How to Reclaim Wrecks in Sanctuary Shattered Sun

Every battle on the Dyson Sphere leaves wreckage — twisted hulls, shattered mechs, and burned-out factories scattered across kilometers of battlefield. In many RTS games, destroyed units are simply erased. In Sanctuary: Shattered Sun, those wrecks are a resource waiting to be harvested. Reclamation (reclaim) converts salvage into material that feeds your flux economy, funds emergency unit production, and sometimes decides whether you can afford the next Attack Move push or stall into defeat.

This guide teaches efficient reclaim patterns, safe salvage routing, and when to prioritize wrecks over building new extractors. Pair it with our wreck reclamation mechanics page for system numbers and how to manage flux economy for long-term income planning.

Why Reclamation Matters

Sanctuary battles scale to thousands of units. A single mid-game skirmish can litter a valley with enough wreck mass to fund a replacement battalion. Players who ignore reclaim bleed Flux rebuilding from scratch; players who salvage turn pyrrhic victories into momentum.

Reclaim is especially critical in the demo’s tighter scenarios where extractor nodes are contested. After you beat the first mission, replay with reclaim-focused routing and notice how much faster you can rebuild.

How Reclamation Works

Reclaim units — or engineers with reclaim orders, depending on faction tooling — gather wreck mass and return it to your economy pipeline. Wrecks decay over time on some maps, so speed matters. The general loop:

1. Win or survive a fight in a wreck-dense area.
2. Send reclaim groups before wrecks expire or before enemies counter-attack.
3. Escort salvagers with a light guard to prevent snipes.
4. Reinvest income into factories or extractors as needed.

Check our controls guide for reclaim key bindings and queueing reclaim alongside move orders.

Safe Salvage Routes

Never send unescorted reclaim units across open ground. Common pattern:

• Hold the front line with combat units using Attack Move.
• Position reclaim teams on the near side of the wreck field.
• Place radar or scouts to detect counter-pushes while salvage runs.

The Guard faction often reclaim under shield coverage, while EDA floods cheap reclaim groups. Chosen reclaim less frequently but target high-value Titan wrecks — see faction comparison.

Timing Reclaim vs. Expansion

After a fight, ask: Can I hold this ground for sixty seconds? If yes, reclaim first. If no, fall back and reclaim only wrecks within your secure perimeter.

Do not chase wrecks into uncleared enemy territory. One lost reclaim group is minor; letting the fight pull you into an ambush costs the whole army and your King-Piece safety.

When extractors are safe and reclaim fields are dry, prioritize new nodes. Reclaim supplements income; it rarely replaces a healthy extractor network long term.

Reclaim After Superweapons and Weather

Superweapons and structural collapses create mega-wreck zones. These are high-risk, high-reward salvage opportunities. Secure the area with shields, then reclaim before opponents do. Weather control can trap enemies long enough to finish a full salvage cycle — plan both systems together on climate-enabled maps.

Demo Practice Checklist

• Finish a skirmish and immediately reclaim before building new units.
• Compare mission time with and without reclaim on the first mission.
• Link reclaim timing to flux management — watch net flow spike after big battles.
• Read demo updates for balance changes to wreck decay or reclaim rates.

Reclamation is the quiet skill that separates good macro from great macro. Fight for the wreck field as hard as you fight for the high ground, and Sanctuary’s economy will pay you back every time.

Faction-Specific Reclaim Notes

EDA players reclaim earliest with cheap engineer spam — acceptable losses if throughput stays high. Guard reclaim under shields during sieges, turning defensive holds into economic wins. Chosen prioritize high-tier wrecks (Titans, experimentals) over scattered light vehicle husks. Match style to faction identity from how to choose a faction.

Common Reclaim Mistakes

Chasing wrecks through uncleared turret lines, reclaiming during an active retreat, and pausing combat production to oversend engineers are the top three errors. Fix them by treating reclaim as a secured objective like any expansion node. Link reclaim timing to first mission star objectives if the scenario grades efficiency.

Future Naval Reclaim

When naval units arrive in Early Access, expect sea wreck fields after fleet battles — especially if weather freezing traps ships. Bookmark this guide; we will expand naval salvage routes when ship classes are confirmed in patch notes.