Build 42 Loot Routes — Plan a Run That Brings You Back Alive

A loot run in Build 42 is a route problem, not a stamina problem: the map doubled, the heat-map system concentrates hordes in urban cores, and the 42.20 rework moved the best loot deeper into buildings. The players who survive Louisville-style expeditions are the ones who planned the route before starting the car. This guide covers how to design a loot route on 42.20, the highest-value targets per town, and the rules that keep a run profitable instead of fatal. Checked 2026-08-09.

Route design basics

A good route is a loop with an exit, not a line with a destination:

1. Pick a loot target (below), not a direction. "Let's see what's that way" is a death wish.
2. Plan the approach — the heat-map means the direct road into a town is often the most zombie-dense line. Approach from the quieter edge (map guide covers the corridors-between-hotspots trick).
3. Mark the exit before you enter. Park so the car faces out, and know the secondary road out if the main one congests.
4. Timebox it. A profitable run is two hours of looting, not twelve. The first-week checklist is a good model for a timeboxed day plan.

Highest-value targets per town (42.20)

Night vs day looting

The 42.20 heat-map concentrates zombies by noise, and night is quieter by default. Community-reported practice:

• Night runs into already-cleared or low-density zones are the efficiency play — the stealth guide covers noise discipline.
• Day runs into urban cores are riskier but faster to read (better visibility for the combat checks).
• Never loot a new, unlooted, high-density area at night — you can't see the horde until it's on you.

The vehicle is the route

On 42.20, the car is part of the route, not transport. The vehicles guide recommends work vans as loot-haulers: the cargo capacity is what makes a multi-town route economic. Sequence the route as town A loot → transfer to van → town B loot → return, rather than back-and-forth single-town trips.

What to leave behind

The routes that end badly are the ones that looted greedily. Leave behind:

• Extra weapons beyond what you're using — condition matters more than count (combat).
• Perishable food on long routes — it spoils in the trunk; canned goods only (preservation).
• Anything that would cost you the route if you had to drop it to run.

Verified on 42.20 · Last checked 2026-08-09

Town target lists are compiled from the in-site map guide and community route reports; per-building loot is not published and shifts with patches. Route-design rules (loop with exit, timebox, mark the exit) are community-standard practice, not official documentation. The heat-map routing tips are community-reported via the veterans' guides — verify on your world seed.