Starchrom Guide

In this Starchrom guide you learn all the ways to obtain Starchrom and what weekly activities you can do to get more. Starchrom is a limited resource and therefore you have to be careful when spending it. The main thing you buy or roll for with Starchrom is weapon and armor blueprints from the Wish Machine. When you buy the blueprints you are buying the endgame build you want to play.

Once you pick which build you want to try, you then buy the weapon that you are basing your build on. After buying a weapon you can unlock the unique armor you are gonna use to buff or change your weapon's effect, and an armor set with bonuses that apply to your build's damage type or playstyle. Or you could just roll all your Starchrom in the Wish Machine and let RNG decide for you.

Journey Quests

To find the journey quests you can press "J". Journey quests are mini-tutorials that walk you through different aspects of Once Human. For example, the "Experienced Angler" journey quest has you craft a fishing rod, make fishing bait, and then catch a fish. Each step in journey quests awards you with experience and energy. Once you complete the entire journey quest you can claim some Starchrom and controllers. You can get a total of 975 Starchrom from completing all the journey quests.

Season Goals

To get to the season goals page you can click "Esc," click the season banner in the top right, then click season goals at the top. Every week you unlock a set of season goals and if you complete them they reward you with Mitsuko's Marks. As you claim the Mitsuko's Marks for each goal you fill up the circle on the left. Once you reach enough Mitsuko's Marks for the different tiers of loot you can claim them. They give you one specialization cleaner, Starchrom, and memetic points. Each week has its own challenges and rewards. As the weeks go on, the challenges tend to get harder and the rewards bigger. You can get a total of 20,000 Starchrom from the season goal rewards, but they only unlock with each new phase (weekly).

Season Shop

In the season shop, you can spend your Mitsuko's Marks on cosmetic items and season exclusive rewards. You also have the option of spending energy on Starchrom crates after phase six, which is six weeks into the season. Use these Starchrom crates to unlock blueprints for the next season, or to test things before the season ends. You can buy eight Starchrom crates for a total of 4,000 Starchrom and it costs you 10k, 20k, 30k, 40k, 50k, 60k, 80k, and 100k energy, which is a total of 390k energy.

Battlepass

To get to the Battlepass press "Esc" and then click the Stardust's Advent banner on the right. Leveling the Battlepass gives several rewards and one of those rewards is Starchrom. There is a premium tier to the Battlepass but it only includes cosmetic items and all the available Starchrom is in the free tiers. To level up your Battlepass you can explore, complete tasks, gather, craft, or participate in all kinds of combat. As you level you can go to the Battlepass page to claim the rewards you unlocked. You get 1,000 Starchrom at Battlepass level 5, 15, 25, 35, 45, and 55 for a total of 6,000 Starchrom.

Territory Purification

You can purify 40 cortexes in a Stardust Resonant Filter weekly for some extra Starchrom based on the level of cortexes you use. When you start a territory purification enemies spawn around your territory and try to destroy your Stardust Resonant Filter. Your base can be destroyed during this so be sure to set up some walls and you could even ask for help from your hive, warband, or world chat. Another thing that could help is going to the building memetic tree and unlocking the defensive memetics along the right side. It gives you sandbags, traps, and turrets to help protect your base from the attack. When you finish the defense your loot is on the ground next to the Stardust Resonant Filter.

Cortexes

The level of cortexes you use decides the level of the mobs you have to fend off and the mobs have much higher health than the mobs you normally run into at that level. They attack your base for five minutes with a mixture of normal enemies and elites. Any players in your hive can help you defend your base and they get the same reward for helping. Be aware that you can only receive a reward for the first 40 cortexes you complete. This includes cortexes from hive members that you helped. With Starchrom being so limited as a resource it's recommended that you do 40 level 3 cortexes each week. You can do all 40 at once and doesn't seem to make it any harder, which is good because it would be tedious to do 40 five minute long defenses.

So to clarify, if your hive member asks for help with some level 1 cortexes, you get credit for purifying level 1 cortexes toward your limit of 40. If you already did your 40 for the week then you can help others in your hive but you won't receive a reward for more. Also if a person not in your hive is doing one you can help them but you won't receive a reward or credit toward your limit of 40.

