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Mason Dixon Salvage | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Mason Dixon Salvage is a location in the northern part of the Capital Wasteland.
Background[]
It appears to have been a pre-War auto parts and salvage complex. Since then, super mutants have moved in and are using it as a base of command. There is also a human captive here.[1]
Layout[]
The salvage yard can be found northwest of Paradise Falls and south-southwest of SatCom Array NN-03d. It is closest to Drowned Devil's Crossing, and can most easily be reached by traveling north from there.
On the east and west ends there are two rusted metal shacks. To the south of the western shack are 3 overturned trailers. The easiest way to get to the salvage yard is to come from the north because of the small trail that leads up to the salvage area.
Enemies[]
Mason Dixon Salvage is a super mutant camp. Be prepared to fight several of these monsters. While the difficulty scales with level, the encounter has a random variable, meaning you could be facing regular super mutants up to super mutant overlords (Broken Steel). Seven supermutants wielding super sledges and miniguns and two centaurs will make short work of anyone not paying attention (like temporary followers). Generally, though, there are only three or four, with one being a grade up from the others, and with better weapons to boot. Also, there may be a deathclaw on the small hill. It will not hesitate to follow you into one of the shacks, or even kill the captive before you can save him/her. There may be an albino radscorpion present too with the Broken Steel add-on downloaded.
Notable loot[]
- Tumblers Today: in the southern shack next to the bed. (It may be under the bed, in that case try crouching or throwing a grenade behind the bed, at the southern wall.)
- Nikola Tesla and You: in the western shack, on a table.
- D.C. Journal of Internal Medicine: also in the western shack, on the floor, next to a bucket.
- Stealth Boy: can be found in a locker in the southern shack.
Notes[]
- The amount of super mutants in the area changes between night and day. At night, there is only one enemy that is always a master. During the day, there are between 3-5 super mutants and centaurs. Be warned as the mutants might be overlords if Broken Steel is active. It is therefore much easier to free the hostage at night.
- No Karma loss occurs if the captive is blown to smithereens in the massive car explosion possible at this location.
- Once this location has been cleared out once, it becomes a dangerous location to fast-travel to, as the end point is directly inside a group of super mutants that have (most likely) already re-spawned.
- There are two shacks that could be used as shelter as they have unowned beds inside. Although if you decide to use them as shelter you will find yourself having to fight off super mutants almost every time you fast travel there because they respawn very quickly.
- To the north, about halfway between here and the SatCom Array NN-03d is an abandoned tent which contains a Nikola Tesla and You, a Nuka-Cola Quantum, and a few other handy items.
Appearances[]
The Mason Dixon Salvage appears only in Fallout 3.
Behind the scenes[]
- This could be based on the real place "Mason Dixon Auto Salvage", a junkyard on Rt 1 on the PA side of the MD/PA border (also called the Mason Dixon Line) with 18 acres of recyclable cars.
Bugs[]
The game can freeze when coming to this location and the surrounding area.
References
- ↑ Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p.314: "1.09: MASON DIXON SALVAGE (LAT -14/LONG 21)
Once a rural scrapyard, this is now a place where Super Mutants return from Wasteland hunting with their live captives and begin ferrying them to Vault 87 for mutation. There are approximately five Super Mutants and two pet Centaurs here, and there are several entrances—to the north, west, and south. You can blast vehicles and set them alight, but this can ruin the chances of freeing captives and grabbing items. After you engage the Super Mutants and score a victory, begin scavenging the area; there are truck containers with Ammo Boxes and bedding. There are also two shacks with a footlocker and the following items:"
(Fallout 3 Game of the Year Edition Tour of the Capital Wasteland)
