Scrap Recycling: Mining, Melters, Ammo Guide

Scrap is the kind of resource that can keep your campaign moving when everything else feels slow or awkward. If your progress keeps stalling because you need a cheap input for building, ammo, or early production, start by leaning on Scrap instead of trying to force a rarer resource chain too soon. It appears in many sectors, feeds a lot of early and mid-game needs, and can be turned into useful outputs through the right processing setup. The trick is to set up a steady supply first, then spend it where it actually buys you momentum.

Prioritize Scrap deposits and sectors before you overbuild

Scrap is a basic material used in construction, ammunition, and production chains, so treat it as an early anchor resource. Secure sectors that guarantee it first: Ground Zero, Salt Flats, Ruinous Shores, The Craters, Stained Mountains, Tar Fields, Overgrowth, Desolate Rift, Nuclear Production Complex, Biomass Synthesis Facility, Impact 0078, Windswept Islands, and Extraction Outpost. If you can choose where to expand, pick sectors where Scrap is guaranteed before you start chasing more specialized materials.

That priority matters because Scrap is one of the most dependable ways to keep a new base productive. Early and mid-game structures often ask for it, and if you already control a Scrap source you can keep building without waiting on a more fragile supply line. Use that advantage: settle your first industrial plans around Scrap, then layer in the rest of your economy after the basics are stable.

Set up drilling to get enough Scrap before you try refining it

Do not rush into processing if your mines can barely feed the line. Scrap is harvested by drills at modest rates, and drill coverage changes throughput a lot. If your drill placement is poor, even a strong deposit will underperform; if your coverage is good, the same deposit can support a much bigger economy.

Here is the key reference for planning your mining setup:

Use that as your build order guide. Start by covering the deposit cleanly, then upgrade or reposition drills to push toward the higher throughput numbers. The important lesson is that drill type and coverage are both doing work for you; if either one is weak, the whole line slows down. Before you add more consumers, make sure the mines can actually sustain them.

Route Scrap into Melters and Pulverizers with the right expectation

Scrap is used in Melters and Pulverizers for refining into other materials, but do not assume every machine consumes it the same way. The usable recipes you should keep in mind are simple: Melter recipe is Slag × 0.2, and Pulverizer recipe is Sand × 1.

Use this stage as a handoff from collection to processing. If you are building out your industrial core, keep the input side clean and the output side unblocked. It is better to have one well-fed processor than several underfed ones. When in doubt, prioritize the input that the machine explicitly wants, then let Scrap support the broader production chain around it.

Match input lines to continuous consumers before they back up

Scrap becomes more valuable when you treat it as a steady feedstock rather than a one-off pickup. Some buildings consume it continuously, and the important part is not just what they use, but whether your transport layout can keep up. Scrap is tied to continuous outputs such as 12/sec, 7.2/sec, or single-unit conversions, which means your logistics need to stay smooth and uninterrupted.

Do this in order: build the feeder line first, then the machine chain. If a processor is waiting on Scrap, the fix is usually better transport, better junction placement, or a better buffer arrangement rather than more processors. Keep conveyor and junction layouts simple enough that the input rate matches the machine’s appetite. If you overbuild consumers before the line is stable, the whole chain will stall and waste the mining you already set up.

Use Scrap where it gives you the most value: build stock, ammo, or area damage

Scrap is one of those resources you should spend with intent. For construction, it appears in common building costs of 6, 24, 54, 96, and 96 Scrap, so it is often worth saving for expansion when you need more infrastructure right now. If your base is cramped or underbuilt, put Scrap into the structures that remove the biggest bottleneck first.

It is also a legitimate ammo choice when you need splash damage. Scrap-based ammo deals 3 direct damage and 33 area damage in about a 3.0-tile radius, has a 5x ammo multiplier, and applies a -50% fire rate penalty. That makes it a good answer to clustered enemies, especially when you want area suppression more than sustained fire. Do not load it if you need raw continuous damage; load it when the blast radius will do more work than rate of fire.

The rule is simple: spend Scrap where it solves the immediate problem. Use it for buildings when your economy needs to grow, and use it as ammo when clustered targets make splash damage worthwhile. Just remember that the fire-rate penalty is severe, so you should treat it as a tactical ammo choice, not a default one.

Scale carefully on Scrap-heavy maps and challenge conditions

On certain custom or challenge maps, Scrap becomes the main mineral and sometimes the sole one you are expected to work with. When that happens, do not fight the map’s economy. Lean into it. Stockpile Scrap early, build your base around efficient conversion, and keep extra storage so temporary surpluses do not choke your mining line.

This is also where design discipline matters most. If Scrap is your main resource, every transport delay, blocked path, or overloaded consumer hurts more than usual. Keep the layout compact, give yourself room for buffer storage, and make sure your auxiliary supplies are arranged around Scrap-first production rather than around a resource you may not reliably have.

If you plan around Scrap early, it stays useful from the first expansion to the late-game grind. Mine it well, move it cleanly, and spend it where it creates the most value.