Mid-Game Progression Guide

Build the Tadpole

The Tadpole changes everything. It is faster than swimming, gives you a portable oxygen source, and takes damage instead of you when a predator decides to make contact. Getting one built should be the first thing you work toward in the mid-game -- everything past the starting biome becomes significantly more manageable once you have it.

Tool	Description
Tadpole	Only available vehicle in game [Recipe]: - Titanium Ingot x 2 - Glass x 1 - System Chip x 1 - Power Cell x 1

Requires Moonpool & Vehicle Fabricator

The Tadpole cannot be built at a regular Fabricator. You need a Moonpool and a Vehicle Fabricator placed inside your base first. The Moonpool is where the vehicle docks, and the Vehicle Fabricator is where it gets built. Neither is optional.

Tool	Description
Moonpool	Moonpool of configurable size and shape. Allows entry/ exit of personnel and vehicles from a room [Recipe]: - Titanium x 5
Vehicle Fabricator	Atomically restructures raw materials into vehicles and chassis [Recipe]: - Titanium Ingot x 2 - Copper Ingot x 1 - Glass x 2

Always Dock to Charge

The Tadpole runs on a Power Cell that drains as you use it. When it hits zero, the vehicle shuts down -- which is a bad situation if you are deep in a cave. Make a habit of docking at a Tadpole Dock every time you return to base so it is always fully charged when you head back out.

Tool	Description
Tadpole Dock	Recharges vehicles while powered when habitat is powered [Recipe]: - Titanium Ingot x 2 - Silver Ingot x 1 - Copper Wire x 2

Upgrade the Tadpole

Two chassis options are available: the Scout Ray Chassis and the Haul Chassis. You can only equip one at a time. The Scout is the right pick for most situations -- it is faster, more agile, and will get you out of a Leviathan encounter far more reliably than the slower Haul. Save the Haul for dedicated farming runs when bulk cargo matters more than speed.

Tool	Description
Scout Ray Chassis	Enhanced agility and speed chassis. Maximize acceleration, top speed, and turn rate [Recipe]: - Plasteel Ingot x 2 - Advanced Wiring Kit x 1 - Dedicated Core x 1 - Strong Acid x 1
Haul Chassis	Dockable passenger and cargo chassis for the Tadpole [Recipe]: - Titanium Ingot x 4 - Strontium x 3 - Enameled Glass x 3 - Dedicated Core x 1

Unlock New Tools & Tech

Several tools become relevant or accessible for the first time in the mid-game. The Sonic Resonator is required to clear Bloom infestations and mine large ore deposits. The Repair Tool keeps your Tadpole running and opens sealed doors in wrecks. The Rebreather reduces oxygen consumption at depth. Prioritize these before pushing further east.

Tool	Description
Sonic Resonator	Industrial phased-array amplifier used in mining and other applications [Recipe]: - Basic Battery x 1 - Titanium Ingot x 2 - Lead x 2 - Wiring Kit x 1
Repair Tool	Combination scanner and portable fabricator. Repair vehicles, bases, and systems [Recipe]: - Titanium Ingot x 1 - Wiring Kit x 1 - Basic Battery x 1 - Sulfur x 1
Rebreather	Conserves Oxygen when diving deeper. Automatically adjusts gas pressure to help lung inflate [Recipe]: - Fiber Mesh x 2 - System Chip x 1
Wakemaker	Arm-mounted jets for underwater maneuvering. Risk of shoulder strain [Recipe]: - Silver x 1 - Wiring Kit x 1 - Grease x 1 - Basic Battery x 1
Battery Terminal	Recharges Batteries [Recipe]: - Titanium x 2 - Quartz x 2 - Copper Wire x 1

Get the Heat Tolerance Adaptation

The Heat Tolerance Adaptation lets you survive in the Graveyards biome and the Hot Caves -- areas that are otherwise lethal to enter. You will need your Sonic Resonator to destroy the Bloom infestations around the infected Angel Comb before you can interact with it.

Investigate the Tadpole Pens

After unlocking Heat Tolerance, NOA will direct you to Investigate the Tadpole Pens -- a research facility roughly 680 meters east of the Lifepod. The front door is locked, and getting it open requires retrieving a colonist's access code from deep inside the Hot Caves below Tailings Village.

This is a significant mid-game milestone. Behind the door is a NOA Terminal that unlocks your next major objective and points you east toward the Alien Ruins. The Pens also contains Tadpole and Scout Ray Chassis fragments -- do not leave without scanning them.

Install the Best Tadpole Upgrades

Before crossing the Chasm east, make sure your Tadpole has at least the Depth Module Mk. 1 installed. Without it, the hull takes continuous damage below 250 meters, which is exactly the depth you will be operating at.

Continue Finding Blackboxes

Blackboxes unlocks new signals and waypoints, and the wrecks they sit in almost always have scannable fragments nearby. If you are unsure where to go next, checking whether you have missed a Blackbox is usually the fastest way to find the answer.

Know Where to Gather Key Materials

By mid-game, you'll need more materials to craft more advanced items. Silver, Lead, Gold, Lithium, or Sulfur are some of the things you are going to need. Identify the best spots for these resources, and drop a Beacon on each one.

Use the Scanner Station to Track Materials

The Scanner Station pings the location of any resource you have previously scanned within a 300-meter radius. Set it to track a specific material, and a waypoint will appear on your HUD pointing directly to a nearby deposit.

Scan All Flora Available

Growbed farming unlocks later, but the plants you can grow are determined by what you have already scanned. Scan every piece of flora you pass in the mid-game biomes so you are not making return trips just to unlock a crop you needed two hours ago.

Prepare to Go to Karakorum

The chasm is the dividing line between the starting region and the Karakorum region. Cross it unprepared, and you will inevitably fall before the Collector Leviathan. Make sure your Tadpole has at least the Depth Module Mk. 1, spare supplies, and enough resources to set up a forward base when you arrive on the other side.

Be Prepared to Face the Collector Leviathan

The Collector Leviathan patrols the area to Karakorum. It is aggressive and will attack the Tadpole. Install the Scout Chassis for a speed boost, and keep a Repair Tool on you in case you have a problem getting away.