Dead Rails Potions & Liquids (March 2026) Expert Guide
Dead Rails introduced an exciting liquid system in version 0.14.0 that completely transformed how players approach the game. This comprehensive guide will teach you everything about liquids, from basic collection methods to advanced potion crafting strategies that can turn the tide in your zombie survival adventures.
Whether you’re looking to heal your team, rain fire upon enemies, or even raise the dead as allies, the liquid system offers incredible strategic depth. Let me walk you through every aspect of this feature so you can master these powerful game mechanics.
Quick Reference: Dead Rails Liquids Overview
| Liquid Type | Category | Primary Use | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | Basic Liquid | Potion Ingredient | Common |
| Milk | Basic Liquid | Potion Ingredient/Milkman Boost | Common |
| Kerosene | Basic Liquid | Fire Creation | Common |
| Blood | Blood Type | Potion Ingredient/Vampire Healing | Common |
| Zombie Blood | Blood Type | Zombie Class Healing | Common |
| Unicorn Blood | Special Blood | Potion Base | Rare |
| Angel Tears | Potion | Healing | Crafted |
| Devil Tears | Potion | Area Fire Damage | Crafted |
| Holy Water | Potion | Enemy Damage | Crafted |
| Primordial Soup | Potion | Corpse Revival | Crafted |
What Are Liquids in Dead Rails?
Liquids are a versatile game mechanic introduced in Dead Rails version 0.14.0 that allows players to collect, store, and combine various fluids to create powerful potions and effects. These liquids can be stored in Glass Bottles or dropped onto surfaces as circular puddles that can affect players and entities.
The system adds incredible strategic depth to the game, letting you craft healing potions, create devastating fire attacks, damage enemies with holy waters, or even revive fallen allies as zombie minions. Mastering liquids gives you a significant advantage in both solo and group gameplay.
How Liquids Work in Dead Rails?
Understanding liquid mechanics is crucial for effective usage. Here’s what you need to know:
Collection & Storage
- Liquids can be collected using Glass Bottles found throughout buildings while looting
- Empty bottles can be filled from any liquid puddle by pressing LMB
- To pour liquids, press F to spill them onto the ground as puddles
- Some liquids spawn naturally in bottles during your exploration
Coverage Mechanics
- Players or entities standing in puddles get covered at 1% per second per puddle
- Being outside during rain increases coverage rate significantly
- Liquid coverage decays at 1% per second when not touching any liquid
- Touching a new liquid while already covered causes faster dissipation of existing coverage
Evaporation
- Some liquids like Kerosene, Holy Water, and Devil Tears evaporate very quickly
- Act fast when crafting these potions or they’ll dissipate before you can collect them
Complete Guide to Basic Liquids
Water
Water is one of the most basic liquids in Dead Rails, but it’s essential for crafting Holy Water, one of the most powerful potions in the game.
Sources:
- Rain (naturally occurring weather)
- Buildings (can find water bottles already filled)
- Glass Bottles during rainy weather
Properties:
- No special effects on its own
- Required ingredient for Holy Water
- Common and easy to obtain
- Mixes with Unicorn Blood to create Holy Water
Best Uses:
- Stock up during rain events for Holy Water crafting
- Keep extra bottles filled for emergency potion creation
- Use as a base when other liquids aren’t available
Kerosene
Kerosene is a highly flammable liquid that turns into fire when ignited, making it excellent for area denial and crowd control.
Sources:
- Kerosene Rain (special weather event)
- Buildings (find in bottles)
- Nikola Tesla (boss drops)
- Goliath (boss drops)
- Can be extracted from Molotov cocktails
Properties:
- Turns into fire puddles when ignited
- Entities covered in Kerosene catch fire when ignited
- Evaporates very quickly – act fast!
- Mixes with Unicorn Blood to create Devil Tears
Strategic Uses:
- Create fire barriers to block zombie paths
- Ignite large groups of enemies simultaneously
- Perfect for the Arsonist class
- Excellent defensive perimeter around train or safe zones
Pro Tip: Position yourself upwind when using Kerosene so the fire spreads toward enemies, not toward you or your allies.
