Magnetite Subnautica Guide

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Arthur Monteclar

Arthur is a writer for Ready Game Survive and is a huge fan of survival titles like Don't Starve and Subnautica. Arthur has been in the writing business for years now, he is also a software programmer, so he understands the craft and effort invested in the gaming medium, and He is also fond of manga and anime.

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As you land on this watery world devoid of intelligent life that doesn’t want to kill you, you start to build a home to keep you safe. You start by collecting precious metal known as Titanium to build your foundation and compartments. You gather Copper Ores to craft batteries for electricity. Slowly, your progress in terms of technology grows more and more.

However, you want to progress even further. You want to develop your technology to more advanced heights. You want to kill the lurking threat swimming around the gigantic Aurora so that you can explore it peacefully. The tasks seem hard, but available tools can aid you in this endeavour. For example, the most common way to kill Reaper Leviathans would be to freeze them using a Stasis Rifle and stab them.

You would need more advanced metals and materials to make something like it. Magnetite is one of those materials. You can use it to create a number of things, like the mentioned Statis Rifle, Repulsion Cannon, and more. You even need it to create a module that allows the Seamoth to explore deeper into the ocean. Read further into our Magnetite Subnautica guide to know more about the Magnetites and where to find them.

Bottom Line Up Front

The Magnetite is a raw material you can find in Subnautica and Subnautica: Below Zero. There are plenty of them in the Mountains and its caves in Subnautica, as well as in the Jellyshroom Cave and the Lost River. In Subnautica: Below Zero, you can find them in Ore Veins and along the Deep Lilypads Cave’s walls and ceilings. They also come in Large Resource Deposits.

What is a Magnetite in Subnautica?

“Fe3O4. Metal oxide with magnetic properties.” – In-game description

The Magnetite in Subnautica and Subnautica: Below Zero is a raw material used in crafting certain items. Players usually get the opportunity to use them later on in both games, as the items you can create with them are too advanced for the early game. As raw materials, a Magnetite occupies one slot of inventory. You can put them inside storage containers such as lockers.

Both games have different methods of obtaining them. In Subnautica, you can get them on the seabed in Mountain biomes and their caves. There are also lots of them in the Jellyshroom Cave and the Lost River. They can become clustered into large ore deposits, and breaking them by using a drill arm of a Prawn Suit will result in seven to 14 of them.

Meanwhile, in Subnautica: Below Zero, you can get them on the walls, ceilings, and seabed of the Deep Lilypads Cave. Ore Veins are also available as a means to get Magnetite located at its centre. Entering crevasses on the surface through a Spy Pengling will also reveal the precious metal. Finally, mischievous Sea Monkeys will occasionally give you Magnetite.

See also: Comprehensive Prawn Suit Subnautica Guide.

What does a Magnetite look like in Subnautica?

The Magnetite has a silvery appearance and looks like a cluster of octahedrons of varying sizes. If you are a Dungeons & Dragons player, an octahedron will be familiar to you; the pointy eight-sided die is an octahedron. To put it simply, imagine two pyramids connected together through a flat base, and you get an octahedron.

Upon closer inspection, you will see light shimmering and shining on the surface to reflect its silver appearance. On its base is a yellowish mineral which is probably metal attracted by the Magnetite’s magnetic forces. However, it could also be rock holding it together. In real life, Magnetite can become a permanent magnet by itself, and it is known to be the most magnetic natural mineral on Earth.

What does a Large Magnetite Deposit look like in Subnautica?

A Large Magnetite Deposit is a large structure composed of a yellowish rock with a lot of Magnetites stuck on its surface. The Magnetite varies in size, but the rock itself may be only a foot shorter than the game protagonist Ryley Robinson. However, the Magnetite attached to the boulder does not seem to have its silvery and glimmery appearance.

When you break a Large Magnetite Deposit using a Prawn Suit’s drill arm, the rock and its attached Magnetite will slowly disintegrate until everything is destroyed. The boulder has a slightly rounded surface yet stands tall.

How to get Magnetite in Subnautica

There are two methods to get Magnetite in Subnautica: collecting them from seabed surfaces or breaking Large Magnetite Deposits. In this guide, I will teach you how to get one even if you just started the game. I will discuss these methods in-depth. However, be warned that: Magnetite is not that useful if you just started a new game, and that it can be dangerous when finding them.

