The same build is used for both strats.

Anti-Molerat Strat

I'm not sure if it's been discovered (or if I'm wrong) yet, but I may have found a building strat that stops Molerats from entering Vault rooms.

Molerats enter rooms that are touching Dirt (as hinted by the loading screens).

What if rooms do not touch dirt?

I've built my Vault in this way:

| Vault Door | Elevator | Power Gen x 3 | Medbay x 2 | Elevator |

|Elevator | Science Lab x2 | Diner x 3 | Water Purifier x 3 | Elevator |

I'll refer this to a -332- build (- being Elevator, 332 meaning rooms with 3 spaces, 3 spaces, and 2 spaces) (or -233 build, it's the same difference xD)

As opposed to the common 3-3-2 or 3-2-3 build (- being elevators)

The theory is that with the Elevators at the side of the vault, Molerats are not capable of entering the vault other than from the bottom, as the side rooms are not touching Dirt (and molerats don't enter elevators).

I've tested this theory by building both -332- and 3-3-2 types on a single vault. Top 4 floors are -332-, and bottom half are 3-3-2. So far, I've only had molerats appearing into rooms with the 3-3-2 build strat, and not where they -332- was used.

I know of the Zig-Zag strat and the Checkerboard strat, but as the vault grows to 200 occupants, they aren't usable.

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Anti-Deathclaw Strat

The same -332- strat can be used to combat Deathclaws. Less so on combating them, more on building/mazing in such a way that they go where you want them to.

Using the same build:

| Vault Door | Elevator | Power Gen x 3 | Medbay x 2 | Elevator |

|Elevator | Science Lab x2 | Diner x 3 | Water Purifier x 3 | Elevator |

This makes the DC walk into Power Gen, then into Medbay, go down the elevator and into Water Purifier, into diner, into science lab, then down the elevator - essentially making them walk in a zig-zag pattern.

By using this build strat, you can ensure that they will not double-back into previous rooms (where your dwellers are already half dead from fighting them earlier) or going into rooms you don't want them to. So even if your vault isn't sufficiently armed with 15 power weapons, at least they'll only fight dwellers once and move on. By using this strat, you maximize the efficiency and planning on who you want the DC to fight, and who to avoid simply by putting the rooms where they are.

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lemme know what you think!

Also, anyone knows how to post pictures? I tried posting my vault but it didn't work

Tried your scheme by moving the left elevator shaft to the left edge of the map. Thankfully it wasn't too hard the way I'd built my vault. Things've been looking good so far, molerats only spawned on the lowermost level, so your strategy seems to be working. Concerning the anti-DC 'maze' however, could you explain why you chose medbay to put on the right side of the ground level? Can it be any other production or storage room? What I really want to know is if it's there to hold another 4 defenders or it's just supposed to be an empty room for DC to pass through on their way to the next 3x room?

I did the same -332- build, just so raiders have a more predictable path then the 3-3-2 build, and I think you're right about the mole rats. So far, mole rats have only shown up on the very bottom floor. Hopefully the Bethesda people don't patch this "feature" out of the game.

Thankfully, the deathclaws haven't come around yet, so I can't confirm that part of the strategy.

I'm trying to save up money, because what you say is partly true. My vault has elevators on each far side (left and right), yet molerats only enter the lowest floor. (see http://i.imgur.com/CkuU9p6.png for explanation).

So, the dirt-part is fairly good. It also says that in a description IIRC.

My plan, build up the vault until I'm satisfied with production/training rooms, and under that build and entire row of elevators horizontally.

My storage rooms (items), barracks (dwellers) and science/medlabs (extra stimpacks/radaway storage) are below that, so there will never be a room without dwellers. Plus, this way you can have a nice, symmetrical vault. Mmmmmm symmetry.

Yes, according to everyone around me, I do suffer from a minor case of ocd.. I cannot stand the top floor being like it is with the elevator and all....

A lot of people like to do three single rooms and one doubble room on the top floor and only the one elevator after the vault door with no second elevator.


