Badtide

Badtide is the most dangerous weather event in Timberborn, a catastrophic period during which both Water Sources and Badwater Sources emit contaminated Badwater instead of clean water. Described as "relentless Badwater, with zero chance of pleasant conditions," the Badtide transforms every river, lake, and waterway into a toxic hazard. When a Badtide begins, water source contamination starts at 50 percent and ramps up to 100 percent over the course of 12 hours. Similarly, contamination begins decreasing 12 hours before the Badtide ends, dropping back to 50 percent at its conclusion. On easy difficulty, Badtides last only about 1 day, but on hard difficulty they can persist for a grueling 6 to 12 days, and their duration increases with each successive occurrence.

The effects of Badwater contamination are devastating and far-reaching. Beavers (though not mechanical bots) who walk or swim through Badwater can become contaminated, suffering negative health effects. Plants growing on terrain that has been soaked with Badwater survive only 0.2 to 0.3 days before dying, meaning that unprotected farmland can be wiped out almost instantly. The contamination also spreads through existing waterways, so any reservoirs or irrigation channels connected to flowing sources will become tainted. Players must act quickly when a Badtide warning appears, closing floodgates to isolate clean water reserves and redirecting Badwater flows away from critical infrastructure using levees, dams, and diversion channels.

Preparing for Badtides requires a fundamentally different approach compared to Drought preparation. While Droughts demand water storage, Badtides demand water isolation and contamination management. Floodgates positioned upstream of your settlement should be closed to prevent Badwater from flooding your reservoirs. Dedicated Badwater diversion channels can route toxic flows away from agricultural areas and into harmless drainage basins. Structures like Badwater Rigs and Badwater Domes help contain contamination at its source. The Badtide Drain terrain feature also plays a role, as it discharges additional Badwater during these events. Players should maintain a separate supply of clean water in sealed tanks, disconnected from the river system, to ensure drinking water remains uncontaminated. The default probability of a Badtide occurring is 40 percent, but this increases dramatically after consecutive Drought events, reaching 100 percent after seven Droughts in a row.