Welder
| Welder | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Class | Occupations |
| Type | Occupation |
| Points | -4 |
| Skill Boosts | Welding: +4 |
The Welder brings the strongest metalworking start in the game. It can weld foraged metal into items and barricades from the first day.
The occupation costs 4 points from the trait budget. It starts with four levels of Welding. The Welder also knows a large set of metal building and crafting recipes, from walls and fences to lockers and scrap armour.
Metal is the toughest building material a survivor can use. Metal walls and barricades hold far longer than wood against a crowd. Other survivors need several levels of Welding and the right magazines before they can build with metal. The Welder starts with both, so a metal fortress is possible early in a run.
Welder Skills
Four levels of Welding open most metal building at once. Metal walls, doors, door frames, window frames, fences, gates and metal barricades all become available. Shoddy lockers, counters, crates and shelves are within reach too. Walls built at a higher level have more health, so they hold longer against zombies.
Wall health depends directly on the Welding level. Every level gained makes the next walls sturdier. That gives a reason to keep training even after the first walls are up.
Level 5 is the next big step. It adds good metal walls, good fences, metal stairs, big double gates and the metal barrel oven. Scrap metal armour pieces and the scrap metal chopper also open there.
The highest levels improve storage. Level 7 brings the metal crate and level 8 the metal counter. Level 9 adds the small locker and shelves, and level 10 opens the big metal locker.
Level 4 also opens metal sheets, small metal sheets, circular sawblades and iron bands. Making metal sheets is a strong way to keep training the skill.
A new Welder starts with these skill levels.
| Skill | Levels | Skill Group |
|---|---|---|
| Welding | +4 | Crafting |
Welder Recipes
The Welder knows how to make metal sheets and cut small metal sheets. Scrap metal helmets, shoulder armour, thigh armour and body armour are known. Spikes can be welded onto metal armour. The draw plate and heading tool can be drilled for smithing work.
The building recipes cover walls, frames and stairs. The basic and advanced metal walls, door frames, window frames, wall frames and metal stairs are all known.
Storage is covered too. Metal counters, counter corners, crates, big lockers, small lockers and shelves can all be built.
Fences and gates round out the list. Metal fences, wire fences, pole fence gates and wire fence gates are known.
Knowing a recipe still leaves its materials, tools and skill needs in place. Some of the better grades need more Welding first. The scrap metal armour pieces wait for level 5, and the best storage needs the top levels.
A Welder knows these recipes from the start, with no book or magazine needed.
| Name | Image | Recipe | Crafting Materials | Tools | Skill | Station | Learned | Spawn ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metal Wall Frame | - | Metal Wall Frame |
|
- | Welding: 2 | - | Yes | - |
| Big Wire Fence Gate | - | Big Wire Fence Gate |
|
- | Welding: 3 | - | Yes | - |
| Draw Plate | 
|
Drill Draw Plate | 1x Steel Bar Quarter | - | Welding: 3 | - | Yes | /additem Base.DrawPlate
|
| Heading Tool | 
|
Drill Heading Tool | 1x Iron Bar Quarter | - | Welding: 3 | - | Yes | /additem Base.HeadingTool
|
| Big Pole Fence Gate | - | Metal Big Pole Fence Gate |
|
- | Welding: 3 | - | Yes | - |
| Metal Door Frame (Poor) | - | Metal Door Frame |
|
- | Welding: 3 | - | Yes | /additem Base.BlowTorch
|
| Metal Fence (Shoddy) | - | Metal Fence |
|
- | Welding: 3 | - | Yes | /additem Base.BlowTorch
|
