Scavenging Guide - State of Decay 2
One of the main gameplay loops in State of Decay is to scavenge for materials that are required for both base building and for survival. This page is going to share tips, tricks and strategies that I have come up with to either increase your efficiency when scavenging or to keep you safe.
When scavenging the first thing you're going to want is a vehicle that is made for it. The best vehicle you can possibly get is a Van as it has the largest storage capacity of all vehicles; the only downside with a Van is that it only has one passenger seat which means you'll have to either dismiss your Enclave Follower or your Regular Follower before driving the vehicle back to base and unloading your supplies.
If you can't get your hands on a Van then the second best vehicle is usually a pick-up truck followed by any four door vehicle with a good sized trunk. Avoid the sports cars and the "faster" vehicles for scavenging; they lack the carrying capacity the larger vehicles do.
What skills you choose is also a big factor in your ability to scavenge. The Cardio and Wits skill both let you increase your carrying capacity and are great for gatherer characters. On the lower difficulties it doesn't really matter, but on the higher difficulties you'll probably want "gatherer" characters and "hunter" characters. At the very least, you'd want unlimited sprinting and a light weight backpack on your hunter character.
Tip: It's advised that you wait until both Cardio and Resourcefulness are max that way you can see if your character is capable of getting both Backpacking and Resourcefulness before you decide if their going to be a gatherer for your group or a hunter.
Useful Character Skills for Scavenging
Backpacking (Cardio): Increases carrying capacity.
Resourcefulness (Wits): Increases carrying capacity & how many items you can hold (IE before you could hold 3 Snacks; now you can hold up to 6).
Discipline (Wits): Only take this one if you can't get Resourcefulness
Swordplay (Fighting): Use a bladed weapon and this ability to tear through Zombie Hordes like a hot knife through butter. Snacks are recommended for Zombie shredding.
Computers: Your scavenging character is someone you're not typically putting into harms way which means they're the perfect characters for your most important Community Skills.
Scavenging Useful Tips
Best Scavenging Tip In State of Decay 2: The best time to scavenge in State of Decay 2 is immediately after starting a new Campaign. In my experience there are typically two events that make the difficulty start ramping up. Two or three days pass (in game) and destroying the first two Plague Hearts.
- When you make noise with the fast search it typically spawns zombies and attracts ones that are nearby.
- Use Followers from your base and Enclaves to scavenge more in each trip.
- Bring a vehicle with a large trunk with you at all times. Store Rucksacks and anything heavy in it.
- Don't be afraid to break open a Rucksack if you already have enough resources of that type.
Scavenging Tips: Important Items To Look Out For
#1 Textbooks: Computers, Gardening, Craftsmanship, Chemistry, Mechanics
#2 Good Weapons - List of Best Weapons in State of Decay 2
#3 Ammo (Rifle is typically the best then Pistol then Shotgun. Don't use Shotguns on higher difficulties, noise matters)
#4 Parts (or items you can salvage into Parts)
#5 Toolkits for Vehicles (They matter more on higher difficulties)
Return to State of Decay 2 Walkthrough
Return to State of Decay 2 Guides Index