Underground Bases

Of all the Lairs, Underground bases are by far the most practical and fun bases to have. Not to mention homely. For the millionaire, it is easy to grab some rocky real estate and dig yourself a war room, put in some power generators, maybe that underground railway too. For the budget evil genius all you need is some elevated land and some time to spare. For the survivalist, or the lazy, you could just buy a pre-built underground house in Cooper Pedy (South Australia).

They are also energy efficient, as they are often the same temperature year round.

By far the best places to build are small hills, or mountain sides. Since this takes care of your drainage issues, and makes it easier to burrow, since if you dig long and level into the side, you already have your walls and roof.

However small humps and hills are just as good, but the construction process would vary since you would need to dig a trench, line it with supports and bury it again. All the while doing it without anyone noticing that it is there.

Concealment should be a factor as well, a house located on the side of a hill is often ideal - over-sized mansions or family compounds better yet; especially if it already has a basement or spacious crawl space, as you can quietly expand on the existing underground space, as long as you can get a supply of building materials that wont raise suspicion!

Your entrance should be suitably concealed, either behind a fake wall that opens like a garage door¹⁾ or with a hidden door or trapdoor somewhere like a bookshelf or a fiberglass replica of the local bedrock that swings open on command ²⁾.

For extra style all your internal doors should be science fiction style, perhaps a nice brushed or stainless metal look, or a dark gloss color. Materials are not so important, wood, plastic metal or fiberglass, just remember the center of your lair should have a nice several inch thick bullet and explosive proof steel door to keep those pesky black ops and secret agents out while you hop on your mobility scooter, golf kart or train down the secret exit out the back.

This is key, for your budget Lairs, you will need a guard room at the entrance, a secure power supply room, living areas, storage and your core control room, with at least one ideally two secret escape routes. But ideally you want a large sprawling layout like a maze or labyrinth that only makes sense to you, and only assign minions to work in one particular area of your base so nobody but you has a complete overview of the layout to assist someone at gunpoint with.

• You will want:
  • Guest rooms (and somewhere to store prisoners, which may be the same thing) but you must make sure your “guests” are suitable impressed with the accommodation.
  • Large pointless areas full of gardens or ponds.. of course don't forget the retractable bridges and piranhas too.
  • At least one room dedicated for your armory.
  • Somewhere for your minion researchers to work, you might want more than one of these, the true evil genius allows for the possibility that something might explode, and you want your other research to continue unhindered.
  • All rooms should have its own battery backup should those pesky government agents blow up your generator room, so you have something to power those red flashing lights, pre-recorded PA systems warnings and sirens. Nothing is more annoying that having your Lair falling down around you and the sirens don't keep going off.
  • the decor to be modern retro style, those wood panels and over-sized swivel chairs ³⁾ are always in fashion in underground lairs.
  • steam tunnels - they probably don't do anything useful but you need some dark dirty misty and rusty places⁴⁾, or you wont be able to look your other evil genius and mad scientist cohorts in the eye when you invite them over to your “Lair”
  • The connecting tunnel, you should connect at least two Lairs together, or have a lair connected to your secret airbase, sub pen or rocket silos - otherwise where are you meant to put that underground railway, or drive your pimped out golf cart⁵⁾?

For the budget bunker - chipping your way into the side of a rocky cliff, or remodeling some caves are the way to go. This saves you much time and effort in needing to reinforce the roof and walls. If all you have is a hill to work with borrow hire or steal a tractor with a digging attachment and dig yourself a series of trenches, these will become your tunnels, then dig larger spaces for your rooms. If you are in a hurry old metal shipping crates make excellent rooms, and if you cut holes and weld them together they can serve as the tunnels too. Don't discount those big cement storm water pipes too, or you may be able to incorporate existing disused storm water and sewer tunnels. ⁶⁾ But keep in mind this makes it difficult to build that spacious control room. You can also line and roof your trenches with old railway sleepers, but keep in mind these will eventually need to be replaced with something like poured cement, and are difficult to attach those wood panels to; so try to set them up like a mold so you can inject cement in them down the line. However you line your rooms and tunnels, you need to then bury them again with the dirt you dug out earlier. Don't forget you will need to lay some sort of waterproof data and electrical cabling so allow room there too.

These can incorporate all of the budget features, but don't forget the maze like layout, sliding doors and wood paneling decor. Where money is no object tunnel digging contraptions and explosives should be used extensively. Walls should be lined with cement or brick covered in paneling or at least nicely painted. Buying your own personal volcanic island can also help as these will already have lava tubes, just don't forget that extra redundant tunnel to channel the lava out should your island decide to erupt, and that secret helicopter pad at the end of your escape tunnel. Nothing is more satisfying than sitting safely in the comfort of your own volcano Lair, perhaps with a window overlooking all the running lava pouring out as it erupts. Nobody would ever think to look for you here.. Nothing says “domination” or “decadence” more than living in an active volcano that you have tailored to your needs.

— Overlord PhoenixX 2010/03/05 14:48