Combat in Scrap Mechanic can feel brutal when you’re still early in progression. Scrap Bots aren’t dangerous one-on-one once you learn their attack pattern, but the moment you aggro two or three at once, things can spiral fast. Fighting up close with a hammer works early on, but it becomes risky when you start raiding warehouses or defending farms.
That’s where the Spud Gun changes everything.
The Spud Gun is one of the most important early-mid game weapons in Scrap Mechanic. It gives you ranged damage, safer bot clearing, and far more control during raids and farm defenses. At first glance, it seems complicated to obtain, but once you understand the full process, it’s completely achievable.
Here’s an updated, detailed breakdown of everything you need to do to unlock the Spud Gun.
Where to Get the Spud Gun
The Spud Gun is purchased from the Farmer Merchant. You’ll usually find the merchant near a Package Station. In many worlds, the merchant sits behind or near the packing area building, but locations can vary slightly depending on world generation.
You cannot craft the Spud Gun yourself. It must be traded for.
To buy the semi-automatic Spud Gun, you need:
- Two Blueberry Packages
- Two Orange Packages
- One Caged Farmer
At first, this list feels confusing. Blueberry and Orange packages? Caged Farmer? If you’re new, none of that is obvious. Let’s break it down step by step.
Step 1: Unlock Blueberry and Orange Seeds
Before you can grow blueberries and oranges, you first need to unlock their seeds through the merchant.
To purchase fruit seeds, you must first deliver vegetable packages. Specifically, you’ll need Beet and Tomato packages to unlock the ability to buy fruit seeds.
That means your first real step toward the Spud Gun is farming.
Farming Basics in Scrap Mechanic
If you haven’t farmed before, here’s what you need to do it properly:
You need fertilizer for planting.
You need water buckets to grow crops.
You should build an enclosure to defend your farm.
Whenever you plant crops, a raid timer begins. Once that timer hits zero, Scrap Bots will attack your farm. Without walls or protection, your crops will be destroyed quickly.
Build a simple enclosure using sturdy blocks. Even a basic square wall around your crops can dramatically reduce damage during raids.
Once your farm is secure, plant tomatoes and beets. Water each crop individually using a bucket filled from a water source. When they mature, harvest them. Crops will also drop additional seeds, allowing you to replant and expand production.
To progress toward fruit seeds, you’ll need a total of 30 Tomatoes and 30 Beets.
Step 2: Building a Packing Vehicle
Once you have your vegetables harvested, you can’t just hand them directly to the merchant. They must be processed at a Packing Station.
To do this efficiently, you’ll need to modify your vehicle.
Your packing setup should include:
- A Large Storage container
- A Vacuum Pump
- A Button
- A Driver’s Seat
Mount the Large Storage on your vehicle. Attach the Vacuum Pump directly to the storage. Then connect a Button to the Vacuum using your connect tool. Finally, connect your Driver’s Seat to the Button so you can activate the pump while seated.
This setup allows you to automate the packaging process.
Step 3: Creating Vegetable Packages
Load your Large Storage with the 30 Tomatoes and 30 Beets. Drive to the correct Packing Station for vegetables.
Back your vehicle up to the packer chute. When aligned correctly, activate your button. The Vacuum Pump will feed produce into the station, and you’ll see the progress meter rise.
Once complete, a packaged crate will eject from the machine. Collect the finished packages and load them onto your vehicle.
Return to the merchant and deposit the vegetable packages at the delivery platform. This unlocks the fruit seeds you need.
Step 4: Growing Blueberries and Oranges
Now that fruit seeds are unlocked, purchase Blueberry and Orange seeds from the merchant.
Return to your farm and plant them just like you did with tomatoes and beets. Protect them with your enclosure and prepare for raids.
To craft the required packages, you’ll need a total of 20 Blueberries and 20 Oranges.
Once harvested, you’ll need to find the correct Packing Station for fruit. Fruit and vegetables are processed at different packers, so you may need to follow the road to locate the appropriate station. They are usually not extremely far apart.
Repeat the packaging process using your vehicle setup. Deliver the two Blueberry Packages and two Orange Packages to the merchant platform.
Step 5: Finding a Caged Farmer
The final requirement is a Caged Farmer.
Caged Farmers spawn in various locations across the map, often near ruins, warehouses, or even close to the merchant area. They appear as trapped NPCs inside metal cages.
Once you find one, lift the cage and transport it back to the merchant platform. Place it onto the designated deposit area to complete that part of the trade requirement.
Step 6: Purchasing the Spud Gun
Once all required items are deposited, you can finally purchase the Spud Gun from the merchant.
The Spud Gun uses potatoes as ammunition, so you’ll need to grow and stockpile potatoes regularly. Fortunately, potato farming is straightforward once your farm system is established.
Is the Spud Gun Worth It?
Absolutely.
The Spud Gun allows you to fight Scrap Bots from a safe distance. Clearing warehouses becomes significantly easier. Farm defense becomes manageable. Exploring dangerous areas becomes far less risky.
Instead of relying on close-range hammer swings and risky engagements, you gain control of combat.
The grind may seem long at first, but once you understand the full system farming, packaging, and merchant trading, it becomes a structured progression path rather than a mystery.
If you plan on surviving long-term in Scrap Mechanic, the Spud Gun isn’t optional. It’s your gateway to safer combat and bigger adventures.