Magnetite is present in four main areas: the Mountains, Mountain Caves, Jellyshroom Cave, and the Lost River. The shallowest but may also be one of the most dangerous areas to find them would be in the Mountains and the Mountain Caves. The area is extremely dangerous because a Reaper Leviathan guards the area. These creatures are deadly, and you should avoid them at all costs.

Meanwhile, the Jellyshroom Cave does not have Reaper Leviathans. Instead, the place is teeming with Crabsnakes. They are snake-like creatures who hide among the Jellyshrooms and make it their home. Finally, the Lost River is the deepest area where you can find Magnetite. However, it is greatly dangerous as vicious threats like the Ghost Leviathan Juveniles live there.

Prerequisites: Making the essential tools beforehand

The areas mentioned are indeed dangerous, so you need these tools to explore any of them.

Step one: Make a Scanner

You need to scan different kinds of fragments to make some of the stuff required like modes of transportation. Fragments are a structure’s scraps that you can scan to make one yourself through tools like the Habitat Builder, Fabricator, and the like. They are like the blueprints that let your character learn how to build one.

You would need a Battery and Titanium to make one. You can find Titanium in Limestone Outcrops, or you can collect metal salvages and deconstruct them. If you break a Limestone Outcrop, there is a 50% chance that the resulting mineral would be Titanium. Meanwhile, deconstructing metal salvages will give you four pieces of Titanium, and that can be done through the Fabricator.

To make a Battery, you need two Acid Mushrooms and one Copper Ore. Limestone Outcrops also give off Copper Ore, though it is the other 50% chance. Another way to find Copper Ore would be to break the barnacles attached to Reefback Leviathans.

Step two: Have a method of transportation

It will not be safe if you come to these places with only an Oxygen Tank and Flippers. You must move swiftly if you want to survive a Reaper Leviathan. Fighting it would be futile if you do not have the right materials, so escaping it is your only option. In Subnautica, you can have these options to help you escape:

• Seaglide: “Converts torque into thrust underwater via a propeller.” – in-game description
• Seamoth: “One-person sea-and-space vehicle.” – in-game description
• Cyclops: “Vast industrial-use submarine.” – in-game description
• Prawn Suit: “Vast industrial-use submarine.” – in-game description

However, I recommend either the Seaglide or the Seamoth because the Cyclops is too gigantic and slow that it might even be a hindrance. Meanwhile, the Prawn Suit is too far ahead in terms of technology and slower than the Seamoth.

How to make a Seaglide in Subnautica

The cheapest method of escaping a Reaper Leviathan would be the Seaglide. You must have scanned two Seaglide fragments using the Scanner to make one. You cna locate its fragments in the Safe Shallows and the Kelp Forest. The Seaglide requires the following materials to make through the Fabricator:

• Battery
• Lubricant
• Copper Wire
• Titanium

I discussed making a Battery in the previous step, as well as the methods of finding Titanium. You can make the Lubricant through the Fabricator by using a Creepvine Seed Cluster. They are the glowing yellow seeds attached to kelps and you can pick them up.

Meanwhile, you can make Copper Wire through the Fabricator by using two Copper Ores. I have also talked about getting Copper Ore in the previous step.

How to make a Seamoth in Subnautica

By the time you would need Magnetite to make things, it is highly likely that you have a Seamoth already. To make a Seamoth, you need to scan three of its fragments, and you can find them in the Aurora and the Grassy Plateau. Then, you need a Mobile Vehicle Bay to make through the Fabricator. It requires Titanium Ingot, Lubricant, and a Power Cell.

You need to go to the Mobile Vehicle Bay and make a Seamoth, which requires:

• Titanium Ingot (x1): made using ten Titanium through the Fabricator
• Power Cell (x1): made using two Batteries through the Fabricator
• Glass (x2): Made using two Quartz through the Fabricator
• Lubricant (x1): Made using one Creepvine Seed Cluster through the Fabricator
• Lead (x1): Found throughout the map

How to make a Prawn Suit in Subnautica

I know that I only recommended the Seaglide and the Seamoth, but if you want to break Large Magnetite Deposits, you would need a Prawn Suit. You need to scan four fragments of the Prawn Suit which you can find in the Aurora and in wrecks found on the Mountains, Sea Trader’s Path, and Underwater Islands.

