Hull Rupture Repair Guide: Damage and Priority
How repair works in Hull Rupture: breach priority, energy costs, repair module placement, and when to abandon a damaged section instead of rebuilding it.
Aliens in Hull Rupture do not politely disable a system. They tear holes in the hull, walk through the ship, and force you to choose what to fix while the next wave is already on the timer. Repair is the skill that separates a run that survives a bad wave from a run that never recovers from one.
The good news is that you know where they will breach before they arrive. The bad news, as the store page puts it, is that knowing is still not enough.
"Aliens don't knock, they rip holes straight through your hull. You know exactly when they will arrive and where they will breach, which somehow still isn't enough."
— Official source: Hull Rupture on Steam
For the layer that creates the damage, read defense; for the hull that decides repair access, read hull construction.
A repair module that is itself damaged cannot fix the airlock. Spread coverage and keep a material reserve for the post-battle window.
What damage actually does
A breach is not just a cosmetic hole. It changes three things:
- Pathing. Aliens gain a route into the ship, often a shorter one than the route you designed.
- Production. A damaged module stops producing until repaired, and a destroyed module may take its kit with it.
- Coverage. A breach can cut a turret's line of sight or separate a repair room from the room it needs to reach.
The airlock is the exception. Damage there is not a production problem; it is the loss condition. That is why repair priority starts at the airlock and works inward.
Repair priority
Use this order unless the situation gives you a specific reason to deviate:
| Priority | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Airlock | A breach here ends the run |
| 2 | Energy generator | Without power, nothing else recovers |
| 3 | Reproducer | Without humans, the recovery stalls |
| 4 | Repair module | It is the tool that fixes everything else |
| 5 | Production modules | Income loss compounds over waves |
| 6 | Outer hull | Pathing matters, but a far breach can wait |
A damaged outer hull segment that no alien is using is a low-priority repair. A damaged generator is an emergency even if the hull is intact, because the next repair cannot be paid for.
Do not repair in the order the damage appears on screen. Repair in the order that keeps the recovery system alive.
What repair costs
Repair consumes energy and, depending on the damage, materials. That makes repair a competitor with construction, not a free action.
Three budgeting rules:
- Keep a repair reserve. Before a boss wave, hold enough energy for one major repair.
- Repair after the wave, not during it. Repairing a room that is still being shot wastes resources; repair the breach that is actually bleeding.
- Do not repair a room you plan to demolish. Demolition returns resources, but repairing first is a net loss.
The exact cost scales with the module and the damage. The interface shows the price before you confirm, so there is no excuse for repairing blind.
Repair modules and coverage
The store description confirms that modules can repair damage. A repair module's value is its reach, not its repair speed. A fast repair room at the wrong end of the ship is slower in practice than a slow one next to the airlock.
Place repair coverage in two rings:
- Inner ring: airlock, generator, Reproducer, Chamber.
- Outer ring: production wings and turret clusters.
If a new hull section is outside both rings, it needs its own repair coverage or a shorter connection. Otherwise the first breach there becomes a permanent loss.
Repair during a wave
Combat does not pause production, and repair does not pause combat. You can repair while aliens are still on the ship, but the decision is risky.
Repair during a wave when:
- The airlock is taking damage.
- The generator is offline and the wave is still ongoing.
- A repair will restore a turret that is currently silent.
Wait until after the wave when:
- The breach is on an outer hull with no enemies nearby.
- The repair would drain the reserve needed for the next wave.
- The room is already lost and the resources are better spent on defense.
The worst outcome is spending your entire reserve repairing a room that the same wave destroys again. Repair the system, not the symptom.
Preventative layout
Most repair problems are layout problems. A ship that is easy to repair has:
- Short paths between the airlock, generator, and repair module.
- Redundant routes so a single breach does not cut the ship in half.
- No dead-end wings that require a long repair walk.
- Turret coverage on the approach, so breaches happen less often.
The spiral layout is strong partly because it concentrates combat in a corridor. The aliens spend more time in turret range, so they do less damage to the rooms that matter. A compact ship with a covered approach needs fewer repairs than a sprawling one with perfect symmetry.
When to abandon a section
Not every breach is worth fixing. Abandon a section when:
- It produces a resource you can replace elsewhere.
- Repairing it would leave the airlock or generator exposed.
- It is a dead-end wing with no turret value.
- The kit is already lost and the slot can be rebuilt closer to the core.
Demolishing a damaged module returns some resources, but not the kit. That is still better than pouring energy into a room you cannot defend. The ship's shape is permanent in hull blocks, but modules are replaceable.
Sources and further reading
Related
- How damage reaches the airlock
- How hull layout changes repair access
- Why repairs compete with module upkeep
FAQ
Does repair cost resources? Yes. Repair consumes energy and, depending on the damage, materials. The cost is shown before you confirm.
Can I repair during combat? Yes. Production and combat run simultaneously, and repair is not paused.
What happens if I ignore a breach? Aliens get a shorter route into the ship, and the damaged module stops producing. An ignored airlock breach ends the run.
Can destroyed modules be rebuilt? The slot can be rebuilt if you have a kit. The original kit is not refunded by repair.
Is there a repair cap per wave? No cap has been announced. The limit is your energy and material reserve.
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