Start with the shape, not the size
The single biggest predictor of whether a starter base survives is not how much stone went into it — it is whether the walls the raider can reach are the walls you care about. A 2×1 with a proper airlock beats a sprawling 4×4 with an exposed core every single time.
Build the core first, then wrap it. Every external wall should be a wall you are happy to lose.
The two mistakes
First: doors that open into loot. If a raider gets through your entry door and sees a box, the raid is already profitable for them. Second: a triangle floor with no wall above it, which turns a controlled entry into a free ladder.
Honeycomb is insurance, not decoration
Honeycombing multiplies the number of explosives needed to reach anything valuable. On our servers, where group limits cap the sulfur any single clan can bank in a wipe, doubling the raid cost is often enough to make you a target nobody bothers with.
Put it into practice
Reading is cheaper than sulfur.
Every technique in these guides was learned on the servers below. Pick a region and test it tonight.