This is so Deathclaws have to double back through the top floor before getting to the elevator, so if all your highest level people and best weapons are on the top floor the deathclaws have to fight them all twice before dropping down to the second floor.


The single rooms are also much easier to stimpack then trying to heal six people that are all running around like idiots....


This has been working great for myself and others...

Yay for works!

I built it that way because I started with a Power Gen right next to the door, and I've got Mr. Handy running around the top floor. So I put a Medbay there just to maximize my Handy usage (power gen was a mistake, but it's gonna be costly to rearrange, as the part below the lift next to the vault is blocked, so i gotta demolish 4 rooms to fix it). My 2nd vault only has Storage and Living Quarters on top floor tho.

When the DCs come, most of the time my first-room people are left with somewhere near half life (above or below). By letting the DCs only go through it once, I can let them recover HP by themselves before the next attack. And since I'm not on it every second, they can heal up themselves. Saves on stims yay~ (not like I've got any other use for stims but eh.)

Hey you don't have to do it if you don't want, I was just saying healing 2 people is easier than big rooms of 6... and if you don't have tons of high damage guns, this helps you use the good guns on them twice without gun swapping...

Could you elaborate please? Why was power gen a mistake and why do you think storage and living quarters are better? I actually liked your layout and decided to roll with it by putting a 3x nuclear power plant and a 2x medbay on the top floor. The reason is that you want production rooms up there so that your guards actually do something useful while on duty, and you want the most versatile rooms because that floor is a pain to remodel. And I came to think that medbay is one of the most versatile options for a 2x room because you can either put another 4 guards in there to produce stimpaks between attacks or leave it empty and it'll still be useful by increasing your overall stimpak storage.

Yeah my top floor is all single rooms with 2 of my best with best equip in each, plus no elevator at the end, as mentioned you can stim 2 allot easier than 6 and so far I have not had a death claw make the 2nd floor, the last falls in the last room before getting back to the central elevator.

No no don't get me wrong, I'm not refuting what you're saying or saying it's wrong. If you prefer to do things different from what I prefer, there's nothing wrong with that! It's your preference and I respect your decision I was just explaining why I prefer to let the DCs roll on to the next level/room instead of doubling back, and nothing else. Sorry if it came off as offensive!

I was mostly thinking on maximizing the usage of my Mr. Handy. My Mr. Handy is used for AFK-collecting resources. Therefore to maximize its collecting uses, it should be put on a floor with 332 rooms with production. having the vault door there means Mr. Handy wanders there doing nothing, when it could be collecting resource for a production room instead.


Having Living Quarters and Storage on top floor means DC and Raiders just rush all the way to the lift and go down to the next floor, while my Mr Handy gets utilized better. Not to say that it's wrong, it's just my preference (since I spent actual cash getting Mr. Handy, I want them utilized at the maximum). Also, I've got nobody guarding the vault door (I've feel this to be useless as they don't gain levels or resource there, so they're un-utilized manpower),.

Got it now, thank you. As for the main strategy, It's been a few hours now since I remodeled my vault and it's probably safe to say it definitely works. For some reason I assumed it would prevent radroach infestations as well as molerats, but unfortunately that's not the case. Still, improved molerat protection is awesome, thanks again for sharing this trick!

Just had mole rats twice on floors as planned so looks like not true, they spawn in rooms whether they are touching or not.

Don't build an elevator on the first floor in the right corner. This forces the DC's to go back to the previous room(s), where you should have your dwellers with the heaviest artillery.

My top floor also has more rooms( 3-2-1-2 atm), the idea being that deathclaws stay on the top floor longer.

Only 1 DC barely makes it off the top floor atm, with 6 dwellers occupying it. My vault door and 1-space room(storage) don't have any dwellers in them atm.

Unless you have more production rooms with armed people on the next floor. Which to some may seem like a better solution than making the same battered defenders in the first room fight the DC once again.

Easiest anti radroach and molerat strategy is keep your rooms at level 1. Level 1 rooms will spawn weak ceatures.


