Core Crystal
Core Crystals are a type of item in Xenoblade Chronicles 2. Drivers can resonate with Core Crystals to awaken Blades.
Of the eight Drivers that can be in the player's party at any point, only four of them can resonate with new Core Crystals: Rex, Nia, Mòrag, and Zeke. The other four - Tora, Vandham, Jin, and Malos - are all unable or unwilling to resonate.
Types of Core Crystals[edit]
Standard Core Crystals[edit]
These Core Crystals will awaken a random Common or Rare Blade.
Unique Core Crystals[edit]
These Core Crystals will awaken a predetermined Common or Rare Blade.
- Unnamed Core Crystal
- Beastly Core Crystal
- Sealed Core Crystal
- Roc's Core Crystal
- Vess's Core Crystal
- Lucky Core Crystal
- Praxis's Core Crystal
- Theory's Core Crystal
- Aegaeon's Core Crystal
- Ebullient Core Crystal
- Divine Core Crystal
Sources[edit]
|
This page or section is incomplete. In other words, yes we know it's unfinished; we just didn't want to leave it blank in the meantime. You can help complete it. |
Core Crystals can be obtained from various methods.
- Defeating enemies
- Opening treasure troves
- Using Driver Combos
- Playing Tiger! Tiger!
- Purchasing Legendary Core Crystals for 200,000 Bonus EXP from the traveling bard at the Fonsa Myma Gate in New Game Plus.
Mechanics[edit]
When the player decides to resonate with a Core Crystal, the game iterates through every Rare Blade that the player does not currently possess, and makes an independent random roll for each one (explained below). Rare Blades that succeed this roll are added to a pool of potentials. Once every Rare Blade has been checked, another roll is made based on the Core Crystal.
- For Rare and Legendary Core Crystals, one of the Rare Blades in the potential pool is chosen at random. If the pool is empty, a Common Blade appears.
- For Common Core Crystals, an additional 25% chance is rolled. If this roll fails, a Common Blade appears no matter how many Rare Blades are in the pool. If it succeeds, a Rare Blade is picked as above.
If the player chooses to view the awakening (as opposed to skipping it), the game generates two additional resonances of the same inputs. The Blades selected by these "dummy" resonances appear as the two silhouette flashes before the third, which is the Blade acquired.
The method of choosing whether to add each Rare Blade to the pool is straightforward but complex, having four main components.
Base rate[edit]
Each Rare Blade has a set of five different base probabilities for being selected, known as "groups". The game randomly selects which group to use when the player first begins the game, which cannot be changed in the same save file. The five groups have equal chance of being selected. Previously-released Blades are available for selection without any special consideration, even if they were originally obtained from a guaranteed source. Certain Blades are also not available until some condition is met, such as being in New Game Plus.
These values are understood as percentages: a value of 1.5 means the base rate of being added to the pool is 1.5%.
