How to get a Tadpole submarine
Answer first
Scan three Tadpole fragments, unlock the Moonpool, build a Vehicle Fabricator, and craft the Tadpole. Prepare the System Chip and Power Cell first, then check which station your build uses for Strong Acid.
Strong Acid may appear in the Fabricator or Processor, so check both menus before farming cysts or Gold/Sulfur.
Field notes
| Materials | Titanium Ingots ×2, Glass ×1, System Chip (Wiring Kit + Quartz ×2), Power Cell (Basic Battery ×2 + Strong Acid + Salt) |
|---|---|
| Tools | Scanner, Moonpool, Vehicle Fabricator |
| Depth / zone | Shallow → mid; Moonpool room |
Steps
- Enable landmark signals in the character/pause menu so wreck and blackbox markers show.
- Scan any three Tadpole fragments — Polygon lists multiple early picks (Welcome Center cliff ruins; current/ravine NE; ribcage plateau NE; seabed by Old Habitat; two at Tadpole Pens).
- At Tadpole Pens, also grab the Moonpool blueprint crate beside the docked Tadpole and scan Scout Ray chassis wings if present.
- In a large habitat room, place Moonpool (5 Titanium) then Vehicle Fabricator on the Moonpool edge (2 Titanium Ingots, 1 Copper Ingot, 2 Glass).
- Prepare the System Chip at a Fabricator (1 Wiring Kit + 2 Quartz) and the Power Cell at a Fabricator (2 Basic Batteries + 1 Strong Acid + 1 Salt). If Strong Acid is not in your Fabricator, use the facility that your current build lists for it; do not assume the older Processor-only route.
Image: Original site diagram based on the listed recipe sources; no game asset - Craft Tadpole at the Vehicle Fabricator, then add a Tadpole Dock later to recharge.
Checklist
- 3/3 Tadpole fragments
- Moonpool blueprint
- Moonpool + Vehicle Fabricator built
- Tadpole crafted
Version differences and limitations
- The Tadpole bill of materials and the System Chip / Power Cell quantities are cross-checked in current guides. Only the Strong Acid station assignment and its alternate route should be confirmed in the current build UI.
Sources
- Polygon — How to get a tadpole submarine
- TechRaptor — Blueprint unlocks (Moonpool / Tadpole Dock)
- PC Gamer — How to build and upgrade a Tadpole — Lists the current Tadpole materials and Vehicle Fabricator step.
- Dexerto — Tadpole crafting recipe — Cross-checks System Chip and Power Cell component recipes.
- Unknown Worlds — Subnautica 2 Buddy System Hotfix 1 — Official hotfix notes address oxygen replenishment for occupants attached to Tadpole / Haul; verify the behavior in your build.