Learn how to build and use the deadfall trap.
Imagine a giant wooden flyswatter. Now imagine dropping that flyswatter on enemy cannibals and mutants and crushing them into the dirt. That is what you are getting out of the deadfall trap. This contraption lets you drop a tree on whatever enemy is foolish enough to walk through.
This guide will walk you through how to build and set up deadfall traps and offer advice on the best locations to place them.
How to build the deadfall trap
Before picking out a location to build your deadfall trap, you must source the necessary materials. Each trap requires:
- 3 Sticks
- 3 Logs
Sticks can be found on the ground or collected by cutting down small trees and brush. Logs are acquired by chopping down or blowing up trees.
Fortunately, this trap is relatively cheap to build and quick to source the required materials. Once you have your materials, open your survival book to the section labeled “Traps and Defenses.” Flip the page to advanced traps and click on the deadfall trap. Set down the building outline in your desired location and add the components.
The best locations for deadfall trap placement
While deadfall traps take up a lot of space, their area of effect is relatively small. Here are some tips on the best locations to place this trap:
Above pathways
Look for boulders and short cliffs near pathways and villages. Anything below the “flyswatter” will still take damage, even if the trap does not strike the ground.
Watch for cannibal patrols
Cannibal patrols follow similar routes daily and mark the trails they use with severed heads and a boot atop a stake. Setting a deadfall trap across a regularly used patrol route can effectively wipe out an entire group of cannibals.
Choose an area you frequent
Remember that enemies won’t spawn in an area unless you are nearby. Choose a location where you will be spending a lot of time, as it will greatly increase the effectiveness of your traps.
Pros and cons of the deadfall trap
Cons
- This trap takes up a lot of space, restricting where and how many can be built.
- There is a noticeable delay between the trap’s trigger and the impact of the deadfall. This makes it easy for fast-moving enemies to avoid the trap entirely and makes it a poor choice for combat.
- This trap can kill the player if caught in the impact area.
Pros
- This trap will kill even late-game cannibals with a single hit.
- The high damage value of this trap means it can kill mutants in one to two hits, depending on difficulty settings.
- These traps can be constructed very quickly and cheaply.
- The impact area of deadfall traps is relatively wide compared to other traps.
- Cannibals cannot destroy this trap, though mutants sometimes can.
Tips and tricks for using deadfall traps.
- Damages anything underneath its ‘flyswatter’ after being triggered. Even if the flyswatter stops above an enemy’s head, the hitbox will typically still kill them.
- Best used when the enemy is unaware of your presence. Try using them as ambush traps or combining them with others, like the happy birthday trap, to limit enemy movement.
- Lining up a row of these traps and leading slow-moving mutants through them is a great way to avoid close combat.
Final thoughts on the deadfall trap
The usefulness of the deadfall trap is limited. That said, there is nothing quite like dropping a tree on an entire patrol of cannibals and watching them splatter.
For more insights, check out The Forest Traps Guide for an overview of all the available traps in Endnight Game’s The Forest.
