SimCity BuildIt Disasters and Dr Vu Guide
SimCity BuildIt Disasters and Dr Vu Guide
Disasters are how you earn Golden Keys in SimCity BuildIt, and this SimCity BuildIt disasters and Dr Vu guide explains the whole system: the Vu Tower, the disaster types, the items you need, and how repairing earns keys. Disasters sound destructive, and they are — but in this game, launching a disaster on your own city and then repairing it is one of the main ways to progress.
The Vu Tower
To launch disasters you need the Vu Tower. According to EA Help, you need 90,000 population and 40,000 Simoleons to build it. Tap the building to the right of your Global Trade HQ and meet Dr. Vu, who guides you through building the tower. Once built, tap the Vu Tower again to see your Disaster menu. The tower is also the gateway to Club Wars disasters and to fighting monsters in Monster Trouble, where disasters are launched at a monster instead of at your own city.
The six disaster types
There are six main disaster types in SimCity BuildIt, according to community guides: meteor strike, earthquake, tornado, robot attack, alien invasion and zombie outbreak. Each disaster needs Dr. Vu’s special items to launch: Vu’s Battery, Vu’s Remote and Vu’s Gloves. Once you reach a certain level, disasters are powered up, according to the game wiki. In Club Wars there are 24 different disasters in total, including war-only disasters such as Disco Twister and Plant Monster, according to the game wiki and the official store description.
How to launch a disaster
Drag the round Disaster icon over the beam of light, slide Dr. Vu’s special items to the right, and press the red button on Dr. Vu’s control unit to collect Vu Points and launch the disaster, according to EA Help. The disaster damages a zone in your city. That damage is the point: the repair work that follows is what earns Golden Keys and Simoleons.
Repairing earns Golden Keys
After a disaster, repair the damaged buildings with the repair items the game asks for. Each completed disaster challenge pays Golden Keys and Simoleons. Community guides call disaster repair the best Golden Key source in the game, ahead of cargo shipments. Do not launch a disaster unless you have, or can quickly get, the repair items — an unrepaired disaster zone is a damaged, unhappy part of your city that earns nothing.
Vu Points and upgrades
Launching disasters earns Vu Points, which upgrade the Vu Tower and unlock more disaster types. The more you use the system, the more disasters you can launch. Upgrading the tower is a long-term goal, not a one-day task. Keep launching and repairing regularly, and the tower grows with your city.
Disasters in Club Wars and Monster Trouble
The same disaster system is used in Club Wars, where you launch disasters at rival cities to earn War Points, and in Monster Trouble, where you launch disasters at a monster to defeat it. EA Help notes that some disasters, such as Electric Deity and Doomsday Quack, are not available against the monster, so you may need to use different attacks there. The Vu’s Pass, unlocked at City Level 8 or higher with a population of 12,000 or more, according to EA Help, is tied to the monster and war systems.
FAQ
How do I unlock Dr Vu’s Tower?
You need 90,000 population and 40,000 Simoleons to build it, according to EA Help.
What items do I need to launch a disaster?
Vu’s Battery, Vu’s Remote and Vu’s Gloves.
What disasters are in SimCity BuildIt?
Six main types: meteor strike, earthquake, tornado, robot attack, alien invasion and zombie outbreak, plus war-only disasters in Club Wars.
Do disasters give Golden Keys?
Yes. Repairing after a disaster challenge pays Golden Keys and Simoleons.
Should I launch a disaster if I cannot repair it?
No. Wait until you have the repair items, or the damaged zone will sit unrepaired and unhappy.
For the full Golden Key picture, read our Golden Keys guide in this series, and start at our homepage.