Icarus 'Avalanche: Expedition' Prospect Mission Walkthrough & Guide

This Icarus Avalanche: Expedition Prospect mission Walkthrough & Guide will help you open up the Avalanche section of the Arctic biome through the power of Tier 4 tech.

What You Need For the Icarus Avalanche: Expedition Prospect Mission

The Icarus Avalanche: Expedition Prospect mission is going to take you several in-game days and will likely last a minimum of 3-4 real-world hours.

Before you go further, you should make sure that you're as close to Level 30 as possible (if not over it). You will need to reach (or exceed) Level 30 to access Tier 4 tech; if you don't, you'll be stuck grinding in this one mission until you reach that level.

Here's what you'll need access to:

Tier 1

• Stone Pickaxe
• Stone Axe
• Campfire
• Bedroll
• Stone Knife
• Wood Bow
• Stone Arrows
• Bone Arrows
• Wood Spear
• Bone Spear
• All Wood building pieces
• Wood Ladder
• All Cloth armor pieces
• Wood Repair Hammer
• Fire Whacker

Tier 2

• Crafting Bench
• Anvil Bench
• Iron Pickaxe
• Steel Pickaxe
• Stone Furnace
• Oxite Dissolver
• Longbow
• Mortar and Pestle
• Epoxy
• Carbon Paste
• Steel Bloom
• Waterskin
• Oxygen Bladder
• Textiles Bench
• All Fur Armor Pieces
• Lightning Rod

Tier 3

• Machining Bench
• Electronics
• Concrete Furnace
• Cement Mixer
• Biofuel Composter
• Biofuel Can

Tier 4

• Fabricator
• Biofuel Generator
• Electricity Tool

How to Unlock the Icarus Avalanche: Expedition Prospect Mission

You can unlock the Icarus Avalanche: Expedition Prospect mission by completing the Incursion: Scan Prospect mission.

Icarus Avalanche: Expedition Prospect Mission Walkthrough & Guide

The Icarus Avalanche: Expedition Prospect mission is going to play out a lot like the Dry Run: Expedition Prospect mission: you're going to be given a drill and will have to bust through some rock. The difference here is that you won't be provided a power source this time -- you're going to have to build it.

Setting Up

Start things off in the usual fashion and craft a set of basic tools:

• Stone Pickaxe
• Stone Axe
• Wood Spear
• Wood Bow
• Stone Arrows x30
• Stone KNife

Then, refer to the above map and start heading to the Base Camp location. Don't delay -- it will take you most of the day to get there. Make sure to watch out for Wolves and Bears along the way. You'll also have to worry about Thunderstorms and Flash Storms; should one of these storms pop up, carve a hole into a rock and wait it out.

You should also keep in mind that there are some areas that you cannot go through for some reason; they're marked on the above map. Save yourself time and take the most direct route you can.

Building a Base

The area where I built my base (and where you should build yours) is a valley with a rather large cave behind it. This location will have almost everything you need to complete your mission and is in a good central location.

I'm not going to instruct you how to build a base this time around -- by now, you should have a pretty good handle on things. I would, however, recommend that you have at least a 3x3 size building and that you either build it out of Stone or build it on stilts if you're using Wood. (Remember, Bears are all over this area and they can make quick work of a Wood building!) Additionally, you're going to want to get at least two Lightning Rods to protect any Wood buildings.

Aside from the building itself, it's not a bad idea to wall off the entrance to the mine and put a door on it. This will give you enough time to kill a Bear should one be right outside when you exit the mine -- the last place you want to be is trapped in a cave with a Bear.

Whichever way you decide to build your base, make sure to build the following items:

• Bedroll
• Campfire
• Crafting Bench
• Stone Furnace
• Oxite Dissolver
• Mortar and Pestle
• Textiles Bench

Set your spawn point to the Bedroll and then get ready to start mining.

Mine, Mine, Mine

Note the red triangles on the map for this Icarus Avalanche: Expedition Prospect Mission Guide -- those mark nearby caves. You are going to need a lot of metal (and other materials) to make the items you need to complete this mission. Make sure to kill any Cave Worms that pop up!

Start off by collecting 80 pieces of Iron from the cave near your base. Make an Anvil Bench. Then, collect 48 pieces of Iron and 6 pieces of Coal from the cave near your base. Make 6 Iron Ingots and use those to make an Iron Pickaxe. Use the remaining 36 pieces of Iron and 6 pieces of Coal at the Mortar and Pestle to make Steel Bloom and store it away for now.

