How to Acquire the Minotaur Cannon in No Man’s Sky: A Comprehensive Guide
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The Minotaur Cannon in No Man’s Sky is a powerful weapon attachment for your Minotaur Exocraft, capable of lobbing explosive projectiles at your enemies. It’s a valuable asset for both combat and resource gathering, making it a must-have for serious explorers. However, acquiring it requires specific steps and materials. Here’s your comprehensive guide to getting your hands on the Minotaur Cannon:
To directly answer the question: You cannot directly acquire the Minotaur Cannon through a simple blueprint find or vendor purchase. Instead, you will need to craft the Minotaur Cannon, which means you’ll need the correct blueprint and the necessary ingredients. The blueprint itself is readily available and doesn’t require any special mission or quest completion.
Here’s the crafting recipe:
- Pugneum x 50: Pugneum is a common drop from defeated Sentinel drones and other robotic enemies.
- Projectile Ammunition x 200: This can be crafted from various resources or found as a drop. It is not to be confused with ammunition for your Multi-tool.
Once you have gathered these materials, you can craft the Minotaur Cannon through the Exocraft Inventory menu when piloting the Minotaur. Navigate to the Minotaur’s inventory screen, locate the crafting menu, and you will see the available blueprint for the Minotaur Cannon if you have the required materials. Select the blueprint and you will craft the Cannon directly onto your Minotaur.
Detailed Guide to Crafting the Minotaur Cannon
Here is a more detailed breakdown of each step you will need to take:
Gathering Pugneum
Pugneum is a common but vital resource in No Man’s Sky. It is almost exclusively dropped by Sentinel units when they are destroyed. These robotic adversaries are encountered on most planets, but are more frequent on planets labelled as “high security”.
- Locating Sentinels: Explore planets marked with Sentinel activity. The more aggressive the Sentinels, the more likely you are to find a large number. Planets with the “Aggressive Sentinel” descriptor are prime locations.
- Fighting Sentinels: Engage the Sentinels using your Multi-Tool weapons. Aim for the drones first, then move to the bigger units. Larger Sentinel units like the Walkers and Hardframes drop more Pugneum.
- Alternative: In the case where you are unable or unwilling to engage with combat with the Sentinel drones, you can also sometimes find Pugneum on planets within the many storage containers found around planetary structures.
Acquiring Projectile Ammunition
Projectile Ammunition is necessary to craft the Minotaur Cannon. It can be acquired in a few different ways:
- Crafting: Projectile Ammunition can be crafted from various resources. The recipe requires Ferrite Dust and Carbon and can be done in your exosuit inventory.
- Purchasing: Check trade terminals at space stations and trading posts. You can often find Projectile Ammunition for sale in bulk.
- Drops: Rarely, Projectile Ammunition is dropped by enemies or found in containers. Although, this is not a reliable method for obtaining 200 rounds.
Crafting the Minotaur Cannon
Once you have the necessary Pugneum and Projectile Ammunition, follow these steps to craft the Cannon:
- Summon Your Minotaur: Use your quick menu to summon your Minotaur Exocraft.
- Enter the Minotaur: Get into the cockpit of your Minotaur.
- Access Inventory: Access the Minotaur’s Inventory screen.
- Navigate to Crafting: You will find the crafting menu in the inventory.
- Select Blueprint: Locate the Minotaur Cannon blueprint. The icon should be a gun. If you don’t see it, make sure you have all required materials.
- Craft: Confirm the craft of the Minotaur Cannon. The cannon will now be attached to your Minotaur and you are ready to test it out!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are 15 frequently asked questions about the Minotaur Cannon, and the Minotaur in general, in No Man’s Sky, to further enhance your understanding:
1. What is the Minotaur Cannon?
The Minotaur Cannon is a weapon attachment for the Minotaur Exocraft that lobs explosive projectiles at targets. It is a powerful tool for both combat and mining, allowing you to clear terrain or destroy Sentinels with ease. It shoots two explosives per second and must be recharged with Carbon, Condensed Carbon, or Oxygen.
2. How do I get the Minotaur Exocraft in the first place?
The Minotaur Geobay blueprint can be unlocked at the Construction Research Station within the “Transport Modules” tree. Once unlocked, it can be crafted on any planet. The necessary resources to craft the geobay will need to be gathered for deployment.
3. What are the Minotaur’s strengths and weaknesses?
The Minotaur excels in combat and terrain manipulation. It’s strong against Sentinels and can quickly mine resources. However, it can be slow without upgrades, and its weapon has a fairly limited range before the explosives detonate.
4. Can the Minotaur go underwater?
Yes, the Minotaur is amphibious. It can navigate underwater, engage in underwater combat, and mine resources from the ocean floor. This makes it a versatile vehicle for exploring all kinds of environments.
5. Can the Minotaur be upgraded?
Absolutely! The Minotaur can be upgraded with various modules to enhance its speed, durability, and combat capabilities, including its jump capability and boost.
6. How does the Minotaur AI pilot work?
The Minotaur AI pilot is a plugin that allows the Minotaur to traverse planets, engage in combat, and perform mining tasks autonomously. You can summon your Minotaur and, if you are not using it, the AI pilot will act on your behalf to gather resources for you. The player can override the AI at any point by entering the cockpit.
7. Is the Minotaur the best Exocraft in NMS?
Many consider the Minotaur to be the best Exocraft due to its combat abilities, respectable inventory space, and speed when upgraded. Its amphibious nature further enhances its utility. Although it is a matter of preference to the player, there is no doubt that the Minotaur is an extremely beneficial Exocraft to own.
8. How do I start the Minotaur questline?
The Minotaur questline begins with the mission “Myths and Minotaurs”, which is available after completing “Unified Front” and “A Family’s Legacy.” This questline can be challenging, so players are recommended to be at least level 30.
9. Where do I find the Minotaur Key?
The Minotaur Maze Key is found inside a small cave, accessible via a pipe that leads through muddy water. Inside the cave, some Soggy Roots block the key, which can be chopped through to claim the key.
10. How do I deal with Sentinels when collecting Pugneum?
Sentinels can be temporarily disabled by defeating the final wave of forces in a battle, or by locating and interacting with a planetary Sentinel Pillar. Also, the Minotaur Exocraft can handle most Sentinel threats.
11. What is the best way to farm Pugneum?
The most efficient way to farm Pugneum is to engage Sentinels on planets with high Sentinel activity. Focus on destroying the drones first, then move to bigger units like the Walkers, which provide the most Pugneum.
12. What are the most effective weapons against Sentinels?
The most effective weapons against Sentinels include the Blaze Javelin and the Scatter Blaster. Also, the Minotaur Cannon, once acquired, is very effective against Sentinels.
13. What are the benefits of using the Minotaur Cannon?
The Minotaur Cannon can quickly clear large amounts of terrain, mine mineral deposits from afar, and deal significant damage to enemies. It’s especially useful for quickly eliminating large Sentinel forces or clearing obstacles.
14. Does the Minotaur Cannon need to be reloaded?
Yes, the Minotaur Cannon must be periodically recharged using Carbon, Condensed Carbon, or Oxygen. Each unit of Carbon refills 0.5%, Condensed Carbon 1.5%, and Oxygen 1%.
15. Is there a better weapon than the Minotaur Cannon for the Exocraft?
Currently, the Minotaur Cannon is the only weapon available for the Minotaur Exocraft. The various upgrades can improve its performance, but there are no alternatives available at this time.
By following these steps and utilizing the information in this guide, you’ll be well on your way to mastering the Minotaur and its powerful Cannon in No Man’s Sky. Happy exploring!