How to Get Tier 3 in Rust
How to get a Tier 3 workbench in Rust: exact cost (1000 metal frags, 500 HQM, 100 scrap, 75 wood), where to grind HQM, and what T3 unlocks.
The Tier 3 workbench is mid-game's biggest milestone. It unlocks AK47, M249, MP5, full hazmat, jackhammer and most other end-game gear. Cost is significant: 1000 metal frags, 500 HQM, 100 scrap, 75 wood.
Step-by-step
Get the T3 workbench blueprint
Default-learned for everyone (no research required). All players know the recipe automatically — you just need the materials.
Grind metal fragments
1000 metal frags = ~1500 metal ore in a furnace. Mine metal nodes (dark grey rocks) with a pickaxe or jackhammer. A jackhammer + Pure Ore Tea + Bear Pie pulls 600+ ore per node.
Grind HQM ore
500 HQM ore is the bottleneck. HQM nodes are rare blue-white sparkles in metal nodes (~2 HQM per metal node) or HQM rocks at higher altitudes. Smelting takes coal in a furnace.
Buy or steal 100 scrap
100 scrap = ~30 barrels of road farming, ~3 monument runs, or ~5 minutes of recycler use after a road farm.
Place T3 at base
T3 takes a 1×1 footprint. Most solo bases keep T3 in the inner loot room behind triple-stone walls — losing T3 to a raid is a wipe-killer.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Tier 3 take from a fresh wipe?
Most solo players hit T3 in 6-10 hours of focused play. With a duo or trio it's 3-5 hours. Speed-runners with optimised routes can hit T3 in under 90 minutes.
What's the bottleneck — HQM, scrap, or metal frags?
HQM ore. 500 HQM is roughly 250 metal-node hits (each gives ~2 HQM) plus the smelting time. Metal frags are easier (smelting metal ore is fast); scrap comes naturally from monument runs.
Can I research T3 instead of crafting?
No — the T3 workbench itself is default-learned and doesn't need research. The items you craft at T3 (AK, MP5, etc.) need to be researched if you don't have the blueprint.
What's the best way to farm HQM?
Jackhammer + Pure Ore Tea + Bear Pie at a sulfur-quarry biome that has dense metal nodes. The buff stack pushes per-node yield significantly. Airfield and Launch Site drop HQM ore in their loot too.