Sand: Sophie's attacker is a new PvPvE extraction shooter where you and the crew pilot giant walking fortresses called tramplers that battle it out across a desert full of dwindling resources. Launched in Early Access, players can find a good collection of resources, mech parts, and weapons at various points of interest.
One of the most important are energy rods, which act as a fuel and power source for your mech. There are different rarities of energy rods, but even the most basic ones are vital to your survival. After all, the last thing you want is to end up stranded in the middle of the desert. Here's where to find energy rods, so you can always keep your mech moving.
Where to find energy rods
If you're just starting out in Sand: Raiders of Sophie, you'll be given five NZ Mk2 Energy Rods, which are the most basic and common version of this fuel source. However, if you're not looking for more energy rods, you can easily burn through all of these in a few runs – especially if you're playing a more casual travel mode.
If you're looking to snag energy rods, here's where to find them:
- Parts crate
- Rare Parts Crate
- Very Rare Parts Crate
- Iron Clad Chests
- Lying around at points of interest
- Bought from a store
Among these places, The most common places you'll find them are in parts crates, which can be found in lighthouses, major points of interest, or sometimes shipwrecks on sand dunes. Parts crates are rectangular boxes with a large, white gear logo on the front, and the basic NZ Mk2 Energy Rod has a high chance of falling out of these.
For single players, always consider checking out the different boats, as these are usually looted and minimally protected by coral-infested zombies. They may not always have this specific chest, but it takes a lot less time to check the entire ship for the parts crate. Alternatively, perhaps the most consistent places are the names of points of interest on the map.
These fortresses are guarded by AI controlled mechs called Ironclads and are usually infested with zombies. While dangerous, these locations have many resources and are usually worth the effort to loot them. In particular, you'll want to do your search in areas near any warehouses or sections that look like docks.
You can sometimes find energy rods in these forts. It's rare, but on some of my raids I've collected energy rods by simply sitting on abandoned roads from cars or rolling carts (shown above). Look for a faint, distinctive purple glow, as this always means an energy rod is nearby.
Ironclads are also a good source of energy rods, as they drop metal crates upon destruction. These mechs are summoned when one of those watch towers spots you and takes 5-6 shots from the 80mm cannon to bring them down. Once destroyed, look around the wreckage for a silver basket. Inside is usually an energy rod, some ammo, and potentially rare materials!
Finally, you can actually buy higher quality energy rods, but that requires you to actually unlock them through the Tech Tree first. Located in the blue Tadeusz Godlewski tree, these can be unlocked and then purchased from the shop in your storage tab. There's also a smokeless variety at the end of this tech tree, which is great for setting up ambushes or traveling under the radar.
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How to use energy rods
When it comes to using energy rods, I usually store them in a crate near my reactor. Just take an energy rod and put it in your inventory. When selected, take the rod to your reactor and place it in the slot next to the valve that turns the trampler on or off. Above the slot will be a fuel gauge, which you'll want to monitor so it doesn't go into the red and your movement speed slows down too much.
Just go to the reactor and press F when prompted to use your energy rod to charge your trampler. Unless you're planning a long trip, you won't need more than 2-4 energy rods for most raids. Obviously, this can change depending on if you want to do more PvP, take on some tougher challenges, or hunt for loot.
However, given that they are the lifeblood of tramplers, you shouldn't leave home without some!
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