Metal

Metal
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Pickup Type:	Building & Ammo

For the crafting material, see Crafting.

“

Grab some steel boys, they're comin'!

Click to listen

— The Engineer

”

Metal is a resource unique to the Engineer and is used in the construction, upgrade, repair of buildings, and as ammunition for the Widowmaker and Short Circuit. The Engineer spawns with a full supply of 200 Metal. Metal can be acquired through various means, including picking up ammo boxes, weapons, and pieces of destroyed buildings.

Sources

Ammo boxes

All ammo crates have a 10 second respawn time.

Small Ammo Pickup: 40 Metal
Medium Ammo Pickup: 100 Metal
Large Ammo Pickup: 200 Metal

Debris

Broken Sapper parts: 3 Metal each, 3 parts per Sapper, only comes from Sappers removed from a Dispenser, total of 9 Metal.
Broken Red-Tape Recorder parts: 3 Metal each, 4 parts per Red-Tape Recorder, only comes from Red-Tape Recorders removed from a Dispenser, total of 12 Metal.
Broken Dispenser parts: 10 Metal each, 5 parts per Dispenser, total of 50 Metal.
Broken Teleporter parts: 15 Metal each, 4 parts per Teleporter, total of 60 Metal.
Broken Sentry Gun parts: 15 Metal each, 4 parts per Sentry Gun, total of 60 Metal.
Broken Mini-Sentry Gun will not return any Metal.

Dropped items

Fallen weapon from an Engineer (including toolbox): Amount equal to the Engineer's Metal at the time of death, with a minimum of 5 Metal.
- If the toolbox contained a building being hauled, always 200 Metal.
- The Heavy's lunchbox items provide health instead of metal.
- Fallen weapons from a Spy feigning death with the Dead Ringer will not provide any metal.

Other sources

Dispensers: can hold a maximum of 400 metal at once; generates Metal every 6 seconds and can dispense an equivalent amount every second
- Level 1 – produces 40 Metal at once
- Level 2 – produces 50 Metal at once
- Level 3 – produces 60 Metal at once
Payload carts: produces 40 Metal at once; has an infinite supply
Resupply lockers: Refills to maximum of 200 Metal
Widowmaker: Metal gained equivalent to damage dealt
Metal Regen upgrade: regenerates 5 * (upgrade level) Metal every 5 seconds
Max Metal Capacity upgrade: increases maximum Metal capacity by 100 * (upgrade level), Metal gained from ammo pickups and dropped weapons increases proportionally

Uses

Buildings

Sentry Gun: 130 Metal to build
Combat Mini-Sentry: 100 Metal to build
Dispenser: 100 Metal to build
Teleporter: 50 Metal to build on both entrance and exit (25 Metal with the Eureka Effect)

Building maintenance

Repairs: 1 Metal for every 5 health points repaired rounded up, max of 21 per swing (105 health)
Reloading: 1 Metal for every bullet, 2 Metal for every rocket, max of 56 per swing (40 for bullets, 16 for rockets)
Upgrades: 200 per level, max of 25 per swing

Weapons

Widowmaker: uses 30 Metal per shot
Short Circuit: uses 5 Metal per shot, 10 Metal + 5 Metal for each additional projectile destroyed, per alt-fire shot
Rescue Ranger: uses 100 Metal to haul buildings from a distance