Elites

During the territory purification elites spawn to try and stop you. Some elites have attacks that can cause a lot of damage to your base and the Stardust Resonant Filter. Some notable ones are the Rainfall Reaper (a lady in red with an umbrella as a head) and the Chagas Weevil (a three-legged monster with a gas bag attached under it).

Rainfall Reaper

The Rainfall Reaper can mark a player and put a storm cloud above them which rains down doing damage to anything under it. If you are near or above your Stardust Resonant Filter then the storm cloud can destroy it quickly, so best to stay off to the side and focus down the Rainfall Reaper.

Chagas Weevil

The Chagas Weevil rips the gas bag attached to it off and throws in at players. If it gets close to players or the Stardust Resonant Filter it explodes causing a lot of damage and leaving a damage over time effect on the ground. This can quickly destroy your Stardust Resonant Filter or down you leaving your base vulnerable. To avoid this you can shoot the gas bag in between its legs dealing bonus damage as well as stunning the Chagas Weevil when destroyed.

Where to Find Cortexes

The main way you can get cortexes while exploring the world is by looting elites. You also get them from world events, first time silo / monolith clears, and from extraction/refinery permits. You can upgrade the level 1 cortexes to level 2 in a synthesis bench. It costs three of the lower level cortexes to make a higher level. To unlock the synthesis bench you have to go to the memetics tree under crafting. There is also the advanced synthesis bench which gives you the ability to turn level 2 cortexes into level 3.

Refinery Facility Location

You can take extraction permits and refinery permits to a refinery facility. You can find these locations on the map via the symbol highlighted in the image on the right. They are usually found in abandoned factory towns. Once you interact with the refinery you can select which card you would like to place in it. The higher the tier of the card, the more loot you receive upon completion. These also give premium fuel, acid, Stardust Source, and a chance for some refinery exclusive Deviations. You can find more extraction permits and refinery permits by looting chests inside towns. The tier of cards you find are generally based on the level of the area you looted them from.

The defense process is basically identical to a territory defense so the mobs level is based on the tier of card you use. Also, they have more health than enemies you would normally fight at similar levels.

After the defense is started you have a few minutes to build defenses, either with the materials in your inventory or the random machines and boxes found around the facility. You can fast forward the building phase by interacting with the refinery facility again. The defense lasts around five minutes and in the top left you can see when and what type of waves of enemies are going to spawn. If you do multiple extraction permits or refinery permits of the same tier in a row then the mobs spawn in the same locations. Once you complete the defense you have one minute to claim your loot from the refinery facility. After the looting phase is complete the refinery facility goes on cooldown for one additional minute before you can start the next card.

The big difference between territory purification and the refinery facilities is that anyone can participate and get the loot from the refinery facilities. So not only can all of your friends or hive mates help but you can also ask everyone in world chat to come. The refinery facilities give so many valuable resources that most of the time 10-20 people show up to take part, and with all those people you still only use one card per attempt. So you could see this process as more of a group event but you can solo it if you need to, just make sure you bring supplies to build sufficient defenses.

Prime Wars

You get Starchrom the first time you participate in a successful Prime War. Prime Wars are server wide events that anyone can join up to 40 players. In a Prime War, you are trying to protect a Starroid Restrainer from being destroyed by a powerful boss and several elites. The boss has a shield that must be broken by missiles or grenades. You can make biomass missiles by unlocking the close defense turret I memetic. The missiles are crafted in a synthesis bench and you can shoot them out of a close defense turret I or II. Everyone can build within the Prime War area, so you need to take the materials to build some foundations and the turret for you to shoot from. The boss in the Prime War spawns on the black pool of liquid which is found somewhere near the edge of the Prime War zone.

