Materials

Materials are processed resources collected and used by Sam to fabricate things like tools or equipment, and to build or upgrade structures throughout the world.

Overview

Materials are essential for crafting equipment, tools, and weapons, but also for constructing and repairing roads and large PCC structures. The cargo load of each material is dependent on the material itself, varying in size—small (s), medium (M), large (L), or extra-large (XL)—and weight, both affecting delivery logistics.

Obtaining materials

Oftentimes, materials can feel like a finite resource. And in the post-Stranding world, they're nearly as valuable as money. Any type of fabrication or construction requires materials. So it's important to know your options.

Lost cargo

Materials in the form of lost cargo is one of the easiest ways to come by materials, given that a majority of time spent is exploring or making deliveries. Scanning the environment with your odradek will highlight lost resource containers on the map. As these technically have no owner, they can be brought to any facility or prepper shelter for recycling or storing for later use. If playing online, resources can appear as other players' lost cargo.

Camp raids

In addition to finding materials strewn across the environment, they can also be found in enemy encampments. Typically, each camp will stockpile large amounts of one type of material; in fewer cases, multiple types. They are typically found lying about, either on the ground outside or on shelves inside tents. They can also be found within MULE postboxes to a lesser extent, as well as occasionally attached to the suits of enemies. On higher difficulties, additional forms can be found: high-density materials and lightweight materials.

Facility stores

Arguably the easiest method of obtaining materials, albeit more finite, is by claiming them from facility or prepper stores. This is often seen as a preferred methods, especially when it comes to needing large quantities of specific materials. The problem is that these stores can be exhausted. There are several means of keeping these stores full, such as finding lost cargo or raiding camps, recycling old or unused items, or even materials deliveries. Materials deliveries can be given at nearly any delivery terminal. Delivering these materials will automatically boost the facility's storage of those materials for immediate use. If all else fails, a facility's stores do replenish over time, albeit slowly.

Material variants

Two additional material cargo variants exists: lightweight and high-density. Lightweight material cargo is, as the name suggests, a lightweight version of the typical material cargo. High-density material cargo is a version that packs more materials into the same cargo container without adding additional weight. These variants become available as regular tokens of gratitude from preppers and facility personnel, for subsequent standard deliveries once Sam obtains a 5-star connection level with them. As mentioned above, they are also carried by human enemies on higher difficulties.

Types of materials

Ceramics

Ceramics Icon

A batch of ceramics, for use with a chiral printer. Recycling ceramics at facilities allow them to be used as materials for fabricating equipment. They can also be used to repair and upgrade roads.
– Ceramics description in Death Stranding

Ceramics are a resource that are used primarily in large quantities for building and maintaining roads (via auto-pavers), as well as for fabricating things like basic armor plates.

Chemicals

Chemicals are the rarest resource, needed to fabricate special items, and used to upgrade zip-lines. Because they are rare and unlocked during the mid-game, chemicals can be found in small amounts within enemy encampments all over the map, as well as in the form of lost cargo.

Chiral Crystals

Chiral Crystal Icon

Chiral crystals are a common and raw resource and are widely used to construct almost everything, including weapons, items, and equipments; building, repairing, and upgrading structures; and restoring and maintaining roads via auto-pavers.

Metals

Metals Icon

A batch of various metals, for use with a chiral printer. Recycling metals at facilities allow them to be used as materials for fabricating equipment. They can also be used to repair and upgrade postboxes, bridges, and other structures.
– Metals description in Death Stranding

Metals are a resource that are typically needed in large quantities to build, upgrade, and maintain most PCC structures, and also in moderate-to-high quantities for developing and restoring roads via auto-pavers.

Resins

Resins Icon

A batch of various resins, primarily used in the fabrication of tools. Includes rubber, silicone, plastic, polymeris, and more.
– Resins description in Death Stranding

Resins are a common resource that are used mainly in the fabrication of vehicles and equipment.

Special Alloys

Special Alloys Icon

A batch of special alloys, for use with a chiral printer. Recycling these alloys at facilities allow them to be used as materials for fabricating equipment. They can also be used to repair and upgrade safe houses and other structures.
– Special Alloys description in Death Stranding

Special alloys are a resource needed to build and upgrade safe houses, as well as advanced items and structures.

Table of materials

This is a table with the respective weight and size of the materials

Type	S	M	L	XL	XL1	XL2	XL3
Ceramics	40	80	160	320	480	640	800
Chemicals	30	60	120	240	360	480	600
Metals	50	100	200	400	600	800	1000
Resins	40	80	160	320	480	640	800
Special Alloys	60	120	240	480	720	960	1200

Farming

Since the materials which spawn in any given hostile environment or camps are not random, it is possible to repeatedly loot these locations to generate large amounts of materials at once, with the exception of Chyral Crystals. The following Table should list locations with usual Material yields.

This is a table of the MULE and Homo Demens camps and their respective stockpiled materials

Location	Stockpiled Material	Postboxes
MULE Camp North of Ludens Fan	Resins	1
MULE Camp East of Musician	Metals	1
MULE Camp Northeast of Engineer	Metals	2
MULE Camp North of Elder	Ceramics	3
MULE Camp Northwest of Distro Center South of Lake Knot	Metals and Ceramics	3
MULE Camp Northeast of Collector	Special Alloys and Chemicals	3
MULE Camp North of Timefall Farm	Resins and Metals	3
Homo Demens Camp West of Waystation North of Mountain Knot	Ceramics	2
Homo Demens Camp Northeast of Photographer	Special Alloys	3
Homo Demens Camp South of Evo-Devo Biologist	Chemicals	3