Assault Event survival: mechanics, bench targeting, and defense setup

How Assault Events work

Assault Events are raids built around a selected Crafting Bench. At 4 PM on the afternoon before a raid, the game plays a warning and displays "The air feels strange. Be on your guard tonight." The bench is not selected at that warning. Selection happens later, when "The air feels different..." appears before the raid begins.

That distinction gives the warning real tactical value. Use the afternoon to repair and stage supplies, then make sure the player positions at the start of the event point toward the bench you actually intend to defend.

When a raid selects its target, it chooses a Crafting Bench closest to a player. With several players and several benches, any of those closest benches may be selected. Enemies then enter from established spawn points near the target and move toward it, attacking players, deployables, and defenses they meet along the way. Watch one real approach before permanently placing defenses; the nearest spawn point matters more than a symmetrical room layout.

An event can also be delayed when the selected bench is far enough from every player. Staying away overnight, such as in another sector or a portal world, defers the start until a player returns to a bench's radius. Treat this as a way to finish a defense, not as proof that the event was cancelled.

Assault Event types and unlock conditions

The available raid pool expands with progression. This table groups the current unlock milestones into planning tiers rather than pretending every raid follows one fixed four-step sequence.

Some variants unlock at more specific checkpoints than these broad rows. Later Order squads depend on Cascade Laboratories or Voussoir progress, while Gatekeeper groups depend on Dusk, Gale, or Shadowgate progress. Before rebuilding a base around one enemy list, check the current Assault Events source page for the exact milestone the save has crossed.

The Portal Suppression Field upgrade

The Portal Suppression Field is a Tier 2 Crafting Bench upgrade that requires Crafting level 5. Its job is specific: it suppresses Portal Storms near the powered bench. Portals can briefly appear, but they close without spawning enemies. The same field can destroy Power Leeches within range during Rolling Blackouts while the bench is powered.

It does not stop Order Assaults, Exor Patrols, Zombie Hordes, or other non-portal raids. Installing it removes one raid problem; it does not replace walls, route control, repair supplies, or a player response. Prioritize it when Portal Storms are the repeated threat, then judge physical defenses against the non-portal enemies already unlocked in the save.

Defense build decision table

This is a decision table, not a claim that one defense item defeats every raid. Chopinators, Tesla Coils, and tripmines become available at different points and interact differently with each enemy. Build around observed approach lanes and the raid pool in the current save.

Preparation window workflow

The warning message gives you one afternoon. Use it as a checklist, not as a panic timer.

1. Identify which bench is likely to be targeted.
2. Move nonessential loot and fragile production furniture out of the approach lane.
3. Check that the bench is powered. If Portal Suppression Field is installed, remember that it only covers Portal Storms.
4. Repair the first defense layer and leave a path for players to retreat.
5. Put healing, ammunition, and repair supplies where they can be reached without crossing the enemy entry lane.
6. At the start message, confirm which bench was selected before committing the whole group to one room.

This is more reliable than trying to rebuild the whole base while enemies are already moving.

Stop conditions

End preparation when four things are true: the intended bench is powered, the observed approach has a first line of defense, players have a clear fallback position, and repair or healing supplies are reachable. Portal Suppression Field counts as the direct answer only when the pending event is a Portal Storm.

If the warning arrives while the base is being moved, do not scatter defenses between old and new benches. Keep players away from both overnight, finish one site, and return together. A smaller complete defense is safer than two partially protected targets.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Event progression reference

Use three records after each event instead of relying on a universal tier list:

1. Selected bench: Which player position caused that bench to be closest at the start message?
2. Entry point: Where did the first raider appear, and which route did it take toward the bench?
3. Failure point: Did the defense lose because enemies bypassed it, power failed, or players could not safely repair it?

The next change should answer the recorded failure. Add a second approach layer for bypasses, separate optional loads from critical power, or move supplies to a safe repair position. Buying more of the same defense does not solve a route or power problem.

Recovery when defense fails

The message "The air is normal again..." means the event has finished spawning enemies; surviving enemies may still be active. Clear the room and approach lane before opening storage or starting repairs.

1. Confirm the remaining enemy count by sweeping from the fallback position.
2. Restore bench power and critical base functions before optional production.
3. Repair the damaged layer that actually slowed the raid.
4. Move or redesign the layer enemies bypassed instead of rebuilding it in the same position.
5. If the base is not ready for another event, stay away from benches overnight until repairs are complete.

What happens to furniture at zero durability can depend on the world's sandbox setting. Do not base the recovery plan on an assumption that every deployable is automatically preserved. Check the save settings and keep replacement materials outside the main approach lane.

Co-op bench discipline

In co-op, the group controls selection through player position just before the event starts. Treat every Crafting Bench near a player as a possible event anchor and decide which location the team is prepared to defend.

The event is easier when the group agrees where the fight should happen before the warning appears.

A repeatable bench-selection drill

Run this once when the base has multiple benches and the team can safely handle the available raid pool:

1. Name one bench as the intended raid site and one player as the position lead.
2. At the 4 PM warning, stop long portal trips and return repair materials.
3. Move every player away from unfinished benches before the start message.
4. When selection occurs, record the selected bench instead of assuming the plan worked.
5. During the raid, mark the first spawn point and the route enemies actually use.
6. After the final enemy is cleared, move one defense to answer the observed route and leave the rest unchanged.

This drill separates two problems that are easy to confuse: selecting the right bench and defending the route to that bench. Fix selection with player position; fix the route with placement. Repeating the same controlled change produces a defense layout based on the save's real spawn points rather than a copied room diagram that may not match the base location.

See also

• Base Defense Setup for Beginners
• Chopinator, Tesla Coil, and Laser Tripmine Placement
• Power Grid Basics