Most people who played Subnautica for the first time had no idea what to expect. The cover art looked friendly enough, but an immediate crash landing opens the game. Afterward, throughout the gameplay, the constant sense of foreboding that weaves into the player's mind ensures that they never feel too safe.
These feelings are soon justified. When players delve further or deeper into the alien ocean, they are greeted with increasingly terrifying and dangerous creatures. The two Blood Kelp biomes are among the game's most dangerous areas, so it's worth knowing what to expect before heading into these zones.
Updated January 28, 2022 by Jack Pursey: Before leaving the safety of a base of the Lifepod to venture into one of Subnautica's many dangerous biomes, it is essential that players prepare for the journey every time. Subnautica gives players a huge range of helpful items to craft, such as oxygen tanks, health kits, and tools - though it's the game's vehicles that are by far the most useful craftables for traversing biomes as safely as possible. Consequently, we've updated this list to explain how to craft the game's best vehicles.
Blood Kelp Trench
The Blood Kelp Trench is significantly smaller than its Northern Blood Kelp Zone counterpart. It is also safer, thanks to not containing a Ghost Leviathan or Crabsquid. The area is located at coordinates -988 -379 -546, south-west of the starting place of Lifepod 5, north-east of Sea Treader's Path, north-west of Sparse Reef, and south-east of the Dunes. Finding small areas in Subnautica can be tricky due to the lack of map function, so be sure to leave a beacon upon reaching the area.
Despite its small size, there are a handful of reasons to visit the biome. Along with the resources, fragments, and data boxes listed below, the entrance to the Lost River can also be found here, at the coordinates -1220 -610 -325.
Resources
- Ampeel Egg
- Blood Oil
- Deep Shroom
- Diamond
- Gel Sack
- Ghost Weed Seed
- Gold
- Large Copper Deposit
- Large Gold Deposit
- Large Lead Deposit
- Lithium
- Magnetite
- Quartz
- Ruby
- Uraninite Crystal
Data Boxes
- Cyclops Fire Suppression System
- Cyclops Sonar Upgrade
Fragments
- Moonpool Fragment
- Nuclear Reactor Fragment
- Prawn Suit Drill Arm
- Prawn Suit Grappling Arm Fragment
- Prawn Suit Torpedo Arm Fragment
Aggressive Fauna
- Ampeel - Ampeels are some of the easiest creatures to spot in Subnautica, as their bright prongs make them stand out through the dark Blood Kelp Trench like a lighthouse. Moreover, they are easy to distinguish through sound, thanks to unique electrical noises that they emit when nearby. Ampeels inflict 45 damage by biting and 15 by shocking; these amounts can soon pile up, as the creatures sometimes travel in groups of two, three, or four. Ampeels can also inflict a ton of damage to the Seamoth. The Perimeter Defense System doesn't affect them, so it's best to be safe and completely avoid them when traveling in one.
- Blighter - Blighters are one of the smallest forms of aggressive creature in the game, and consequently don't do too much damage. Blighters inflict just 7 damage with their bite, which is their one and only attack. Better yet, the creatures tend to travel alone, so players don't have to worry about being swarmed.
- Blood Crawler - Blood Crawlers are similar in appearance to Cave Crawlers, who most players will recognize as the infuriating creatures that jump up and attack them on land. Blood Crawlers inflict just 5 damage, but they often travel in groups, so this can quickly add up. The creatures predominantly walk along the ground, though they can also crawl along cave walls and ceilings, as well as the player's vehicles and bases.
- Warper - Warpers are among the most bizarre creatures in the game, which is really saying something in the world of Subnautica. Warpers can be either passive or aggressive towards the player, depending on how badly they're infected by the Kharaa. As their name suggests, Warpers will warp other creatures to fight for them. Which creatures they send depends on which biome the player encounters them in. While in the Blood Kelp Trench, they will summon any of the three previously mentioned fauna: Ampeel, Blighter, or Blood Crawler.
Northern Blood Kelp Zone
The Northern Blood Kelp Zone is far larger than the Blood Kelp Trench and can be found at coordinates -988 -379 -546. It is north-west of Lifepod 5, north-east of the Dunes, and north-west of the Underwater Islands. Again, be sure to leave a beacon in the area upon arrival if planning to return. Like the Blood Kelp Trench, the Northern Blood Kelp Zone has an entrance to the Lost River, this time at the coordinates -705 -565 -1090.
