In the Gleaming Depths raid, Raid Fuel Canisters aren't "loot" in the usual Fallout 76 sense. They're more like a job you can't ignore. The moment Phase Two starts, that giant drill becomes your whole world: keep it running, or the fight turns ugly fast. If you're the kind of player who likes to stay stocked up between runs—like buy game currency or items in*EZNPC—this is the opposite vibe, because the canisters are all about right-now pressure, not long-term value.
What the fuel phase really feels like
On paper, it's simple. Grab canisters from the surrounding tunnels and feed the drill to push the progress bar. In the moment, it's messy. You've got tunnels marked A through E like someone tried to make it "clear," but the layout still plays tricks on you when enemies are in your face. Canisters can be perched on shelves, tucked near barrels, or sitting by mine cart tracks. And while you're trying to remember where you saw one five minutes ago, Mole Miners are piling in like you rang a dinner bell.
The one-canister limit changes everything
The carry rule is the big shock for newer teams: you only get one canister at a time. So no, you can't scoop up a bunch and stroll back. It forces a loop. Run out, grab one, sprint back, deposit, repeat. That's why groups that "feel" strong on damage sometimes still fail here. It's not just about killing fast. It's about not wasting steps. If you hesitate at the tunnel mouth or wander because you forgot which corner had the spawn, you're basically donating time to the enemy.
Roles, routes, and avoiding the bad hero play
Most clean clears settle into a rhythm with three jobs. First, one or two players stay tight to the drill and keep it from getting shredded, while also snagging the closest spawns. Second, dedicated runners take the longer tunnels and don't get distracted chasing every target. Third, someone calls out which tunnel is "hot" so two runners don't collide and waste a trip. Section C is where people get cocky and pay for it; those ambushes in narrow corridors can wipe your momentum. Sometimes you skip a risky pickup and go for a safer one, even if it's farther. It's not glamorous, but it keeps the drill alive.
Turning canisters into progress, not souvenirs
Once the phase clicks, you stop thinking of canisters as items and start treating them like seconds on a clock. They don't follow you out of the raid, so there's no point playing "collector." Scout early, keep comms short, and don't overcommit in the tunnels when you're holding fuel. If you want to stay comfortable on the wider Fallout 76 economy outside the raid, it helps to have your basics covered—people often look at Fallout 76 Bootle Caps as part of that prep—then you can focus on execution when the drill phase gets loud.
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