Continue to collect Iron until you have enough Iron Ingots and Iron Nails to build the Machining Bench. Use it to build a Cement Mixer. Then, make some Cement and use it to build a Concrete Furnace. Take the Steel Bloom you crafted earlier, toss it into the Concrete Furnace, turn it on, and you'll have 6 pieces of Steel. Use this to make a Steel Pickaxe and destroy your old Iron Pickaxe afterward.

Now the real grind begins. You're going to need to do a lot of mining and gathering. Focus on collecting the following materials:

• Wood
• Sticks
• Fiber
• Iron
• Copper
• Coal
• Aluminum
• Gold
• Silica Ore
• Sulfur
• Oxite

Naturally, make sure to take care of your needs, too. Hunt animals where necessary and cook that delicious meat.

Getting to Tier 4 and Building What You Need

You'll be working towards the ultimate goal of building just three items. The process to get there, however, is a little complex. Here's what you need to do from here:

1. Build a Biofuel Composter at the Machining Bench.
2. Build a Biofuel Can at the Machining Bench.
3. Make Tree Sap at the Mortar and Pestle.
4. Place the Biofuel Composter in your base and put the Biofuel Can inside. Use Tree Sap and another item (such as Wood) to fill it up to its maximum.
5. Collect and refine enough materials to make a Fabricator and build it at the Machining Bench.
6. Build a BIofuel Generator at the Fabricator.
7. Build an Electricity Tool at the Fabricator.
8. Craft a full set of Fur Armor, a Longbow, and at least 50 Bone Arrows.
9. Place the Biofuel Generator, filled Biofuel Can, and Electricity Tool in your inventory, and start heading towards the Arctic Pass.

Reach the Arctic Pass

Reaching the Arctic Pass is easy enough. Getting through it, however, required all of the work you've done so far (and there's still some more to go). Before we go further, you'll have to turn back around.

Retrieve Prototype Weapon from Supply Pod

The Prototype Weapon you need to drill through the avalanche is located on top of a cliff. Build 3 or 4 Wood Roof/Ramps and make an ad-hoc staircase to get up there. Retrieve the item, then head back to the Arctic Pass.

Build Two More Bases

Before you go back into the Arctic Pass, build a small base right on the border and place a Bedroll inside. This will be your fallback point should you die while you're working in the cold. Set your spawn point to this new Bedroll.

Once that's done, gather up some Wood, Fiber, and Stone, and head into the Arctic Pass. Build a Wood stilt structure or a 2x2 Stone structure nearby -- you're going to be attacked as soon as the avalanche is cleared.

Deploy Prototype Weapon & Supply Power to the Prototype Weapon

Build the Biofuel Generator inside of your nearby base. Fuel it up, but do not turn it on just yet. Use the Electricity Tool to run a wire from your base to the rock where you have to place the Prototype Weapon. (Protip: you can delete wires by right-clicking on them.)

Then, head back down and place the Prototype Weapon. Connect a wire to it. Return to the Biofuel Generator and turn it on. The Prototype Weapon will begin shooting a laser and will destroy the avalanche in short order.

A Mammoth Problem

Once the avalanche is destroyed, you will have only a few seconds to react as three Mammoths charge at you. Retreat to your base and start shooting them.

Although these animals are big, they're far from deadly; they're a lot like the Elephants in the Desert biome. Kill all three and then move on to your next objective.

Proceed Through the Pass & Scout the Area Marked on the Map

With the Mammoths dead, it's time to head into the Arctic. It may be a good idea to bring along enough pieces of shelter to build a small home in the event of a storm.

You're going to have to cross several kilometers of bleak, snowy land filled with Wolves (and occasionally, packs of multiple Wolves). Make your way towards the waypoint on your map. Once you reach it, you're done -- all that's left to do is return home!

Returning Home

Now that you've completed the (rather lengthy) mission, our Icarus Avalanche: Expedition Prospect Mission Walkthrough & Guide is nearly done. All that's left to do is head back home.

You're much better equipped now, but that won't change much about the distance you have to travel. Try to leave in the morning if you can; if not, make sure to prepare to build a small camp on your way home rather than try to run through the night. The last thing you want to do is encounter a Bear in the darkness. Make your way to the Dropship, take off, and you're done!