Dune Awakening: How to get Metal Salvage

Metal Salvage is one of the most abundant and underrated early-game resources in Dune: Awakening. While it’s easy to find, its value truly shines when you learn how to use it strategically to your advantage, especially for crafting darts, a lightweight form of early game ammo that can streamline your inventory management and keep you combat-ready in the harsh deserts of Arrakis.

This in-depth guide covers where to find Metal Salvage, the best ways to use it, and how to turn it into an advantage, particularly when weight and mobility become a major concern.

Also Read: Dune Awakening: Research and Intel points system, explained

What is Metal Salvage in Dune: Awakening?

Metal Salvage is a common crafting material found in various junk sources across the world of Arrakis. It’s primarily used for creating ammunition (darts) in the early game, making it a core survival item for players who rely on ranged combat or want to lighten their inventory load.

Where to find Metal Salvage

Found scattered across the map, these camps are full of junk piles, scrap, and wrecked machinery (Image via Funcom)

You’ll encounter Metal Salvage often while exploring Arrakis, especially in areas dense with scavenger activity or leftover tech. Here are the best farming locations:

1) Scavenger camps

Found scattered across the map, these camps are full of junk piles, scrap, and wrecked machinery.
Dismantling items here yields large amounts of Metal Salvage.
Be prepared to fight off scavengers guarding these areas.

2) Caves and hidden ruins

These underground locations frequently contain metal debris and destructible objects that drop salvage.
Use appropriate tools to break through blocked tunnels and gain access to salvageable loot.
Caves can be risky, so enter with healing supplies and basic defense.

3) Abandoned machinery

Ruined vehicles and old tech structures littering the desert are excellent salvage sources.
Often found in derelict zones, near quest paths, or along supply convoy routes.
Some machinery can be broken down directly for materials.

4) Combat drops

Defeating scavenger NPCs, raiders, or other hostile encounters will sometimes yield Metal Salvage as a loot drop.
Small skirmishes around known camps can be farmed repeatedly for materials.

Dune Awakening: Salvaged Metal crafting table

Most recipes are accessible from personal fabricators across survival and weapons specializations (Image via Funcom)

Production Type	Fabricator Type	Ingredients	Craft Time	Output
Personal	Survival Fabricator	Salvaged Metal x1	4.0s	Improvised Power Pack x1
Personal	Weapons Fabricator	Salvaged Metal x5	3.0s	Light Darts x30
Personal	Weapons Fabricator	Salvaged Metal x7	3.0s	Heavy Darts x15
Personal	Weapons Fabricator	Salvaged Metal x3	5.0s	Scrap Metal Knife x1
Personal	Weapons Fabricator	Salvaged Metal x15	4.0s	Improvised Maula Pistol x1
Personal	Weapons Fabricator	Salvaged Metal x3	5.0s	Scrap Metal Knife (1) x1
Weapons Fabricator	-	Fuel Cell x15, Salvaged Metal x25, 75mL Water	3.0s	Incendiary Gel x15
Personal	Survival Fabricator	Plant Fiber x25, Salvaged Metal x5	4.0s	Small Blood Sack x1
Personal	Survival Fabricator	Salvaged Metal x15	4.0s	Binoculars x1
Personal	Survival Fabricator	Salvaged Metal x2	4.0s	Improvised Cutteray x1
Personal	Survival Fabricator	Salvaged Metal x20	4.0s	Improvised Blood Extractor x1
Personal	Survival Fabricator	Salvaged Metal x20	4.0s	Respawn Beacon x1
Personal	Fabricator	Salvaged Metal x20	4.0s	Construction Tool x1
Personal	Survival Fabricator	Salvaged Metal x15	4.0s	Glowtube x1
Personal	Survival Fabricator	Salvaged Metal x5	3.0s	Welding Wire x100
-	Fabricator	Salvaged Metal x20	15.0s	Solido Replicator x1

Why you should craft darts from Metal Salvage

Darts are used with various weapons, so having a stash ensures you're always prepared for a fight (Image via Funcom)

The primary use of Metal Salvage in Dune: Awakening is crafting darts — a lightweight ammo that’s both practical and space-efficient. This is especially a solid plan of action in the early game areas.