I have three 80 population vaults. I only need power plants at level 3; eight power plant rooms on same floor. Other rooms at level 1. Even deathclaws attack seems weak and I don't need to use simpack or revive. My dwellers use shotgun with damage of 6 and 7. So toughness of creatures and maybe deathclaws too have something to do with your overall room upgrade level.


My first vault that I deleted had level 3 rooms of everything, and creature spawned was so tough I couldn't handle.


So you really should only upgrade your rooms when you got good weapons.

Aww shucks serious? Any way you can post your build strat and which room they spawned from?

A screenshot would be nice too. I was sure the strategy was working because I haven't seen a molerat for two days now. Now if they can attack after all, I can think of two explanations: either the trick doesn't work and it was all a big coincidence for both of us, or the chance of molerat infestation is reduced but not completely negated for rooms not touching dirt.

Best Endgame Deathclaw strategy ever.

1-. Get your vault to 59 dwellers (DC's seem to enable at either 60 or 61 dwellers, better safe than sorry)

2-. Train level 1 dwellers to 10 Endurance before everything else.

3-. Train those level 1 dwellers on whatever SPECIAL stat(s) you want. Probalby a resource stat If they're going to man a room, or some resource stats AND 10 luck for wanderers.

4-. Send those dwellers to the wastes or to a resource room with your best Endurance gear available.

5-. Level them up to 50 (Wastes are faster If you go AFK for long periods, Resource rooms seem better if you actively play a lot)

6-. Give them your best weapons and place them on the rooms DC's will visit first.

7-. !!!

8-. Profit.

_ _ _ _ _

Essentially, Deathclaws are deadly because the high and fast damage they deal to your dwellers, but the fact is that if you have dwellers with enough life, DC's simply move to another room before they can kill them.

So, to survive any Deathclaw attack, you only need three things:

1-. Any vault layout that make Deathclaws figh each room ONCE (if they must retrace steps to get to an elevator to keep exploring, they'll attack again that room with already damaged dwellers)

2-. Enough health on your first few room dwellers so their HP doesn't get fully depleted before DC's decide to move on.

3-. Powerful enough weapons for those dwellers, to deal with the DC's before they reach the rooms with less trained dwellers.

There are several topics around (here and on reddit) tha have tested that HP gains are per level up, and that the more endurance you have, the more HP you'll get every level up. This means that a dweller that trains to 10 endurance at level 1 will have much more life at lv50 than a dweller that trains to 10 endurance at lv30. Also, seems that Endurance on gear counts as normal endurance for HP gains at every level up.

So, you just get a new lv1 dweller, train him/her to 10 endurance, equip some +Endurance gear, (seems that +E from gear seems to also affect HP gains per level), then you level that dweller up in whatever way you want. Once that dweller reaches lv50 he should have more than enough health to make a stand in a room against DC's without dying, DC's will tire before thay can kill that dweller and move on to the next room; as long as they do NOT retrace to a room for another fight against the injured dwellers. Do it with enough dwellers, give them your best weapons so they can actually kill the deathclaws and you're clear.

Pure Darwinism. Survival of the Fittest.

Tested something today. Haven't had a molerat attack anymore...

Here's my vault at the moment:

http://i.imgur.com/7ubtwMK.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ObrC8cW.jpg

With this, all my production/training rooms are safe and manned. All rooms used for items(weapons/outfits/stimpacks/radaway) and dweller numbers (barracks) are safely unmanned below the vault. If an incident happens there, no worries, because it'll be gone faster than you can normally fight it. Because I placed them apart, incidents don't spread either

Just gotta say... Wow!


Btw, if it doesn't matter whether incidents happen at the bottom levels, why don't you just build them in the checkerboard fashion? That way incidents disappear after that level as well, and you get more space. Also, you have elevators at the right position to do so.

They still disappear after each room because they're not connected, so no need to checkerboard. Bear in mind tho that when trying this, an elevator will cost 1950 caps when you're done.... Lol