General Information:

This guide is currently for Drop Pod Spawn C. There are three possible locations for the Drop Pod to spawn in a new save. Drop Pod Spawn C is my preferred spawn and currently considered to be the fastest. Here is a Gallery showing all the Drop Pod Spawn locations and what to look for when starting a run: https://imgur.com/a/TvM8TrY

This video shows one of my runs with Drop Pod Spawn C. I recommend using it as a visual to find locations and perform different sections of the run. Note: If at any point I seem to divert slightly from the written guide it's because there is a way I can do it differently that may be faster given the circumstances. This guide describes the least-risky way of doing the fastest method. If you are just starting to learn the route, follow the guide, not me.

The guide provides a written explanation of how to perform all the glitches, however I highly recommend watching them performed in a run to learn how, when, and where to do them properly.

Terminology: OoB = Out of Bounds, an area the player would not normally be able to access Clip = Accessing an OoB area by passing through a solid wall using glitches AS = Arctic Spires Biome

Section 1: Shallows and Twisty Bridges

Skip Intro (Spawn C) Pick up flare Collect: Any Copper, any Titanium, 2 Gold (Vein), any Silver up to 9 (Vein), any Bladderfish, 4 Ribbon Plants Enter Drop Pod Fabricate: 1 Battery, Scanner Begin Scanning for Seaglide Collect: 4 Creepvine Seed Clusters, any Copper (Must have 3 before returning to Drop Pod), any Titanium, any Bladderfish Fabricate: 3 x 2 Silicone Rubber, 1 Lubricant, 1 Copper Wire, 1 Battery, any Wiring Kits up to 4, Fins, Knife, 2 x Air Bladder, Seaglide Deposit: All but 1 Wiring Kit, 1 Gold Exit Drop Pod Collect: 1 Snowball, 2 Ribbon Plants, 4 Creepvine Samples, any Titanium (Must have 6 before returning to Drop Pod), any Bladderfish Fabricate: 2 Fiber Mesh, Standard O2 Tank, Waterproof Locker Deposit any Bladderfish in locker Exit Drop Pod Deploy Waterproof Locker against Drop Pod Door (Skips Exit Animations) Activate Flare Storage Seaglide to High Capacity O2 Tank Blueprint Databox Collect: Any Titanium, any Copper, any Silver until 9 total collected in run, any Bladderfish Pick up High Capacity Tank Blueprint Scan Habitat Builder Fragment Collect 2 Table Coral Use 15 O2 from Air Bladder during blackout Seaglide to Rebreather Blueprint Databox Deposit in Flare Storage (In order of importance): 2 Table Coral, any Silver, 3 Copper, any Titanium (Count amount), any Bladderfish Pick up Rebreather Blueprint Drown

Section 2: Boost!

Respawn in Drop Pod Fabricate Rebreather Activate Snowball Storage Seaglide to first Propulsion Cannon Fragment Collect: Any Quartz up to 7, any Titanium (16 - Waterproof Locker Titanium count), 1 Salt, any remaining Silver up to 9 total collected in run, any Bladderfish (No more than 6) Scan first Propulsion Cannon Air Bladder to Surface and Refill Oxygen Seaglide to second Propulsion Cannon Fragment Collect: Any remaining Quartz up to 7, any Titanium, all Remaining Silver until 9 total collect in run, 2 Root Pustules Scan second Propulsion Cannon Fragment Air Bladder to surface and refill Oxygen Seaglide to Purple Vents Collect: 2 Lithium, all remaining Quartz up to 7 Pick up Booster Tank Blueprint Pick up 1 Battery from supply crate Deposit in Snowball Storage: 7 Quartz, all Titanium, any Copper, all Silver, any Gold, 2 Lithium, 1 Salt, 2 Root Pustules, any Bladderfish, 1 Battery Die in Purple Vent

