Build a Connected Operation Before Expanding
A working GRAVHOUNDS base starts with a pipeline connected to the Collector, a live build node, and a fabricator placed on that network. From there, collect resources, buy turret Build Kits, and use the Grav Beam to position them over build nodes. That sequence gives you the production and defenses needed to expand while hostile waves are approaching.
The tutorial dialogue in the available gameplay transcripts walks through this order directly. It is a construction loop, not a separate peaceful phase: you keep gathering, extending, repairing, and fighting during the same expedition.
Set Up Your First Fabricator and Turret
- Start at the Collector. Extend its pipeline so that you have a connected, ready build node.
- Place the fabricator. Enter placement mode, line it up, and connect it to the pipeline. The tutorial confirms when it is built.
- Collect and deliver resources. The mining laser extracts material; the Grav Beam moves it into a Collector processor port or onto a connected pipeline for transport.
- Buy a turret Build Kit at the fabricator. Carry the kit with the Grav Beam rather than treating the purchase as a finished defense anywhere on the map.
- Position the kit above a build node and snap it into place. Check the resulting turret, then continue setting up the approach you need to defend.
The useful checkpoint is the completed structure, not simply owning a kit. A fabricator enables further construction; a purchased turret still needs a valid placement.
Extend Toward Resources and Objectives
The official GRAVHOUNDS overview identifies pipelines as a way to power the base, move resources, and maintain an escape route. Build out from your connected network as the job spreads across the planet.
Use the network to reduce repeated hauling. If the resource is far from the Collector, putting it on a connected pipeline can be more practical than carrying every load home. Pipelines also provide a fast route for returning to threatened defenses.
Plan around both the Collector and the objective. In player experience from Gohjoe's fuel-pump run, an operation that looked well defended at home still needed protection at the pump. That is a useful planning lesson: a distant mission structure can create another place that needs attention. It does not establish one layout that is correct for every map.
Maintain the Structures You Depend On
Use the mining laser to repair damaged turrets, as the tutorial explicitly teaches. When a turret earns a promotion, inspect its available field upgrade rather than assuming every specialization is available from the start; research and the turret's progression affect those choices.
Keep access to your fabricator practical. In the cited player experience, returning to a single fabricator repeatedly became awkward as the defenses spread out. That supports thinking about travel and supply routes before expanding too far, without inventing a requirement to build multiple fabricators.
The October 14 demo patch also prevents two turrets from occupying the same pipeline node. Leave separate usable build positions for separate defenses instead of relying on an older overlapping-placement bug.
FAQ
What should I build first?
Follow the tutorial's sequence: connected pipeline and build node, fabricator, resource intake, then turret Build Kits placed on the network.
Can I use pipelines to carry resources?
Yes. The tutorial says the pipeline carries deposited resources back, and the official overview lists resource transport as one of its functions.
Do I need a fixed generator layout or power budget?
The available material does not provide a verified generator-placement procedure or numerical power budget. This guide covers the demonstrated connected construction loop without inventing those details.