You get points for your performance in the Prime War which gives you additional loot chests and if you get 1,000 points you gain access to the next level Prime Wars when they are added. Currently, the level 25 Prime Wars give you 800 Starchrom for the first successful participation. The level 35 Prime Wars give you 1,000 Starchrom for the first successful participation. The level 45 Prime Wars give you 1,200 Starchrom for the first successful participation. Even if you are just AFK in the zone and do no damage, you get the first time clear Starchrom bonus. So if you don't have the memetic points or materials to make missiles, then you can go to kill the adds and attack the boss after the shield is broken by other players. You can teleport directly to an active Prime War by clicking on it on the map.

Stellar Planula Shop

You can use Stellar Planula to buy Starchrom crates which give you 500 Starchrom each. There are eight of these crates available per season. To find the shop, look for Severin VII-S2041 in any settlement. The Starchrom crates cost 100 Stellar Planula each, so you need 800 total to buy them all. Also, you can buy 20 controllers for only 40 Stellar Planula. You get Stellar Planula from doing side quests, completing puzzles, and hunting down morphic chests.

Other

There are a few other ways to get some more Starchrom which only take a few clicks. Be sure to keep an eye out for future events in the Event Tab. You can get to the Event Tab by pressing "F3".

Bind Discord

If you bind your Discord account to the game you can claim 500 Starchrom, a few Adrenalines, and some gunpowder. To get to this page press "F3" and go to the regular event tab and then the bind Discord option.

Link Accounts

You have the option to link and/or follow accounts for 180 Starchrom each. Some of these options don't seem to work but if you can get any of them to then you can get a small amount of Starchrom. To get to this page press "F3" and go to the regular event tab and then community rewards.

Surveys

Occasionally you are offered to fill out a survey for 300 Starchrom. To see if one is available you can press "Esc" and check the bottom right box.

Check Your Mailbox

Whenever there is server maintenance or something breaks that interrupts players from playing the game, Starry Studios sends out compensation packages to say they are sorry for the inconvenience. So be sure to check your mail to see if there are any compensation packages with extra materials, cosmetics, or Starchrom for you to claim. To get to your mail press "Esc" and click the envelope icon in the top right.

Spending Starchrom

Now that you have all this Starchrom to spend, the big decision is what you want to spend it on. You could roll it all away in the Wish Machine, or buy the gear for a build you've been wanting to try. On the other hand, you could save your Starchrom until you find a build and buy the stuff you need for it then. You keep all the blueprints you buy or roll for to use in future seasons.

Wish Machine

The wish machine has two options for you to spend your Starchrom. You can buy specific blueprints for a set amount of Starchrom, roll within a prize pool where you are guaranteed to get some of the blueprints inside it, or roll in a prize pool of all blueprints and let RNG take the wheel.

Make a Wish

The "make a wish" option on the wish machine is basically a loot box for blueprints. You can roll within certain prize pools with specific rewards or an overall prize pool with all blueprints available. You get more info on what is specifically in the prize pools by clicking the yellow square with an ! in it.

Blueprint Shop

In the blueprint shop, you can buy weapons, unique armor, and set armor pieces for a set amount of Starchrom. Legendary weapons cost 8,000 each and epic weapons cost 2,000 each. All unique armor pieces cost 8,000 Starchrom, and all set armor pieces cost 3,000 Starchrom each. You can only wear one unique armor piece so keep that in mind when looking at what you should buy. The unique armors in the blueprint page are labeled by a rainbow light beam in the top right corner. You can only buy each blueprint once from the blueprint shop.

Cosmetics

You can spend Starchrom on cosmetic items as well. If you press "Esc", then click the seasonal banner in the top right, then go to season goals, then in the top right click season shop. Once inside the season shop, click the furniture formula tab to see some furniture you can buy for Starchrom.

Starchrom Guide Recap

So there are quite a few ways to get Starchrom including journey quests, season goals, Battlepass, territory purification, Prime Wars, Stellar Planula shop, and more. Some of them are one time rewards and others reset weekly. You should try and get all the Starchrom so you can buy all the weapons, unique armor, and set armor pieces you need. If you have any extra Starchrom you can buy some furniture for your base from the season shop. Have fun collecting all the Starchrom and good luck with whatever build you decide to buy with it.

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Written by: Soap_GOD

Reviewed by: mkaytea, Tenkiei