium-89]

0:04 Your PC? Seriously though, the 2.0 version of Subnautica is incredibly well optimized and runs smoothly at full graphics on most devices. Why are the graphics so low?

[@ayronnhayward5841]

Ur video was definitely buffering lol. Its crystal clear

[@henry_son3126]

Yes its smooth but the graphics do be at low

[@Shorty_Lickens]

I usually build a minibase in the lava lakes to hold and recharge my PRAWN. Also its good for making a scanning room. And the usual stuff like crafting and battery recharging and storing loose crap I dont need immediately. I usually make a minibase in the jelly caves for similar reasons, PRAWN dock, scanner for all the cool resources, and some crafting.

[@AlrenClan]

I personally think that setting up a base by the QEP is the best, because you are right by the lava zone, and everything else ( through portals ) and the reapers can be gotten rid off easily but most of the time don’t attack you. You only hear a distant roar sometimes.

[@octaviangrant9441]

I always build in the dunes on the edge of the crater. The scenery down there is always so alluring to me, and I love how convenient resource gathering is.

[@mtammocan8314]

There is a location NW of zero point, near and above lifepod 2, in my humble opinion, that is perfect, near bloodkelp, floating islands, NW mushrooms forest, grassy plateaus, and kelp forest.

[@-Infex-]

Fun thing about the tree cove. If you've brought deep shrooms, you can fairly easily get everything else you need for late game upgrades (deapths/thermal reactor, etc.) but only as long as you can make water filtration machines as otherwise salt is not readily available. (Since the thermal vents are slightly hotter than the lava zone, powering a couple isn't a problem.)

[@kerra7386]

I just discovered the tree cove today and immediately thought that I need to build a base there because it’s so pretty! Also this list was really good, and the editing and flow of it was great to! Thanks for making it! 😊

[@Shorty_Lickens]

GUYS! THIS IS IMPORTANT! DONT FORGET! You are allowed to base build in the giant pool of the deep research facility. And this is good because it had those portals which let you find 4 of the 5 resources needed to craft the Cure, and the fifth resource is right there IN the giant pool. Also one teleporter takes you straight to the Big Gun, or the quarantine enforcement platform, and you need to remember to shut it down. Getting the Cure is not enough. Its the giant laser that kills you.

[@Sim_JFD]

Years ago I've built bases roughly on the edges of biomes for convenience/access, usually away from Reaper spawn points as they wrecked one of my outposts. Main one was kept just on the cross from safe shallows to kelp forest roughly -500/200, with mushroom forest short trip to the north and sparse reef to the south. Secondary was built in Lost River right next to the gargantuan skull. Looking back I realise I didn't need half the infrastructure but it was so fun to build a base.

[@innergenichiro]

In my opinion, lava lakes are by far the best base biome, as you can kill the sea dragons and they dont respawn, as well as the fact you have litteral portals to every other biome in the primary containment facility.

[@friedrichwilhelmviktoralbe349]

The mushroom forest on the bulb zone side would have higher convenience (it's literally right next to "TEH BIG DROP" to the inactive lava zone, and it's close to several key points. Plus I think the safety is an 8/10, there really isn't much to worry about.