The Best Base Material In Grounded, Ranked

Base building is at the core of the Grounded experience. Players, with relative freedom, can build the walls, floors, and roofs that constitute a home. There are many different materials and resources that are used to make a home in the world of Grounded. Some will be used to make a home that has very strong walls and others may be more concerned with the status effect benefits that come from a cozy house.

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Whatever a player's primary concern, they will be sure to find a base material on this list that can help get the job done. For each material that the list covers, it will detail how and why players might choose that particular material to build their base. Finally, it will address how to acquire each material and the difficulty of this process.

6 Grass Plank

Can Be Found In Abundance

Source: Grass
Tier: 1

Grass Planks have the benefit of being the most accessible base-building material in the game. They can be acquired by simply chopping grass down with an axe. This is a very useful material in the early stages of the game and should not be scoffed at even if it fails to match up to what players will eventually upgrade to.

Grass planks are mostly used to make grass-based structures like a Grass Wall or Floor. Both of which have 300 in health and 5 in coziness. This should get players through the first couple of days but it will struggle to protect them against stronger enemies.

5 Weed Stem

Combine With A Clover Leaf To Get Lucky

Source: Bur Weed, Dandelion, and Husky Weed
Tier: 1

Weed Stem is a material that works well when combined with other base-building materials. It can be combined with other materials such as Crude Rope and Clover Leaves to create interesting designs. As an example, when combined with the former it creates a Stem Floor with 500 health.

This material is a versatile one that can be combined with many others. This means that layers will always want to keep some at hand. Thankfully, two of the sources for this material, Bur and Husky Weed, regrow after 2-3 in-game days so it will always be available.

4 Crow Feather Piece

Keep An Eye On The Sky

Source: Buried Treasure and Crow Feather's
Tier: 2

Only applicable to roofing recipes, this material is effective despite its limited use. Combined with Weed Stem, it can be used to create protective roofs with a very high 500 in health and 10 in coziness. A bonus is that it creates a look that is not replicated by any other material in the game. The dark look can give a base a more ominous feel.

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A touch harder to acquire than the previous entries, keep an eye and an ear out for the local Crow that often soars overhead. Its nesting spots and the ground beneath its flight path will have feathers to collect.

3 Spiky Bur

For Those With Coziness As The Priority

Source: Bur Weed
Tier: 3

Spiky Bur can be used for two different purposes. The first is to be combined with Pinecone Pieces to create bases that look like a pinecone with decent health. The main benefit of spiky bur though is that when combined with Lint Rope, it can make all sorts of floors that have high health and high coziness.

As coziness is leveled up, players will experience different benefits from this like a passive increase in healing or a slowing down of how quickly a character becomes hungry or thirsty. Players should go to the drier areas of the map to find the Bur Weed required to access this material.

2 Mushroom Brick

The Middling Option

Source: Mushroom Slurries
Tier: 2

This material offers players a middle ground between high health and high coziness. All the buildings that Mushroom bricks contribute to have a 10 in coziness and up to 800 in health. The key benefit here is that players can get the benefits of both and don't have to necessarily choose.

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A small issue is the time that has to be put into making this material. First, players should find and cultivate a mushroom found in the wild. Next, use a grinder to crush the mushroom and acquire the 2 mushroom slurries that come as part of this. Smelt these slurries in an oven to produce the bricks.

1 Ash Cement

Offers The Best Protection From Danger

Source: Charcoal Ash, Clay and Rust
Tier: 3

Despite its limited use, Ash Cement is the best material for base-building in Grounded. Generally used for walls only, the Ash Cement offers up to 1000 in health and a 15 in coziness. This will keep players safe from even the toughest creatures and still experience the benefits of having a cozy house.

As expected with a material like this, it is rather difficult to acquire. Clay can be obtained by gathering small rocks around bodies of water, Rust can be harvested from metal surfaces, and Charcoal Ash is acquired by grinding down coal chunks. Once all three items are ready, smelt them together in an oven to get the best material Groundedhas to offer.