Welcome, Explorers! The research system in Scavengers might look overwhelming at first glance, but once you understand how resources, nanites, salvage, and power interact, it becomes a streamlined progression path that can dramatically improve your performance and customization options. In this guide, we’ll break down everything from gathering materials to unlocking your most powerful gear and perks with minimal waste.

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Core Loop of Research: Play, Loot, Deconstruct, Craft

At its core, research is about playing matches, gathering salvage, and then using those materials to craft and unlock new content. The better you play, the higher the quality of salvage you’ll obtain:

• Green-tier salvage: Found from low-level mobs and bloat piles.
• Blue-tier salvage: Dropped by Outlanders.
• Purple & Gold-tier salvage: Earned from Orbitals, Seleuca, and other high-difficulty areas.

Higher-tier salvage = better materials = faster access to high-end gear.

Once you’ve collected salvage, hit your research station and open all of it to convert it into materials. Then, those materials can be used to begin new research projects.

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Understanding Power and Nanites

Power determines what tier of research you can initiate. You gain more power by leveling your account. For example:

• Tier 3 research requires 180 power.
• Beginners usually start with ~100-120 power.

Power acts as a gating system, so level up consistently to gain access to higher tiers.

Nanites, on the other hand, are a fallback resource — a way to get materials when you’re short. You can convert salvage and materials into nanites, and then back into specific crafting components. But there’s a major caveat: returns are terrible. Avoid using nanites unless you have a large surplus of something.

Pro Tip: Only deconstruct cheap materials like 400-cost components. Avoid deconstructing expensive ones (e.g. Alloy, Muskland, Rare Earth Magnet) — they cost more to craft and give the same amount of nanites (200), making them inefficient to break down.

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Tier Progression: Research Projects and Unlock Order

Research unlocks by completing projects within each tier. For example:

• Tier 2 = ~5 completed projects.
• Tier 3 = ~10 projects.
• Tier 4 = ~20 projects.
• Tier 5 = ~40 projects.

Each tier unlocks new weapons, abilities, perks, and talents for your Explorers. As you rise, more powerful upgrades become available.

To unlock higher tiers quickly:

• Focus on low-cost research projects.
• Talents are ideal — most only require one Bionic Augmentation I and another minor material.
• Always have something researching.

Efficient Research Order for Early Game:

1. Sidekick (sidearm)
2. Snowpiercer (sidearm)
3. Mk29 Frag Grenade
4. Thermal Boost

These will unlock Tier 2 Research. Then, begin unlocking a second research station to double your research speed.

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Components and Crafting Flow

Some projects require components crafted from your base materials. Think of components as middlemen: you craft them with resources, then use them in higher-tier recipes like wildcard weapons and talents.

Once you start crafting wildcard weapons, keep an eye on cost-efficiency. Every nanite and material counts in high-tier crafting.

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Unlocking Signature Weapons and Talents

Once you hit Tier 3, you’ll get access to upgraded Signature Weapons for each Explorer. These weapons are dramatically better than the originals and should be a priority to research as soon as the tier becomes available.

At Tier 4 and 5, your research options expand massively. Expect access to:

• New wildcard weapons (Opus, Quicksilver, etc.)
• Ammo crates
• Proxima Grenades
• Explorer Talents, unlocking unique passives for your favorite characters

If you’re a Kali main and want a talent like Fresh Mag, you’ll first need to research its pre-requisite, Rampage, and so on.

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Optimal Speedrunning Strategy to Tier 5

If you’re trying to blaze through research tiers:

• Focus on volume, not complexity.
• Prioritize talents. They’re cheap and fast.
• Craft projects requiring low-tier materials.

Keep research slots filled at all times. Once you unlock more stations, you’ll have 2–5 concurrent projects running, making tier progression much faster.

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Final Thoughts

The Scavengers research system is robust, but manageable once you understand what to prioritize. Start small, build consistently, and always pay attention to what you’re deconstructing. The higher your efficiency, the faster you’ll unlock the tools that give your team a competitive edge.

Remember:

• Loot smarter, not harder.
• Use power wisely.
• Respect your nanites.

This has been your crash course into research. Stay sharp, stay geared, and keep pushing forward — the wasteland won’t conquer itself.