| Blade | Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 | Group 4 | Group 5 | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adenine | 1.5 | 0.25 | 1 | 1.75 | 0.5 | (none) |
| Agate | 0.25 | 0.38 | 0.75 | 0.75 | 0.13 | (none) |
| Akhos | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.25 | New Game Plus is active |
| Azami | 0.31 | 1.88 | 1.25 | 0.63 | 2.19 | (none) |
| Boreas | 0.25 | 2.13 | 2.13 | 0.56 | 1.19 | (none) |
| Corvin | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Corvin has been released |
| Cressidus | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | New Game Plus is active |
| Crossette | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Crossette has been released |
| Dagas | 0.5 | 0.75 | 0.5 | 1.25 | 0.5 | (none) |
| Dahlia | 0.13 | 0.5 | 0.25 | 0.88 | 0.75 | (none) |
| Electra | 1.88 | 2.25 | 0.63 | 1.25 | 0.25 | (none) |
| Finch | 0.5 | 1 | 1.75 | 0.25 | 1.5 | (none) |
| Floren | 1.75 | 1.5 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.25 | (none) |
| Godfrey | 0.63 | 0.63 | 1.25 | 1.56 | 2.19 | (none) |
| Gorg | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 1 | (none) |
| Herald | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Herald has been released |
| Kasandra | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Kasandra has been released |
| Kora | 0.63 | 1.88 | 1.88 | 0.31 | 1.56 | (none) |
| KOS-MOS | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | (none) |
| Newt | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.75 | (none) |
| Nim | 1 | 1 | 1.75 | 0.25 | 1 | (none) |
| Obrona | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | New Game Plus is active |
| Patroka | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.25 | New Game Plus is active |
| Perceval | 1.5 | 0.25 | 0.5 | 1 | 1.75 | (none) |
| Perdido | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | New Game Plus is active |
| Perun | 2.44 | 0.25 | 0.63 | 1.88 | 1.06 | (none) |
| Praxis | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Praxis has been released |
| Sever | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | New Game Plus is active |
| Sheba | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Sheba has been released |
| T-elos | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | After completing the game |
| Theory | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Theory has been released |
| Ursula | 2.25 | 0.63 | 1.25 | 1.88 | 0.25 | (none) |
| Vale | 0.75 | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.25 | (none) |
| Vess | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Vess has been released |
| Wulfric | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Wulfric has been released |
| Zenobia | 0.25 | 0.75 | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.25 | (none) |
Like other Blades that come from a guaranteed source, Aegaeon has selection rates of 1 in every group. However, he cannot be released, so this ends up being irrelevant. He is the only unreleaseable Blade to have an entry in the probability table.
Crystal modifier[edit]
Much like Pokéballs, the rarity of a Core Crystal is a straight multiplier to the "catch" rate of a Rare Blade.
- Common Core Crystal: 1.0x
- Rare Core Crystal: 1.5x
- Legendary Core Crystal: 3.0x
Idea modifier[edit]
Every Driver has four idea levels: Bravery, Truth, Compassion, and Justice. Whichever of these is the greatest has an effect on Rare Blades of the matching elements, with ties broken at random. For example, say a Driver has a Bravery of level 4, a Truth of level 3, a Compassion of level 4, and a Justice of level 2. The Bravery and Compassion levels are equal, so one is selected randomly for each Core Crystal used. It picks Bravery, so the chances of Rare Blades that are Fire or Water being selected is increased.
Using boosters during resonance temporarily increases a Driver's matching idea level for this try only, in addition to forcing it to be used even if it is not the highest.
Each idea level grants a +5% chance to Rare Blades of the matching elements, up to the maximum idea level of 15 being a boost of 1.75x.
Luck modifier[edit]
Luckier Drivers are more likely to get Rare Blades. The input used is based on the square root of the Driver's luck stat, meaning that the boost in rate has diminishing returns as luck increases: going from 100 to 400 luck is an increase of +13%, but going from 400 to 700 is only about +8.4%.
The formula used for the luck modifier is ((sqrt(luckStat) / 100 * 1.3) + 0.95). At the maximum luck of 999, the boost in rate to all Rare Blades is approximately 1.36x. Humourously, a Driver with a luck of less than 15 would have a luck modifier of less than 1.0x.
Complete formula[edit]
probability% = baseRate * crystalMod * ((selectedIdeaRank * 5 + 100) / 100) * ((sqrt(luckStat) / 100 * 1.3) + 0.95)
Pity system[edit]
Disregarding all the above, the game has a method for guaranteeing that the player receives three specific Rare Blades based on the chosen group.
When a Core Crystal is used without receiving a Rare Blade, a pity counter is increased based on the Core Crystal used.
- Common Core Crystal: 5 points
- Rare Core Crystal: 25 points
- Legendary Core Crystal: 50 points
Upon reaching 100 points, the next Core Crystal to be opened is guaranteed to have one of three "pity Blades", determined by which base probability group was selected. The point total is then reset, and the required point for the next one increases: the second pity Blade is earned at 200 points, and the third at 300. After this, the pity system no longer has any effect. If the player happens to already have all their group's pity Blades, the pity is "wasted", and a Common Blade appears instead.