Milk
Milk has unique properties that make it especially valuable for the Milkman class, but it’s also a key ingredient for Primordial Soup, the necromancy potion.
Sources:
- Milk Rain (special weather)
- Buildings (find milk bottles)
- Milkman class (generates milk)
- Urban Town Areas (search houses)
Properties:
- Boosts Milkman class stats when covered
- Required for Primordial Soup
- Commonly found in residential areas
- Mixes with Unicorn Blood for corpse revival
Best Uses:
- Essential for Milkman players seeking stat boosts
- Critical ingredient for raising undead allies
- Stockpile in urban areas for later use
Milkman Synergy: If you’re playing as the Milkman, staying covered in milk provides significant stat bonuses, making it worthwhile to maintain coverage during fights.
Blood Types in Dead Rails
Blood
Regular Blood is a versatile liquid that serves multiple purposes, from healing Vampires to crafting the powerful Angel Tears potion.
Sources:
- Killing most entities (non-zombie NPCs)
- Buildings (find blood bottles)
- Blood Rain (special weather)
- Wolf, Horse, Outlaws, Soldiers, Vampires, Covenant
- Apocalypse Horses
- Alpha Werewolf
Properties:
- Heals Vampire class players
- Required ingredient for Angel Tears
- Common drop from most enemies
- Can be collected from multiple enemy types
Strategic Uses:
- Essential for Vampire class sustain
- Stockpile for Angel Tears mass healing
- Easy to farm during combat encounters
Collection Strategy: When fighting groups of enemies, prioritize collecting blood from the toughest opponents first, as they typically drop larger amounts.
Zombie Blood
Zombie Blood has a more specific use case, primarily healing Zombie class players, and it cannot be used in potion crafting.
Sources:
- Killing Zombies (all variants)
- Skeletons (except Acid Skeletons)
- Alien entities
- Ghost entities
Properties:
- Heals Zombie class players
- Cannot be mixed to create potions
- Exclusive to Zombie class utility
- Drops from undead enemies
Best Uses:
- Critical sustain for Zombie class players
- Farm from zombie hordes for healing supply
- No other applications currently
Zombie Class Synergy: As a Zombie player, zombie blood is your primary healing method, making it crucial to kill zombie enemies efficiently and collect their blood.
Unicorn Blood – The Most Important Liquid
Unicorn Blood is the rarest and most valuable liquid in Dead Rails, serving as the base ingredient for all potions.
Sources:
- Killing Unicorns (primary source)
- Unicorn Blood Rain (rare weather event)
- Lightning strikes on any liquid puddle
- Death Horse effect (applies Angel Tears)
Properties:
- Required for ALL potion crafting
- Very rare and difficult to obtain
- Can be created through lightning methods
- Essential for advanced gameplay
Collection Strategies:
- Lightning Method: Use Electrocutioner weapon to strike liquid puddles with lightning (requires Tesla Lab completion)
- Lightning Rod: Position lightning rod so its base touches a liquid puddle, then summon lightning
- Excalibur: May turn nearby Blood into Unicorn Blood when it summons lightning
- Unicorn Hunting: Kill Unicorns when encountered (rare spawn)
Pro Lightning Strategy: The Electrocutioner is the simplest method for converting liquids to Unicorn Blood, though it requires completing Tesla Lab first. If you don’t have it, the Lightning Rod method works well – position the rod so lightning hits your desired puddle.
Free Unicorn Blood Sources: Towns and Points of Interest can be free sources of Unicorn Blood when using Excalibur’s lightning ability on Blood puddles that spawn from combat.
All Potions in Dead Rails
Angel Tears – The Ultimate Healing Potion
Angel Tears is perhaps the most valuable potion for team play, providing instant healing to all covered players and entities.
