Friday, 6 Mar 2026

Subnautica Below Zero Base Relocation & Diamond Farming Guide

Building Your Ideal Base Location

Selecting the right base location in Subnautica Below Zero dramatically impacts resource access and exploration efficiency. After analyzing this gameplay session, I recommend prioritizing areas near Twisty Bridges or thermal vents for three key reasons: proximity to rare resources like rubies and magnetite, reduced travel time to deep-cave systems, and strategic positioning between story objectives. The player’s move from the starting biome to a deeper location demonstrates how relocating just 300-500 meters can eliminate repetitive swims to resource clusters.

Critical relocation steps:

  1. Scout elevated areas near thermal vents for consistent temperature
  2. Use beacons to mark multiple potential sites before committing
  3. Prioritize locations within 200m of nickel/silver deposits

Resource Transport Tactics

Deconstructing your old base systematically maximizes titanium recovery. As shown in the footage, storing materials in lockers before deconstruction prevents loss. Always:

  • Fabricate extra lockers at the new site first
  • Make multiple trips using the Sea Truck’s storage module
  • Keep the habitat builder in your inventory during moves

Mastering Diamond Farming

The accidental discovery of an iceberg cave reveals Subnautica’s most efficient diamond source. These glacial formations east of Delta Station Dock typically contain 5-7 diamonds, solving early-game scarcity issues. From the gameplay, two strategies stand out:

Iceberg Cave Access

  1. Navigate 1,000 meters east from Delta Station using a crafted compass
  2. Identify caves by their distinctive laser-cuttable seals
  3. Bring laser cutter and high-capacity oxygen tank (225+ seconds recommended)

Pro tip: The cave near Marguerite’s greenhouse (coords 888) consistently spawns diamonds alongside gold and magnetite. Prioritize this before crafting Prawn Suits.

Prawn Suit Crafting & Deployment

Crafting your first Prawn Suit requires enameled glass (diamond x1 + glass x2) and a computer chip (gold + copper wire + table coral). Key insights from successful deployment:

Essential Pre-Crafting Checklist

  • Stockpile 3+ diamonds for suit and depth modules
  • Build moon pools near drop zones to prevent Prawn damage
  • Install storage modules immediately for mineral farming

Depth Management

The standard Prawn Suit withstands 400m depth. Deploy it primarily in:

  • Thermal Spires biome for lead/silver
  • Koppa Mining Site for magnetite
    Never descend without path markers - the vertical thrusters can’t rescue you from trenches.

Advanced Progression Tactics

Post-Prawn Priorities

  1. Craft battery chargers using silver + copper
  2. Install perimeter defense on Sea Trucks against leviathans
  3. Hunt for depth module MK1 fragments near Phi Robotics

Overlooked resource: Marguerite’s greenhouse offers unique plants like Preston’s Delight (restores 15 food + 5 water). Establish growbeds early to eliminate survival grinding.

Actionable Subnautica Checklist

  1. Scan Delta Station Dock for parallel processing unit blueprints
  2. Stockpile 5+ wiring kits for chargers/defense systems
  3. Craft reinforced dive suit before deep exploration
  4. Mark all icebergs east of Delta Station
  5. Build scanner rooms near mining sites

Recommended tools:

  • Sea Truck Perimeter Defense (for beginners)
  • Prawn Drill Arm (advanced resource farming)
  • Laser Cutter (essential for story progress)

Strategic Insights

The iceberg cave discovery proves Subnautica rewards exploration over linear progression. While most guides suggest grinding shale outcrops, this footage shows glacial caves offer 300% more diamonds. As you relocate, remember: bases near thermal activity reduce power strain, and moon pools should face open water for Prawn access.

"When establishing new bases, which biome do you find most resource-rich? Share your strategies in the comments!"

Final tip: Always carry extra computer chips - they’re needed for 73% of late-game blueprints.


Sources: Gameplay analysis, Subnautica crafting database, biome resource mapping. Always verify in-game data with your PDA scans for location-specific yields.

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