Mass Effect 3 Walkthrough: Collectables & Upgrades From Planet Scanning

Scanning planets in Mass Effect 3 is important because you can pick up a whole host of items that contribute to Shepard’s credits total, XP and also the Galaxy at War total.

A lot of the universes aren’t accessible until you hit the first major plot point in Mass Effect 3, with the final set of universes not made available until you hit the second major plot point. Bear this in mind when scanning.

Artifacts aren’t useful in and of themselves but once you’ve picked up a few, return to the Citadel and explore all five floors. You’ll come across characters who the artifact can be sent to in return for credits and XP.

Items that count as upgrades for Shepard such as Reaper remains or intel can be used by accessing the third floor of the Normandy and entering Liara’s office (next to the kitchen). She has a terminal that enables you to select an upgrade and apply them to Shepard. They’re not huge bonuses and tend to offer 5% increases on shields, power cooldown and the like but it’s worth picking up.

Salvage will count as credits while Wreckage gives you more fuel for the Normandy.

If you scan too many times, the Reapers will turn up and start chasing you. All you have to do is exit that galaxy by crossing the green line. If you re-enter, the Reapers will start chasing you all over again but you’ll have a few seconds to grab any items you missed or scan again. If the Reapers catch you, it’s an instant game over, but they’re easy enough to avoid that this shouldn’t be a concern.

You also get an Achievement or Trophy for picking up 10 items from space by scanning.

Here’s every resource or upgrade you can collect from planet scanning, listed by galaxy and planet:

SIGURD’S CRADLE

SKEPSIS
Watson – Javelin Missile Launchers
Between Crick and Mass Relay – Wreckage

DECORIS
Laena – Salvage
South between second and third ring – Wreckage

ARCTURUS STREAM

ARCTURUS
Arcturus Station – Intel from battle of Arcturus
West of Themis – Wreckage

EULER
East of Fermi – Wreckage

GEMINI SIGMA

HAN
Underneath Mass Relay – Wreckage
Mavigon – Salvage

MING
Below Antiropus – Wreckage
Parag – Alliance Cruiser Nairobi

HADES GAMMA

ANTAEUS
Just underneath Mass Relay – Wreckage
Trebin – Salvage

PLUTUS
Nonuel – Special Ops Team Zeta, 103rd Marine Division

DIS
Right of the sun – Wreckage
Klensal – Salvage

FARINATA
North of the sun – Wreckage
Juntauma – Alliance Frigate Agincourt

CACUS
Chohe – Salvage
Far North-West – Wreckage

KITE’S NEST

HARSHA
Verush – Weapon Upgrade Kit
Left of Verush – Wreckage
Khar’shan – Artifact: Pillars of Strength

UNTREL
Adek – Salvage
West of Adek – Wreckage

ARGOS RHO

HYDRA
South of the sun – Wreckage
Canrum – Haptic Optics Array

PHOENIX
Pinnacle Station – Turian Spec Ops Team
Intai’sei – Artifact: Fossilized Kakliosaur
North-West of Intai’sei – Wreckage

GORGON
Camaron – Advanced Power Relays

APIEN CREST

CASTELLUS
South of Fiax, East of Nius – Wreckage
Digeris – Artifacts: Banner of the 1st Regiment

GEMMAE
Pheiros – Turian 79th Flotila
South of Pheiros – Wreckage
West of Pheiros – Wreckage

AETHON CLUSTER

ARU
Irune – Artifacts: Book of Plenix
West of Irune – Wreckage
Cherk Sab – Volus Fabrication Units

ESORI
Solu Paolis – Volus Dreadnought Kwonu
East of the sun – Wreckage

SATU ARRD
Nalisin – Volus Engineering Team
South-West of the sun – Wreckage

NURA
Oma Ker – Volus Intelligence Archives
North of the sun – Wreckage

ATTICAN BETA

HERCULES
Eletania – Interferometric Array
South-East of the sun – Wreckage 

THESEUS
Feros – ExoGeni Scientists
North-west of the sun – Wreckage

THE SHRIKE ABYSSAL

XE CHA
Zada Ban – Salvage
South of the sun – Wreckage

URLA RAST
Talis Fla – Artifact: Prothean Obelisk
North-West of the sun – Wreckage

