Scavenging Expeditions Guide

Scavenging expeditions are the most reliable income source for established Going Medieval colonies. By sending groups of settlers out into the wilderness, you can recover pre-cataclysm loot, gather rare resources, and level up your colonists' skills. This guide covers all 6 expedition types, loot quality tiers, risk factors, and the most profitable route chains for both early-game and endgame colonies.

All 6 Expedition Types

Each expedition type has distinct risk profiles, loot pools, and optimal settler compositions. Early colonies should focus on Forest Runs to gain scavenging XP safely. Mid-game colonies unlock Old Battlefields and Ruined Villages for higher returns. Endgame colonies can attempt the legendary Abandoned Keep for the highest profit in the game.

Type	Duration	Risk	Loot Tier	Best Find	Recommended Pawns	Notes
Forest Run	1 in-game day	Low	Common-Uncommon	Wood, berries, herbs, occasional animal pelts	2-3 settlers, low combat skill acceptable	Safest expedition type. Use for new settlers to gain scavenging XP without risk.
Old Battlefield	2 in-game days	Medium	Uncommon-Rare	Steel weapons, armor pieces, gold coins, old provisions	3-4 settlers with combat training	Best source of pre-cataclysm gear. Risk of hostile survivors returning.
Ruined Village	3 in-game days	Medium-High	Rare	Building materials, furniture, books (skill boosts), rare tools	4-5 settlers, mix of combat and intellect	Long expeditions with high return. Books from ruined villages grant +5% XP to specific skills.
Bandit Camp	2 in-game days	High	Rare-Epic	Bandit weapons, stolen merchant goods, gold, occasionally legendary items	4-5 well-armed settlers with combat training	High risk expeditions that often trigger combat events. Pack healing items.
Cave System	4 in-game days	High	Rare-Epic	Iron ore, gems, ancient relics, occasional cave paintings (lore)	5+ settlers with high combat and mining skills	Longest expedition but highest rare drop chance. Some caves have unique boss-tier loot.
Abandoned Keep	5 in-game days	Very High	Epic-Legendary	Legendary weapons, enchanted armor, large gold caches, royal artifacts	6+ max-level combat settlers, full supplies	Endgame expedition. Has multiple combat waves and a final boss. Bring 20+ healing items.

Loot Quality Tiers

Loot drops are rolled against five quality tiers. Common loot is the bread and butter of early expeditions. Legendary drops are exceedingly rare and represent the pinnacle of pre-cataclysm gear. Most expeditions return a mix of common, uncommon, and rare drops with occasional epic finds. Legendary drops typically come from Abandoned Keep or very lucky Old Battlefield runs.

Quality Tier	Value Range	Drop Rate	Examples
Common	1-10 gold	60%	Wood, basic food, simple tools, low-quality cloth
Uncommon	10-50 gold	25%	Iron weapons, leather armor, herbal medicine, books
Rare	50-200 gold	10%	Steel weapons, fine armor, gold jewelry, advanced books
Epic	200-1000 gold	4%	Superior weapons, enchanted gear, large gold caches, rare crafting materials
Legendary	1000+ gold	1%	Named weapons, royal artifacts, fully enchanted armor sets, skill tomes

Risk Factors & Mitigation

Expedition risk is determined by six factors. The most important is settler combat skill — sending low-skill settlers into hostile territory is the most common cause of expedition failures. Equipment quality is the second most important factor. A well-equipped settler with steel weapons and leather armor can survive encounters that would kill an unequipped settler of the same skill level.

Risk Factor	Impact	Description
Settler combat skill	High	Combat skill below 5 makes hostile encounters deadly. Each point of combat skill reduces enemy accuracy by ~3%.
Expedition duration	Medium	Longer expeditions mean settlers are away from the colony longer, reducing work capacity. Plan around season changes.
Weather conditions	Medium	Winter expeditions have 50% increased risk of weather damage (hypothermia). Summer has heat-related risks in southern biomes.
Settler health	High	Wounded or sick settlers cannot go on expeditions. Sending injured pawns increases death risk by 80%.
Equipment quality	High	Better weapons and armor reduce casualty rate. Always equip expedition settlers with at least leather armor and steel weapons.
Group size	Medium	Larger groups are safer but consume more supplies. Optimal is 3-5 settlers for most expeditions.

Best Expedition Routes by Colony Stage

Chaining expeditions together into "circuits" maximizes profit per in-game day. The optimal circuit depends on your colony's settler skills, available equipment, and risk tolerance. The four routes below cover the most common scenarios. The Endgame Haul route is the single most profitable expedition chain in the game but requires a fully developed colony with max-level combat settlers.

Route	Destinations	Duration	Profit	Notes
The Western Circuit	Forest Run → Old Battlefield → Ruined Village	6 days total	~500-800 gold per circuit	Best risk-adjusted profit. Chain expeditions efficiently.
The Northern Push	Cave System → Bandit Camp	6 days total	~800-1500 gold per circuit	High profit but requires strong combat settlers. Bring 10+ healing items.
The Southern Sweep	Ruined Village → Forest Run → Forest Run	7 days total	~600-900 gold per circuit	Balanced route for colonies with mixed settler skills.
The Endgame Haul	Abandoned Keep → Old Battlefield	7 days total	~2000-5000 gold per circuit	Endgame only. Requires 6+ max-level settlers. Average circuit is the most profitable in the game.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the optimal expedition group size for early game?

For early game, send 2-3 settlers on Forest Runs. This keeps risk low while generating steady income. As your colony grows, increase to 4-5 settlers for medium-risk expeditions. The legendary-tier Abandoned Keep expeditions require 6+ max-level settlers and should not be attempted before year 2.

Can settlers die on expeditions?

Yes. Settler death is permanent in Going Medieval. There is no revival mechanic. A settler who dies on an expedition is lost forever, and any equipped weapons and armor they carried are lost with them. This is why equipping expeditions with backup gear is recommended.

How do I unlock the Abandoned Keep expedition?

The Abandoned Keep is unlocked after completing the "Royal Secrets" research in the library. This research takes approximately 12 in-game days and requires your colony to have 500+ research points. Most colonies unlock it in year 2-3.

What is the most profitable expedition for mid-game colonies?

The Old Battlefield is the most cost-effective mid-game expedition. Each run returns an average of 200-400 gold worth of loot, plus steel weapons that can be equipped or sold. Risk is manageable with 3-4 combat-trained settlers.

Last updated: July 6, 2026