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Build your first Tadpole and keep it running

Quick answer

Scan three Tadpoles, then prepare a Moonpool, Tadpole Dock and Vehicle Fabricator. Leave clear space beneath the base; the dock extends downward.

How this guide was checked

Coverage: Early Access 1.2 · Buddy System Hotfix 2 (October 6) · official sources checked October 23, 2026 UTC · older routes retain their source/build limits. Research checked 8 Oct 2026. Updated 7 Oct 2026

This guide uses the linked sources and any attributed demonstrations. Platform differences and limitations are noted with the advice they affect.

See the 3 sources
3 sources
4 steps

Before you start

  • A Scanner, oxygen upgrades and base crafting facilities.
  • A powered vehicle supplies oxygen, but its current depth rating still limits the route.
1

Start with the shallower fragment options

Check the wrecked Tadpole northwest of the Old Habitat, and the ravine around 280 m northeast of the Lifepod at a 75° bearing. A deeper fragment lies among colony wreckage by the abyssal-crater edge northeast of the Lifepod. Treat the third as a separate prepared dive.

Sources for this section
2

Separate the dock from the vehicle budget

After installing the dock facilities, the Tadpole itself costs 2 Titanium Ingots, 1 Glass, 1 System Chip and 1 Power Cell. The Power Cell requires Strong Acid and Salt, so those materials are a separate preparation step.

Carry a spare Power Cell and a Repair Tool. Fit discovered modules through the top upgrade compartment; read each module’s stacking text rather than assuming duplicates work.

Sources for this section
3

Apply the current oxygen and sharing rules

Hotfix 1 fixes oxygen replenishment for players attached to a Tadpole or Haul. Inventory sharing is blocked while riding a Tadpole. Stop in a suitable location and leave the vehicle before trying to trade.

Sources for this section
4

Docking and out-of-bounds fixes

Hotfix 2 reports fixing docking checks blocked by the Tadpole’s own geometry, incorrect return teleports and destroyed Tadpoles with attached chassis failing to return inside bounds. Check the installed update and actual dock space before treating an orientation failure as a missing blueprint. The note does not guarantee retained cargo or recovery of every previously lost vehicle.

Sources for this section

You’re ready when…

Your checklist

0 of 3 complete · Loading saved progress…

Sources · 3Official · Walkthrough · checked 8 Oct 2026 · Research checked 8 Oct 2026
Buddy System Hotfix 1 ↗Save compatibility, oxygen and inventory-sharing fixes.Official ·
Tadpole scan locations ↗Fragment route, dock clearance and build recipe.Walkthrough ·
Buddy System Hotfix 2 — October 6, 2026 ↗Official October 6 release notes: voice detection, Tadpole docking and teleporting, power streaming, Scanner Station accuracy, Shiver interaction with unpiloted vehicles, Biobed and rack visuals, black-box signal names, Xbox memory and crash diagnostics. Rollout may take time; no Kingy reproduction or universal save recovery.Official ·

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