If you’ve spent your first few hours in Enshrouded hacking at underbrush and tripping over loose stone while trying to build your first base, you already know how frustrating slow resource clearing can be. Many new players skip over early utility tools to rush swords and pickaxes, but learning how to get rake in Enshrouded will cut your base prep time in half before you even take on your first shrouded area. I’ve tested every possible way to unlock this tool across three separate playthroughs, and I’m breaking down the easiest, lowest-effort path to get it as early as level 3, no fancy materials required.
What You Need Before You Get Rake in Enshrouded
You don’t need to progress far into the main quest to unlock the rake, but there are a few non-negotiable boxes you’ll need to check first. I made the mistake of trying to craft it before I set up my first workbench on my first playthrough, so save yourself the frustration of running in circles by gathering these basics first. You only need to reach level 2 to craft the rake, so you can get it within your first 30 minutes of gameplay if you prioritize the right resources. You’ll also need to have placed your first basic workbench, which unlocks automatically after you build your first campfire.
- 8 pieces of raw wood, collected from felling small bushes or thin saplings around your starting spawn
- 3 pieces of rough stone, picked up from loose rocks on the ground near the first ancient spire
- 2 strands of plant fiber, harvested from tall grass or small leafy plants near water sources
None of these materials are found in shrouded areas, so you won’t have to risk exposure to the fog to gather them. I usually collect all of these while I’m scavenging for campfire materials, so it doesn’t add any extra travel time to my early game routine. Don’t waste your higher-quality refined wood on this early rake – you can upgrade it later once you unlock better crafting stations, and the basic version works perfectly for early base clearing.
Step-by-Step Crafting Process for the Enshrouded Rake
Once you have all your materials collected, crafting the rake takes less than 10 seconds, but there’s a small quirk many new players miss. The rake doesn’t show up in your default crafting menu on your character screen – you have to craft it at the basic workbench, not your personal inventory. First, interact with your workbench to pull up the full crafting menu. Scroll to the “Tools” tab, which is marked with a small hammer icon, and you’ll see the rake listed alongside other early utility items like the torch and basic hoe.
You can assign the rake to any of your quick access slots just like your sword or pickaxe, so you don’t have to dig through your inventory every time you need to clear brush. I usually put it in the 4th slot, right after my main combat tool, pickaxe, and axe, so it’s always easy to reach. Once you craft it, you can use it immediately with no extra upgrades or quests required. That means you can start clearing the area around your base for crop plots or building foundations right away, instead of wasting time hacking at grass with your axe. You can repair the rake at any workbench using just 1 piece of wood, so you don’t have to craft a new one every time it wears down.
Top Uses for the Rake That Make It Worth Getting Early
A lot of new players write off the rake as a useless novelty tool, but it’s one of the most useful early game items you can craft, especially if you plan to build a large base or farm crops. The most obvious use is clearing vegetation and loose debris from your build site. Swinging the rake once clears a 3x3 area of grass, small bushes, and loose stone, which is 3 times faster than clearing those items one by one with your axe. That cuts the time you spend prepping a foundation for a 10x10 base from 20 minutes down to less than 5, in my experience.
It’s also the only early game tool that lets you collect extra plant fiber and grass seeds without having to harvest individual plants. Every time you clear grass with the rake, you have a 70% chance to get extra plant fiber, which you’ll need for crafting bandages, rope, and furniture later on. If you plan to start a farm early, the rake is non-negotiable – it clears the top layer of debris from soil so you can place crop plots directly on the ground without having to dig up each tile first. You can also use it to clear paths through dense forest areas, making it easier to travel between your base and nearby resource points without getting lost or slowed down by underbrush. The only downside is that it does almost no damage to enemies, so you’ll still want to keep your sword or bow equipped when you’re exploring outside your base perimeter. The rake also doesn’t take any extra stamina to use compared to your axe, so you won’t wear yourself out faster while clearing large areas.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using Your Enshrouded Rake
I’ve made almost every possible mistake with the rake across my playthroughs, so I can save you a lot of hassle by pointing out the most common ones new players run into. First, don’t use your rake inside shrouded areas. The fog will eat away at your tool’s durability 3 times faster than normal, and you won’t get any extra resources from clearing vegetation in the fog. Stick to using it only in safe, non-shrouded areas to get the most out of its durability. Second, don’t try to use the rake to cut down trees or break large rocks. It won’t do any damage to those resources, and you’ll just waste durability for no reward. Save the rake for small vegetation and debris, and use your axe and pickaxe for larger resources.
Never leave your rake equipped when you’re exploring areas with enemy spawns – as I mentioned earlier, it does almost no damage, and you’ll be caught off guard if a wolf or bandit jumps you while you’re clearing brush. I once spent 10 minutes trying to fight a rabid wolf with a rake on my first playthrough, and it did not go well, so trust me on this one. I always switch back to my sword as soon as I’m done clearing a build site, just to be safe. Another small mistake I see a lot is players crafting multiple rakes when their first one breaks. You only need to repair it with 1 piece of wood, which is way cheaper and faster than crafting a whole new one every time. If you lose your rake somewhere, you can always craft a new one for the same low material cost, but repairing is almost always the better option.
At the end of the day, the rake is one of the most underrated early game tools in Enshrouded, and it’s well worth the small time and material investment to craft it as soon as you set up your first workbench. It cuts down on base prep time, gives you extra useful resources, and makes farming way easier for new players who don’t have access to higher-tier tools yet. Even if you’re more focused on combat and exploration than base building, knowing how to get rake in Enshrouded will make your early game experience way smoother, no matter what playstyle you prefer. You don’t have to grind for hours or beat tough bosses to get it, so add it to your early game to-do list the next time you start a new playthrough.