If you’ve spent any time in Enshrouded’s Embervale, you know metal scraps are one of the most essential early-to-mid game resources. You need them for repairing tools, crafting your first metal gear, building base defenses, and even unlocking some of the game’s core crafting stations. Too many new players spend hours wandering aimlessly looking for piles, wasting time that could be spent exploring or taking on boss fights. I put this guide together after 70+ hours of playtesting to break down exactly how to find metal scraps in Enshrouded without the unnecessary grind.
Common Spots to Find Metal Scraps in Enshrouded for New Players
You don’t have to venture into dangerous high-level shroud zones to stock up on scraps when you’re first starting out. The starting plateau and surrounding low-level areas have dozens of reliable spawn points that are free of tough mobs and easy to access. Rusted metal debris piles are the most obvious source, and they’re usually easy to spot next to ruined structures or along old dirt roads. Each pile drops 2 to 4 scraps when hit with a pickaxe, and they respawn relatively quickly if you leave the area and come back later.
Abandoned cabins and small ruined villages are also goldmines for new players. Broken tool racks and wooden crates inside these structures almost always drop 1 to 3 scraps each, plus you’ll often find extra resources like cloth or stone while you’re searching. Stick to the areas west of the first Ancient Spire for your first few farming runs, and you won’t have to fight any raiders or shroud creatures to get the scraps you need for your first workbench upgrades.
Farming Routes That Cut Your Scrap Grind Time in Half
Wandering randomly from ruin to ruin is the slowest way to farm scraps, so I tested dozens of paths to find the most efficient routes for early and mid-game play. The best early-game route starts at your initial Homestead, heads north to the ruined farmstead, then loops east to the small abandoned village before heading back to your base. The full run takes about 8 minutes, and you’ll walk away with 30 to 40 scraps per trip, plus extra food and wood if you pick up resources along the way. I’ve tested this route dozens of times in solo and co-op play, and it works just as well with a group as it does alone. If you’re playing with friends, split up to check different parts of the village, and you can wrap up the run in half the time.
Once you unlock the glider and upgrade your Flame to level 2, you can move to the mid-game route in Revelwood’s abandoned outpost. There are 12 debris piles, 8 crates, and 3 broken wagons scattered around the outpost perimeter, plus a handful of low-level shroud mobs that occasionally drop extra scraps when defeated. This run nets you 60+ scraps in 10 minutes, and you can even extend it by a few minutes to check the nearby shroud edge for extra piles. Always bring a copper tier or higher pickaxe for these runs, as it cuts the time to break each debris pile by almost half, adding up to huge time savings over multiple runs.
Less Obvious Sources of Metal Scraps Most Players Miss
You don’t have to only hit debris piles and crates to stock up on scraps. There are dozens of overlooked sources across the map that can add hundreds of scraps to your storage every week with barely any extra effort. Some of the most reliable underrated sources include:
- Dismantling unwanted gear: Any grey or white armor, tools, or weapons you pick up from mobs or chests can be dismantled at your workbench for 1-5 scraps each, no extra effort required. Don't sell low-tier gear, always dismantle it for scraps, you'll get way more value than the few gold coins you'd get from a vendor.
- Shroud zone construction debris: Half-broken metal fences, collapsed support beams, and old pipe sections in mid-tier shroud zones drop 3-4 scraps each, and most players run right past them to look for chests.
- Raider camp loot piles: Small metal sacks next to raider tents usually have 5-10 scraps each, plus occasional nails or copper ore that you can smelt into extra materials later.
I used to skip all these sources my first 20 hours of play, and I was always short on scraps for repairs and new builds. Once I started dismantling all my extra gear and checking those raider sacks, I had a stack of 300 scraps in my storage in two days. If you have the scavenger perk unlocked, you get 20% more scraps from every source, so prioritize that perk if you farm resources often. It pays for itself after just one full farming run.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Gathering Metal Scraps
Even if you follow the best routes and check all the right spots, small mistakes can waste a lot of your time and leave you with fewer scraps than you expected. The most common mistake new players make is wasting time hitting rock or wood piles hoping for scraps. These resources never drop scraps, so only target metal debris piles, crates, and the other sources we outlined earlier to avoid wasting durability on your tools.
Another big mistake is heading into high-level shroud areas before your Flame is upgraded enough to handle them. I made this mistake all the time when I first started, heading into level 3 shroud areas with a Flame level 1 just to get to a scrap pile I spotted on the map. I died three times in a row once, lost 40 scraps I’d already collected, and ended up wasting 20 minutes of play time. It’s just not worth the risk until you’re properly geared and have enough Flame time to explore safely. Always keep at least 20 empty slots in your inventory before you head out on a scrap farming run, too. There’s nothing more frustrating than being halfway through a route and having to choose between dropping valuable materials or heading back early to empty your bags.
At the end of the day, learning how to find metal scraps in Enshrouded doesn’t have to be a frustrating grind. Stick to the routes we outlined, don’t skip the less obvious sources, and avoid the common mistakes that waste your time, and you’ll have more than enough scraps for all your crafting, building, and repair needs in no time. I still use these same methods even 100 hours into my playthrough, and I never run low on scraps anymore, even when I’m building large bases or crafting full sets of new gear for my friends in co-op.