Where you plant your foundations in Conan Exiles shapes the entire run. A good base sits near the resources you need, has water close by, and is hard to crack — whether the threat is a Purge wave in PvE or a raid party in PvP. This guide covers the strongest base locations across both maps: the Exiled Lands and the Isle of Siptah. Grid references use the in-game map coordinates so you can find each spot quickly.
What makes a base location good
Before chasing a specific grid square, weigh these factors. The best spots hit several at once rather than maxing out a single one.
- Resources nearby: iron, coal, stone, and wood within a short run. Late game you also want a route to higher-tier metals and brimstone.
- Water access: a river, lake, or oasis nearby so you are not hauling water far for crafting stations and drinking.
- Thralls in range: proximity to NPC camps for capturing fighters and crafters speeds your progression enormously.
- Defensibility: chokepoints, high ground, single entrances, and terrain that blocks siege lines. This matters for the Purge in PvE and for raids in PvP.
- Climate: a temperate spot means you spend less effort managing heat and cold, which is its own survival headache.
If you want the full picture on staying alive in the desert and the frozen north, our temperature and survival guide pairs well with location planning.
Best Exiled Lands base locations
The Exiled Lands is the original map — a single large landmass running from the southern desert up through savannah, highlands, jungle, and the frozen tundra. Here are the standout spots.
The Crevice (around L7) — the defensive king
The Crevice is a deep chasm in the tundra with dense clusters of metal nodes inside and only one practical ground-level entrance. You wall and gate that entrance, and attackers are funneled into a single chokepoint while the chasm’s high walls shield you from outside siege. It is one of the most popular and contested spots on the map for exactly this reason. The trade-off is the cold tundra climate, so come prepared with insulated gear or warming food.
Relicwatcher Rise (B7/B8) — elevated all-rounder
An elevated location in the central-west of the map (around B7/B8), in the desert/savanna zone near the Oasis of Nekhet, that offers metal, food, wood, water, and nearby thralls together, with strong sightlines for spotting trouble early. It is a hot, dry climate — pack desert gear — but it is a great pick for newer players who want everything in one place without trekking into the frozen north.
The Great Dam / Sinner’s Refuge area (around G10) — fortress geometry
The dam structure naturally limits approaches to a single defensible line, with strong water access and resources in the surrounding jungle and river. It is a favorite for players who want a structure that does most of the defensive work for them.
Gate of the Moon (M5) — hidden jungle PvP spot
Tucked into the dense eastern jungle, the Gate of the Moon ruins give you good metal access plus water and food, while the thick foliage keeps you off most players’ radar. The jungle is hot and humid, so manage your temperature, but the concealment makes it a strong PvP base.
The southern river (“noob river,” grids G/H 4-5) — best starter zone
The river that cuts across the southern desert is the classic beginner spot: easy water, stone, plant fiber, and early iron, in a manageable climate. It is busy and exposed, so treat it as a launchpad before you relocate to a fortress location once you have better tools and thralls.
Best Isle of Siptah base locations
Siptah plays differently. It is a single circular island built around the central tower and the periodic Maelstrom storm, with Surges replacing the Exiled Lands’ fixed thrall camps. Resources are not evenly spread — staples like brimstone and black ice concentrate around the central Tower and Barrens, near the vaults, and around leyshrines, so factor proximity to those zones into your choice alongside defensibility and Surge-spire access. Note that the top-tier crafting material here is eldarium, not the Exiled Lands’ star metal.
- Redwood Forest: a quieter, scenic area with iron, coal, and brimstone nearby, plus access to useful crafter NPCs. Good for solitude and steady mid-game farming.
- The Crag: a central spot that puts you close to several vendor NPCs, making it convenient for trading and gearing up. Expect more PvP traffic here.
- The Broken Bridge: a towering ruined bridge you can build high above the ground, keeping loot out of easy reach and complicating raids — at the cost of trickier construction and pathing.
- Southern beaches: the starter zones, fine for your first foothold while you learn Surges before moving inland toward the tower and the Elder Vaults.
Quick comparison table
| Location | Map | Best for | Standout trait |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Crevice (L7) | Exiled Lands | PvP & PvE defense | Single chokepoint, dense metal |
| Relicwatcher Rise (B7/8) | Exiled Lands | All-round / early game | Everything in one spot (desert climate) |
| Great Dam area (G10) | Exiled Lands | Defense + water | Built-in fortress geometry |
| Gate of the Moon (M5) | Exiled Lands | PvP / concealment | Hidden jungle ruins |
| Southern river (G/H 4-5) | Exiled Lands | Beginners | Easy water, stone, early iron |
| Redwood Forest | Siptah | PvE / solitude | Iron, coal, brimstone nearby |
| The Broken Bridge | Siptah | PvP / raid defense | Elevated, loot out of reach |
PvE vs PvP placement tips
In PvE your main threat is the Purge, an AI assault wave, so you want a defensible perimeter and turrets or thralls covering the approach — but you can prioritize convenience and resource access more freely. In PvP, concealment and chokepoints matter even more: avoid obvious landmark spots that everyone scouts, build vertically or behind natural barriers, and keep valuables deep inside multiple gated layers. Whichever mode you play, securing strong followers to defend the base is essential — see our followers and war party guide for capturing and leveling defenders.
If you are setting up a community server and want to tune Purge difficulty, building damage, and decay timers for your group’s playstyle, you can spin up a configurable Conan Exiles server with us and adjust everything from the panel. For the technical setup steps, our Conan Exiles server documentation walks through configuration and mods.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best base location for beginners in Conan Exiles?
On the Exiled Lands, the southern river running through grids G/H 4-5 (the “noob river”) is the classic starter spot thanks to easy water, stone, and early iron in a forgiving climate. On Siptah, the southern beaches serve the same purpose. Both are launchpads — plan to relocate to a more defensible spot once you have iron tools and a few thralls.
What is the most defensible base location?
The Crevice (around L7 in the tundra) is widely regarded as the most defensible spot on the Exiled Lands: a deep chasm with one ground entrance you can wall off into a single chokepoint, with high walls that block outside siege. On Siptah, the Broken Bridge offers strong raid protection by letting you build high above the ground.
Is the top-tier metal the same on both maps?
No. On the Exiled Lands the premium late-game metal is star metal, which falls from the sky as meteors in the north. On the Isle of Siptah, eldarium fills that endgame role and is sourced largely from the island’s vaults and the Maelstrom. For more on gathering the Exiled Lands’ rarest materials, see our star metal and obsidian guide.
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