The Poppy Field is one of the first dangerous locations you can explore in STALKER 2, and you’re there with the intent to grab an icon. Reaching the icon is a real challenge, but there are some helpful ways to complete this quest, as well as some critical choices involved.
You have two choices you can make during The Poppy Field quest, and they’re both beneficial to you. Before you can consider the choices, though, you have to get that icon. The Poppy Field is treacherous; if you fall asleep, you’ll end up dead, but there are some ways to push back that heavy exhaustion. Here’s what you need to know about how to complete The Poppy Field in STALKER 2.
Where to find The Poppy Field in STALKER 2
You can find The Poppy Field to the northwest of Zalissya. How you get there is up to you, but making your way through the forest and the abandoned factories is the quickest path. However, if you’d like a safer route, following the west road and turning north before reaching the bridge might be better. You’ll deal with more trees, but fewer chances of encountering armed bandits or other foes in STALKER 2.
When you do reach The Poppy Field, it’ll be best to go to the east side of it. On the edge of this perimeter, there’s a house you can find where you can meet Pomor. He lives on The Poppy Field’s edge and understands its dangers. Here, he’ll tell you that he’s scoured the field and has narrowed down where to find the basement, which contains the icon inside it. However, he’s only willing to tell you where it is if you loot the many bodies scattered throughout the field. Others have tried to make their way through it, but failed.
There are four bodies you need to find inside the Poppy Field. Navigating the field is difficult because your character wants to fall asleep. The way you mitigate that is by drinking energy drinks. If you don’t have that many, check around the edge of the Poppy Field. You might be able to find a body or two, or even bags, with energy drinks inside them. You may have to return to Zalissya to buy some from the traders if you want to get more.
How to find the root cellar in STALKER 2
When looting the bodies, place energy drinks in your quick-access tools to drink them while you’re running around. While your character is moving through the Poppy Fields, your compass will turn off and on, making it difficult to read the map. A good strategy is to reach the north body first and then reach the house at the center. Here, you can wait, check the map, and figure out where to go. Running through the Poppies is straightforward; just make sure you’re constantly drinking energy drinks to keep yourself awake and avoid the swirling gusts of poppies that teleport you.
After you complete these tasks for Pomor, he shows you the exact location of the root cellar. It’s on the west side of the Poppy Field. Again, you don’t have to loot the bodies to find the root cellar in STALKER 2, but it certainly makes it easier, and Pomor provides an alternative payment at the end of the quest rather than giving you the only option to sell it back to Mityay.
When you reach the root cellar, the icon you have to find is on the shelf on the right side. You can find it after you head down the ladder. When you retrieve the icon, Pomor speaks to you on your radio and offers you a choice: Give him the icon and you can get a gun, or you can take it back to Mityay and get paid.
Should you give the icon to Mityay or Pomor in STALKER 2?
The choice to go with Mityay or Pomor happens at the end of the quest, and one choice does prevent you from going with the other. If you go with Pomor, who is close to the Poppy Field, he gives you a gun for your trouble. We’ve listed the gun below. It’s an uncommon rifle with several attachments. However, the durability lists it as broken, meaning you must take it to a mechanic to fix it. After that happens, though, it’s an excellent gun, and you might not find another like this for a long time, without a good amount of investment. Going with this option does prevent Mityay from getting the icon back and paying you.
Your other option is to complete the standard mission and return to Mityay. He’ll be thrilled to see you found the icon in the Poppy Field. After he takes it, he provides 1,000 coupons, and you can use that with any of the local traders or take it to a technician to repair and upgrade your equipment. This route prevents you from getting the weapon from Pomor.
Between the two options, it comes down to if you want to get paid by Mityay or get the unique gun from Pomor. The coupons might be the better option, as is siding with Mityay. He’s regularly in the stalker camp, and if you made him mad before, he might not take to you giving his icon away to someone else kindly and will let the other stalkers know about this. Not siding with Pomor doesn’t provide anything negative, and having Mityay on your side could be good in the future in STALKER 2.
