Terrain Block

Terrain Block is a landscaping building unit that builders construct to create new ground anywhere on the map. Completed Terrain Blocks become indistinguishable from natural terrain: they hold water, block and redirect flow, accept irrigation, allow trees and crops to grow, and serve as a surface for ground-only constructions. Terrain Blocks can be stacked vertically up to the game’s terrain height limit, and they obey the same water and terrain physics as the map’s original ground.

Builders create Terrain Blocks using Dirt. Terrain Block construction requires 4 Dirt per block in current versions (it previously cost 6 Dirt in earlier versions). Builders place Terrain Blocks from Builder's Huts or the District Center and must be within their 10-tile working range and on a connected path to reach the placement location. Construction sites display a directional arrow that determines build order; builders will not work on a block that has an unfinished block behind it in the indicated direction. This directional blocking mechanism helps prevent builders from walling themselves in and enforces a predictable top-down or outward building sequence.

Terrain Blocks can be placed on most solid surfaces, including on top of existing buildings that provide a solid roof, with a few exceptions (Contamination Barriers, Irrigation Barriers, and Impermeable Floors cannot be covered). Terrain Blocks can form overhangs by being placed on the sides of other Terrain Blocks; overhangs extend up to three blocks horizontally beyond their supporting block. Unsupported overhangs and chains of overhangs can collapse if their supports are removed, and any constructions above automatically demolish in that event. Terrain destroyed by forced collapse does not produce Dirt.

There are two primary ways to remove terrain: Dynamite and the Dirt Excavator. Dynamite (single, double, triple) removes terrain blocks directly and does not produce Dirt. The Dirt Excavator removes terrain layer by layer in a 5x5 area and converts removed blocks into Dirt for reuse, making it the preferred method when material recovery is desired. Terrain Blocks cannot be removed with the normal deletion tool; removal requires explosives or Excavator operations. When using explosives, builders must place and detonate charges from reachable paths, and rubble may remain to be cleared after blasts.

Terrain Blocks are fundamental tools for water engineering and large-scale terraforming. Common uses include building dam walls and levees to create reservoirs, raising ground above floodlines, creating artificial islands and causeways, filling depressions, and forming elevated platforms for buildings. When building reservoirs or dams, Terrain Blocks create watertight enclosures that trap water; combine them with Floodgate and spillways to control flow and prevent overtopping. For canal banks, lining channels with Terrain Blocks or Levees prevents lateral spilling. Large terrain projects require substantial Dirt stockpiles, so pair Terrain Block construction with active Dirt Excavator output or planned Dirt sources.

• Terrain Blocks cost 4 Dirt each and are built by builders within a 10-tile work range and connected path.
• Builders obey a directional build order; orient arrows to keep access open and prevent accidental enclosure.
• Completed Terrain Blocks function exactly like natural ground for water, farming, and construction.
• Use Dirt Excavators to recover Dirt when removing terrain; Dynamite removes blocks without producing Dirt but is faster.
• Overhangs allowed up to three blocks; removing supports can trigger collapse and loss of material.
• Terrain stacking is limited by the game’s terrain height cap (terrain can be raised to the game’s maximum layer limits).