Stuck on the decision of whether to give the religious icon to Pomor or Mityay in Stalker 2? One of the early choices I ran into in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl was during “The Poppy Field” side quest. I had to decide what to do with a religious icon I retrieved from a creepy root cellar in a dangerous field that could put me to sleep forever. Should I return the icon to Mityay, the guy who asked me to get it? Or should I hand it over to Pomor, a shady stranger who offered me a tempting trade of giving a weapon in exchange? Let me walk you through both options and what I learned along the way.
What Happens If You Give the Icon to Pomor?
If you give the icon to Pomor, who you’ll meet near The Poppy Field, he trades you the Unknown Stalker’s AR416, a rare assault rifle. On paper, this seems a great deal—especially early in the game’s storyline when good weapons are hard to come by.
But you get the AR416 in almost total broken form with just 10% durability. It’s risky to use it in this damaged state because it’ll jam constantly. To get the full strength of it, you’ll need to repair it, and that’s going to cost you around 7,000 Coupons. So unless you’re swimming in extra currency, think twice before you do a trade with Pomor.
Regarding performance, the AR416 is a powerful AR gun once it’s fixed. It has a fast rate of fire, and good accuracy, and is a great choice for both melee and long-range fights. Many players can get through much of the early-to-mid game without much trouble carrying this weapon so the investment for it can be worthwhile depending on your playstyle and what you prefer.
However, giving the icon to Pomor doesn’t sit well with Mityay. When you return to him with no icon in hand, he’ll either express his disappointment, or if you lie and say you couldn’t find it, he’ll decide to search for it himself. This option is grim since the Poppy Field is dangerous, and it’s mentioned that Mityay likely won’t survive his trip. If you care about being a decent person, this might not be the path you go.
What Happens If You Give the Icon to Mityay?
If you decide to stick to your word and return the icon to Mityay in Zalissya, he’ll reward you with 1,000 Coupons and show a lot of gratitude. The icon seems to have great value to him, which makes this the more morally “good” choice. He sees it as more than a mere object—there’s a sense of emotional or religious significance tied to it.
While the given amount of Coupons here isn’t much, it’s still a decent chunk of cash early in the game, especially if you’re short on funds. More importantly, helping Mityay keeps your reputation strong with the Stalker faction, which might be worth playing the long game, and want to stay on their good side.
But by giving the icon to Mityay, you’re missing out on a unique weapon that Pomor offers as a trade. The decision to go with Mityay depends on whether you value loyalty and morality over gear.
Give the Icon to Pomor or Mityay in STALKER 2: Which is Better?
That depends on how you want to play the game. Focusing on morality and building relationships, giving the icon to Mityay is the way to go. You’ll get some cash, keep the Stalkers happy, and know you did the right thing. Further, the AR416 isn’t the only good weapon in the game—there are plenty of other opportunities to get powerful guns as you progress (it’s just the start of the game, a lot more is waiting for you).
On the other hand, if your interest urges you to tangible rewards and don’t mind taking the morally questionable path, Pomor’s offer is tempting. The AR416 is amazing once repaired, and if there are resources to fix it under your belt, it’s worth adding to your arsenal.
But there’s a sneaky third option that gives you the best of both worlds: you can give the icon to Pomor, get the rifle, and then kill him. After collecting the icon from his dead body, you can take it back to Mityay for the cash and his thanks. It’s a brutal move, but hey, this is STALKER 2—survival comes first. The game doesn’t punish you for killing Pomor, and it allows you to give rise to your loot pool.
In the end, the decision comes down to how you want to play your character. Do you want to be loyal and earn the respect of the Stalkers? Or are you more focused on amassing resources, no matter the cost? It’s recommend and I found it satisfying to stick to my word and help Mityay by giving him the religious icon, but I can’t deny that Pomor’s deal had me second-guessing.
Whatever you choose, remember that STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is full of choices like this—each with short and big consequences affecting your upcoming journey through the Zone. Good luck out there, Stalker, and keep your Geiger counter handy. Furthermore, there is another choice scenario you will face early on when you have to decide: Should you shoot or knock out Solder in STALKER 2?
