The Zone generously rewards those who know where to look. In this guide, we’ll break down the locations of four extremely useful unique items in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl: two types of weapons, one legendary artifact, and an excellent protective suit for early in the game.

Items are scattered across various locations, so you can collect them as you progress.

1. The unique weapon “Special Gun”

You can get this weapon fairly early on, but to do so, you’ll have to make a moral (or not-so-moral) decision.

  • Location: Cardon area, just to the right of the Lesser Zone.
  • Where to look: Head north from the main base of the location—Stalker Village. You need to find The Mill.
  • How to obtain: Inside the mill, you will encounter a wounded NPC named St’s Leech. You have two options:
    1. Peaceful: Heal him with a first aid kit, go about your business, and return later. You will find his body and can safely collect the loot.
    2. Aggressive: Kill him right there and search him immediately.
  • Reward: That very unique weapon drops from his body (sometimes a glitch occurs and two identical guns drop at once).

2. The legendary artifact “Weird Flower”

A great artifact that can be found in a location you’ve most likely already visited during the story.

  • Location: Lesser Zone.
  • Where to find it: Head straight to the Poppy Fields. Go deep into the field and watch your step—you need to find a poppy flower of an unnatural blue color. That is the legendary artifact.

3. SSP-99 “Ecologist” Armor

One of the best suits for the early and mid-game. It offers tremendous radiation protection, surpassing any other similar suits at this stage.

  • Location: Zaton.
  • Related Quest: Side Quest “A Light at the End of the Tunnel“.
  • How to obtain: This is a long quest, at the very end of which you will need to disable the emitter. Immediately after disabling the device, look around—there is a small office nearby. Go inside; the SSP-99 suit will be there.

4. SOFMOD Assault Rifle

A reliable, powerful, and accurate assault rifle that you can pick up almost immediately once you reach the desired region.

  • Location: Zaton.
  • Where to find it: Head to the Railway Maintenance Facility. Look for the building located in the lower right (southeast) corner of the facility grounds. Go inside—the SOFMOD rifle is just sitting on a table, waiting for you. You don’t need to complete any quests to get it.