Scavenger Flag

The Scavenger Flag is a utility building that designates an area for Scavenger workers to collect Scrap Metal from Ruins. It requires no construction materials and functions by marking a square area of effect; Scavenger Flags cannot operate while flooded. The flag must be placed so its range overlaps Ruins to direct scavengers to valid targets.

The flag's range is a 40×41 tile rectangle centered on the flag, shown as an outline when selecting or placing the flag. Only Ruins within this area are considered valid targets; Underground Ruins are not valid. Scavengers work at ground level on the Ruins, reducing the height of each ruin column as they scavenge until it is depleted.

Scavengers do not require Paths to reach Ruins and will scavenge from any accessible ground-level ruin within the flag range. Each scavenger carries an internal inventory slot for Scrap Metal; when this inventory fills the scavenger attempts to transfer Scrap Metal to valid Storage. If sufficient haulers and Storage exist, scavengers can operate continuously (subject to their Needs). If scavengers cannot empty their inventory because no valid Storage or haulers are available, they will stand idle at the flag entrance, reducing the overall efficiency of the operation. When all Ruins inside the flag range are depleted, scavengers idle with the status message "Nothing to do in range."

Practical notes and tips:

• Place the flag so its 40×41 range covers as many Ruins as possible, and avoid including only Underground Ruins, which are invalid.
• Provide nearby Storage and haulers to prevent scavengers from idling with full inventory; otherwise scavenging throughput drops significantly.
• Flags require dry placement; ensure the site is not prone to flooding or the flag will not operate.
• A single flag can control multiple scavengers; clusters of Ruins are best served by one centrally placed flag rather than multiple overlapping flags.
• The Scavenger Flag is unlocked for the Iron Teeth faction without any construction cost as of Version 1.