For an early melee setup in Atomfall, head to the Outlaw Caves in Slatten Dale: the guide route places a Mace on a cave wall and the Melee Combat Manual deeper inside, beyond an explosive trap. If you would rather avoid searching for the manual, MapMaster also reports a second copy for sale from Alf Buckshaw at Grendel’s Head in Wyndham Village.
Find the Mace in Slatten Dale’s Outlaw Caves
Windows Central’s guide, last updated March 29, 2025, points to the Outlaw Caves in Slatten Dale as the early route to the Mace. Outlaws occupy the cave, and the passage contains a trap; triggering it alerts the camp. The guide says the Mace hangs on a wall somewhere along the hallway, so check the walls as you move through rather than expecting it in a chest.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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| 1 |
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Atomfall - PlayStation 5 | $39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Atomfall - Xbox Series X | $39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Atomfall - PlayStation 4 | $39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
The same guide reports a later alternative: Druids in Casterfell Woods, including enemies in the Speaking Caves, may drop a Mace. That is a possible enemy drop, not a guaranteed way to obtain one, and the source does not give a drop rate.
Retrieve the Melee Combat Manual
Windows Central’s route places the manual beyond the first trap in Outlaw Caves. The directions use the trap as a landmark:
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#1 Best Overall
- Player Driven Mystery: Unravel a tapestry of interwoven narratives through exploration, conversation, investigation, and combat, where every choice you make has consequences.
- Explore this Green and Unpleasant Land: The picturesque British countryside, with rolling green hills, lush valleys, and rural villages belie the dangers that await you.
- Search, Scavage, Survive: You’ll need to scavenge for supplies, craft weapons and items, and fight desperately to make it our alive!
- “Basic Supply Bundle” - Supplies are scarce in the quarantine zone. Improve your chances for survival with additional items to find, including an exclusive melee weapon to help you in those brutal close-quarters engagements. o Exclusive Melee Weapon Variant o Additional Loot Caches o Item Recipe
- At the first trap, turn left, then turn right toward the water.
- Follow the passage as it bends up and left.
- Look for a room on the right containing an explosive trap.
- Disarm the trap or jump over it, then take the manual from the room.
MapMaster independently describes the manual as lying on a crate deep inside Outlaw’s Cave, which supports the location but does not add another route through the cave.
Buy another copy from Alf Buckshaw
MapMaster reports that Alf Buckshaw sells a second copy inside Grendel’s Head pub in Wyndham Village. The source does not state the price or any purchase requirements. This gives players who prefer a merchant option an alternative to finding the cave copy, but it is not established as the earlier progression route.
Rank #2
- Player Driven Mystery: Unravel a tapestry of interwoven narratives through exploration, conversation, investigation, and combat, where every choice you make has consequences.
- Explore this Green and Unpleasant Land: The picturesque British countryside, with rolling green hills, lush valleys, and rural villages belie the dangers that await you.
- Search, Scavage, Survive: You’ll need to scavenge for supplies, craft weapons and items, and fight desperately to make it our alive!
- “Basic Supply Bundle” - Supplies are scarce in the quarantine zone. Improve your chances for survival with additional items to find, including an exclusive melee weapon to help you in those brutal close-quarters engagements. o Exclusive Melee Weapon Variant o Additional Loot Caches o Item Recipe
What the manual unlocks
MapMaster lists three skills unlocked by the manual:
- Melee Weapon Attack Power: increases damage caused by melee weapons.
- Seasoned Brawler: substantially reduces the heart-rate cost of melee attacks.
- Heavy Melee Attack Power: increases damage caused by heavy melee attacks.
Windows Central recommends buying Melee Weapon Attack Power first, followed by Seasoned Brawler and then Heavy Melee Attack Power. That is the guide author’s suggested order, not a proven best build. The guide also mentions a Conditioning skill that reduces overall heartbeat increase, but does not identify its exact skill name.
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- Player Driven Mystery: Unravel a tapestry of interwoven narratives through exploration, conversation, investigation, and combat, where every choice you make has consequences.
- Explore this Green and Unpleasant Land: The picturesque British countryside, with rolling green hills, lush valleys, and rural villages belie the dangers that await you.
- Search, Scavage, Survive: You’ll need to scavenge for supplies, craft weapons and items, and fight desperately to make it our alive!
- “Basic Supply Bundle” - Supplies are scarce in the quarantine zone. Improve your chances for survival with additional items to find, including an exclusive melee weapon to help you in those brutal close-quarters engagements. o Exclusive Melee Weapon Variant o Additional Loot Caches o Item Recipe
Which route should you take?
| Goal | Route | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Find the Mace early | Search the hallway walls in Outlaw Caves, Slatten Dale | Outlaws occupy the cave, and triggering its passage trap alerts the camp. |
| Try another Mace source | Fight Druids in Casterfell Woods, including in the Speaking Caves | Windows Central reports a possible drop, not a guaranteed one; no probability is stated. |
| Find the manual while exploring | Follow the route past the first trap to the trapped room in Outlaw Caves | Requires navigating the cave and dealing with an explosive trap. |
| Get a reported merchant copy | Ask Alf Buckshaw at Grendel’s Head in Wyndham Village | MapMaster reports a sale, but does not state the price or purchase conditions. |
The locations and skill advice above come from editorial game guides, not official patch notes. Neither guide establishes that these details were checked against the latest game build, so a later update could change them.
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