Region Tiers and Climate

Every region by tier: level range, climate band, signature ore, and what is trying to kill you. The map planner you open before a supply run.

At a glance

What gates a regionGear and temperature resistance, not a boss. You go where you can survive.
Why tier mattersHigher tier means better ore and tougher enemies, human and beast.
The hidden axisClimate. Each region sits somewhere from Searing Heat to Deep Freeze and needs the right clothing or buffs.

The full tier table

TierRegionClimateOreSignature threats
T1Eastern RainforestComfort to Mild HeatStarter (wood, stone, clay)Outcasts, jungle wildlife
T2Western / Northern RainforestComfort to ScorchingTin, CopperFlint and Claw tribes, Jaguar
T3Mangrove / River / Rift ValleyMild to Scorching HeatCopper, CoalGiant Alligator, Mechanical Cores
T4Rocky Bottomland / Pit Hill / The WildComfort to Severe HeatCopper, Tin, SulfurFang Tribe, Elite Wolf
T5Wetland / Lakeside / Jungle CaveCold to Severe Heat (Poison)Iron, Phosphate, CoalBear, Elite Alligator, poison
T6Table Mountain / Plateau WoodlandCold to ComfortIron, CoalHorned Eagle, Bison
T7Great Prairie / Giant Wood ForestSevere Cold to Mild HeatIron, Nitrate, SaltElephant, Wasteland Wolf
T8Wastelands / Giant CraterIcy Cold to Searing (Radiation, Sandstorm)Iron, NitrateWild Lion, Mutant Rat, Cores
T9Barren Meadow / Volcanic ForestMild to Searing HeatIron, SulfurWild Lion, Plunderers
T10Scorching VolcanoSevere to Searing HeatIron, SulfurMonitor Lizard, Cores
T11Frostleaf Grove / Dark ForestExtreme Cold to Cold (Snowstorms)CrystalSnow Leopard, Spider, Arctic Wolf
T12Alpine Land / Frost CanyonDeep Freeze (Snowstorms)Crystal, MeteoriteMammoth, Central Core

Hazards by tier

HazardWhereBring
HeatT2 to T4 rainforest, T9 to T10 volcanoLight clothing, heat resist, water
PoisonT5 wetlandsPoison resist, antidotes
Radiation + SandstormT8 wastelandRadiation gear, cover
Snowstorm + Deep FreezeT11 to T12 frozen northHeavy cold gear, warm food

Map location types worth knowing

Do this in order

  1. Start in the T1 to T2 rainforest, set a base near water, gather Copper and Tin.
  2. Push T5 to T7 for Iron once you have bronze gear and some cold protection.
  3. Gear up before the T8 wasteland; radiation and sandstorm will end an underprepared run.
  4. Save the T11 to T12 frozen regions for Crystal and Meteorite when you have Fine Steel and full cold gear.

Watch out for

Related: the tech tier cheatsheet for what each metal builds, and the deep region guides starting with the rainforest.