Crafting the Tadpole is arguably the biggest milestone you can reach in Subnautica 2 in its current early access state. It is the vehicle that lets you explore the alien ocean with ease, and essentially half of what is currently available to explore in the game is locked behind your ability to craft one. The Tadpole generates its own oxygen supply, moves faster than any swim speed you can achieve on foot, and opens up deeper parts of the ocean that are simply out of reach otherwise. Getting there takes some setup, but once you know the steps, the process is straightforward.
To craft most major pieces of gear in Subnautica 2, you have to scan versions of that piece of equipment multiple times to unlock the full blueprint. In the case of the Tadpole blueprint, you will need to scan three Tadpoles in order to unlock the blueprint. There are at least nine fragments scattered across the seas of Zazura, but the most accessible ones in the early game are concentrated around the Old Habitat and nearby ravines north of your Lifepod. The first fragment can be found approximately 370 to 430 metres north of your Lifepod, on the north side of the Old Habitat colony ruins. Once you arrive at the ruins, head northwest a little way up the ravine to find a crashed Tadpole close to the entrance to the ruins themselves. While here, make sure to scan other valuable tools in the area, such as the Sonic Resonator, the Processor, and the Scanner Station. A second fragment is located around 280 metres northeast in a ravine, where you should follow the natural current and look near a Colony Ruin Platform below. A third can be found heading south from your Lifepod until you reach the edge at around 120 metres. It is recommended to have both a Standard Air Tank and a Wakemaker before attempting to collect the deeper fragments.
Before you touch the Vehicle Fabricator, you need three things sorted: three scanned Tadpole Fragments to unlock the blueprint, a Moonpool placed in your base with enough clearance underneath it, and a Processor already running so you can smelt ingots. If your base is cramped or built too close to the seabed, you may need to expand or relocate before the Tadpole Dock will fit. The full Tadpole recipe requires two Titanium Ingots, one Glass, one System Chip, and one Power Cell. To craft Ingots you will need a Processor. For the Power Cell, you need Strong Acid, which is made by placing Necrolei Cysts, obtained from certain plants, into the Processor. The Vehicle Fabricator itself is placed inside the Moonpool, and you will want to make sure the Moonpool is large enough to accommodate it, using the Habitat Builder to expand it with roughly one Titanium per expansion as needed.
The Tadpole Dock is a separate structure that attaches to a different side of the Moonpool. While docked and with your base powered, it recharges the vehicle’s Power Cell automatically. You do not need the dock to build the Tadpole, but you will want it before going on any serious dive, as running out of power mid-ocean is a serious situation. By default, the Tadpole can only handle pressure down to 250 metres, and below that the hull takes ongoing damage. The Depth Module Mark I extends this to 450 metres. Beyond depth modules, there are also structural chassis attachments built via the Vehicle Fabricator, with a Tadpole only able to carry one chassis at a time, and upgrade modules crafted via the Modification Station, which requires two Titanium, two Celestine, and two Copper to build. Getting the Tadpole up and running as early as possible is well worth the effort, as it transforms the pace and scope of everything that follows in the game.
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