Benefits of converting salvage into darts:

Weight reduction: Darts weigh significantly less than raw salvage, making them ideal for reducing encumbrance during long trips across Arrakis.
Combat-ready: Darts are used with various weapons, so having a stash ensures you're always prepared for a fight.
No waste: Rather than dropping excess salvage, you can easily convert it into something useful on the fly.

Pro tip: If your pack is getting too heavy and you haven’t unlocked your bike yet, use your crafting station or portable workbench to turn salvage into darts and keep moving light.

Inventory optimization: Why it matters

Surviving in the deserts of Arrakis means managing your carry weight with care. Before you unlock faster travel options like the ornithopter bike, every gram counts.

Salvage vs. darts — A quick comparison

Item	Weight	Use
Metal Salvage	Medium/High	Crafting resource
Darts	Very Low	Ammunition

Turning salvage into darts lets you:

Stay under carry weight limits.
Avoid ditching materials in the field.
Stockpile useful ammo for ranged combat.

Other uses for Metal Salvage

Occasionally used in simple barricades, traps, or base components (Image via Funcom)

While dart crafting is the most efficient use, Metal Salvage also appears in a few other early-game crafting options:

Repair kits: Used to fix damaged equipment and tools.
Basic building items: Occasionally used in simple barricades, traps, or base components.
Quest items: Some NPCs may ask for salvage during side objectives or missions.

Always check your blueprint interface or crafting menu to see if any current recipes require metal salvage.

Farming tips for salvage runs

Equip scrapping tools for breaking down heavy junk more efficiently (Image via Funcom)

Use route rotation: Plan circular scavenger runs between camps and caves to hit multiple salvage points before returning to base.
Bring tools: Equip scrapping tools for breaking down heavy junk more efficiently.
Craft on the go: If you’re encumbered mid-run, convert your salvage into darts on the spot.
Know respawn timers: Caves and camps respawn over time. Learn the rhythm for efficient farming loops.

Metal Salvage is easy to collect but invaluable when used smartly. Instead of seeing it as just junk, think of it as a lightweight ammo cache just waiting to be crafted. By converting it into darts, you’ll stay prepared, unencumbered, and one step ahead of the desert’s dangers.

As you progress through Dune: Awakening, managing your weight, ammo, and materials becomes key to thriving in the harsh world of Arrakis. Metal Salvage may not look like much, but it's your ticket to lightweight survival efficiency in the early game.

FAQ: Metal Salvage in Dune: Awakening

Can I sell Metal Salvage to vendors?

You can, but the vendor value is low. It’s usually more worthwhile to craft darts or use them for crafting.

Do higher-tier weapons use Metal Salvage?

No — higher-tier items use advanced resources. Metal Salvage is mostly for early crafting.

Can I store Metal Salvage in my base?

Absolutely. Your base storage is ideal for keeping excess salvage until you need it.

Check out our other Dune: Awakening Guide:

About the author

Jagaran is an MMO and ARPG writer at Sportskeeda. His involvement in the gaming industry also includes working as a concept artist and as a narrative designer.
At age of nine, Halo: Combat Evolved kicked off his love for the medium. He looks back fondly on the times he visited cyber cafes, watching the older boys playing the game and shouting, "Master Chief!"
If given a chance to inhabit a game world, he would eagerly jump into the breathtaking world of Halo.
He admires Ben "CohhCarnage" Cassell for his engaging dialogue and gameplay as well as his critical thinking regardless of how much he loves the game, which encouraged him to spend countless hours in games and technically analyze them.
In his free time, he enjoys writing books, cooking, sketching, and the occasional game of football.

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Edited by Adarsh J Kumar