Radiation is one of the deadliest environmental factors in Rust. If you don't pay attention to it, get ready to respawn over and over, with no resources or weapons. Although death is practically inevitable in this game, you can do plenty to postpone it, especially when it comes to mitigating radiation.
The rule of thumb here is to exercise caution. You might want to visit some monuments or Rad Towns to find valuable loot, which is essential to prolong and ensure your survival. Unfortunately, the longer you stay in these places, the more radiation you accumulate. Small doses of the radiated debuff are not life-threatening, but they can quickly stack up in certain places and shred your health. These tips will help you survive.
Always Have Water On You
The more water you have at your disposal, the better off you'll be. Water is essential to survive in this game. It prevents dehydration, restores health over time, and slightly reduces radiation poisoning. Be clever, try to find a water jug, one of the best water collectors.
Keep in mind that drinking is not a reliable way to fend off dangerously high amounts of radiation. It only takes away -5 rads, so it's only useful in cases that don't constitute life-threatening emergencies.
Keep Some Medical Syringes Handy
Medical syringes should be used as your go-to item when in combat since they can heal most damage types in the game. If you happen to have a few to spare, they also reduce radiation by -10. Since they are rather uncommon, you might not want to use them in Rad Towns.
However, if you already took some radiation damage, syringes also immediately heal your health by +15, and restore it over time by +25. With the added rad reduction, they can prove useful in buying time when exploring radiation-infested spots: you can either use them to get to safety in time or do some more looting.
Brew Special Teas To Mitigate Radiation Poisoning
You can make various teas using a mixing table. There are two separate types of teas, with increasing tiers of efficacy, that can help you stay healthy. The first, least useful, type is rad removal tea.
- Basic reduces radiation poisoning by -6.
- The advanced version is a little better, reducing it by -8.
- Pure is the best but still only reduces rad poisoning by -10.
Overall, not much better than water.
Anti-rad tea is the better type to drink. Although it does not remove radiation poisoning, it considerably boosts your tolerance to it.
- The basic version gives you +5% rad damage resistance and +50% rad exposure resistance.
- The advanced only boosts rad damage resistance by +15%.
- The pure anti rad tea gives +25% rad damage resistance and +50% rad exposure resistance.
These exposure buffs last 5 minutes, while the damage ones wear off after 30 minutes. Considering you only need red and green berries to make these teas, this is one of the best ways to protect yourself against radiation early in the game.
Quickly Reduce Rads With Pills
Anti-radiation pills have a counterintuitive name. They don't prevent radiation buildup, so never take them before going near some monuments or Rad Towns. Their purpose is to reduce radiation by -25, but they also dehydrate you by -10. That makes sense, considering your character doesn't need to chase them down with water.
You can get this handy medical resource from a shopkeeper in The Bandit Camp, as long as you have enough scrap to trade. Overall, anti-radiation pills are great for heavily irradiated spots that even a Hazmat Suit can't completely protect you from, like the top of The Launch Site monument.
Craft (Or Find) A Hazmat Suit
If you plan to do any exploration in irradiated areas at length, you definitely need to get a hold of a Hazmat Suit.
- You can rarely find it in loot crates, or you can reliably craft it using 5 pieces of tarp, 2 sewing kits, and 8 quality metals, provided you have the level 2 workbench.
The Hazmat Suit gives you 50% radiation resistance. If coupled with pure anti-rad tea and anti-rad pills, you could safely walk through The Glowing Sea from Fallout 4.
This piece of gear is also useful to protect yourself against melee and projectile damage, although heavy plated attire is undoubtedly better suited for combat. If you don't have access to a Hazmat Suit, Surgeon Scrubs or a Wetsuit can provide some protection against radiation, although considerably less.
Stay Away From Radiation
It certainly seems obvious, but the best way to deal with radiation is just to stay away from it. That's not to say you should live in a cave and avoid it at all costs. Your character can withstand 500 rads before their prognosis becomes nearly incurable.
If you have nothing on you that can help, going away from irradiated areas slowly depletes your rads, until they completely dissipate. No pills, magic drinks, or water needed, just time. In terms of cost-effectiveness, this is indeed the best treatment for radiation, since it's free and works without fail or added frills.