Recipe: Unicorn Blood + Blood
Sources:
- Mix Blood with Unicorn Blood
- Death Horse (automatic effect when riding)
Effects:
- Heals players and entities covered by it
- Flat healing rate similar to Snake Oil
- Works on allied entities including horses
- Instant healing effect
Strategic Uses:
- Mass healing during team fights
- Heal horses and other allies
- Emergency team recovery
- Sustain during boss fights
Advanced Strategy: Angel Tears can heal allied entities including horses. To heal horses, you’ll need to drag their body into the liquid puddle until their torso touches it, as horses don’t get covered by liquids in normal circumstances.
Team Play Value: In group scenarios, Angel Tears is invaluable for keeping everyone alive during intense combat situations or boss encounters.
Devil Tears – Devastating Fire Attack
Devil Tears creates an enormous area of effect fire attack that can wipe out entire zombie hordes instantly.
Recipe: Unicorn Blood + Kerosene
Sources:
- Mix Kerosene with Unicorn Blood
- Cannot be found naturally
Effects:
- Quickly engulfs large area in flames
- Devastating damage to all enemies
- Perfect for crowd control
- Evaporates very quickly
Strategic Uses:
- Clear massive zombie hordes
- Area denial around important locations
- Boss fight damage phases
- Arsonist class synergy
Arsonist Class Synergy: Devil Tears is best used by the Arsonist class, as they can maximize the fire damage and control the spread more effectively.
Pro Tip: Throw Devil Tears in choke points or narrow passages where zombies cluster together for maximum effect. The fire spreads quickly and can clear entire areas.
Holy Water – Enemy Damage with No Friendly Fire
Holy Water deals significant damage over time to enemies while leaving players completely unaffected.
Recipe: Unicorn Blood + Water
Sources:
- Mix Water with Unicorn Blood
- Holy Water (weapon/utility item)
- Holy Hand Grenade (creates puddles)
- Spear of Longinus (effect)
Effects:
- Deals 8 ticks of damage per second to covered entities
- Players are immune to the damage
- Evaporates very quickly
- Green flames effect
Strategic Uses:
- Safe area damage in team fights
- No risk of hurting allies
- Excellent for crowd control
- Combined with other weapons for maximum effect
Team Safety Advantage: Unlike Devil Tears or regular fire, Holy Water won’t damage your teammates, making it perfect for close-quarters team combat.
Damage Over Time: The 8 ticks per second damage adds up quickly against hordes, making it incredibly effective for sustained area denial.
Primordial Soup – Necromancy Potion
Primordial Soup is the most unique potion, allowing you to revive corpses as fighting allies.
Recipe: Unicorn Blood + Milk
Sources:
- Mix Milk with Unicorn Blood
- Cannot be found naturally
Effects:
- Reanimates corpses that touch the liquid
- Revived entities fight on your behalf
- Creates undead army
- Strategic ally generation
Strategic Uses:
- Create zombie army from fallen enemies
- Revive valuable NPCs as allies
- Increase your combat force
- Solo play power multiplier
Necromancy Strategy: Use Primordial Soup after clearing an area to revive the toughest enemies you just killed. They’ll now fight for you!
Corpses to Target: Prioritize reviving soldiers, outlaws, and other combat-capable NPCs over regular zombies for more effective allies.
Solo Play Value: Primordial Soup is incredibly powerful when playing alone, as you can build an army of allies to help you survive.
How to Collect and Store Liquids?
Finding Glass Bottles
Glass Bottles are essential for liquid collection and can be found throughout the game world.
Where to Find:
- Buildings (houses, stores, offices)
- Looting containers and furniture
- Random spawns in towns
- Sometimes found already filled with liquids
Tips for Collection:
- Always grab empty bottles when you see them
- Stockpile bottles for liquid events
- Keep some filled, some empty for flexibility
Filling Bottles
Step-by-Step Process:
- Equip an empty Glass Bottle
- Approach any liquid puddle
- Press LMB (left mouse button) to fill
- Bottle is now filled with that liquid
Pouring Liquids:
- Equip a filled Glass Bottle
- Press F to pour onto ground
- Creates puddle of that liquid
- Multiple pours create larger puddles
Liquid Mixing and Potion Crafting
Basic Crafting Process:
- Pour first ingredient liquid on ground
- Pour second ingredient liquid on same spot
- Wait for mixture reaction
- Quickly collect with empty bottle before evaporation
Speed Tips:
- Have empty bottles ready before mixing
- Mix close to where you want to use the potion
- Practice makes perfect – timing matters!
