If you’ve ever wanted to blend the tense team-based combat of Natural Selection 2 with the eerie, beautiful underwater survival of Subnautica, you’re not alone. The natural selection 2 subnautica total conversion mod pulls off this crossover perfectly, dropping Kharaa and Frontiersman factions straight into the depths of Planet 4546B for a gameplay experience that feels familiar and totally new at the same time. I’ve spent over 40 hours playing this mod with friends over the last few months, and I’ve picked up more than a few tricks that will save you from getting eaten by a Reaper Leviathan mid-teamfight or running out of oxygen while you’re trying to build a forward base. I’ve recommended natural selection 2 subnautica to almost all of my NS2 and Subnautica fan friends, and every single one has gotten hooked on its unique blend of mechanics. This guide breaks down everything you need to know to hold your own, no matter which side you’re playing on.
Core Mechanics That Make Natural Selection 2 Subnautica Feel Unique
First off, don’t go into this mod expecting standard NS2 gameplay. The devs have reworked almost every core system to fit Subnautica’s aquatic setting, so even veteran NS2 players will have a learning curve to get past when they first boot up natural selection 2 subnautica. Oxygen management is non-negotiable for all human players, even if you’re playing as a heavy assault class. You’ll have a base oxygen supply that lasts 90 seconds above water, but that drops to 45 seconds when you’re submerged unless you craft or equip oxygen tanks. Kharaa players don’t have to worry about oxygen, but they do take increased damage if they’re out of water for more than two minutes, since their biology is adapted to the deep ocean.
Resource gathering also works differently. Instead of standard resource nodes, you’ll collect titanium, copper, and coral samples scattered across the seabed and in cave systems. Both factions use these resources to build structures, upgrade weapons, and unlock special abilities, so controlling high-resource zones is even more important than it is in base NS2. Don’t make the mistake I did on my first run of ignoring shallow cave resource spawns – those are some of the most contested spots on the map for the first 10 minutes of every match.
There are also neutral threats scattered across the map that will attack both teams. Reaper Leviathans will target any player that gets too close to the edge of the playable area, while Cave Crawlers will swarm anyone that invades their nesting spots. You can use these to your advantage if you’re clever – I once lured a Reaper straight into a group of enemy Frontiersmen that were building a forward base, wiping their entire team without firing a shot.
Top Tips for Frontiersman Players
Playing as the human Frontiersman faction in natural selection 2 subnautica is way more survival-focused than base NS2. You can’t just rush to build armories and push the enemy base right off the bat, because you’ll run out of oxygen or get picked off by ocean wildlife before you get there. I’ve found that following these rules will help you win 70% more matches as a Frontiersman:
- Prioritize oxygen station upgrades first – Build at least one portable oxygen station within the first 5 minutes of any natural selection 2 subnautica match, and upgrade its range as soon as you can. This lets your team stay submerged for longer runs without having to return to the surface constantly.
- Equip a dive knife as your default secondary weapon – It takes zero resources to craft, and it can kill small hostile wildlife like Stalkers in two hits, saving your ammo for enemy Kharaa players.
- Always bring at least one extra oxygen tank on push runs – Even if your base has great oxygen coverage, you don’t want to get stuck 300 meters from the nearest station with 10 seconds of oxygen left mid-fight.
You should also avoid building your main base in the shallow kelp forest zone. A lot of new players pick that spot because it has lots of early resources, but it’s completely exposed to Kharaa attacks and has almost no cover. Instead, build your base inside one of the larger underwater cave systems, and seal off all but one entrance with bulkheads. That makes it way easier to defend against rushes, and you’ll have easy access to deep-water copper and titanium spawns.
One last trick: the modified welders in the mod work twice as fast on underwater structures, but half as fast on surface structures. That means you should keep all your critical buildables submerged, even if you have the option to put them on a small island. You’ll save a ton of time repairing damage during enemy attacks.
Best Strategies for Kharaa Faction Success
Kharaa players have a lot of advantages in natural selection 2 subnautica, but they also have unique weaknesses you need to play around. As I mentioned earlier, you take 50% increased damage when you’re out of water, so you never want to fight human players on surface islands unless you have no other choice. You’re also much faster swimming than humans are, so use that mobility to ambush players who are out gathering resources alone.
Gorge players should prioritize building hydro vents first, not standard hives. Hydro vents give all nearby Kharaa a 20% movement speed boost when swimming, which makes defending your base and ambushing enemies way easier. You can also build acid spore traps near high-traffic resource spawns – they’re invisible to human players unless they have a scanner equipped, and they drain oxygen as well as health, so most players will die before they even realize they’re taking damage.
Skulk players should focus on taking out unprotected oxygen stations first in natural selection 2 subnautica. If you can destroy all of the Frontiersman’s portable oxygen stations early on, they’ll be forced to stay near the surface, which limits their ability to gather deep-water resources and build advanced structures. I once won a match as a Skulk by sneaking past the enemy front line and destroying their three main oxygen stations in 2 minutes, so their entire team couldn’t leave the shallow zone for the rest of the game.
Avoid rushing the human base before you unlock the Lerk class. Lerks can shoot toxic spores that travel through water, and they’re the only Kharaa class that can break through bulkheads quickly. If you try to rush a well-defended human cave base with only Skulks and Gorges, you’ll just waste all your team’s resources and leave yourself open to a counter-push.
Common Mistakes to Avoid No Matter Which Faction You Pick
Even if you follow all the faction-specific tips, there are a few universal mistakes that will cost you matches in natural selection 2 subnautica almost every time. I’ve made all of these myself, so I can tell you exactly how to skip the frustration.
First, don’t ignore the neutral wildlife. I’ve seen so many players get so focused on fighting the enemy team that they don’t notice a Reaper Leviathan swimming up behind them until it’s too late. Always check your surroundings every 10 seconds when you’re near the map edges, and don’t chase enemy players into unmarked cave systems unless you know for a fact there are no hostile creatures inside.
Second, don’t hoard resources. A lot of new natural selection 2 subnautica players will collect hundreds of titanium and copper and never spend it, because they’re saving it for “better upgrades” later. If you have more than 50 of any resource, you should either pass it off to a builder or use it to upgrade your own gear. Unspent resources don’t help your team at all, and if you get killed, you’ll drop half of what you’re carrying, so the enemy team can just pick it up.
Third, don’t skip scanner upgrades if you’re a Frontiersman, or sensory upgrades if you’re Kharaa. These let you see hidden enemies and traps through walls, which is even more useful in the underwater setting where visibility is often limited. I used to skip these upgrades to save resources, but once I started using them, I noticed I died 60% less often, because I could see ambushes coming before they happened.
Finally, don’t try to take on groups of enemies alone. This is a team-based game, and even the most upgraded player can’t take on three enemies at once, especially if they have support from base defenses. If you spot an enemy group, mark their location for your team and wait for backup before you engage.
At the end of the day, natural selection 2 subnautica is all about adapting to your environment and working with your team. It’s a little rough around the edges sometimes, but the unique blend of team combat and underwater survival makes it one of the most fun mods I’ve played in years. If you take the time to learn the unique mechanics, avoid the common mistakes I mentioned, and play to your faction’s strengths, you’ll be dominating the depths of 4546B in no time. Grab some friends, download the mod, and give it a shot – just don’t forget to bring an extra oxygen tank.