You would also need a Prawn Suit Drill Arm and its two fragments which you can find in the Blood Kelp Trench, Dunes, Grand Reef, and Underwater Islands. To make the Prawn Suit, you would need a Mobile Vehicle Bay and the following materials:

• Plasteel Ingot (x2)
• Aerogel (x2)
• Enameled Glass (x1)
• Diamond (x2)
• Lead (x2)

Meanwhile, the Prawn Suit Drill Arm needs a Vehicle Upgrade Console you can put in a Moonpool and the following materials:

• Titanium (x5)
• Lithium (x1)
• Diamond (x4)

Step three: Have a good oxygen tank and fins

Good equipment is the key to surviving the depths of Subnautica. I would recommend having an Ultra High-Capacity O₂ Tank and Ultra Glide Fins. However, if that is too much, a High-Capacity O₂ Tank and the regular Fins are sufficient.

To make the High-Capacity O₂ Tank, you would need a Fabricator and the following materials:

• Standard O₂ Tank (x1)
• Glass (x3)
• Titanium (x4)
• Silver Ore (x1)

Meanwhile, the standard Fins require a Fabricator and two Silicone Rubber. As for the Ultra-Glide Fins which make your swimming speed much faster, you would need a Modification Station and the following materials:

• Fins (x1)
• Silicone Rubber (x2)
• Titanium (x1)
• Lithium (X1)

Finally, the Ultra High-Capacity O2 Tank requires a Modification Station and the following materials:

• High-Capacity O2 Tank (x1)
• Lithium (x4)

Method One: How to collect Magnetite from the Mountains and Mountain Caves

The Mountains have a depth of 0 to 500 meters and can be located at these coordinates: 1090 -265 1215. It is generally northeast of Lifepod 5, which is your starting location. Huge underwater mountain ranges, rocky structures, and hydrothermal vents dominate the area. Another thing dominating the area is a Reaper Leviathan, so you must be prepared if you want to collect Magnetite there.

Assuming you have a Seaglide or Seamoth with you, collecting Magnetite should be relatively safe. If you hear the Reaper Leviathan, it is best to stay alert and ready your mode of transportation, because hearing its roar means that it has already seen you. A lot of Magnetites are in the Mountains, but be sure to escape when a Reaper Leviathan is nearby.

Method Two: How to collect Magnetite from the Jellyshroom Cave

The Jellyshroom Cave has a depth of 180 to 300 meters and you can find its entrances at these coordinates: (-360 -110 -225), (-495 -90 15), (130 -95 -390), and (-725 -105 0). A Seamoth is good to explore the area, but I would recommend that it has to have the Seamoth Depth Module MK1 due to how deep the cave is.

Do not bother fighting the Crabsnakes; instead, do your best to avoid them as they can grab your Seamoth while lurking about. Thankfully, they are the only threat found in this area. You can find Magnetite on the cave’s seabed.

Method Three: How to collect Magnetite from the Lost River

The Lost River has a depth of 550 to 1100 meters, and to traverse it you would need a fully-upgraded Depth Module for the Seamoth. It is a biome hidden under the surface where lots of fauna and flora flourish. If your objective is to only find Magnetite, I would recommend going to the other locations. However, might as well collect some if you are already there.

The water in the Lost River is foggy so it can be hard to find Magnetite. It is a large area though, so you have plenty of room to search for them. Be wary of Ghost Leviathan Juveniles who lurk there as they are extremely dangerous. Bleeders are annoying to deal with as they latch on to you like leeches while Mesmers lure you in and deal 35% of your health bar.

Another big and ferocious animal in this biome is the River Prowler. They only exist in the Lost River so it is best that you avoid them. I recommend equipping your Seamoth with a Seamoth Sonar so that you can navigate your way easily through the fog.

Method Four: How to collect Magnetite from the Large Magnetite Deposits

You can only find Large Magnetite Deposits in one location: the Jellyshroom Cave. Plenty of them stands out from the seabed. Only the Crabsnakes lurk here that are aggressive to the player, so be on the lookout for them. You should be in a Prawn Suit equipped with a Drill Arm and enter the area. The guide on how to make them is in the “Prerequisite” section.

When you find a Large Magnetite Deposit, simply press the key where the Drill Arm is equipped; if the Drill Arm is equipped on the left side, left-click on the mouse. Otherwise, right-click to activate it on the right. Hold the mouse press until you destroy it completely.

How to get Magnetite in Subnautica: Below Zero

There are four main methods in collecting Magnetite in Subnautica: Below Zero: collecting from Ore Veins, collecting from the Deep Lilypads Cave, collecting from Spy Pengling crevasses, and collecting from Sea Monkey drops. The areas are dangerous like in the first game, so extra precaution is necessary. Once again, I will be explaining in-depth the methods for getting Magnetite in Subnautica: Below Zero.