- Some potions evaporate in seconds
Advanced Liquid Strategies
Class-Specific Liquid Benefits
Milkman Class:
- Milk provides stat boosts when covered
- Generate milk naturally
- Synergy with Primordial Soup
- Enhanced survivability
Vampire Class:
- Blood heals you
- Can farm blood easily
- Angel Tears extra valuable
- Sustain during long fights
Zombie Class:
- Zombie Blood is your healing
- Farm zombies for blood
- Primordial Soup creates allies
- Enhanced by undead army
Arsonist Class:
- Kerosene and Devil Tears enhanced
- Fire damage increased
- Area control specialist
- Maximum destruction
Weather Event Strategies
Rain Events:
- Collect Water for Holy Water
- Free liquid collection
- Quick bottle filling
- Stock up for potions
Kerosene Rain:
- Collect for Devil Tears
- Fire hazards everywhere
- Create fire barriers
- Area denial
Milk Rain:
- Milkman stat boost opportunity
- Collect for Primordial Soup
- Free ingredient gathering
- Class synergy time
Blood Rain:
- Collect for Angel Tears
- Vampire healing opportunity
- Stockpile for healing potions
- Bloody battlefield advantage
Unicorn Blood Rain:
- Rarest event
- Collect everything you can
- Make potions immediately
- Don’t miss this opportunity!
Combat Liquid Tactics
Area Denial:
- Use Devil Tears to create fire zones
- Holy Water for safe damage areas
- Kerosene puddles for future ignition
- Strategic puddle placement
Team Support:
- Angel Tears for mass healing
- Holy Water for safe DPS
- Coordinate with team positioning
- Communication is key
Solo Power:
- Primordial Soup for army building
- Devil Tears for crowd control
- Mix potions for combo effects
- Become a one-person army
Resource Management
Prioritization:
- Unicorn Blood (always priority)
- Blood (Angel Tears)
- Kerosene (Devil Tears)
- Water (Holy Water)
- Milk (Primordial Soup)
- Zombie Blood (Zombie class only)
Stockpiling Tips:
- Always collect during events
- Keep diverse liquid inventory
- Don’t waste rare ingredients
- Plan potion usage
Conservation Strategy:
- Use potions strategically
- Don’t waste on weak enemies
- Save for bosses or hordes
- Team coordination maximizes value
Potion Tier List and Rankings
Best Potions for Group Play
| Rank | Potion | Strength | Weakness |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | Angel Tears | Mass healing, team sustain | Less impact solo |
| A | Holy Water | Safe AoE damage, no friendly fire | Evaporates quickly |
| B | Devil Tears | Massive area damage | Can hurt allies, fire risk |
| A | Primordial Soup | Creates allies, fun factor | Requires corpses |
Best Potions for Solo Play
| Rank | Potion | Strength | Weakness |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | Devil Tears | Clears hordes fast | Fire management needed |
| S | Primordial Soup | Builds army | Need corpses first |
| A | Holy Water | Safe damage | Limited single target |
| B | Angel Tears | Self healing | Overkill for solo |
Why These Rankings?
Angel Tears (Group S, Solo B):
- Incredible for team survival and healing
- Less essential when playing alone
- Game-changer in group boss fights
- Can heal allies including horses
Devil Tears (Group B, Solo S):
- Devastating area damage
- Perfect for solo horde clearing
- Riskier in groups due to friendly fire
- Best crowd control option
Holy Water (Group A, Solo A):
- Consistent performer in all situations
- No friendly damage is huge advantage
- Good damage over time
- Reliable and safe option
Primordial Soup (Group A, Solo S):
- Most unique and fun potion
- Incredibly powerful solo
- Great for team diversification
- Necromancy is just cool!
