Power Cables are a rare, recyclable pickup used both as a direct upgrade material and as a strong source of wires. You’ll need them early to push the Gear Bench from tier 1 to tier 2, and they’re valuable to break down when a quest or craft calls for wires.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Item type | Recyclable (Rare) |
| Found in | Electrical, Commercial, Residential areas |
| Weight | 2 kg |
| Stack size | 3 |
| Sell price | 1,000 |
| Recycle output | 4x Wires |
| Salvage output | 3x Wires |
Best Power Cable locations (Dam Battlegrounds)
While cables can appear across multiple map types, Dam Battlegrounds offers consistently dense opportunities if you target the right buildings and rooms. Prioritize these spots:
| Area | Where to search | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Left-side apartments (Ruby, Pale) | Apartment blocks, hallways, maintenance closets, office nooks | High concentration in one sweep; multiple cables in a single run are possible. |
| Control Tower (facility) | Office floors, server rooms, desks with PCs and peripherals | Technology-heavy interiors favor cable spawns. |
| Research & Administration | Admin offices, labs, storage cabinets, IT corners | Open every drawer and locker; check beside terminals. |
| Power Generation Complex | Control rooms, tool cribs, utility corridors | Utility rooms and control consoles are strong hits. |
| Field Depot interiors | Computer banks and terminals | Computers can yield cables and other electronics to recycle. |
Focus on building types that scream “electrical” or “office”: anywhere with PCs, server racks, control consoles, or maintenance storage tends to produce better results than empty residential shells.
Fast Dam Battlegrounds route for cables
If you want a practical loop that balances quantity with extraction safety, use this pattern on Dam Battlegrounds:
- Open on the left-side apartment complexes (Ruby and Pale). Sweep floor by floor, hitting hallway cabinets, maintenance closets, desks with computers, and utility rooms.
- Cut toward the nearest facility node: Control Tower first, then Research & Administration. Inside, prioritize server rooms, office clusters, and IT storage. Open every cabinet and desk drawer; cables often blend into cluttered corners.
- If time and pressure allow, pivot to the Power Generation Complex for one last pass through control rooms and utility corridors.
- Extract on the closest route rather than backtracking. Cables are light but rare—bank what you have.
What to open: containers and objects that actually drop cables
Power Cables aren’t tied to a single container, but certain object types and interiors overperform. Prioritize:
- Computers and server boxes (desks, IT corners, data rooms)
- Office desks, filing cabinets, and drawers near command consoles
- Maintenance closets, utility shelves, and tool cribs
- Field Depot computer stations
While you’ll also see batteries and generic electronics in these spaces, the same search pattern tends to surface cables. Don’t skip cabinets and drawers; they often hide small electronics that blend with background props.
Inventory management: stack limits, Safe Pocket, and when to recycle
Each cable weighs 2 kg and stacks to three. That makes them easy to carry early, but the low stack cap means you’ll fill a slot quickly during a good run. Use this to stay organized:
- Put at least one cable in your Safe Pocket as soon as you find it. If you die on the way out, you still secure one for upgrades or wires.
- If you’re on a wires run, recycle spare cables at base rather than salvaging to maximize output (4 wires vs. 3).
- If you’re pushing the Gear Bench upgrade, don’t recycle until you’ve banked the three you need.
Gear Bench II upgrade: exact cost
You need Power Cables early to unlock more crafting flexibility. The jump from Gear Bench 1 to Gear Bench 2 requires these materials:
| Upgrade | Materials |
|---|---|
| Gear Bench 1 → Gear Bench 2 | 3x Power Cable, 5x Electrical Components, 5x Hornet Driver |
If you’re short on wires for other crafts while working toward this upgrade, remember that excess cables convert cleanly into wires via recycling. If you’re short on cables, prioritize Dam Battlegrounds apartments first, then sweep a single tech facility before extracting.
With a tight apartment-to-facility loop on Dam Battlegrounds and disciplined container checks, Power Cables stop being a blocker. Bank three for the Gear Bench, stash one in your Safe Pocket when you can, and recycle the rest into wires to keep early projects moving.
