Best Crafting Recipes & Ammo Management Guide — RE9

PUBLISHED MAY 2026 · 9 MIN READ · CRAFTING SYSTEM

✓ SPOILER LEVEL: LOW

EDITOR: Jachin (Seoul)
GAME VERSION: v1.02 (May 2026 patch)
LAST VERIFIED: 2026-05-10
PLATFORM TESTED: PS5 / Steam

Crafting in Resident Evil Requiem can make or break your run, especially on Insanity. This guide covers all Blood Specimen recipes, optimal resource management for Grace's Blood Collector and Leon's ammo crafting, and which recipes to prioritize.

Resource flow overview

// RESOURCE FLOW (GRACE)

🩸

Kill enemies → Harvest Infected Blood with Blood Collector

🔧

Loot containers → Find Scrap

🧪

Solve Blood Specimens at the Lab → Unlock recipes

⚗️

Combine at Item Box → Craft ammo + Hemolytic Injectors

Blood Specimen recipes (Grace)

The three Blood Specimen puzzles in the Care Center unlock progressively better crafting recipes. Solve them in order:

Specimen 1 — Denatured DO IMMEDIATELY

Click middle square → Recipe unlocked

Located in the Blood Lab beside the Blood Collector. Solve this first thing on entering the lab. Unlocks: Handgun Ammo recipe + Hemolytic Injector recipe. The Injector instant-kills Chunk and the Chef from behind.

Specimen 2 — Converged RECOMMENDED

Top-middle → 2nd from bottom = 2 steps

Found in the Ward Office (East Wing). Requires Level 1 ID Wristband. Unlocks: SMG Ammo recipe + Pistol Magazine extender. Worth doing for the SMG ammo if you've found The Gal SMG.

Specimen 3 — Reversible END-GAME

Bot-left → middle → top-right → 2nd top = 4 steps

Behind a security door in the Blood Lab. Requires Level 1 Wristband. Unlocks: Premium Hemolytic Injector (boss-tier damage) + High-Quality Blood crafting tier. Useful for late Grace sections only.

Crafting recipe priorities

// HIGH PRIORITY (Always craft)

Hemolytic Injector ★★★★★

Scrap ×1 + Infected Blood ×2 = 1 Injector

The single most valuable craft. Instant-kills mini-bosses (Chef, Chunk) when used from behind. Stockpile 4-5 before Grace's combat-heavy sections.

Handgun Ammo ★★★★

Scrap ×1 + Infected Blood ×1 = 6 rounds

Reliable bread-and-butter ammo. Craft whenever your handgun reserves drop below 20 rounds. Both Grace and Leon use this.

// MEDIUM PRIORITY (Craft when available)

First Aid Spray ★★★

Scrap ×2 + High-Grade Herb ×1 = 1 spray

Full health restore. Save Scrap for crafting these in critical moments. Don't waste Scrap on minor crafts when you're at full HP.

SMG Ammo ★★★

Scrap ×1 + Infected Blood ×1 = 12 rounds

Best ammo-to-resource ratio. Craft if you're using The Gal SMG or Stiri REVO3 A1. Skip if you don't have an SMG equipped.

// LOW PRIORITY (Skip unless needed)

Shotgun Shells ★★

Scrap ×2 + Gunpowder ×1 = 4 shells

Resource-expensive. Better to find shells in containers. Only craft for Leon's Care Center MSBG 500 sections if you're running low.

Pistol Magazine Extender ★

Scrap ×3 + Premium Scrap ×1 = 1 attachment

Permanent capacity boost for Grace's M232 or Blacktail. Worth crafting once for an Insanity run.

Ammo management strategy

// THE 30/30/30 RULE

Maintain 30 rounds in three weapon categories at all times:

Handgun: 30 rounds (S&S M232, Blacktail, or Silencer 9)
Shotgun: 30 shells (MSBG 500 or 990-TAC)
Special: 30 of your specialty (SMG rounds, sniper rounds, or Requiem)

If any drops below 15, craft or loot before continuing. If above 50, stop crafting that type and focus elsewhere.

// REQUIEM BULLETS — TREAT LIKE GOLD

💡 Requiem Revolver rule: Never use Requiem rounds on standard zombies. Reserve them exclusively for boss weak points (Mr. X heart, Plant 43 flower, Victor's pustules). The Requiem one-shots most enemies, but you only get ~30 rounds in a full playthrough.

// HATCHET FINISHERS = FREE KILLS

When an enemy is staggered (low HP, post-parry, or after a headshot), the Hatchet finisher prompt appears. Always use it — finishers cost no ammo, restore some stamina, and unlock the "Chop Chop" trophy. Leon-only ability.

Hemolytic Injector tactics

The Injector deserves its own section because it's that important:

// USE CASES

The Chef — Sneak behind, inject. Instant kill. Drops Pantry Key.
Chunk #1 (East Wing) — 3 Injectors needed (use doorways to reset stealth)
Chunk #2 (Attic) — Less effective; he's faster. Use shotgun instead.
Standard zombies — Wasteful. Use the knife or pistol.

// HOW TO INJECT FROM BEHIND

Approach from outside the enemy's vision cone
Crouch within 2 meters
The Injector prompt appears
Press the action button — Grace performs an instant-kill animation

Insanity-specific crafting tips

⚠ On Insanity, ammo drops are halved. Crafting becomes mandatory, not optional. You cannot rely on world drops alone.

Solve all 3 Blood Specimens as Grace — every recipe matters
Loot every container for Scrap and Blood — even minor amounts add up
Skip optional bosses if low on Injectors — save resources for mandatory fights
Craft First Aid Sprays before bosses — you'll need them
Use the Hemolytic Injector on any mini-boss you encounter — they're worth it on Insanity

Trophy considerations

"The Power of Blood" — Bronze. Auto-unlocks on first Blood Collector craft.
"Science!" — Bronze. Solve any Blood Specimen.
"Order Up!" — Bronze. Defeat the Chef (Hemolytic Injector instant-kill is the easiest path).
"Eye Spy" — Bronze. Defeat Chunk for the charm (3× Hemolytic Injectors needed).