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Liquid Management Errors
Not Collecting During Events:
- Always collect during rain events
- Don’t miss Unicorn Blood Rain
- Weather events are free resources
Poor Bottle Management:
- Always carry empty bottles
- Don’t fill all bottles with one liquid type
- Keep diverse inventory for flexibility
Slow Potion Crafting:
- Practice mixing speed
- Have bottles ready before mixing
- Some potions evaporate in seconds
Combat Mistakes
Using Wrong Potion for Situation:
- Angel Tears on full health team (waste)
- Devil Tears near allies (friendly fire)
- Holy Water on single target (inefficient)
Poor Puddle Placement:
- Placing potions where enemies won’t go
- Not considering puddle spread
- Missing strategic choke points
Not Timing with Weather:
- Not collecting during rain events
- Missing Unicorn Blood opportunities
- Ignoring weather advantages
Resource Waste
Using Rare Ingredients Poorly:
- Wasting Unicorn Blood on weak effects
- Using potions on minor enemies
- Not stocking rare liquids
Bad Class Synergy:
- Not using class-specific benefits
- Ignoring liquid buffs
- Missing class potential
Pro Tips and Advanced Strategies
Unicorn Blood Farming
Tesla Lab Method:
- Complete Tesla Lab to get Electrocutioner
- Use it to strike any liquid with lightning
- Most consistent Unicorn Blood source
- Requires preparation but pays off
Lightning Rod Strategy:
- Position rod to touch desired liquid puddle
- Summon lightning through any method
- Lightning converts puddle to Unicorn Blood
- Works without special weapons
Excalibur Lightning:
- Let Excalibur summon lightning naturally
- Position near Blood puddles
- Free Unicorn Blood conversion
- Passive and effective
Unicorn Hunting:
- Hunt Unicorns when found
- Rare spawns but guaranteed drops
- Save for emergency potion needs
- Don’t rely on this primary method
Advanced Potion Combos
Devil Tears + Holy Water:
- Create fire + DoT zone
- Devastating combination
- Clear entire areas
- Watch for friendly fire
Angel Tears + Primordial Soup:
- Heal allies while raising army
- Maximum team benefit
- Incredible sustain
- Requires coordination
Kerosene + Devil Tears:
- Pre-place Kerosene puddles
- Add Devil Tears for ignition
- Chain reaction explosions
- Maximum destruction
Positioning and Tactics
Train Defense:
- Create Devil Tears around train
- Holy Water for safe damage
- Angel Tears for team healing
- Multi-layered defense
Town Clearing:
- Devil Tears in streets first
- Holy Water in buildings
- Primordial Soup in squares
- Systematic clearing
Boss Fights:
- Angel Tears ready for healing
- Devil Tears for adds
- Holy Water for sustained damage
- Adapt to boss patterns
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Liquids Not Working
Puddles Not Covering:
- Ensure you’re standing in puddle
- Check liquid hasn’t evaporated
- Wait longer for coverage to build
- Multiple puddles increase speed
Potions Not Crafting:
- Verify correct ingredients
- Ensure liquids are mixing
- Check for evaporation
- Have empty bottle ready
Coverage Not Applying:
- Stand in puddle longer
- Check liquid type matches need
- Verify class benefits
- Look for visual coverage indicator
Collection Problems
Can’t Fill Bottles:
- Ensure bottle is empty
- Be close enough to puddle
- Press correct button (LMB)
- Check bottle inventory slot
Can’t Pour Liquids:
- Ensure bottle has liquid
- Press correct button (F)
- Check you’re not full of items
- Verify you have bottle equipped
Potion Issues
Potion Not Working:
- Check correct potion type
- Ensure enemies are in puddle
- Wait for effect to trigger
- Verify potion hasn’t expired
Wrong Effect Happening:
- Double-check ingredients used
- Verify liquid colors
- Check for mixed puddles
- Ensure correct potion collected
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get Unicorn Blood easily?
