Base lighting guide: lamp sources, coverage jobs, and charge limits

Good base lighting solves a navigation problem. It lets players read storage, see the Crafting Bench area, identify an approach lane, and reach an exit under pressure. It does not make a base safe by itself, and one impressive lamp in the middle of a room does not prove that doors and corners are readable.

The old version of this page treated every light as an unpowered base lamp and listed found furniture as crafted equipment. The current references show a more useful distinction. Standing Lamps and Sconce Lamps are found objects. The Tri-Lamp is crafted and explicitly does not require power. The OX Lamp is a battery-powered tool upgraded from the X-Ray Lamp, with special uses against specific entities. It should not be counted as permanent zero-cost room light.

Choose a source before choosing a position

The chart is an original placement workflow based on current item acquisition and power behavior. It is not a brightness measurement and is not drawn to room scale.

Current source and power reference

This is not a complete list of every glowing object, colored Antelight, portable tool, or decorative light in the game. It covers the sources needed for a base placement method. The current Light and Power index is linked when a newer or more specialized item is being considered.

Plan lighting by job

Crafting core

Stand where the player normally opens the Crafting Bench and check the bench, nearby repair point, and storage labels. A floor light can work when furniture does not block it. Wall light is better when the central walking area is already crowded. The requirement is readability from the interaction position, not a particular lamp name.

Storage wall

Test labels from the point where items are deposited after a run. A lamp placed behind tall crates may light the ceiling while leaving the text in shadow. Put wall lighting between storage groups or elevate a floor light only when that position does not obstruct packaging and movement.

Entry lane

The current Assault Events reference states that spawned enemies approach a selected Crafting Bench and can attack players, deployables, and defenses along the way. Light the lane from the defender's side. The player should be able to see an approaching unit without stepping through the barricade or into a turret line.

Retreat path

Mark turns, stairs, door controls, and the final safe room. A bright crafting area does not help if the route into it passes through a dark corner. Walk the path in both directions because a lamp useful on the outbound route can be hidden by a wall on return.

Use found lamps as a route resource

Standing Lamps are found objects rather than an early recipe made from generic metal and glass. The community Wiki lists multiple facility and portal-world locations. Sconce Lamps are also found; its item page identifies The Train as their location. That changes the farming plan. Do not reserve assumed recipe materials for these two items. Package usable lamps during a route where they are already present and transport only what the current base needs.

The community Progression Guide also points to recurring portal-world sources for lighting. Flathill contains Desk and Standing Lamps, while The Train contains Sconce Lamps. Portal worlds reset on their documented schedule, subject to occupancy and discovery conditions. This can make found lights renewable, but the route should still have a stop condition. Taking every lamp in one visit is not required for a readable base.

Use the Tri-Lamp as the crafted option

The current Tri-Lamp page says it is crafted at a Crafting Bench, does not require power, and can be painted to change the emitted hue. Check its live recipe in the game or on the item page instead of using the old claim that lamp recipes vary with bench upgrades. The recipe is an item fact, while access to it depends on the player's current progression.

Paint can help distinguish zones, but avoid color coding that exists only in a private memory rule. Pair color with a sign or consistent physical position so another player and a color-impaired player can still identify the area.

Keep the OX Lamp out of the zero-power budget

The OX Lamp is a portable tool with battery capacity. It projects four circular beams and has documented X-Ray Field interactions with specific entities. Its charge and specialist value make it a poor substitute for permanent room lighting. Use it temporarily when carrying the tool already serves the route, then preserve charge for the encounter it was intended to handle.

This distinction prevents a practical failure: a base may look lit during setup only because a charged handheld tool was placed or carried nearby. Once that tool leaves with another player or loses charge, the route becomes dark again. Permanent lighting should pass the test without relying on personal equipment.

Five-minute placement test

1. Turn off handheld lights and stand at the Crafting Bench.
2. Look toward every normal entrance and identify which lane is unreadable.
3. Walk to storage and read the labels used during a normal deposit.
4. Follow the retreat route through every turn and door control.
5. Move one existing light before adding another object.
6. Repeat the test after moving crates, workstations, or defense devices.

The test prevents both dark gaps and unnecessary visual clutter. It also creates a result another player can reproduce. "This lamp is brightest" is not needed when the actual pass condition is whether the route remains readable from the positions where players act.

Co-op ownership and maintenance

Assign one shared rule: a lamp serving a marked entry or retreat path is base infrastructure, not spare furniture. Players can still move decorative lights, but route lights return to their marked position after expansion or packaging.

Stop condition for the lighting project

Stop adding lamps when the crafting core, active storage, known entry lane, and retreat path all pass without a handheld light. A rarely used decorative corner does not need the same priority as the route between the bench and exit. Save additional found or crafted lights for expansion rather than filling every surface.

Lighting improves visibility. It does not replace Portal Suppression, powered defenses, a safe room, or a workable base location. If players can see the threat but still have no exit or protected engagement lane, the next task is a layout or defense change, not another lamp.

Related guides

• Power grid star topology
• Beginner base defense setup
• Storage organization and crates
• Assault event defense guide