As its name suggests, 7 Days to Die gives you a very generous week before everything turns to mud and blood. On the night of the seventh day, the Blood Moon rises, and hordes of zombies assault your position. Without careful preparation and planning, you’re liable to end your run early. We’re here to help!
Here is how to survive your first Blood Moon in 7 Days to Die!
What is Blood Moon?
Whether you’re a new player or returning and want a refresher course, you’ll want to cram on any knowledge that will increase your odds of survival. To that end, let’s discuss that all-important Blood Moon.
The Blood Moon occurs every seven days (although you can modify this timeframe in the game’s settings). When the red moon rises, a unique horde spawns nearby, and immediately beelines to your position.
It all begins with just this single horde wave assaulting your position. Whether you’re inside a base or not, remaining wholly silent or popping off firearms left and right, the horde always knows precisely where you are. But after you take down the first wave, it only gets worse—subsequent waves of undead spawn until the Blood Moon concludes at 4 AM.
These hordes consist of varying numbers and types of zombies, dependent upon your Game Stage, calculated by your player level, difficulty, and number of days survived.
How to survive a Blood Moon
The following tips will increase your odds of survival during a Blood Moon, but your skill, equipment, and a dash of luck also factor into your odds.
Fortify a base or structure before the Blood Moon
While it’s entirely possible to survive a Blood Moon while playing nomadically, it’s not ideal. You’ll likely want a base or fortifications, especially as a new player.
For your first Blood Moon, you may not have the materials to construct an entire fort from scratch. As such, we recommend fortifying an existing structure. Plenty found in the world should suit your purposes, but if possible, find a two-story building where you can head upstairs and destroy the staircase.
This tactic won’t stop zombies entirely, but will slow them down long enough for you to land a few shots with your trusty rifle or handgun!
Complete quests for the traders
Unless you meticulously loot every point-of-interest and house you stumble upon during your first week, chances are high that you won’t have the resources necessary to survive a Blood Moon horde. But the game points you to a trader early on. Utilize this merchant to stock up on essential supplies, including weapons, ammunition, building materials, and aid items, such as food, water, and health kits.
Some of the early quests for Trader Rekt will reward you with a makeshift rifle that, when landing a headshot, kills most zombies in one hit. It’s beneficial for clearing a small group of undead, so long as you can land the shot without panicking.
Furthermore, Rekt and other merchants will reward you with skill magazines that unlock additional crafting plans and improve your abilities. These crafting plans allow you to construct what you need to survive, and better skills and stats mean you’ll live longer overall.
General tips and tricks to survive Blood Moon
- If you cannot construct a base or fortify a two-story structure, find an elevated position to survive the night. You can climb atop a skyscraper, set up on top of a strip club, or, better yet, a silo!
- Whether you’re rocking a bow and arrows or a rifle, bring plenty of ammunition to last you the entire night. If you think you crafted enough, craft a bit extra as a safety measure.
- Wood spikes are one of the most cost-effective and valuable traps you can craft in the game. If you have enough wood (x20 per Wood Spike), you can surround your dwelling and reduce the number of undead that get inside.
While there’s no shame in dying, especially if this is your first time facing the Blood Moon, taking steps to give yourself the best chance of survival is just wise. In time, you’ll find yourself sourcing Legendary Parts, which allow you to build better and more potent weapons, and then the Blood Moon won’t feel so terrifying or challenging!
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