How to Unlock and Craft the Tadpole Submarine in Subnautica 2

Guide Background

This route is for players who want to unlock and build the Tadpole submarine starting from the life pod. The main job is to collect all three Tadpole blueprint pieces, then set up the required construction chain: Moon Pool, Tadpole Dock, and Vehicle Fabricator.

Before finishing the build, you will also need access to a Processor, since several required ingots and advanced materials depend on it. A Multi-Tool is also needed to harvest Necrolysis for Strong Acid.

Operation Steps

Step 1: Find the first Tadpole blueprint piece

From the life pod, head south at roughly 195 degrees. The first Tadpole piece is located there.

Step 2: Find the second Tadpole blueprint piece

Return to the life pod, then travel northeast at about 60 degrees. The second piece is down near a current, right beside it.

Step 3: Find the final Tadpole blueprint piece

Go back to the life pod again and head north at around 15 degrees. The last piece is found there. Once all three pieces are collected, the Tadpole blueprint unlocks.

Step 4: Build the Moon Pool first

After unlocking the blueprint, start by constructing a Moon Pool. It costs 5 Titanium.

Place it carefully and make sure there is enough free space on both ends and around all sides. If the area is too tight, later construction can become obstructed and prevent the Tadpole from being built.

Step 5: Attach the Tadpole Dock and Vehicle Fabricator

Build the Tadpole Dock using:

• 2 Titanium Ingots
• 1 Silver Ingot
• 2 Copper Wire

Then build the Vehicle Fabricator using:

• 2 Titanium Ingots
• 1 Copper Ingot
• 2 Glass

A good layout is to place the Tadpole Dock facing toward the Moon Pool entrance side, then place the Vehicle Fabricator on the opposite side.

Step 6: Process the ingot materials

To make the ingots, use the Processor.

Material conversion mentioned in the route:

• 3 Titanium for 1 Titanium Ingot
• 3 Copper for 1 Copper Ingot
• 3 Silver for 1 Silver Ingot

You will need these processed materials both for the construction modules and for the final Tadpole craft.

Step 7: Gather materials for the Tadpole itself

At the Vehicle Fabricator, the Tadpole requires:

• 2 Titanium Ingots
• 1 Glass
• 1 System Chip
• 1 Power Salt

Glass is simple to make from Quartz.

Step 8: Craft the System Chip

To make a System Chip, you need:

• 1 Wiring Kit
• 2 Quartz

The Wiring Kit requires:

• 1 Silver
• 1 Copper Wire

Once those are ready, craft the System Chip.

Step 9: Farm Acidic Round Pouches for the batteries

Power Salt needs 2 Basic Batteries, and the Basic Batteries require Copper and Acidic Round Pouches.

From the life pod, you can collect Acidic Round Pouches in three easy spots:

• Directly below the life pod area
• Southeast, beside a building on the left
• Directly east, inside a coral formation

After harvesting them, the pouches respawn in about 5 minutes, so they are easy to farm repeatedly.

Step 10: Collect Salt deposits east of the life pod

For Salt, head directly east from the life pod. Pass the wreckage in that direction, then look on the far side for several Salt deposits grouped together.

Step 11: Harvest Necrolysis for Strong Acid

For Strong Acid, head from the life pod toward roughly 345 degrees. Look for plants with purple tentacles. That area contains most of the Necrolysis.

Use a Multi-Tool to harvest it. Then process it into Strong Acid.

Step 12: Craft Power Salt and finish the Tadpole

Power Salt requires:

• 1 Salt
• 2 Basic Batteries
• 1 Strong Acid

Once Power Salt is crafted, combine it with the 2 Titanium Ingots, 1 Glass, and 1 System Chip at the Vehicle Fabricator to build the Tadpole submarine.

Important Items

Tadpole Blueprint Pieces

There are three separate pieces to scan or collect, all reached by short directional runs from the life pod:

• 195 degrees south
• 60 degrees northeast near a current
• 15 degrees north

Moon Pool

The Moon Pool is the first required structure after unlocking the blueprint. It costs 5 Titanium and needs clear space around it for the rest of the setup.

Tadpole Dock

Required to support the vehicle setup. Materials:

• 2 Titanium Ingots
• 1 Silver Ingot
• 2 Copper Wire

Vehicle Fabricator

This is where the Tadpole itself is crafted. Materials:

• 2 Titanium Ingots
• 1 Copper Ingot
• 2 Glass

Processor

The Processor is a core prerequisite because it is needed for ingots and Strong Acid-related crafting.

System Chip

Needed for the final Tadpole recipe. It is made from a Wiring Kit and 2 Quartz.

Power Salt

Another final recipe component. It needs Salt, 2 Basic Batteries, and Strong Acid.

Acidic Round Pouches

Used for Basic Batteries. These can be gathered from several nearby spots around the life pod and respawn quickly.

Salt Deposits

Found east of the life pod, past a wreckage. Several deposits can be collected in one trip.

Necrolysis

Harvested from areas with purple-tentacled plants at around 345 degrees from the life pod. A Multi-Tool is required.

Key Notes and Tips

• Start every search leg from the life pod to keep the directions consistent.
• Do not place the Moon Pool in a cramped location. Construction obstruction can stop the rest of the setup.
• The Tadpole Dock works best when oriented toward the Moon Pool side where you plan to enter.
• Acidic Round Pouches respawn in about 5 minutes, making them one of the easiest repeat-farm materials in this process.
• Necrolysis cannot be gathered without a Multi-Tool, so do not make the trip before you have one.
• Several important recipes depend on the Processor, so it is a hard requirement for this build path.

Tips and Tricks

• If you are gathering for the full build in one run, stock extra Titanium, Copper, Silver, and Quartz so you do not have to keep returning for small crafting gaps.
• When heading east for Salt, use the wreckage as your landmark. Once you pass it, check the ground carefully for clustered deposits.
• The purple-tentacle plants are the visual marker for the Necrolysis area, so look for the plants first rather than the material itself.
• Farm more Acidic Round Pouches than you need if you want spare batteries afterward, since the nearby pouch locations are easy to cycle.
• Build the structure chain in order: Moon Pool first, then Dock, then Vehicle Fabricator, then the submarine. That avoids layout mistakes.

Summary

The Tadpole unlock path is straightforward once the three blueprint pieces are collected from around the life pod. After that, the main work is setting up the Moon Pool correctly, processing the ingot materials, and crafting the System Chip and Power Salt. With enough room to build and the Processor plus Multi-Tool ready, the Tadpole comes together without much trouble.