If you have come across some containers and such while out exploring in No Man’s Sky, you might have already encountered Rusted Metal which prevents you from opening these containers. Just like everyone else, you might think Rusted Metal is merely a junk item with no use so you discard it instead of taking it.
But after you encounter the Autophage, you can get a mission that requires you to collect Rusted Metal. Here is how you can get Rusted Metal easily in No Man’s Sky.
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How to Find Rusted Metal in No Man’s Sky
There are three sources of Rusted Metals in No Man’s Sky, they are as follows:
- Damaged Containers: You can find Damaged Containers in random places on planet surfaces, around structures, or inside Abandoned Buildings. When trying to open it, you will be shown that it is blocked by Rusted Metal. You can transfer this Rusted Metal to your inventory instead of discarding it, this can net you anywhere between 50 to 100 Rusted Metal from each Damaged Container
- Galactic Trade Terminals: Some of the Galactic Trade Terminals can have Rusted Metal as one of the items being sold in exchange for Units. These can be found inside certain buildings on planets, in every Space Station, or even on your Freighter and Base if you choose to construct one.
- Planetary Resource: On rare occasions, Rusted Metal can spawn as one of the Planetary Resources on Dead Planets. This will get you the most amount of Rusted Metal out of all the sources but it can be difficult to find a Dead Planet with Rusted Metal as a Planetary Resource. You can mine these with the Terrain Manipulator on your Multi-tool.
How to Refine Rusted Metal in No Man’s Sky
If you have an abundance of other resources in No Man’s Sky, you can also choose to refine Rusted Metal in a medium or large Refiner by using the following recipes:
- Oxygen x1 + Ferrite Dust x1 = Rusted Metal x1
- Oxygen x1 + Pure Ferrite x1 = Rusted Metal x2
This can be a quick and easy way to obtain Rusted Metal if you already have a lot of Oxygen and Ferrite lying around which is likely if you have some decent progression in NMS.
What is Rusted Metal Used For in No Man’s Sky?
Rusted Metal in No Man’s Sky isn’t exactly used for anything apart from multiplying Ferrite Dust by putting Rusted Metal as an ingredient alongside it in a medium or large refiner. Its more recent use has come from the addition of the Autophage race where sometimes they can ask you to bring back a certain amount of Rusted Metal for them as part of a mission that you can acquire.
