Metal Detector in Atomfall: Discover Hidden Treasures 🎯💎

The Metal Detector in Atomfall is an extremely useful tool, allowing you to discover hidden caches underground. Not only do these caches provide you with resources and, in some cases, collectibles, but you'll also need to unearth some of them to find information and progress through certain quests. It's crucial that you acquire the Metal Detector as soon as possible; otherwise, you could be walking over useful items without realizing it. And the best part is, there's a free one near the start if you know where to look! With that in mind, here's where to get the Metal Detector in Atomfall and how to use it once it's in your inventory. 🕵️‍♂️✨

Where to find the Atomfall Metal Detector?

On the map above, I've marked the key locations and the route you need to know to get the Atomfall Metal Detector, all very close to the starting bunker in Slatten Dale. Once you've decided whether or not to help the Scientist in Atomfall and exit into the overworld, turn right and head up the hill toward the bridge, then under it toward the helicopter crash site. You can sneak up on the sole Outlaw here by crouching in the grass and then initiate a Silent Attack, before continuing past the helicopter to enter the Slate Mine Caverns.

As you move through the cave, the only threat you'll encounter is a swarm of bats, so be prepared to take them out, as they'll keep chipping away at your health until you've eliminated them all. Keep moving forward and you'll see a figure ahead, a friendly trader named Reg Stansfield; but ignore him for now and look to your left for a door surrounded by signs telling you "Get lost!", "Fuck off!", and other insults.

Passing through that door, you'll return to Slatten Dale, but further north. There are several Outlaws in the area to your right, so head left where you'll find a stream that flows into a large pool of water. Follow the left edge of the water; on a rock ledge you will find the body of an Outlaw next to Atomfall's Metal Detector., so grab it quickly! Don't stay in the water too long, as a swarm of mutant fish (or leeches) will come and attack you. This is the best way to get the Metal Detector, as it's near the start and won't cost you anything. 💧🏃‍♂️

As with most items in the game, there are other ways to get the Metal Detector in Atomfall. Remember the trader Reg Stansfield from back in the Slate Mine Caverns? If you trade with him before finding the Metal Detector through other means, he'll have one for sale; but this will obviously cost you other items in exchange to balance the transaction, so I don't recommend this approach with a free option so close. 💰

If you don't want to trade with Reg Stansfield, you can go for the nuclear option (no pun intended) of killing him, then looting his corpse for the Metal Detector and other useful items. While this option is free, it means Reg will be lost as a trader for the rest of your playthrough, so you won't be able to access other items he can acquire later. For this reason, I don't recommend this approach either, so just leave him alone! ⚔️

How to use the Atomfall Metal Detector?

Once you have the Atomfall Metal Detector in your inventory, you won't need to equip it or do anything else with it. You'll be automatically alerted by an icon in the bottom left corner of the screen when a buried cache is nearby. When this happens, follow the prompts to pull out the Metal Detector, then point it and watch the red lights at the top; these indicate where the buried cache is.

Turn until the middle light is lit, then move forward and adjust your direction to keep it illuminated. As you get closer, the needle will move up on the dial until it maximizes and all five red lights flash, indicating you've reached your goal. Then, follow the Dig prompt to retrieve your reward. 🎉

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