Rust Genetics Calculator
- Most likely result
- GGYYYG
- Chance of GGGYYY
- 100%
- Plants needed
- 5
Large planter layout
What to plant
- Middle: clone A GWYYYG
- Around it: 1x clone A GWYYYG
- Around it: 1x clone B HGYGGG
- Around it: 1x clone D GXWYXX
- Around it: 1x clone F XGXYYG
Plant the middle clone first and the others around it soon after, so they still have their own genes when the middle one crossbreeds. Leave the other spots empty, and use the same plant type in the whole planter.
How to use it
- Type each clone's genes as six letters (G, Y, H, W, X), separated by spaces or new lines. Label A is the first clone, B the second and so on.
- Pick the genes you want, such as GGGYYY. Order doesn't matter.
- Plant the middle clone first, then the clones shown around it, in a planter with nothing else in it.
- If the result isn't your goal yet, add it to your clones and breed again. The link updates as you type, so you can share it.
How crossbreeding is worked out
For each of the six slots, every neighbour adds the weight of its gene in that slot. The gene with the highest total wins the slot, but only if that total is higher than the weight of the gene the middle plant already has there. Otherwise the slot stays as it is. If two genes tie for the highest total, the slot becomes one of them at random, which is why some layouts show 50% results.
| Gene | Weight | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| G | 0.6 | Growth: the plant grows faster |
| Y | 0.6 | Yield: more produce at harvest |
| H | 0.6 | Hardiness |
| W | 1 | Water intake: the plant needs more water |
| X | 1 | Empty: does nothing |
Worked through: one W neighbour (1.0) beats a G in the middle (0.6), but one G neighbour (0.6) can't replace a W. Two G neighbours (1.2) replace anything. Two G and two Y neighbours in the same slot tie at 1.2 each, so that slot is a 50/50.
The middle of a large planter touches eight spots, diagonals included, so up to eight plants count. Plants in other planters don't. Crossbreeding happens once per plant, when it reaches the crossbreeding stage; after that its genes are fixed.
Where other calculators fall short: some drop tied slots instead of showing the odds, some work from your whole clone list without saying where each plant goes, and some only model a corner of the planter. This one checks every mix of up to eight neighbours around the middle plant and shows the chance of every result.
What's known and what isn't
Facepunch's Farming update (2 April 2020) confirms the six gene slots, per-slot crossbreeding with the surrounding plants, that bad genes have a stronger weight than good ones, that crossbreeding only happens in planter boxes between plants of the same type, and that clones inherit their genes. It doesn't publish the weights. The 0.6 and 1.0 weights, the "must outweigh the current gene" rule and random ties come from community testing that all the guides we checked agree on. Facepunch also hasn't published how much faster a G makes a plant or how much more a Y yields, so we don't give numbers for those.
Farming between raids? Work out your base's daily cost with the upkeep calculator and check when the next force wipe resets your farm.
Sources: Facepunch, Farming update (2 April 2020) and the Facepunch wiki; weights and tie rules from community testing (Steam community guide, rust.wiki).
FAQ
- How does crossbreeding work in Rust?
- When a plant in a planter box reaches its crossbreeding stage, each of its six gene slots is compared with the same slot on the plants around it. The gene with the most weight across the neighbours takes the slot over if it outweighs the gene already there. Only plants of the same type in the same planter crossbreed.
- What do the G, Y, H, W and X genes mean?
- G is growth (faster growing), Y is yield (more to harvest), H is hardiness, W is water intake (the plant needs more water) and X is empty. In game G, Y and H show in green and W and X in red, and Facepunch puts it simply: green genes are good, red genes are bad.
- What are the best genes in Rust?
- Most players aim for a mix of G and Y, such as GGGYYY or GGGGYY: fast growth and a big harvest. YYYYGG suits farms that care more about yield than speed. Any W or X is a wasted slot.
- Why do bad genes spread so easily?
- Facepunch made red genes (W and X) weigh more in crossbreeding than green ones. By community testing a single W or X neighbour is enough to replace a green gene, while it takes two matching green neighbours to replace a red one.
- Do clones keep their genes?
- Yes. A clone gets exactly the genes of the plant it was taken from, so once you breed a good plant you can clone it as many times as you like. A clone can still crossbreed again if it's planted next to other plants.
- What order should I plant in?
- Plant the middle clone first and the others around it shortly after. The neighbours then still have their original genes when the middle plant crossbreeds. This is community advice: Facepunch hasn't published the timing.