Blood Moon Survival – How to Build a Horde Base in 7 Days to Die
Every seventh night the sky turns red and the blood moon horde comes for you – zombies that know exactly where you are and don't stop until sunrise. A good horde base turns that night from a nightmare into the best XP farm of the week. Here's how to build one.
How the blood moon works
- By default a blood moon happens every 7 days. Servers can change the frequency and the warning time.
- When it starts, zombies spawn around every player and head straight for them. They know where you are, even inside a base.
- The horde gets harder as your gamestage rises – a mix of your level, days survived and difficulty.
- At dawn the remaining zombies give up and the night is over.
Because zombies always path to you, the trick isn't to hide – it's to choose the path they take.
Rule 1: build a separate horde base
Don't fight the horde at the base where you craft and store your loot. Zombies destroy blocks, and a lost wall next to your forge and chests is expensive. Build a dedicated horde base close by, with a short safe path back home.
Rule 2: control the path
Zombies pick the path that looks easiest to reach you. If you give them one obvious, open route, almost all of them take it. That route is your kill corridor.
The kill corridor
A long, narrow walkway leading up to your fighting position. Zombies walk single-file into your guns, turrets and traps. Make the corridor out of the strongest blocks you have and keep spare blocks to repair it.
The drop-down
At the end of the corridor, zombies fall into a pit and have to walk around to the start again. While they walk back you reload, repair and shoot the next group. Make the pit deep enough that they can't jump out.
The elevated platform
Stand on a platform the corridor leads to, with a gap between you and the last block of the walkway. Zombies reach the edge and fall. Simple, cheap and very effective early on.
Rule 3: layers of defense
- Spikes and barbed wire in the corridor slow zombies and wear them down.
- Electric fences and blade traps once you have power.
- Turrets (shotgun, auto, M60) cover the corridor while you focus on the big threats.
- Your own weapons – bring your best gun and lots of ammo. Demolishers and cops are priority targets.
What to bring on horde night
- 2–3× the ammo you think you need
- A repair tool and stacks of your wall material
- Food, water, medicine and a few buffs
- Spare weapons in case your main one breaks
- A bedroll near the base so a death isn't the end of the night
Common horde base mistakes
- Fighting in your main base. One lost wall and your storage is gone.
- Several open paths. If zombies have two good routes, they split up and flank you.
- No repair plan. Walls fail – carry blocks and repair between waves.
- Too close to the edge. Ranged zombies like cops still hit you on a platform. Keep cover.
Frequently asked questions
How often is the blood moon in 7 Days to Die?
Every 7 days with default settings, from evening until morning. Server owners can change the frequency.
Can zombies find me inside my base during a blood moon?
Yes. Blood moon zombies always know where players are and path toward them, which is why controlling their path with a kill corridor works so well.
What is the best horde base design?
A separate base with one clear kill corridor, a drop-down or gap in front of your fighting position, traps in the corridor and turrets for support.
Put it into practice on NASTY Z
Wipe-proof vault, live web map, player market, siege mode and 173 battle honours. Free to play, V3.3, EAC on.