Subnautica 2 Prawn Suit Drill Arm: Mining and Combat Guide

Prawn Suit Drill Arm Overview

The Prawn Suit drill arm is one of the most important tools in Subnautica 2 for resource gathering. Attached to the Prawn Suit's arm socket, it lets you bore into large resource deposits that cannot be harvested by hand or with the survival knife. These deposits -- kyanite, lithium, diamond, gold, and more -- are essential for late-game crafting, making the drill arm a near-mandatory upgrade.

The drill arm is crafted at the vehicle modification station using titanium, lithium, and a diamond. Once installed, you activate it by pressing the arm button while piloting the Prawn Suit. The drill spins up and chews into any deposit you point it at, gradually breaking off chunks that get vacuumed into the suit's storage. Large deposits yield dozens of resources, so a single mining run can stockpile materials for hours of crafting.

The drill arm also doubles as a defensive tool. While not a primary weapon, the spinning drill can damage creatures that attack the Prawn Suit, and the knockback can deter mid-tier predators. This makes the Prawn Suit, with a drill arm on one side and a grapple arm on the other, one of the most self-sufficient loadouts in the game.

• The drill arm harvests large resource deposits.
• It is crafted with titanium, lithium, and diamond.
• It stores harvested resources in the suit.
• It can damage creatures as a defensive tool.

Mining Techniques and Resource Nodes

Effective mining with the drill arm is about positioning and patience. When you approach a large deposit, align the Prawn Suit so the drill contacts the deposit directly and hold steady. The drill slowly breaks the deposit apart, and resource chunks fly into your storage automatically. Do not move while drilling, because breaking contact resets the progress on that section of the deposit.

Large deposits are found in specific biomes. Kyanite deposits cluster in the deep lava zones and precursor thermal plant areas. Lithium and diamond deposits are common in deep caves and the mushroom forest biomes. Gold and silver appear in the deep bone fields and around wreckage. Knowing where each resource spawns lets you plan efficient mining routes that hit multiple deposit types in one trip.

The Prawn Suit's storage fills up fast when mining large deposits. Carry storage modules to expand capacity, or make multiple trips to a nearby Cyclops to offload. The Cyclops is the perfect mining companion: park it above a deposit-rich zone, shuttle the Prawn Suit down to drill, and offload into the Cyclops cargo bay for transport back to base.

Watch for creatures while mining. The noise and vibration of the drill can attract predators, and a Prawn Suit pinned against a wall drilling is vulnerable to ambush. Clear the area of threats before you start, or keep the grapple arm ready for a quick escape.

Using the Drill Arm in Combat

While the Prawn Suit is primarily an industrial tool, the drill arm is surprisingly effective in combat. When a creature attacks the suit, the spinning drill deals continuous damage on contact and applies knockback. Against mid-tier predators like bonesharks and ampeels, sustained drilling can drive them off or kill them. This makes the Prawn Suit far more combat-capable than the Seamoth, which has no offensive option at all.

Against leviathan-class creatures, the drill arm is a last-resort defensive tool, not an offensive weapon. A leviathan can still destroy a Prawn Suit if it gets a solid grip, but the drill can deal enough damage to make it release you, especially if paired with the grapple arm for mobility. The key is to drill the creature's weak points -- usually the head or underside -- while using the grapple to maintain distance and evade its attacks.

The repulsion cannon arm is an alternative combat tool that pushes creatures away without killing them, ideal for non-lethal deterrence. Some players run a drill arm on one side for mining and a grapple arm on the other, relying on the drill for both mining and emergency defense. Choose your loadout based on your mission: pure mining runs benefit from drill plus grapple, while dangerous deep expeditions might justify a torpedo arm for added offense.

Remember that the Prawn Suit's health is limited. Even with hull reinforcement, taking repeated hits will eventually destroy it. Repair between encounters with the repair tool, and never pick a fight you do not need to win.

Drill Arm Upgrades and Prawn Suit Loadouts

The drill arm itself cannot be upgraded beyond its base form, but the Prawn Suit has several modules that enhance its mining and combat performance. The storage module increases capacity, letting you mine longer before offloading. The depth module lets the suit dive deeper without pressure damage, which is essential for reaching kyanite in the lava zones. The hull reinforcement increases survivability in combat.

The grapple arm is the most popular companion to the drill arm. It lets you anchor the Prawn Suit to terrain and pull yourself around, which is invaluable for navigating vertical cave walls and escaping predators. The grapple-plus-drill combo is the gold standard loadout: grapple to traverse and escape, drill to mine and defend. The jump jet upgrade, which enhances the suit's thrusters, pairs well with this for full mobility.

For pure efficiency, prioritize the depth module first so you can reach the deepest resources, then storage for longer mining runs, then hull reinforcement if you expect combat. The thermal reactor module recharges the suit near heat sources, which is perfect for extended lava-zone mining sessions. Build your loadout around your mission, and always carry a repair tool.

• Grapple arm + drill arm is the standard mining loadout.
• Depth module is essential for deep resources.
• Storage module extends mining runs.
• Thermal reactor recharges near heat sources.