Prerequisites: Making the essential tools beforehand

You can follow the prerequisites found in the “How to get Magnetite in Subnautica” section because they are pretty much similar. However, there are still some key differences. For example, Subnautica: Below Zero does not have a Seamoth. Instead, I will recommend that you use a Seatruck with the appropriate Seatruck Depth Module.

To make one, you need to scan three fragments which can be found in the Purple Vents, Thermal Spires, and Twisty Bridges. Once you are done scanning them, you require Mobile Vehicle Bay and the following materials:

• Titanium Ingot (x1)
• Advanced Wiring (x1)
• Glass (x2)
• Lead (x3)
• Power Cell (x1)

I would also advise you to make a Seatruck Depth Upgrade MK2 and equip it to the Seatruck you will be using to collect Magnetite. The Seatruck is useful when you plan on going to the Deep Lilypads Cave. Furthermore, you will also need a High Capacity O2 Tank and a Rebreather when you plan on looking for Ore Veins.

Method One: How to get Magnetite from Ore Veins

Ore Veins are scattered everywhere on the map, and the notable areas include the Artic Spires, Glacial Basin, Glacial Bay, Glacial Connection, and more. It is unclear what the percentage is on which minerals you can get from each Ore Vein, but you can rely on them to find some Magnetite. They appear like holes in the walls, cliffs, and ceilings. You can collect the mineral by clicking on the Ore Vein.

Method Two: How to collect Magnetite from Deep Lilypads Cave

You can get Magnetite directly from the Deep Lilypads Cave found beneath the Lilypad Islands. Glowing flora dominates the underwater space with a depth of 320 to 630 meters. As such, you would need a Seatruck with an appropriate Depth Module attached to it. You must be careful when travelling here because threats like the Squidsharks and Brute Sharks lurk about.

Method Three: How to collect Magnetite from Spy Pengling Crevasses

Spy Penglings are useful tools because they can enter small areas that are otherwise too small for you to enter. In some instances, these small holes lead to resources like Magnetite, and thankfully Spy Pengling is equipped with the right arsenal to collect these minerals. When you put the Spy Pengling to “Explore” mode, you can freely move it to wherever you want it to go.

To make a Spy Pengling, you must scan its fragments found in the Glacial Basin, Phi Robotics Center, and near Marguerit Maida’s Base. Then, you need a Fabricator and the following materials:

• Titanium (x2)
• Wiring Kit (x1)
• Silicone Rubber (x1)
• Battery (x1)

Method Four: How to collect Magnetite from Sea Monkey Drops

Sea Monkeys are intelligent and brightly-coloured creatures that would often mess with what you are doing-especially if you are holding a tool. However, after a certain event during the game’s story, the Sea Monkeys will not mess with you anymore. Instead, they will often bring gifts of resources, and Magnetite is one of them.

If you do not mind being spoiled, Sea Monkeys will change their attitude from annoying rascals to gift-givers after you retrieve Al-An, one of the remaining Architects you find in Subnautica: Below Zero.

How to use Magnetite in Subnautica

In Subnautica, you can make ten items that use Magnetite. To make everything once, you would need 18 of them.

How to use Magnetite in Subnautica: Below Zero

In Subnautica: Below Zero, you can make eight items that use Magnetite. To make everything once, you would need 11 of them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion: What is the best way to get Magnetite in Subnautica?

The best way to get Magnetite in Subnautica would be to be in the Jellyshroom Cave. The Mountains and their caves are too dangerous considering a Reaper Leviathan swims around the area. In the Jellyshroom Cave, Crabsnakes will become your enemy. You can easily avoid them even if you are riding on a Seamoth.

As for Subnautica: Below Zero, I would try searching the Arctic for Ore Veins because it can be a lot safer than venturing forth into the Deep Lilypads Cave. The cave has vicious enemies like the Squidshark. Additionally, a safe way to collect Magnetite would be through Spy Penglings, but it is highly unlikely that you can gather a lot of Magnetites this way.

Overall, I think that you will eventually encounter Magnetite throughout your journey into the game as it encourages players to explore its corners. Furthermore, I believe that by the time you need the material to craft something,  you would have probably collected it beforehand (if you are like me, who is a notorious hoarder of items).