As well as the promised chip that unlocks useful upgrades at the science terminal, you get some great materials, even better armor, and a really intense experience that will help you get to grips with the most arduous parts of Grounded. Before you set on the Grave Robbery mission, if you’re still in the early game it’s recommended that you either switch the difficulty down to Mild - it would be VERY hard otherwise - or craft at least a level 2 weapon. That’s an Ant Club or Mosquito Rapier if you haven’t found one yet. Ant clubs need red ant parts, while mosquitos can be found on the western edge of the pond to the northwest of the Mysterious Machine.
How to complete Chipsleuth - Grave Robbery in Grounded
Like most things in survival games, this quest is on the esoteric side of inscrutable. The only clue you get is the following description: “In a hill to the west is where you start this quest. Straight through a rooted room gets you closer to the tomb. Past a tunnel of red rests a soul that is dead. Down the hole lies your goal.” The hill in question is the Red Anthill to the west of the Mysterious Machine. To get there, start at the Mysterious Machine, go a little bit north, then head west when you’re level with the box of mints. As we mentioned, you either need to prepare for tough fights against Red Soldier Ants, or to run like heck, or turn down the difficulty. Once you reach the anthill, head down the hole and bear right, bursting through the ranks of soldier ants and worker ants carrying grubs. Past them, when the tunnel opens out into a larger antechamber, take an immediate left and you’ll find a side tunnel that’s covered in red moss, just like the clue. Inside the side tunnel you will find a glob of raw science and more soldier ants, but just past them is the hole you need to drop down. At the bottom of the hole you find the chip behind you, as well as some rotten bee pauldrons, which are very good for the early game. You can also find some loose brittle marble, as well as a few brittle marble nodes. Now you’ve got the chip, you need to high-tail it out of there. To get out with your skin intact, make your way out of the tomb and go straight forward, defeating or running past another soldier on your way, then follow the tunnel around - it should eventually lead back the way you came in. Return to BURGL and give him the chip. This unlocks a swathe of new recipes from the science shop, including a useful stamina-boosting mutation.