VALHALLAN THRESHOLD

RAHEEL-LEYYA
North-East – Wreckage

PAZ
Garvug – Artifact: Prothean Data Drives
East of the sun – Wreckage

MICAH
Elohi – Emergency Fuel Pods
Farlas (East, in asteroid belt) – Element Zero Convertor
South-East of the sun – Wreckage

HADES NEXUS

HEKATE
South-West of Mass Relay – Wreckage
Asteria – Alliance Frigate Hong Kong, Alliance Fifth Fleet

HOPLOS
Kopis – Artifact: Obelisk of Karza
Far West – Wreckage

SHEOL
Gei Hinnom – Artifact: Prothean Sphere

PAMYAT
Dobrovolski – Alliance Friage Leipzig, Alliance First Fleet
South of the sun – Wreckage

MINOS WASTELAND

FORTIS
Pietas – Salvage
South of Mass Relay – Wreckage

EXODUS CLUSTER

UTOPIA
South of Eden Prime – Wreckage
Zion – Prothean Data Files

ASGARD
Borr – Remains of Reaper Destroyer
Tyr – Alliance Naval Exploration Flotilla
Terra Nova – Alliance Cruiser Shanghai
Loki – Alliance Spec Ops Team Delta
North-East of the sun – Wreckage

SILEAN NEBULA

KYPALADON
Hanalei – Dr. Jelize

TEYOLIA
Nevos – Artifact: Rings of Alune
Quirezia – Salvage
East of the sun – Wreckage

PHONTES
Dekuuna – Artifact: Code of the Ancients
Oltan – Elcor Flotilla
East of Lenamund – Wreckage

NAHUALA
Hyetiana – Serrice Guard
South-West of Agessia – Wreckage

LOROPI
East of Wreckage – Wreckage
Yasilium – Armali Sniper Unit

NIMBUS CLUSTER

PELION
South of Aitis – Wreckage
Trategos – Intact Reaper Weapon
Just North-East of Trategos – Wreckage
Just North-West of Sthenia – Wreckage

AGAIOU
Carcosa – Artifact: Library of Asha

KALLINI
South of Pania – Wreckage

NUBIAN EXPANSE

DAKKA
Pragia – Research Data from Pragia
South-East of the sun – Wreckage

QERTASSI
Norehsa – Alliance Frigate Trafalgar
North of Norehsa – Wreckage

KALABSHA
Yamm – Alliance Marine Recon Unit, 103rd Marine Division
North-East of the sun – Wreckage

HOURGLASS NEBULA

OSUN
Erinle – Salvage
South-West of Erinle – Wreckage

FARYAR
Alingon – Shadow Broker Starship Tech
Next to Alingon – Wreckage

SOWILO
Hagalaz – Shadow Broker Support Team
North of the sun – Wreckage

PLOITARI
Zanethu – Terminus Freighters

ATHENA NEBULA

PARNITHA
Tevura – Asari Cruiser Cybaen

ORISONI
Egalic – Asari Research Ships
East of the sun – Wreckage

TOMAROS
South of Niagolon – Wreckage
Pronoia – Asari Cruiser Nefrane

VERNIO
Polissa – Artifact: Hesperia Period Statue
North-West of the sun – Wreckage

IALESSA
West of the sun – Wreckage
Trikalon – Asari Engineers

ISMAR FRONTIER

AQUILA
Metaponto – Advanced Biotic Implants

Order Mass Effect 3 books on Amazon.co.uk

• Mass Effect 3 Collector’s Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides)
• Art of the Mass Effect Universe
• Mass Effect 3 illustrated Game Guide