In *Atomfall*, getting your hands on the best tools early can significantly enhance your survival and exploration experience. One such crucial tool is the Metal Detector, which helps you locate valuable items scattered throughout the game's open world. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to acquire a free Metal Detector early in your journey.
How Metal Detector Works in Atomfall
Screenshot by The Escapist
The Metal Detector is an indispensable tool in *Atomfall* that you'll want to keep throughout your playthrough. When equipped in your inventory, it alerts you to the presence of metal caches filled with valuable items. As you wander the game's expansive world, you'll receive a ping from your Metal Detector, indicated by an icon in the bottom left corner of your screen, signaling that a cache is nearby. At this point, safely take out your Metal Detector using the designated hotkey.
The device features a row of lights that guide you toward the cache. If the lights sway to the left, adjust your direction leftward; if they sway right, turn right. Your goal is to follow the center light until the dial beneath reaches its peak frequency at 10.
Screenshot by The Escapist
Once all lights blink simultaneously, you've pinpointed the cache's exact location. Use the 'Dig' option to uncover the cache and then 'Search' it to collect its contents.
Where to Find Free Metal Detector Early in Atomfall
Screenshot by The Escapist
In the initial stages of *Atomfall*, you'll encounter trader NPCs ready to barter. One such trader, Reg Stansfield, located in the Slate Mine Caves in Slatten Dale, offers a Metal Detector. However, its price might be beyond your early-game budget.
To obtain a Metal Detector for free, head east from Slatten Dale, staying close to the mountainside and avoiding the 'Water Wheels' compound teeming with Outlaws. Minimizing early combat is advisable.
Screenshot by The Escapist
Continue eastward and then southward until you reach a large, shallow pond at coordinates **(29.1E, 73.9N)**. In the center of this pond, on a rocky outcrop, you'll find an Outlaw corpse. Beware of the carnivorous leeches in the water that can harm you if you stay too long.
Approach the corpse and 'Search' it to claim your free Metal Detector. This early acquisition not only grants you the **‘Detectorist’ trophy/achievement** but also gives you a significant advantage in gathering free healing items, ammunition, and other loot useful for bartering.
Moreover, using the Metal Detector early on can help you unlock additional trophies/achievements like **‘Where there’s much there’s brass’** (Find 10 metal detector caches) and **‘Packed lunch’** (Find 5 buried lunchboxes).
This guide concludes how to secure a free Metal Detector early in *Atomfall*, setting you up for a successful adventure.
