Overview
Buildables
Buildable emplacements vary by era, class, faction, server configuration, and map.
| Group | Examples |
|---|---|
| Anti-infantry / anti-cavalry | Infantry Stakes, Chevaux De Frise (L), Chevaux De Frise (S), Hedgehog, Barbed Wire. |
| Cover | Gabion, Palisade Wall, Palisade Wall (Holes), Palisade Platform, Earthworks, Sandbags, Trench pieces. |
| Access and positions | Palisade Gate, Palisade Towers, Trench Shooting Platform, Trench Roof, Trench MG Platform. |
| Weapons and supplies | Swivel Gun, Rocket Stack, Ammo Boxes, Machine Guns, MG Ammo, Howitzer Ammo, Mortar Ammo. |
| Utility and flavour | Chair, Table, Piano, Cello, Light Pole, Flag, Snowman. |
Building & Deconstructing
Build only where your team can actually use the work.
- Place the blueprint: Equip the hammer or tool, choose the item, rotate it, then place it.
- Finish the build: Hit the blueprint until it is complete. Unfinished damaging defences do not behave like finished ones.
- Use materials wisely: In 5.x, Sapper materials are assigned per Sapper instead of one shared faction pool.
- Move bad builds: Deconstructing lets you recover and reuse materials instead of leaving clutter behind.
- Face the right way: Recent fixes make Sapper prop previews start facing the player, which helps placement.
Sapper tools use separate construct and deconstruct states for the hammer and spade.
Damage, Repair & Explosives
Defences can kill, block, break, or buy time.
| Item / Tool | Use |
|---|---|
| Infantry Stakes | Dangerous to infantry when finished, but not a cavalry stopper. |
| Chevaux De Frise (L) | Anti-cavalry obstacle that can kill horses on contact. |
| Chevaux De Frise (S) | Smaller obstacle that can hurt infantry and disrupt cavalry. |
| Explosive Barrel / TNT | Area destruction and breach tools. Do not carry them through friendly crowds. |
| Carpenter Satchel | Added in 5.x for Carpenters, specialized in destroying physical structures. |
| Hammer / Axe | Repair friendly assets or break enemy assets depending on role and tool. |
Recent releases also made moveable artillery damageable by any melee weapon. The Artilleryman now carries a repair hammer, so repairing battlefield assets is no longer only a Sapper habit.
Frontlines Defences
Frontlines uses a different defensive rhythm. Instead of only palisades and stakes, you will see trenches, sandbags, barbed wire, machine gun platforms, ammo boxes, TNT, howitzer supplies, and mortar supplies.
Engineers should build to support a push or stall an enemy lane. A trench in the wrong place can block friendly movement; a trench in the right place can win the next objective.
Recent Changes
Key defence changes:
- 1.x: Sapper snowmen, surgeon restrictions, cavalry/defence interactions, and cannon recoil interactions shaped early support play.
- 2.x: Build interaction validation improved, sandbag collisions changed, Sapper wall/platform build hits were reduced, and interactable objects gained clearer highlights.
- 4.00: Repair speed multipliers were exposed for sapper objects and ships.
- 5.00: Sappers gained many new props, palisade variants, gates, towers, earthworks, snake rail fence, piano, light pole, and flag. Materials became per-player.
- 5.00: Carpenters gained satchels, palisade damage rules changed, and the two-handed axe now has broader melee behaviour.
- 5.10: Grenade and satchel use can be controlled by server settings, and dynamic artillery section behaviour was adjusted.