You cannot buy decoders in a shop in ROB RUN. Kefir’s FAQ says the breach decoders needed to break into a base “aren’t bought off a shelf”, and the one fixed source in the game is the barter behind the Suspicious Door at Lenny’s Motel, which trades for epic decoders.
That barter needs ingredients, so the real question is how you start the chain. Here is every source we can confirm as of the November 6 build, how many decoders a raid takes, and what they cannot do.
Every Source for Decoders
| Decoder | Removes | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Uncommon | 1 defense | Season 1 pass reward, see below. Kefir names no fixed loot spot |
| Epic | 3 defense | Barter at Lenny’s Motel, two recipes |
| Legendary | 5 defense | No seller or barter recipe listed as of the November 6 build |
Decoders stack to 10, a limit that went up in Kefir’s November 4 changes. Kefir’s Gameplay Overview also says you can find “almost anything” in loot, so check dead players’ bags and any stash you crack. Neither of those gives you a spot to farm, and we will not make one up.
The Barter at Lenny’s Motel
The game’s Codex says that at Lenny’s Motel “you can find a suspicious door where you can trade your items for essential heist gear”. Pick Lenny’s Motel on the global map, go inside, and find the door.
Two recipes there give you one epic decoder:
- 3 uncommon decoders plus $10,000. This is the straight upgrade, and it is why you should never sell a low decoder to a fence for about $1,000.
- 1 filled epic Action Camera. This one needs no decoders at all, which makes it the way in if you have none.
The epic Action Camera costs about $30,000 on the laptop once unlocked. It fills as you commit crimes at Notoriety level 3 or higher, and once full you can trade it or sell it for about $100,000 to $150,000. So this route pays for one decoder with a lot of potential cash. We cover that side of the trade in our money guide.
The Season 1 Pass
As of the November 6 build, an uncommon decoder is listed as a free reward on page 3 of the Season 1 “Pure Chemistry” pass, which runs until December 4, 2026. Check the pass in your menu before you go hunting, since this one needs no raid and no barter.
How Many Decoders You Need
Each decoder lowers a structure’s defense by its value and is then used up. It takes 12 seconds to install one. A structure starts with base defense, and each fuse the owner adds raises it, so the same house can take a handful of decoders or a small fortune.
As of the November 6 build:
| Structure | Defense | Uncommon | Epic | Legendary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trailer, no fuses | 5 | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| Trailer, all legendary fuses | 50 | 50 | 17 | 10 |
| Small House, no fuses | 15 | 15 | 5 | 3 |
| Small House, all legendary fuses | 150 | 150 | 50 | 30 |
Between those extremes, add up the base defense and the fuse points, divide by your decoder’s value and round up. Pick your targets with care. Kefir’s Base Management post even tells defenders to “blend in to seem like a waste of rare breaching tools”, so a modest-looking base may hold little worth the decoders.
How to Use One
Kefir’s raid instructions are short: use a decoder on a rival’s Security System to gain temporary access to their building, and act fast, because the owners can repair the system and lock you out. Fuses survive a hack, so a repair puts the defense straight back.
Plan for what decoders will not do:
- They do not open safes. Safes and security cabinets inside a building need a Master Key, about $50,000 to research and $55,000 to buy.
- They do not take the plot. As of the November 6 build, that takes an Eviction Right, a barter that costs 50 epic decoders and only works after every security system on the base is fully hacked. Kefir’s pre-launch FAQ called the base-wiping item extremely rare and loot-only, so do not count on this one either way.
- They do not touch banked money. Laundered cash is safe, so a raid is about goods and unlaundered cash.
Defending Against Decoders
If you are on the other side of this, Kefir’s defense advice is fuses in the Security System and defense modules that alert your allies. Fuses come in three strengths, adding 1, 3 or 5 defense at about $20,000, $100,000 and $250,000. Every point you add costs an attacker one more uncommon decoder, so even a few cheap fuses can make a trailer a poor target.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you buy decoders in ROB RUN? Not from a shop. Kefir says they are not bought off a shelf, and the only fixed source is the barter at Lenny’s Motel.
Where do I get my first decoder? Check the Season 1 pass for its free uncommon decoder, keep any you find in loot, and fill an epic Action Camera to trade for an epic decoder.
How many decoders does it take to raid a base? It depends on the building and its fuses. As of the November 6 build, a bare Trailer takes 5 uncommon or 2 epic, while a bare Small House takes 15 uncommon or 5 epic.
Do decoders open safes? No. Safes and security cabinets need a Master Key. A decoder only works on a structure’s Security System.
Should I sell my decoders? We would keep them. A fence pays only about $1,000 for an uncommon one, and three of them are worth an epic at the barter.