Barbed Wire
Barbed Wire is a rare eight-slot base-defense item found in Work loot. It weighs 400 g and can be mounted on the upper or lower outside section of a Fence or Gate with Pliers, damaging survivors who touch it. It can also restrain players or be converted into Metal Wire with Pliers.
Quick item summary
Quick answer
Barbed Wire is a defensive construction material used to make player-built fortifications more dangerous to approach. It can be attached to the outside upper and lower sections of a Fence or Gate with Pliers. Contact can injure survivors and cause bleeding, while the loose item can also be used as a restraint.
In-game description
“A roll of barbed wire. Can be used for various trap crafting, you can even use it to tie somebody down. Not that you'd want to!”
Main Uses
- Mount on the upper outside section of a Fence or Gate
- Mount on the lower outside section of a Fence or Gate
- Damage survivors who make contact with the mounted wire
- Cause bleeding when survivors repeatedly contact it
- Use as a restraint on another survivor
- Cause a restrained survivor to bleed while struggling free
- Convert loose Barbed Wire into Metal Wire with Pliers
- Repair damaged Barbed Wire with Duct Tape or an Electrical Repair Kit
How to use this item
Attach Barbed Wire to a Fence
Add Barbed Wire to a Fence attachment slot, then use Pliers from the outside to mount it on the upper or lower section.
- Build a Fence or Gate.
- Attach Barbed Wire to its upper or lower Barbed Wire slot.
- Move to the outside of the structure.
- Equip Pliers.
- Target the coiled Barbed Wire.
- Use the mount action.
Add upper and lower protection
A completed Fence or Gate can support separate upper and lower Barbed Wire attachments.
- Find 2 rolls of Barbed Wire.
- Attach one roll to the upper slot.
- Attach the second roll to the lower slot.
- Use Pliers to mount each roll from the outside.
- Test your normal gate path carefully to avoid injuring yourself.
Remove mounted Barbed Wire
Use Pliers to unmount Barbed Wire from a structure when you have access to the correct interaction position.
- Equip Pliers.
- Approach the mounted Barbed Wire carefully.
- Target the correct upper or lower section.
- Use the unmount action.
- Remove the loose Barbed Wire from the structure's inventory.
Convert Barbed Wire into Metal Wire
Use Pliers on loose Barbed Wire to recover Metal Wire for gates, Flag Poles, electrical setups, and other utility uses.
- Place the loose Barbed Wire in your hands or inventory.
- Equip Pliers.
- Combine the Pliers with the Barbed Wire.
- Select the Metal Wire conversion action.
- Collect the Metal Wire.
Restrain a survivor
Loose Barbed Wire can be used as a restraint, but a restrained survivor may bleed while struggling free.
- Place the Barbed Wire in your hands.
- Approach the survivor.
- Use the restrain interaction when available.
- Remember that struggling against Barbed Wire can cause bleeding.
Repair Barbed Wire
Repair damaged Barbed Wire with Duct Tape or an Electrical Repair Kit.
- Find Duct Tape or an Electrical Repair Kit.
- Unmount the Barbed Wire if required for the repair interaction.
- Use the repair item on the damaged Barbed Wire.
- Repair it before it becomes ruined.
How to get Barbed Wire
- Search Work loot locations.
- Check workshops, sheds, garages, warehouses, construction areas, and industrial utility buildings.
- Remove Barbed Wire from abandoned Fences or Gates with Pliers when accessible.
- Loot player bases, storage containers, stashes, or survivors carrying base-building materials.
Spawn info
- • Barbed Wire is found in Work loot locations.
- • It is listed as rare.
- • It takes 8 inventory slots and weighs 400 g.
- • Pliers are required to mount or unmount it from Fences and Gates.
- • A structure can use separate upper and lower Barbed Wire attachments.
- • Loose Barbed Wire can be converted into Metal Wire with Pliers.
Crafting and item conversions
Used in recipes
Metal Wire
Result: Metal Wire
Craft Metal Wire using Barbed Wire and Pliers.
View crafting guideBarbed Bat
Result: Barbed Bat
Craft Barbed Bat using Bat and Barbed Wire.
View crafting guideImportant notes
- Barbed Wire is mounted with Pliers.
- It attaches to the outside upper or lower section of a Fence or Gate.
- Two rolls are needed to protect both the upper and lower sections.
- Mounted Barbed Wire can seriously injure survivors who touch it.
- Contact with Barbed Wire can cause bleeding.
- Poor placement on a frequently used Gate can injure the base owner and teammates.
- Loose Barbed Wire can restrain another survivor.
- A restrained survivor can begin bleeding while struggling free.
- Pliers can convert loose Barbed Wire into Metal Wire.
- Duct Tape and Electrical Repair Kits can repair damaged Barbed Wire.
- It takes 8 inventory slots and weighs 400 g.
- It is rare and spawns in Work loot locations.