What this solves
Use this once the basic tool loop works and Tadpole fragments start pulling you farther from safe water. Split the scan run from the material run so neither one becomes messy.
Quick route
- Scan toward Tadpole fragments with Tech & Story filters, then leave.
- Do a separate material run for Silver Ingot and Copper Wire needs.
- Build Dock support before treating the vehicle as a deep-route solution.
- Delay late depth materials until the basic vehicle path is stable.
Before you go
- Scanner and oxygen route should both be stable.
- Bank Silver and Copper before the fragment sweep if possible.
- Keep one trip focused on scans and one trip focused on materials.
Prerequisites
- Stable Silver route
- Scanner available
- Enough oxygen for fragment loops
- Basic electronics storage
Field Notes
Step-by-step Walkthrough
Each step keeps exact coordinates conservative. Use the linked map filters for route planning and trust reviewed marker labels when you need precision.
Scan trips work best when inventory is not already overloaded with farming goals. Step 1ApproximateGuide noteSeparate fragment hunting from resource farming
Avoid mixing scan progress and material farming into one messy trip.
Tadpole fragments belong in the Tech and Story view. Farm Silver, Copper and batteries before committing to a fragment sweep.
Tadpole progress starts with information. Put the map on Tech & Story, look for Tadpole-related markers, and treat the first pass as a scan sweep. If you also try to farm every missing material on that same swim, you will spend more time deciding what to drop than moving the route forward.
After the scan sweep, return and read the craft pressure. The route becomes much cleaner once you know whether the next blocker is Silver, Copper Wire, Dock work or a later depth item.
Map hint
Use Tech & Story with a Tadpole search term; hide dense resource layers during the scan pass.
Do this
- Scanner equipped
- Inventory space kept open
- Tadpole search active
Watch for
- Turning the scan sweep into a resource sweep
- Staying out after oxygen comfort drops
Next: Return, check the Dock recipe pressure, then do the material run.
Dock prep should be a checklist, not a vague "find more materials" trip. Step 2RecipeGuide notePrepare Dock materials
Handle Silver Ingot and Copper Wire as a recipe checkpoint.
Tadpole Dock prep is tied to Silver Ingot and Copper Wire. Use item pages for recipe checks and resource pages for gathering routes.
Dock preparation is where Silver and Copper planning pays off. Use the item links to confirm the exact material chain visible in your build, then open resource pages for the pieces you are missing. This keeps the route concrete and avoids dumping every possible late material into the first vehicle checklist.
If you are short on Silver, go back through the Early Silver route instead of searching randomly around the Dock objective. If Copper Wire is the blocker, solve that as an electronics run.
Map hint
Jump from the Dock material item to the resource page, then use focused map links for only the missing material.
Do this
- Silver route known
- Copper Wire materials checked
- Dock recipe reviewed before leaving
Watch for
- Searching for fragments when the real blocker is a recipe part
Next: Build the Dock support, then decide whether depth materials are actually needed yet.
Late materials become relevant after the vehicle path is reliable, not before the first scan loop. Step 3Route noteGuide noteAdd depth materials after the vehicle path is stable
Keep late minerals out of the first Tadpole unlock checklist.
Celestine, Atacamite and Troilite matter later. Do not mix every late material into the first Tadpole fragment route.
Celestine, Atacamite and Troilite matter later, especially when depth and ruin planning begins. They do not all belong in the same mental bucket as the first Tadpole scan sweep. If the vehicle is not built or the Dock path is not stable, late minerals are background notes.
When a late material appears in a recipe, open its resource page and check the warning status. Troilite in particular deserves caution because community warnings and patch changes both affect how players should spend it.
Map hint
Use late material filters only after the current Tadpole recipe actually asks for them.
Do this
- Basic vehicle path stable
- Late recipe visible
- Troilite warning read before spending
Watch for
- Collecting dangerous late materials before they solve a current blocker
Next: Move to the Pens route after the vehicle path is usable.
The Tadpole gives reach, but cave exits and depth comfort still decide whether a route is safe. Step 4Route noteCommunity noteUse the Tadpole as safety, not permission to overextend
Let the vehicle improve route safety without replacing caution.
Reported Tadpole use includes oxygen and depth utility, but deep cave planning still needs a return path and layer filters.
The Tadpole makes longer routes feel possible, which is exactly why it can get players in trouble. A vehicle helps with oxygen, storage and reach, but it does not make every cave route readable. Keep using landmarks, depth bands and focused filters.
Before pushing into Tadpole Pens or late story areas, make one short vehicle-supported run and return. If the exit is confusing on the practice run, the story route will only make that worse.
Map hint
Pair vehicle routes with Caves and Depth layers when moving beyond familiar water.
Do this
- Practice run completed
- Exit route understood
- Depth limit respected
Watch for
- Treating vehicle oxygen as infinite safety
- Driving into caves without a turn-back rule
Next: Open Tadpole Pens Code when the route starts pointing at the puzzle gate.