Best base locations in Dragonwilds: base spot finder
Where should you build? Tell us what you want close to your base, and we'll shade all of Ashenfall from poor to great and pick the best spots. Tap anywhere on the map to see what's within walking distance, or skip to our picks for every playstyle.
Step 1
What kind of base?
Step 2
Fine-tune what you want nearby
Best spots for you
Numbered on the map. Spots are at least two walks apart, so each one is a real alternative.
- Working out the best spots…
Best base locations by playstyle
These are the finder's own top picks for each preset, counting everything within a medium walk. Pick the preset above to see them on the map. Numbers come from the wiki's map data as of 16 October 2026.
Best starter base: Bramblemead Valley
All three top starter spots are in the green south-west. Near the Keep of Blue Flames you get 39 oak trees, 2 net fishing spots, 14 redberry bushes, 49 potatoes and 34 cabbages within a medium walk. The spots near the Adventurer's Guild and the Windmill are close behind, and the Windmill has the most fishing nearby (8 net spots). Bramblemead Valley also has some of the gentlest base raids, from power level 1 and 2 goblins.
Best base for fishing and cooking: Bramblemead Valley and Temple Woods
Near the Keep of Blue Flames there are 2 net and 2 rod fishing spots alongside berries and vegetables. Near the Adventurer's Guild there are 5 net and 3 rod spots. Over in Temple Woods, near the Crasorak Kara vault, there are 5 net and 2 rod spots and 281 ash trees for campfire fuel. Our fishing and cooking guides cover what to do with it all.
Best farming base: Bramblemead Valley and the Whispering Swamp
Near the Runecrafting Guild in Bramblemead Valley there are onions, potatoes, cabbages, both kinds of berry bush and 53 herbs to pick seeds from. Near the Vertentis Kara vault in the Whispering Swamp there's even more: 25 onions, 12 dwellberry bushes and 89 herbs. None of the top spots has wild pumpkins nearby, as pumpkin is a Fellhollow crop. Once you have seeds you can farm anywhere you build plots; see the farming guide.
Best smithing base: the Fractured Plains
Near the Takla Kara vault in the Fractured Plains you get 4 copper, 3 tin, 2 iron and 4 clay nodes, plus 72 ash trees. Near Skeklac Kara, at Ashien's Watch, there are 11 tin nodes. No top spot has coal close to copper and tin, so plan on a coal trip. Base raids here are tougher: power level 3 garou.
Best runecrafting base: Bramblemead Valley or the Fractured Plains
Near the Runecrafting Guild there are 7 rune essence geysers, 6 anima vents and 211 ash trees, with Bramblemead's gentle raids. The Fractured Plains spots near Takla Kara and Skeklac Kara have 6 geysers each, with 4 to 6 anima vents.
Woodcutting: no single spot has every tree
Ash and oak grow all over the west, but the better trees each have their own region: willow groves around Fellhollow's ponds, maple in Dowdun Reach (especially The Courtyard), and yew across Umbral Sands. Many woodcutters plant their own instead; see the tree-farm method in our woodcutting guide.
Endgame and showcase bases
No base raids have been reported in Dowdun Reach or Umbral Sands, but you can't build in most of Dowdun Reach, apart from a few areas such as The Courtyard. The hub of the Scorned Wilderness is its only buildable area, and players who set their bed there don't get warband raids.
How it works
- For every part of the map we count the trees, ores, fishing spots and plants within your walking distance, using the marker positions from the RuneScape: Dragonwilds Wiki. Each one scores full marks once there are enough nearby (for example 15 ash trees or 2 fishing spots).
- "Must" rules out anywhere without at least one nearby; "Nice" just adds to the score.
- Lodestones aren't on the list: you can build your own, as our beginner's guide explains.
- You can't build everywhere: vaults and most of Dowdun Reach (apart from a few areas such as The Courtyard) are off limits. Check a spot in game before you commit.
- Want to see the individual trees, ores and fishing spots? Open the interactive map.
Dragonwilds base building FAQ
Where is the best place to build a base in Dragonwilds?
It depends on what you'll do most. For a first base with oak trees, a fishing spot, redberries, potatoes and cabbages close by (the finder's Starter base), the best spots are all in the green south-west around Bramblemead Valley, near the Keep of Blue Flames, the Adventurer's Guild and the Windmill. See our picks for every playstyle above.
Can I build anywhere?
Almost. You can't build inside vaults or in most of Dowdun Reach, apart from a few areas such as The Courtyard, so check a spot in game before you commit to it.
What should my first base have?
A shelter with a roof, a bed you've claimed as your respawn point, a campfire outside, a crafting table and a storage chest. Our beginner's guide covers it step by step.
Should I build near a lodestone?
It helps, but you don't have to: later on you can build your own lodestone at home, from 32 stone, 20 rune essence and a vault core.
What does the match percentage mean?
How much of what you asked for is within your walking distance. 100% means everything you picked is there in good numbers; anything marked "Must" has to be there for a spot to count at all.
Map tiles and marker positions: RuneScape: Dragonwilds Wiki, used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0.