Frostpunk 2 challenges you not only to manage a bustling metropolis amidst a frozen apocalypse but also to venture into the unforgiving Frostlands. This guide provides a comprehensive strategy for establishing and expanding your presence in this icy wilderness, maximizing resource acquisition and securing your city’s future.
Establishing Your Logistics Hub
Your journey into the Frostlands begins with the Logistics District. This crucial structure requires significant investment: 40 heatstamps, 200 prefabs, and 400 workforce for construction, plus ongoing upkeep costs of 400 workforce, 20 heat, and 25 materials. Critically, Logistics Districts can only be built on Old Waystations, typically located at the edges of your territory, necessitating strategic Frostbreaking. Most campaign maps feature three such waystations, while some sandbox maps may only offer two.
The image shows the requirements for the Logistics District.
Exploring and Exploiting the Frostlands
With a Logistics District operational, you can begin exploring adjacent territories. Each expedition requires deploying Frostland Teams, ranging from 10 to 25 teams depending on the location. Prioritize exploring territories with lower threat levels to minimize casualties.
These expeditions yield valuable resources like food, materials, goods, and crucial fuel sources such as oil, steam, and coal. Some territories can be developed into outposts or even full-fledged colonies. Keep a sharp eye out for cores, essential for advanced building upgrades and generator enhancements.
The image shows a Frostlands region known as the Crater.
The Frostlands are also rife with unique events. For example, encountering the Shipwreck Camp presents choices: demand Sawmills, seize control by force, support new leadership to establish an outpost, or integrate the survivors into your city. Similarly, assisting the Hot Springs settlement by repairing their heating systems can forge an alliance and establish a disease-suppressing outpost.
Bolstering Your Frostland Expeditions
Expanding your Frostland operations requires increasing your pool of Frostland Teams. Build additional Logistics Districts on remaining Old Waystations (each granting +15 teams), expand existing Logistics Districts (+5 teams), and utilize Emergency Shifts (+5 teams).
The Frostland technology tree offers crucial advancements. Prioritize researching Scouts’ Headquarters: Survivalists’ Headquarters (reduces exploration time and threat level), Scout Training: Pathfinder Scouts (further reduces threat level), Skyways (enables efficient aerial transport), and Outpost Operation: Extraction Strongholds or Frontier Footholds (improves outpost efficiency or reduces required maintenance teams).
The image shows the Frostland tech tree.
Cultivating positive relationships with radical factions adhering to the Adaptation tenet can unlock the Deploy Guides ability, drastically reducing scout exploration time.
Connecting Your Empire: Paths, Skyways, and Outposts
Connecting discovered settlements and resource deposits to your city is paramount. Construct trails (default, 10 teams, 25 heatstamps/5 prefabs per segment) or research Skyways (10 teams, 50 heatstamps/20 prefabs per segment, higher transport capacity) to establish supply lines.
The image shows multiple interconnected outposts and deposits in the Frostlands.
While Frostland resources are generally abundant, they are finite. Maintain adequate stockpiles within your city to prevent waste. Stockpiles and outposts require dedicated Frostland Teams, but their operations can be temporarily suspended if necessary.
Establishing and Managing Colonies
Unlike resource deposits or small settlements, colonies function as miniature versions of your main city. These locations boast diverse resources, including some with near-unlimited reserves. However, establishing a colony requires relocating citizens and transporting initial resources.
The image shows how resources are transferred between the main settlement and a colony.
Prioritize securing a fuel source, constructing Housing Districts, and establishing Extraction and Food Districts. Once stabilized, colonies can provide a steady flow of surplus resources back to your city. For instance, the vast oil reserves of the Old Dreadnought can eliminate fuel concerns in New London.
Conclusion: Securing a Frozen Future
Successfully colonizing the Frostlands is crucial for long-term survival in Frostpunk 2. By strategically managing your Frostland teams, establishing efficient supply lines, and developing thriving colonies, you can secure the resources necessary to weather the storm and build a prosperous future in this frozen world. For further optimization strategies, consider exploring our guides on the best laws and technologies.
An explorer stands in a snow storm in Frostpunk 2.
