There are many threats in Endzone. These includes major threats like radioactively contaminated ground, toxic rain, droughts, sandstorms, and minor threats like diseases and vermin.
Radioactively contaminated ground[]
The game will start with random radioactively low contaminated patches of land. Contamination will slowly spread out all across the map and its level will increase over time, even more so when toxic rains and sandstorms are occurring.
Contaminated ground will affect settlers when they step on it and when they consume contaminated Resources produced at Pastures, Cultivated Fields, Orchards, Hunting Lodges, Gatherer's Cabins, Herbal Huts and Fishing Huts.
The soil, including Pastures, Cultivated Fields and Orchards, can be decontaminated with the Remove Radiation tool but it's a long and very labor intensive work. Food can be cleansed of radiation using the Decontamination Post which provides Decontamination Kits to buildings storing Food in its radius of influence.
Toxic Rain[]
Toxic Rain occurrence can be set to Random, Never or Always when starting a new game on Survival Mode. When enabled, overall rain toxicity will slowly increase over time.
The weather forecast for the next few days is displayed at the bottom of the screen. Once the Weather Station is built the weather forecast will show one of the three rain toxicity levels (low, medium or high). Rain has a strong effect on the ground contamination level depending on its toxicity. Each level will increase or decrease the radiation level to its respective value. Non toxic rain will wash off the soil and significantly reduce ground contamination level over time. Toxic rain increases ground moisture just like normal rain.
Rain Water Collectors, Orchards and Cultivated Fields can be protected from toxic rain at the Weather Station by using a plastic cover but won't get any water during this time. Crops growing in the area of influence of the Irrigation Plant will still receive some Water and can be totally exempt of radiation when the Irrigation Plant is filled with clean Water from Wells or carbon activated Water Towers.
Droughts[]
Droughts occurrence can be set to Random, None or Constant when starting a new game on Survival Mode. Droughts can be anticipated several days in advance thanks to the weather forecast at the bottom of the screen.
During Droughts lakes will dry up completely, meaning the Jetty and Fishing Hut will no longer produce Water and fish. Forests will get so dry that trees will stop growing and Wild Plants and Herbs will die and not re-spawn before the next rain or the next season. Crops at Cultivated Fields and Orchards will stop growing and will not produce Food any longer until they receive some Water. Herds will be more scarce[1] but will survive, allowing the player to rely on Hunters for Food.
Given Water is provided in large enough quantities to the Irrigation Plant watered Wild Plants, Herbs and crops from Cultivated Fields and Orchards will keep growing and will produce Resources as usual. Crops on the same Cultivated Field or Orchard but not under the direct influence of the Irrigation Plant will dry out.
Water can still be produced at a slow rate from Wells but if it is not stored in sufficient quantity in Water Towers, Livestock and Settlers may start dying from thirst. Rain Water Collectors will be able to supply Water Towers as long as they contain some Water.
Sandstorms[]
Sandstorms occurrence can be set to Random, Never or Always when starting a new game on Survival Mode. When enabled they always occur during Droughts. Sandstorms result in increased ground radiation level. Settlers caught in Sandstorms move slower and buildings will be damaged and may eventually become unusable until repaired by Builders. Repairs can be prioritized in the interface of the Bus Wreck, Mounted Bus or Town Center.
Diseases[]
Diseases occurrence can be set on and off when starting a new game on Survival Mode. When enabled they occur at random but will be more frequent and more devastating when Settlers are in poor health[1]. To not die Settlers will need to fetch some Herbs from the Herbal Hut, Temporary Storerooms, Warehouses, Upgraded Warehouses or the Market to cure themselves. Given there is enough Medicine at disposal Settlers can also be cured more efficiently by Doctors at the Medical Facility.
Vermin[]
Vermin will compete for Food with Settlers and can empty all Temporary Storerooms, Warehouses and Upgraded Warehouses on the map up to 50% of their content. Vermin will prey on Food at random and there is no way to prevent or fight against it.
Raids[]
Occasionally, about once per 10-15 seasons, armed Raiders will threaten your base. A settler will warn you that a raiding party is approaching, and display the location where the Raiders will arrive on the map.
Once they arrive, a random bandit leader will give you two options: 1) Pay a tribute/ransom of certain resources, in which the raiders immediately leave; 2) Fight, in which the raiders immediately attack your base. They move pretty quickly, so it is recommended to have some militia permanently in your Watchtowers, and ammunition stocked. You can designate defensive priority using the Priority for Defense, in which case the watchtowers in the designated area are prioritized to have the maximum militia housed within them.
Once the Raiders arrive at your base, they kill civilians, militia, and damage buildings in a radius around them. The area of effect is displayed by a dotted-line circle around the raiding party.
Raids have an icon above the raiding party indicating its health (red) and morale (green). If your Watchtowers and Militia are supplied with lethal ammunition, the raiders' health bar will slowly decrease. Once depleted, the raiding party dies immediately, and you can loot resources. If your Watchtowers and Militia are supplied with non-lethal ammunition, the raiders' morale bar will slowly decrease. Once depleted, the raiding party flees, but you cannot loot any dropped resources. Siren Towers can also deplete the raiders' morale bar.