The Metal Extractor is a level 1 structure in Total Annihilation available to both the ARM and the CORE. It extracts Metal from Metal Deposits and adds to the player's metal production a number proportional to the size of the Metal Deposit, which usually ranges from +0.8 to +2.1; its maximum output is +2.3, however it can only reach this number in the Core Prime world. Because it consumes only -3 Energy when operational, is very quick to build and provides metal better than the Metal Maker, it is an invaluable structure to any Commander especially in the early stages of the game.