The easiest way to get Unicorn Blood is by completing the Tesla Lab and obtaining the Electrocutioner weapon. Use it to strike any liquid puddle with lightning, and it will convert to Unicorn Blood. Alternatively, position a Lightning Rod so its base touches a liquid puddle, then summon lightning through any method.
What’s the best potion for solo play?
For solo play, Devil Tears is generally the best potion due to its ability to clear massive zombie hordes quickly. Primordial Soup is also excellent solo as it lets you build an army of allies from corpses. Holy Water provides consistent safe damage.
Can liquids hurt my teammates?
Some liquids can hurt teammates. Devil Tears creates fire that damages everyone, including allies. However, Holy Water specifically does not damage players while still hurting enemies, making it safer for team play.
How long do liquids last?
Different liquids have different durations. Basic liquids like Water, Milk, and Blood last longer. Kerosene, Holy Water, and Devil Tears evaporate very quickly – often within seconds. Always be ready to collect your potions immediately after mixing.
What does the Milkman class do with liquids?
The Milkman class receives stat boosts when covered in Milk. This makes Milk especially valuable for Milkman players, as they can maintain coverage during fights for enhanced performance. Milk is also the key ingredient for Primordial Soup.
Can I revive players with Primordial Soup?
No, Primordial Soup only revives corpses of NPCs and enemies, not player characters. It creates fighting allies from fallen entities, which can be incredibly useful for building an army.
How do I heal as a Vampire class?
Vampire class players heal by being covered in Blood. You can collect Blood from killing most entities or find it in Blood bottles. Angel Tears also provides healing that works on all classes including Vampires.
What’s the rarest liquid in Dead Rails?
Unicorn Blood is the rarest liquid in the game. It can only be obtained by killing Unicorns (rare spawns), during Unicorn Blood Rain (very rare weather), or by converting other liquids with lightning strikes.
Can I store liquids indefinitely?
Yes, once collected in Glass Bottles, liquids can be stored indefinitely in your inventory. They only evaporate when poured onto the ground as puddles, so keep your valuable potions and ingredients bottled until needed.
Do liquids stack effects?
Generally, being covered in multiple puddles of the same liquid increases coverage speed faster (1% per second per puddle). However, being covered in different liquids simultaneously causes the existing liquid to dissipate faster rather than stacking effects.
What happens if I mix wrong ingredients?
If you mix incorrect ingredients, the liquids typically won’t create a potion and will just dissipate. Some combinations may create harmless mixtures that do nothing. Always use the correct recipes: Unicorn Blood + Blood = Angel Tears, Unicorn Blood + Kerosene = Devil Tears, Unicorn Blood + Water = Holy Water, Unicorn Blood + Milk = Primordial Soup.
How do I get Glass Bottles?
Glass Bottles can be found throughout buildings while looting. They spawn in houses, stores, offices, and other structures. You can find them empty or already filled with various liquids. Always grab them when you see them as they’re essential for liquid collection.
Conclusion
Mastering Dead Rails liquids and potions adds incredible depth and power to your gameplay. From the life-saving Angel Tears to the devastating Devil Tears and the army-building Primordial Soup, each liquid offers unique strategic possibilities.
Remember these key takeaways:
- Unicorn Blood is everything – always prioritize collecting it through lightning methods
- Match potions to situation – Holy Water for teams, Devil Tears for hordes, Angel Tears for healing
- Weather events are opportunities – never miss a chance to collect during rain
- Class synergy matters – leverage your class’s liquid benefits
- Practice makes perfect – potion mixing requires speed and precision
Whether you’re playing solo or with a team, mastering the liquid system will make you a significantly more capable survivor in the zombie-infested world of Dead Rails. Start collecting those bottles, hunt for unicorns, and experiment with potion crafting to discover powerful new strategies!