So, you’re sailing through the murky, Eldritch-infested waters of Dredge, and you keep running into these strange, ominous stone carvings. They’re basically big slabs of rock with indentations that look suspiciously like fish. If you’ve been ignoring them, I get it. The ocean is terrifying, your cargo hold is probably full of rotting mackerel, and the last thing you want to do is sit still while a ghost ship hunts you down. But honestly, if you want the best gear in the game, you’ve gotta light the statues and solve those Rock Slab puzzles.
It’s not just about completionism. These things are the gatekeepers to some of the most powerful equipment in the game, specifically the stuff that makes catching those creepy, mutated "Abberations" a whole lot easier.
What’s the Deal with the Rock Slabs?
In Dredge, the mechanic often referred to as "light the statues" really centers on the Rock Slabs scattered across the different biomes. Each major area—The Marrows, Gale Cliffs, Stellar Basin, Twisted Strand, and Devil’s Spine—has at least one of these. They aren't just set dressing. They are puzzles.
When you interact with one, it gives you a cryptic hint. Usually, it's a poem or a jagged description of a specific fish shape. Your job is to catch the exact fish required and physically place them into the stone's inventory slots. Think of it like a morbid version of Tetris where the blocks are slimy and might have extra eyes. Once you fill the slots correctly, the statue "activates" or lights up, and the stone crumbles to reveal a reward.
Finding the Statues in The Marrows
The first one most people find is right in the starting area. You’ll find it at I9, tucked away on a small island. It’s pretty straightforward compared to what comes later. The slab asks for fish that look like "a pair of twisted shapes."
Basically, it wants Cod. Specifically, five of them.
Don't overthink this one. Just go out, grab some basic Cod from the nearby shallows, and cram them in there. The reward is the Sinew Spindle, which is a massive upgrade for your early-game fishing speed. It’s a rod that handles Coastal and Shallow fish, and it’s significantly better than that rusty stick the Mayor probably let you start with.
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The Gale Cliffs Slab: Crabs and More Crabs
Once you head southeast to the Gale Cliffs, things get a bit more annoying. The statue here is located at P3, inside the cliffs. It asks for "two of a kind, mutated by their environment."
You need two Decorated Crabs.
Here’s the catch: you can’t just fish for these with a rod. You need Crab Pots. Buy a couple from the Shipwright, drop them around the Gale Cliffs (anywhere from 0m to 5m depth usually works), and wait a day or two. If you’re lucky, you’ll pull up the Decorated Crabs. Shoving them into the statue nets you the Mouth of the Deep.
Listen, the Mouth of the Deep is arguably one of the best items for passive income. It’s an automated crab pot that doesn't break. You just let it sit in the water, and it generates value while you’re off getting chased by giant sea monsters. It’s a game-changer for your economy.
Solving the Stellar Basin Puzzle
The Stellar Basin is beautiful, glowing, and incredibly deadly because of the giant kraken-thing living in the middle of the coral. The Rock Slab here is at H2.
The riddle mentions "a fierce predator" and "a heavenly body."
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- The Predator: A Bronze Whaler.
- The Heavenly Body: A Blacktip Reef Shark.
- The Extra Bits: You also need a Hammerhead Shark and a Ghost Shark.
This one is a logistical nightmare because sharks take up a ton of space in your hull. You probably can't carry all of them at once unless you've upgraded your boat's storage capacity significantly. My advice? Tackle the smaller ones first, or drop a few off at the nearby pontoon if you need to clear space.
Your reward? The Fathomless Winch. It’s an Abyssal/Hadal fishing rod. Without this, you basically can't catch the weirdest stuff in the deep trenches of the Basin. It’s mandatory if you want to finish the main questline without pulling your hair out.
The Twisted Strand: The Hardest One?
The Twisted Strand is a maze of mangroves and fog. The statue is at E5. It wants "three tangled shapes."
You need three Entwined Mullet.
These are Aberrations of the standard Mullet. This is where the "light the statues" process gets tricky. You can’t just catch any fish; you need the mutated versions. The best way to do this is to use the Atrophy ability if you’ve unlocked it from the Collector. It guarantees an Aberration but rots the rest of the school. If you don't have Atrophy, you just have to keep fishing Mullet spots until the RNG gods smile upon you.
The reward is the Tendon Rod. It’s okay, but by this point, you might already have better gear. Still, it’s worth it for the completion percentage.
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Devil’s Spine and the Final Challenge
Finally, at O15 in the Devil’s Spine, you’ll find the last major slab. This one is dark. It asks for "a piece of the sun" and some other nonsense that basically translates to Cusk Eels and Sailfish.
Actually, it specifically wants two Squat Lobsters and one Stingray.
The reward is the Flame of the Sky. This is a light source. But it’s not just any light; it’s the brightest light in the game (3,500 lumens). It makes navigating at night significantly less suicidal. If you’ve ever been frustrated by the "Panic" mechanic making you see hallucinations of rocks that aren't there, this light helps keep your sanity meter in check for much longer.
Why You Shouldn't Skip These
A lot of players try to rush the main story by just delivering the relics to the Collector. I get it. The story is gripping. But Dredge is a game about the atmosphere and the struggle against the sea. Having the right tools makes that struggle feel like a fair fight rather than a slow suicide mission.
When you light the statues, you aren't just getting "loot." You are getting specialized tools that allow you to explore areas you otherwise couldn't reach. The Fathomless Winch alone opens up an entire layer of the ocean floor.
Pro-Tips for Slab Hunting
Don't go out hunting for these statues with a full cargo hold. It sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how many people sail all the way to the Devil's Spine, realize they need a Stingray, and then have nowhere to put it because they're carrying twenty pieces of scrap metal.
- Mark the Map: Use your map markers the moment you find a slab. You won't remember which square it was in three hours.
- Use Ice: If you're hunting for a specific Aberration for a statue, buy some ice from the traveling merchant. There is nothing worse than finally catching that rare fish only for it to turn into "Rot" before you reach the statue.
- The Spyglass is Your Friend: You can see the "ripples" of fish schools from a distance. Use the spyglass to identify if the fish you need are even in the area before you waste fuel.
Honestly, the statues are some of the best world-building in the game. They imply an ancient civilization that worshipped the very things that are currently trying to eat your boat. It adds a layer of "cosmic horror" that makes the world feel old and indifferent to your existence.
Actionable Next Steps
If you’re currently playing and feeling stuck, here is exactly what you should do:
- Check your current rod setup. If you can’t fish in "Volcanic" or "Hadal" zones, go back to the Stellar Basin and solve the H2 Rock Slab. The Fathomless Winch is non-negotiable for the late game.
- Invest in Crab Pots. Buy three or four and drop them near the Gale Cliffs immediately. By the time you finish a couple of other missions, you’ll likely have the Decorated Crabs needed for the P3 statue.
- Prioritize the Flame of the Sky. If the night-time mechanics are stressing you out, make a beeline for the Devil’s Spine. That 3,500-lumen light makes the game significantly more manageable.
- Save your Research Parts. Don't waste research parts on basic rods if a Rock Slab reward can fill that gap for free. Use them on engines instead. Speed is life.