Subnautica 2 Vehicle Upgrade Priority : Best Tadpole Modules & Chassis Order
You have limited module slots and rare materials. Here is exactly which Tadpole upgrades to get first, which chassis to use, and what order saves the most time.
- •Engine Efficiency ×2 first. Depth Module Mk.1 second. Impact Armor third. Everything else after.
- •Haul Chassis for resource runs. Scout Ray Chassis for exploration. Swap at the Vehicle Fabricator.
- •Cavitation Muffler makes crossing the Collector Leviathan trench much safer. Get it before your first Karakorum trip.
The Tadpole has 4 module slots and you have access to 7 modules. You cannot equip them all and some of them cost Troilite, the rarest resource in the game. Here is what to get and in what order.
Upgrade priority order
1. Engine Efficiency ×2 (first two slots)
Each reduces energy consumption by 20%. Two of them makes your Tadpole last twice as long between charges. This is the biggest quality-of-life upgrade and the first thing you should craft.
Materials per module: 1 Titanium Ingot, 2 Glass, 1 System Chip. Cheap. Do this immediately.
2. Depth Module Mk.1 (third slot)
Without this, you cannot go below 200 meters. Karakorum, Metal Farms, the Observatory, everything past mid-game requires this module. Craft it before your first Karakorum expedition.
Materials: 3 Celestine, 2 Enameled Glass, 1 System Chip.
3. Impact Armor (fourth slot)
Reduces damage from collisions and creature bites. Karakorum has Epicureans and a second Collector Leviathan. You will get hit. Impact Armor makes those hits survivable.
Materials: 2 Enameled Glass, 2 Strontium.
Modules to get later
Cavitation Muffler
Reduces predator detection range by roughly 30%. Makes crossing the Collector Leviathan trench safer. Get this before your first trench crossing if you can afford the materials (3 Titanium, 2 Strontium). Swap it in for the crossing, then swap Impact Armor back.
Photovoltaic Charger
Solar recharges your Tadpole in shallow water. Useful in Coral Gardens, useless in Karakorum. A nice-to-have, not a priority.
Materials: 1 Copper Ingot, 1 Strong Acid, 1 Troilite. Troilite is rare. Do not spend it on this until you have your Depth Module.
Chassis: Scout Ray or Haul?
| Chassis | Best For | Materials | |---------|----------|-----------| | Scout Ray | Exploring new biomes, predator evasion | 2 Plasteel Ingot, 1 Advanced Wiring Kit, 1 Dedicated Core, 1 Strong Acid | | Haul | Resource farming runs, base building | 4 Titanium Ingot, 3 Strontium, 3 Enameled Glass, 1 Dedicated Core |
Scout Ray is faster and more agile. Use it when you are exploring new areas where predators are a threat. Haul adds 30 inventory slots and 2 locker anchor points. Use it when you are doing resource runs.
Swap at the Vehicle Fabricator inside your Moonpool. You are not locked into one chassis.
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This guide was compiled from multiple public sources. We cross-reference with 3+ sources before publishing.
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