Resources
- Blood Oil
- Crabsquid Egg
- Deep Shroom
- Diamond
- Gel Sack
- Ghost Weed Seed
- Gold
- Large Copper Deposit
- Large Gold Deposit
- Large Lead Deposit
- Lithium
- Magnetite
- Quartz
- Ruby
- Salt Deposit
- Uraninite Crystal
Data Boxes
- Cyclops Depth Module MK1
Aggressive Fauna
- Ampeel - See above
- Blighter - See above
- Blood Crawler - See above
- Crabsquid - Crabsquids look exactly how they sound, with a squid-like top half and crab-like bottom half. The creatures don't just look terrifying; they're also dangerous, as they can deal 40 damage with their bite and disable electronics with an EMP Blast.
- Ghost Leviathan - The Ghost Leviathan is one of the most infamous creatures in Subnautica, both for its frightening appearance and high damage. The enormous Adult Ghost Leviathans inflict a whopping 84 damage to the player, while Juvenile Ghost Levithans inflict 55. Consequently, players should ensure that they always travel in a vehicle or have one nearby when entering the Northern Blood Kelp Zone. The Prawn Suit is particularly resistant to Ghost Leviathan attacks, taking just 14 damage from adults and 9 from juveniles. Be careful when traveling in a Prawn Suit without the grappling hook attachment, though, as it could get stuck in a cave. This forces players to abandon it and escape by swimming, which is extremely risky.
- Warper - In the Northern Blood Kelp Zone, the aforementioned Warpers will summon any of the following: Ampeel, Blighter, Blood Crawler, or Crabsquid.
Which Vehicles To Use And How To Craft Them
Thankfully, players don't have to traverse the dangerous biomes with just their flippers, as there are a handful of vehicles to craft that can offer an increase in speed, more protection from dangerous predators, and ensure that players don't have to worry about oxygen levels.
The Seamoth, Prawn Suit, and Cyclops are the three vehicles that players can craft in Subnautica. Truth be told, which vehicle is best for traversing the Blood Kelp biomes is largely down to personal preference. So, to help players decide which vehicle to take, here's a description of each one and how to craft them:
Seamoth
For the vast majority of players, the Seamoth is the first vehicle that they will craft. The Seamoth lacks the inherent protection that the Prawn Suit and especially the Cyclops provide, but it's small, agile, and fast, making it ideal for maneuvering in tight spaces and speeding away from danger. The Seamoth can be fitted with several upgrades, including Hull Reinforcement, Sonar System, and Perimeter Defense System.
To craft the Semoth, players need to combine the following items at a Mobile Vehicle Bay:
- 1x Titanium Ingot
- 1x Power Cell
- 2x Glass
- 1x Lubricant
- 1x Lead
Prawn Suit
The Prawn Suit is a wonderfully futuristic-looking vehicle that lets players stomp about on the ocean floor - a form of travel in the game that many players say feels to be not as scary as swimming or driving through the water. The Prawn Suit's main strength compared to the Seamoth is that it has 600 health, which is double the Seamoth's 300.
Like the Seamoth, the Prawn Suit has a wide range of upgrades that can be crafted, including the Jump Jet Upgrade, Grappling Arm, and Torpedo Arm.
To craft the Prawn Suit, players need to combine the following items at a Mobile Vehicle Bay:
- 2x Plasteel Ingot
- 2x Aerogel
- 1x Enameled Glass
- 2x Diamond
- 2x Lead
Cyclops
The Cyclops is the most advanced vehicle in the game by far. The Cyclops is an enormous submarine with a whopping health of 1500 and is essentially a drivable base as players can craft fabricators, lockers, and more inside.
Unsurprisingly, the Cyclops' main weakness is its maneuverability. The vehicle's size makes tight spaces impossible to traverse while turning the vehicle is also tricky. Upgrades for the Cyclops include the Creature Decoy Tube Module, Shield Generator Module, and Thermal Reactor Module.
To craft the Cyclops, players need to combine the following items at a Mobile Vehicle Bay:
- 3x Plasteel Ingot
- 3x Enameled Glass
- 1x Lubricant
- 1x Advanced Wiring Kit
- 3x Lead
Subnautica is out now for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.