Tools · Breaker
Breathedge 2 Thumper Guide: The Recipe, What It Breaks (Aluminum), and Its Upgrades
This page covers the Thumper's recipe, why it's a must-craft early (it breaks Aluminum and gates the Cutter), exactly where the Aluminum is, and how to upgrade it. The Thumper is the second tool in Breathedge 2's core ladder — Scrap, then Thumper, then Cutter. It looks like an unglamorous hammer, but it's quietly one of the most important early crafts: without it you can't get Aluminum, and without Aluminum you can't make the Cutter, which is the tool that unlocks most of the game's harvesting. If you're wondering what it does or why you should build it early, this is the page.
- 2nd
- in the core ladder: Scrap → Thumper → Cutter
- 2
- materials: Metal ×4, Plastic ×2
- +12
- highest damage upgrade of the starting tools
Second in the ladder
What the Thumper Is
The Thumper is a hammer-type breaking tool — the one you use to smash hard material nodes that the Scrap tool can't handle. In the tool order it comes second: Scrap → Thumper → Cutter. It's unlocked by default (no quest gate), and it's one of only three tools you can craft from the very start, alongside the Scrap tool (Crowbar) and the Cutter. That default unlock is worth noting: the Thumper isn't hidden behind story progress or a special find. If you have the materials, you can craft it almost immediately.
The Thumper's one essential job: breaking Aluminum nodes. Skip the Thumper and you can't get Aluminum, which means no Cutter, which means a big chunk of scavenging stays locked. That's why the Thumper is a craft-it-immediately tool rather than a someday tool.
Two materials
The Recipe
The Thumper costs:
Crafting cost
- Metal×4
- Plastic×2
Craft it in the crafting menu (C) like any other item. Both materials are available right at the start: Metal comes from smashing barrels and floating metal balls, and Plastic hangs off broken pipes as grey orbs (break them with the Scrap tool). Because the recipe only needs these two, you can usually build the Thumper as soon as you've made the Scrap tool — there's no reason to delay it.
The launch ten
Where Thumper Sits in the Tool List
To put it in context, the launch build (EA 0.8) has ten craftable items, and the Thumper is the third tool you'll have access to:
Scrap (Crowbar)
default unlock, Metal ×2
Cutter
default unlock, Aluminum ×4, Plastic ×2, Metal ×4
Thumper
default unlock, Metal ×4, Plastic ×2
Twister
quest unlock, Aluminum ×4, Wires ×2, Duct Tape ×3, Plastic ×2
Medkit
unlock on first Fabric, Alcohol ×1, Fabric ×2
Purified Oxygen
unlock on first Oxyworm, Oxyworm ×2, Metal ×1, Ice ×1
Alcohol
unlock on first Alcohol, Ice ×2, Nutriworm ×1
Gas Tank
unlock on first Refined Metal, Wires ×4, Refined Metal ×2, Rubber ×2, Aluminum ×4
Flashlight
unlock on first Light Bulb, Wires ×2, Plastic ×2, Glass ×2, Light Bulb ×1
Backpack
unlock on finding the Painted Corpse, Aluminum ×4, Plastic ×2, Titanium ×4, Electric Tape ×4
Of the three default tools, the Thumper is the one that makes the other two work together — it produces the Aluminum that the Cutter needs. The rest of the list unlocks as you encounter specific materials or quests.
Aluminum gates everything
What It Breaks & Why It Matters
The Thumper's one essential job: breaking Aluminum nodes.
Where the Aluminum is:
Aluminum attaches to the sides of asteroids and appears in large craters/asteroids around the Outskirts. Look for metal nodes stuck to asteroid surfaces — those are the Thumper's targets.
What Aluminum does:
it's the key material for the Cutter (Aluminum ×4), and the Cutter is what unlocks the harvesting chain — electrical tape off pipes, fabric, foam, cardboard, and more all need the Cutter.
So the chain is: Thumper → breaks Aluminum → craft Cutter → unlock harvesting. Skip the Thumper and you can't get Aluminum, which means no Cutter, which means a big chunk of scavenging stays locked. That's why the Thumper is a craft-it-immediately tool rather than a someday tool.
It also works as a melee weapon in a pinch — it's a hammer, and it has damage upgrades — but its real value is the Aluminum, not the fighting.
Heaviest hitter
The Upgrades
The Thumper can be upgraded at the workbench for more damage:
Scissors Sharp (level 1)
Damage +12.
Jaws Sharp (level 1)
Some sources additionally list Damage +15 — the launch upgrade table shows only Scissors Sharp, so treat Jaws Sharp as a possible second option depending on the build.
For comparison, the Scrap tool's Gear Heft gives +10 and the Cutter's Scissors Sharp gives +5 — so the Thumper has the highest damage upgrade of the three starting tools. If you're using tools as weapons, the upgraded Thumper is your heaviest hitter. The upgrades apply at the workbench in the base.
No reason to hold off
When to Craft It
There's no reason to hold off:
Craft it right after the Scrap tool.
It's cheap (Metal ×4, Plastic ×2), and Aluminum gates the Cutter, which gates most harvesting.
Upgrade it when you want more damage
the +12 (or +15) Scissors/Jaws Sharp makes it the best melee option early on.
Keep the Aluminum flowing.
Every time you see an asteroid node, break it with the Thumper — Aluminum is consumed by the Cutter and shows up in several other recipes (Twister, Gas Tank, Backpack).
Three traps
Common Mistakes
Trying to get Aluminum without the Thumper.
Aluminum nodes only break to the Thumper — the Scrap tool and Cutters don't work on them.
Skipping the Thumper to go straight for the Cutter.
You can't — the Cutter needs Aluminum ×4, and only the Thumper produces Aluminum. The Thumper is a mandatory middle step, not an optional one.
Treating it as a combat-only tool.
It's a harvester first — the Aluminum is why you build it. The damage is a bonus, not the point.
Keep going
Related Guides
Tools & Weapons
The full tool ladder — Scrap, Thumper, Cutters, Twister, and Spraytron.
Resources & Materials
Where to farm Metal, Plastic, and the Aluminum the Thumper breaks.
Map & Exploration
The Outskirts and the asteroid fields where Aluminum nodes spawn.
Quick answers
FAQ
- How do I get the Thumper?
- It's unlocked by default — craft it with Metal ×4 and Plastic ×2.
- What is it for?
- Breaking Aluminum nodes on asteroids, which are needed for the Cutter. It also works as a melee weapon.
- Where is Aluminum?
- On the sides of asteroids and in large craters around the Outskirts.
- How do I upgrade it?
- At the workbench — Scissors Sharp (Damage +12), with some sources also listing Jaws Sharp (Damage +15).
- Should I craft it early?
- Yes — right after the Scrap tool. Aluminum gates the Cutter, which gates most of the game's harvesting.
- Is it a good weapon?
- Decent — it has the highest damage upgrade of the three starting tools (+12/+15), so an upgraded Thumper is your best early melee option, but it's not the main reason to build it.