Best Base Location in Moon Sweepers: A Scoring Method
A weighted scoring rubric for choosing where to build in Moon Sweepers, three site archetypes worth considering, and the signals that mean your base is in the wrong place.
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There are no base coordinates, and anyone selling them is guessing
Moon Sweepers generates its surface as a hex grid, and no official coordinate list or density map exists. What the game gives you is a Moon Map with color-coded sectors and landmarks to navigate by. So the useful skill is not memorizing a location — it is scoring the ground in front of you. This page turns the four factors that decide a site into a weighted rubric, and it complements the terrain overview in the zones and map guide rather than repeating it.
Why Coordinates Are the Wrong Unit
A base site is a relationship between four things: how flat the ground is, how much dust is within reach, how far your sales route runs, and how much room you have to grow. Coordinates capture none of that, and they go stale the moment your frontier moves.
The Four-Factor Score
Rate each factor from zero to five against the anchors below, multiply by the weight, and add. The total is out of 100.
| Factor | Weight | Score 5 looks like | Score 0 looks like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haul distance | 30 | Station-to-sale round trip under a minute | Long climb out of a basin every load |
| Dust density | 30 | Thick deposits within one sweep radius of the pad | Sparse ground you must drive to reach |
| Slope and buildability | 25 | Wide level shelf, foundations place in one pass | Terraced rubble that fights every block |
| Expansion room | 15 | Room for a garage, storage, and two more buildings | A pocket ringed by completed sectors |
Score each factor as rating ÷ 5 × weight. Two worked examples, using the archetypes most guides describe:
| Site | Density | Haul | Slope | Expansion | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basin beside a processing station | 3 → 18 | 5 → 30 | 5 → 25 | 4 → 12 | 85 |
| Rim of a large crater | 5 → 30 | 3 → 18 | 2 → 10 | 3 → 9 | 67 |
The basin wins early despite thinner dust, because the rim's density advantage is eaten by a worse route and by the foundation work it demands. Reverse the weighting later — once power and machine density matter more than walking distance — and the rim starts to win.
Three Archetypes Worth Considering
Community write-ups converge on three site types, each with a clear specialty. Treat the descriptions as reported rather than official.
| Archetype | Best for | Upside | Downside |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basin beside processing | First base, early to mid game | Short conveyor runs, direct hookups, flat ground | Low elevation means weaker solar exposure |
| Crater rim | Late game, power-hungry bases | Elevation for solar, thickest dust nearby | Real foundation work to level the ground |
| Research station hub | Co-op servers | Safe zone, console access, waypoints already placed | Shared space gets crowded fast |
The basin is the standard opening recommendation, and the reasoning governs every purchase in this game: shorten the loop before you optimize it. The rim is where an established operation moves once income absorbs the build cost. The hub is a coordination tool as much as a location — splitting a large crew across several hubs stops sixteen people clearing the same hexes twice.
Landmark counts and reward values are single-source
One detailed guide reports 12 research stations, 26 points of interest, and 195 exploration flags; another reports roughly 200 credits per flag while the first says 100. Treat the counts as approximate and the payout as unknown until you clear one yourself.
Foundation Discipline
Terrain is not buildable as found. The moon is a lumpy surface with no natural shelf large enough for a real factory, so you manufacture the shelf. Four habits from community builders:
- Start at the lowest point of the site. Building down from a high corner leaves you filling gaps you cannot reach.
- Place the sub-floor in one continuous action. A foundation split across two placement sessions reportedly locks buildings that span the seam.
- Clear dust before building. Loose dust is the most common reason a blueprint refuses to snap, and the fix is to vacuum the tile rather than reposition the building.
- Leave clearance in front of garages. At least three grid blocks, because large vehicles have wide turning circles and will clip conveyors or power poles on a tight approach.
None of these are optional polish. A site that scores 90 and a site that scores 60 are the same site if you cannot place a foundation.
What Changes the Score Later
Two factors grow in importance, and both push you uphill.
Power. Guides consistently describe two large solar panels per pressure chamber and three per stone press, and elevation protects that output from terrain shadow. A basin that was ideal at hour two becomes a liability when your machine count triples — which is also when a second vehicle starts competing for the same pad, as the vehicle upgrade guide explains.
Density of infrastructure. As conveyors, storage, and vehicle traffic accumulate, footprint matters more than distance. A cramped site that was fine with one machine strangles at ten.
So the honest answer to "where should I build" is a sequence: basin first, rim later, then a satellite site before either becomes a maze. Every one of those moves needs garage space, which the fleet reference treats as the entry cost of the vehicle track.
When to Move
Relocation is cheaper than most players assume, and later than most players attempt. Move when two or more of these are true:
- Your average haul is longer than your average sweep.
- You are building conveyors outward instead of machines inward.
- Vehicles queue at a single unloading point.
- Every trip starts with a drive, because nearby sectors are complete.
Moving a station forward is not a failure — the dust farming guide treats forward stations as a recurring purchase. In a crew it is a coordination event: agree on the site before anyone builds, or you get two half-finished bases and a split fleet. The multiplayer guide covers who decides where.
Solo players should weight distance even higher, because every meter of haul is paid by the only worker on the site. The solo comparison explains why travel dominates solo economics.
A base is the largest single commitment in the game and the easiest to get wrong by choosing a view instead of a route. Score it, build it, and plan to replace it.
Where is the best base location in Moon Sweepers?
There is no published best location. The strongest general answer is a flat basin close to a processing or sales point, on the edge of untouched sectors. Score candidates on haul distance, dust density, slope, and expansion room rather than copying coordinates.
Should I build on a crater rim or in a basin?
Basin first if you are still walking your loads, because the short route beats the density. Crater rims become the better site once power and machine density matter more than travel, which is typically after your first vehicle.
How many bases should I build?
Start with one. Add a forward station when your average haul exceeds your average sweep, then a satellite site when conveyors start growing outward instead of machines growing inward. Multiple small connected sites usually beat one sprawling one.
Why will my foundation not place?
Usually loose dust on the ground. Vacuum the tile and retry before repositioning the blueprint. If a building spans two foundations placed in separate sessions, that seam can also block placement — rebuild the sub-floor in one pass.
Related Guides
Moon Sweepers Zones and Map: Reading the Surface
How the Moon Sweepers map works: hex sectors, the orange-blue-green color code, craters versus plains, and how to pick a base site without guesswork.
Lunar Dust Farming: Moon Sweepers Money Loop
How to farm lunar dust efficiently in Moon Sweepers: capacity math, route planning, station placement, and the automation steps that scale your income.
Moon Sweepers Achievements Guide: All 33 and Fastest Order
All 33 Moon Sweepers achievements grouped by tracker, the hidden conveyor-loop unlock, and the order that clears easy ones before the long grind begins.
Moon Sweepers Tool Tier List: A Buying Decision Matrix
Skip the fake S-tier ranking. This Moon Sweepers tool matrix sorts upgrades by benefit type: capacity, rate, access, and multipliers, with buy triggers.
Moon Sweepers Tools and Upgrades: Full Reference
Every Moon Sweepers tool and upgrade we can verify: broom tiers, suit gear, tool belt slots, and the shared upgrade matrix, with source confidence.
Moon Sweepers Vehicle Upgrade Guide: When to Tier Up
Which vehicle part to tune first in Moon Sweepers, what each tier transition really buys, and the six signals that mean it is time to buy the next class.