You’re Short. It Happens.

Day 1 went fine. Day 2, someone died holding 80 credits of scrap. Day 3, you wake up, check the terminal, and you’re 200 short of quota. The crew is shaken — maybe you’re down a player. The clock is ticking.

You have one day to make up the gap or the run is over. Here’s how to maximize your chances.

Step 1: Calculate Exactly How Much You Need

Before you pick a moon, do the math. The terminal shows your current scrap total and quota. The difference is what you need to find today.

But there’s a twist: you don’t need to find all of it on Day 3. You can SELL items already on the ship that you were saving. This is the most overlooked option in quota crisis:

  • Is the ship holding 2 extra Shovels? Sell one (15 credits). You only need one Shovel per crew.
  • Did someone buy a Stun Grenade that hasn’t been used? Sell it (25 credits). It’s not helping you meet quota sitting in storage.
  • Is there a Walkie-Talkie that no one uses? Sell it (12 credits). You can rebuy it next quota.

An average ship has 50-80 credits of unused equipment sitting around. Sell it all. You’re in survival mode.

Step 2: Pick the Right Moon for a Panic Run

Your moon choice on Day 3 is the single biggest decision. Here’s the framework:

Scenario A: You Need Less Than 150 Scrap

Go to Offense (40 credits to land). C-tier hazard means manageable enemies. Average scrap: 500-750 per clear. You’ll find 150 in the first 3-4 rooms near the entrance.

The strategy: Enter together, clear 4 rooms near the main entrance, carry everything out, leave by 3 PM. Don’t go to the fire exit. Don’t split up. Speed is everything — you can do this run in 8-10 minutes.

Scenario B: You Need 150-300 Scrap

Go to March (free). The scrap pool is better than Assurance, and March has a fire exit for faster extraction.

The strategy: Enter through the main entrance as a group of 2-3. Clear 5-6 rooms. Use the fire exit to extract scrap faster — one player carries scrap back through the fire exit while others continue looting. Be OUT by 5 PM. March’s outdoor path is long — the walk back after dark is lethal.

Scenario C: You Need 300-500 Scrap (Panic Mode)

Go to Rend (550 credits to land). Yes, it costs money. Yes, this sounds insane when you’re already short. Do the math:

You need 500 scrap. You currently have enough for quota minus 500. Rend averages 800-1,100 scrap per run. If you survive — and that’s a big if — you’ll not only meet quota but build a surplus for next time. The 550 credit fee is paid back instantly by Rend’s superior scrap pool.

The strategy: THIS IS RISKY. Only attempt if you have 3+ experienced players. Enter together. Stay together. One player watches for Coil-Heads while others loot. B-tier hazard — Coil-Heads CAN spawn. If you hear one, leave immediately with whatever scrap you have. A partial Rend load (400-500 scrap) is still better than a full March load if you need the numbers.

Scenario D: The Ship Has Almost Nothing. You’re 500+ Short.

Don’t go to Titan. Titan with a desperate, tilted crew is a guaranteed wipe.

Instead, do two March runs. March has no landing fee. You have all day. First run: enter at 8 AM, clear 4-5 rooms, extract by noon. Sell everything the moment you return. Second run: enter at 1 PM, clear as much as you can, extract by 5 PM.

Two March clearings net 800-1,300 scrap total. It takes the full day. It’s not glamorous. But it works.

Step 3: The Emergency Sell Strategy

You’re back at the ship. You have 50 scrap. You need 200 to meet quota. You have items worth maybe 80 credits sitting in storage.

Sell in this order:

  1. Extra equipment (Shovels, spare Flashlights, unused Stun Grenades)
  2. Duplicate items (second Walkie-Talkie, second Pro-Flashlight)
  3. Low-value scrap you were saving for next quota (tattered metal sheets, old bottles, bolts — anything worth under 30 credits individually)
  4. As a last resort: your Pro-Flashlight (sell for 30, rebuy the standard Flashlight next quota for 15)

Never sell:

  • Your only Shovel (you can’t fight Thumpers without it)
  • Your only light source (can’t navigate interiors)
  • Scrap worth 60+ credits individually (these are your quota foundation next run)

Step 4: The Last-Resort Gambles

These are high-risk strategies. Use only when the alternatives are certain failure.

The Solo Sprint

If your crew is dead or too scared to enter the facility, ONE player goes in alone. Enter at 8 AM with a Shovel and a Flashlight. Clear 2-3 rooms near the entrance. Carry everything back. If you encounter ANY monster other than a Hoarding Bug or Snare Flea, leave immediately. A solo Sprint that retrieves 80-120 scrap in 5 minutes is better than a full crew wipe that retrieves nothing.

The Corpse Run

A dead teammate’s body is still in the facility, holding scrap they collected before dying. If they were carrying 100+ credits of items, a retrieval mission might be worth it. Enter together, go DIRECTLY to where they died (the ship operator should have noted the room), grab the scrap, leave. Don’t explore. Don’t loot extra rooms. This is a retrieval, not a run.