Water Wheel

Steady power for a base on a river, built at a Level 1 bench from wood, gears and sheet metal. Away from flowing water it does nothing at all.

Table of contents

Characteristics

Category: Electrical

Stack size: 1

Durability: 100

Workbench: Level 1

Craftable: Yes

Researchable: Yes · 60 Scrap

Health: 400

Overview

In-game description

Converts kinetic energy harvested from flowing water into electricity.

A base on a river bank should look at this before any other power source. It turns flowing water into electricity, and a river keeps flowing at night, in fog and when the wind drops, so you get the steadiness of a generator without ever buying fuel.

It is also an easy start. Everything happens at a Level 1 workbench: 500 wood, two gears and one sheet metal. The gears are the part you may have to hunt for in barrels or pull out of a recycler.

Say you claimed a spot by the river for the water and the fish. The wheel goes into the current next to your wall, a short wire runs inside to a battery, and the battery keeps the lights and the turret going.

The limit is the map. It needs moving water, so a still lake or a dry inland plot leaves it useless. Away from rivers, a large solar panel or a wind turbine is the better pick.

Raid cost

Explosive	Quantity	Sulfur
High Velocity Rocket cheapest	3	600
Explosive 5.56 Rifle Ammo	40–45	1,000–1,150
Satchel Charge	4	1,920
Beancan Grenade	16	1,920
Timed Explosive Charge	1	2,200
Rocket	2	2,800
Other ways: siege weapons, vehicles and loot
Torpedo	3	60
Homing Missile	2	200
Mortar Shell	4	1,200
Propane Explosive Bomb	2	1,800
Survey Charge	44	2,640
MLRS Rocket	2	—
40mm HE Grenade	10	—
Hammerhead Bolt	13	—

Direct hit, hard side, no duds. Satchel Charge is a dud 20% of the time. Beancan Grenade is a dud 15% of the time. A range runs from point blank to the far end of the bullet's falloff, fired from an Assault Rifle.