Section 3: Arctic Spires

Respawn in Drop Pod Pick up all resources from Waterproof Locker Pick Up from Locker: 4 Quartz, any Titanium, all Silver, all Wiring Kits, 1 Battery, 1 Gold Fabricate: 2 Glass, 1 Copper Wire, 1 Battery, 1 Computer Chip, remaining Wiring Kits (4 total fabricated in run) Remove O2 Tank Fabricate: High Capacity O2 Tank, Habitat Builder (5th Slot), Propulsion Cannon (Place in 4th Slot) Remove High Capacity O2 Tank Fabricate Booster Tank Pick up all Quartz, Copper, and Titanium from Locker Deposit any other resources Exit Drop Pod Pick up Waterproof Locker Collect 2 Ribbon Plants Construct Clip Base Clip OoB Prop Boost to Arctic Spires Cache Prop Jump through the floor of Cache Pick up Ion Cube Drop Waterproof Locker Pick up and shoot the locker into the air with Propulsion Cannon, then stand under it to take damage when it falls. Do this until 25 health or less. Pick up Waterproof Locker Scan Architect Tissue Die to fall damage

Section 4: Lily Pads

Respawn in Clip Base and Exit Prop Boost to Deep Purple Vents (refill oxygen on surface halfway through) Collect: 2 Gel Sacs, 1 Spiral Chunk Place Air Bladders in First and Second Slots Construct Clip Habitat Use Air Bladders until O2 is full, refilling the air bladders multiple times by holding them in the clip base Clip OoB Prop Boost to Deep Lily Pads (From now on be sure to check Prop Cannon’s battery, when it reaches <5% swap batteries with scanner) Use O2 plant Collect: 3 Cotton Anemone, 1 Ruby, any Diamonds Up to 3 Use O2 Plant Prop Boost to Cache Construct Clip base Clip OoB Deconstruct Habitat Drop Waterproof Locker inside Cache, remove Rebreather and place Scanner in first hotbar slot Scan Architect Skeleton Deposit all Titanium and Quartz in Waterproof Locker Pick Up Waterproof Locker with Prop Storage Swap Scanner and Prop Cannon Batteries (If not already swapped) Reequip Rebreather when Oxygen = 0 Drown

Section 5: Crystal Castle

Respawn in Drop Pod Drop Waterproof Locker outside Drop Pod Pick all items from Waterproof Locker and Drop Pod Locker Fabricate:, Hydrochloric Acid, Synthetic Fibers, Polyaniline, 1 Titanium Ingot, 1 Plasteel Ingot Exit Drop Pod Collect any remaining Bladderfish until you have at least 6 Prop Boost to Deep Purple Vents (Refill Oxygen halfway through) Refill Tank (With air bladder refill) and Air Bladders at base Clip OoB Deconstruct Clip Base Prop Boost to Crystal Castle Use 2 Bladderfish and Both Air Bladders for O2 Collect: All Remaining Diamonds until you have 3, any Kyanite up to 3 Construct Clip Habitat Clip OoB Remove Rebreather as necessary so that O2 = 0 after scanning Organs Seaglide to Organs Scan Organs Drown

Section 6: Transfer Al-An

Respawn in Clip Base Clip OoB Deconstruct Hatch and partially Deconstruct I Compartment Prop Boost to Fabricator Caves Eat remaining Bladderfish and use Air Bladders when O2 = 45 Prop Boost to Fabricator Base Collect all remaining Kyanite until 3 Construct Al-An components Take Fall Damage in between Constructions Construct Al-An’s Vessel Take remaining fall damage until health is low enough to die after one more jump Transfer Skip (Initiate transfer 3 Dimmings after Highlight appears) Die to fall Damage

Section 7: Pase Gate

Respawn in Drop Pod Clip OoB with clip base used for AS Prop Boost to Phase Gate Facility Prop Boost Jump through floor Portal Cutscene Arms Cutscene Align Rods Animations Return Arms Construct Ship Animation Enter Ship Brace for Travel