Against the Storm is a roguelike city-builder where you establish settlements in a perpetually stormy fantasy world on behalf of the Scorched Queen. Each run drops you into a new procedurally generated map with different biomes, species compositions, and available buildings. You must balance the Queen's Impatience (a loss timer) against Reputation (a win condition) while managing three to four different species with conflicting needs. Between runs, the meta-progression Citadel grows with permanent upgrades. It's the game that answered the question: what if city-builders had permadeath?
Resource management and crafting determine how quickly your power scales. This guide covers what to prioritize, where to farm, and how to avoid wasting resources on the wrong upgrades.
Crafting Priority List
The order you should invest resources:
| Priority | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Primary equipment | Biggest damage increase per resource spent |
| 2 | Core build gear | Enables your build's key synergies |
| 3 | Defensive upgrades | Survivability for boss fights |
| 4 | Secondary equipment | Situational options for specific content |
| 5 | Consumables | Temporary boosts for hard content |
Resource Farming by Area
Royal Woodlands
Key resources: Abundant wood, standard resource distribution, balanced species composition Farming efficiency: Low value per run, but safe and consistent
Focus on gathering materials for Cookhouse upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Coral Forest
Key resources: Enhanced rain collection, coral trade goods, faster crop growth Farming efficiency: Good early-game farming spot
Focus on gathering materials for Cookhouse upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Marshlands
Key resources: Unique marsh resources, rare herbs for medicine, challenging terrain management Farming efficiency: Best mid-game farming, worth revisiting
Focus on gathering materials for Cookhouse upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Scarlet Orchard
Key resources: Ruin salvage (advanced materials), dangerous but rewarding Glade events Farming efficiency: High-value materials for late-game upgrades
This is where you farm materials for Trading Post max upgrades. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Sealed Forest
Key resources: Maximum Citadel meta-currency, unique challenges, prestige rewards Farming efficiency: Best resources in the game, requires strong build
This is where you farm materials for Trading Post max upgrades. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Upgrade Path
Early Game (Royal Woodlands — Coral Forest)
- Upgrade your starting equipment to functional level
- Craft basic defensive gear
- Save specialty materials — you'll need them later
- Focus on Cookhouse once accessible
Mid Game (Marshlands)
- Push Cookhouse to mid-level upgrades
- Start collecting materials for Trading Post
- Craft situational consumables for boss fights
- Upgrade build-specific gear pieces
Late Game (Scarlet Orchard — Sealed Forest)
- Max out Trading Post — this is your top priority
- Complete your build's core gear set
- Craft endgame consumables
- Optional: upgrade secondary equipment for variety
Crafting Mistakes to Avoid
- Spreading upgrades across multiple equipment — Focus one weapon to max before diversifying.
- Hoarding materials — Use them. The game provides enough if you farm efficiently.
- Upgrading the wrong gear — Check our builds guide before investing.
- Ignoring Marshlands farming — This area has the best resource-to-time ratio in mid-game.
- Crafting consumables too early — Save specialty materials for late-game recipes.
Resource Efficiency Tips
- Pick blueprints that match your species composition — if you have Lizards, prioritize buildings that produce Skewers or provide warmth. Mismatched blueprints waste production capacity.
- Farm Marshlands during mid-game for the best return on time
- Check the walkthrough to know when each resource becomes available
- Match your farming route to your build — some classes farm faster in certain areas
More Against the Storm Guides
- Against the Storm Against the Storm Overview
- Against the Storm Best Builds
- Against the Storm Tier List
- Against the Storm Walkthrough
- Against the Storm Beginner's Guide
- Against the Storm Tips & Tricks
- Against the Storm Weapons Guide
- Against the Storm Combat Guide
- Against the Storm Boss Guide
- Against the Storm Maps & Locations
- Against the Storm Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Against the Storm, check out these related guides:
- Sid Meier's Civilization V Crafting Guide — strategy game with similar mechanics
- Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Crafting Guide — strategy game with similar mechanics
- RimWorld Crafting Guide — strategy game with similar mechanics
