What it is
Corrosion Hour is an editorial site dedicated to Rust since 2017, written and maintained by a small group of game veterans. It covers three axes: long-form guides (monuments, mechanics, builds), a complete items database, and monthly Devblog breakdowns published a few hours after each force wipe. It's free, with light ads. No account needed to read.
What problem it solves
Rust is brutal with new players and the learning curve doesn't forgive. Facepunch's official info is sparse (patch notes assume you already know the game), and community wikis tend to be pure data. Corrosion Hour fills that gap with guides that explain the why and the how: why a monument has X loot, how to approach the Power Plant puzzle, what actually changed in the last patch even when the notes just say "balancing pass."
Differentiation
Against RustLab, Corrosion Hour loses on raw data (its tables are simpler) but wins on context: every item has an entry with editorial description, common use cases, and gotcha warnings. Against the official Facepunch Rust Wiki, Corrosion Hour covers 10x more surface and updates at a real cadence. Against YouTube tutorials, it saves time: reading the 5-minute Oil Rig guide vs watching a 25-minute video by the same creator.
What people use it for
- Post-Devblog reading: first Thursday of each month, after force wipe, Corrosion Hour publishes a patch breakdown with analysis of what changes in practice.
- Monument guides: how to approach Oil Rig (small and large), Cargo Ship, Launch Site, Power Plant, military tunnel, train yard. Each guide has a map, puzzle solution where it applies, and loot tables.
- Items database with context: complete catalog with editorial description per item, not just stats.
- Builds and meta guides: recommended armor sets, weapon comparisons (AK vs LR300, MP5 vs Custom SMG), peeker's advantage explainers.
- Resource lists: the "Player Resources" page curates links to discords, plugins, mods, and tools — useful for ecosystem discovery.
Who this isn't for
If all you need is a raid calculator or raw stats in a table, RustLab is more direct. If you want community tier lists or Twitch drops tracking, Corrosion Hour doesn't cover that. It's also not for skin trading or server admin (they publish the occasional guide, but it's not their focus).
How to use it
- Open corrosionhour.com, no registration.
- For a specific guide, search by monument or item name from the top menu.
- For post-patch reading, go to "News" and filter by the last month.
- For discovery, "Categories" groups content by type (Beginner Guides, Server Setup, Monuments, Weapons).
Honest limitations
- English only: no localization.
- Ads and newsletter prompts: not aggressive but present. Adblock works without breakage.
- Uneven monument coverage: the big ones (Oil Rig, Launch Site) have deep guides; the smaller ones (Sphere Tank, Lighthouse) get lighter coverage.
- Items database isn't as exhaustive as RustLab's: niche or recently added items can take longer to appear.
Getting started
Bookmark corrosionhour.com directly. If you want to stay current, subscribing to the monthly newsletter sends the Devblog breakdown to your inbox without having to revisit. For specific guides, search by monument name from the top menu.