| Small Pole Fence Gate | - | Metal Pole Fence Gate |
|
- | Welding: 3 | - | Yes | - |
| Metal Shelves (Shoddy) | - | Metal Shelves |
|
- | Welding: 3 | - | Yes | /additem Base.BlowTorch
|
| Metal Wall (Poor) | - | Metal Wall (Basic) |
|
- | Welding: 3 | - | Yes | /additem Base.BlowTorch
|
| Metal Window Frame (Poor) | - | Metal Window Frame |
|
- | Welding: 3 | - | Yes | /additem Base.BlowTorch
|
| Small Metal Wire Fence | - | Metal Wire Fence |
|
- | Welding: 3 | - | Yes | - |
| Small Wire Fence Gate | - | Metal Wire Fence Gate |
|
- | Welding: 3 | - | Yes | - |
| 4x Steel Sheet - Small | 
|
Cut 4 Small Metal Sheets |
|
Welder Mask | Welding: 4 | In Hand | Yes | /additem Base.SmallSheetMetal
|
| Steel Sheet | 
|
Make Metal Sheet |
|
Welder Mask | Welding: 4 | In Hand | Yes | /additem Base.SheetMetal
|
| Scrap Metal Helmet | 
|
Make Scrap Metal Helmet |
|
|
Welding: 5, Tailoring: 1 | Any Surface | Yes | /additem Base.Hat_MetalScrapHelmet
|
| Scrap Metal Shoulder Armor | 
|
Make Scrap Metal Shoulder Armor |
|
|
Welding: 5, Tailoring: 1 | Any Surface | Yes | /additem Base.Shoulderpad_MetalScrap_L
|
| Scrap Metal Thigh Armor | 
|
Make Scrap Metal Thigh Armor |
|
|
Welding: 5, Tailoring: 1 | Any Surface | Yes | /additem Base.ThighScrapMetal_R
|
| Metal Stairs | - | Metal Stairs |
|
- | Welding: 5 | - | Yes | - |
| Metal Wall (Good) | - | Metal Wall (Advanced) |
|
- | Welding: 5 | - | Yes | /additem Base.BlowTorch
|
| Metal Window Frame | - | Metal Window Frame |
|
- | Welding: 5 | - | Yes | - |
| Spiked Scrap Metal Thigh Armor | 
|
Weld Spikes On Metal Armor |
|
Welder Mask | Welding: 5 | Any Surface | Yes | /additem Base.ThighScrapMetalSpike_R
|
| Scrap Metal Body Armor | 
|
Make Scrap Metal Body Armor |
|
|
Welding: 6, Tailoring: 1 | Any Surface | Yes | /additem Base.Cuirass_MetalScrap
|
A Welder also starts with this knowledge.
How to Play Welder
A Welder plays best as a fortress builder. Metal walls and barricades make a very tough safehouse. Metal storage keeps supplies organised and protected.
Early goals include a propane torch, a welding mask and a supply of scrap metal. Most welding work needs both the torch and the mask. The torch runs on propane and is refilled from a propane tank. Building days use a lot of fuel, so a spare torch or a full propane tank is worth keeping on hand.
Car wrecks hold plenty of metal, and dismantling them also gives Welding experience. Barricading windows and doors with metal gives experience too, though it ignores skill book bonuses.
Training changes with the level. At levels 3 and 4, making a scrap metal knife gives good experience for each use of the torch. Building metal walls, fences and frames gives a steady flow as well. From level 5 upward, making metal sheets or cutting small metal sheets gives strong returns for little torch fuel.
The Welding skill books speed up training for two levels each. The Welder's start covers the first two volumes. Welding III is the next book worth finding.
The Welder has a small foraging bonus for trash and junk. Scrap turns up a little more readily while searching.
The high point cost leaves less room for traits. The starting skill is Welding alone, so combat and survival must come from traits or training. A long run makes the most of the Welder's strong defences.
The Welder fits well beside a Blacksmith. The drilled draw plate and heading tool serve smithing work. Bars cut with the torch can be reforged at a forge with charcoal and cut again.
Notes
- Metal walls and barricades open from the first day.
- Car wrecks give scrap metal and Welding experience.
- Walls built at higher levels have more health.
- Keep a propane torch and welding mask together.
- Carry spare propane on building days.
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