Due to a bug, being in pity group 5 will result in the Blades for pity group 1 being generated instead. Therefore, the Blades from group 1 are twice as likely to be given as pity Blades, and those in group 5 cannot be generated via the pity system.
| Group 1 | Agate, Boreas, Godfrey |
|---|---|
| Group 2 | Adenine, Azami, Perceval |
| Group 3 | Electra, Gorg, Perun |
| Group 4 | Finch, Kora, Nim |
| Group 5 | Floren, Ursula, Vale |
Takeaways[edit]
As a result of all the above:
- The maximum possible boost to the chances of getting a specific Rare Blade is about 7.14x. This requires a Legendary Core Crystal, an idea level of 15 in the correct idea (which requires the natural max of 10 plus the max of 5 boosters per use), and a luck of 999.
- While the chances of getting any specific Rare Blade do not change over time, the chance of getting any Rare Blade are higher at the start of the game simply due to there being more to pick from. However, this is offset by having lower luck and idea stats to boost the odds with.
- Common Core Crystals essentially add an extra "dud rate" of 75%, so their modifier is more like 0.25x than 1.0x (not exactly but it's similar in practice).
- The DLC content contains many Rare and Legendary Core Crystals, which due to the pity system are an excellent way to guarantee multiple Rare Blades very early in a playthrough.
Example[edit]
Zeke has just joined the party and needs his team to get swole. He is currently level 42 with a luck of 150 and idea levels of 2 Bravery, 5 Truth, 3 Compassion, and 7 Justice. The save file is in group 1.
The following Blades have not yet been obtained, and are therefore available for selection:
- Azami
- Dagas
- Dahlia
- Electra
- Finch
- Gorg
- Kora
- KOS-MOS
- Newt
- Nim
- Perceval
- Perun
- Ursula
- Zenobia
Zeke resonates with a Rare Core Crystal without using any boosters.
- The crystal being Rare means its modifier is 1.5x.
- Zeke's highest idea level is Justice, at 7, so the idea modifier is 1.35x for light and dark Blades.
- Zeke's luck is 150, so the luck modifier comes to about 1.11x.
- All combined, these boosts are a total of about 2.25x for light and dark Blades, and about 1.66x for Blades of other elements.
| Blade | Base rate | Multiplier | Approx. rate for this try |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azami | 0.31% | 2.25x | 0.70% |
| Dagas | 0.5% | 1.66x | 0.83% |
| Dahlia | 0.13% | 1.66x | 0.22% |
| Electra | 1.88% | 1.66x | 3.12% |
| Finch | 0.5% | 1.66x | 0.83% |
| Gorg | 1% | 1.66x | 1.66% |
| Kora | 0.63% | 1.66x | 1.05% |
| KOS-MOS | 0.1% | 2.25x | 0.23% |
| Newt | 0.25% | 1.66x | 0.42% |
| Nim | 1% | 1.66x | 1.66% |
| Perceval | 1.5% | 2.25x | 3.38% |
| Perun | 2.44% | 1.66x | 4.05% |
| Ursula | 2.25% | 1.66x | 3.74% |
| Zenobia | 0.25% | 1.66x | 0.42% |
Altogether, there is about a 22.31% chance that at least one of these Blades will show up in the pool of potentials, therefore granting Zeke a Rare Blade.
Lore[edit]
Core Crystals are understood by the people of Alrest as being a natural phenomenon. Raw crystals are spawned from Titans, which may then resonate into Blades; the Core Crystal becomes part of the Blade, usually appearing on their chest. When the Blade's Driver dies, the Blade vanishes and only their Core Crystal remains, inert. After some time, it regains its glow and the Blade can be reborn, though without its memories. While mostly forgotten in the present, it was more widely-known in the past that after many cycles of this, Blades mature into Titans themselves, and can produce further Core Crystals.
Trying to resonate with a Core Crystal can be dangerous; those without the potential to be a Driver can be overcome by their power and receive various injuries, ranging from as harmless as a nosebleed to unconsciousness and death. A Core Crystal that has been "cleansed" is more likely to resonate safely. Amalthus takes it upon himself to provide cleansing services for Alrest, requiring all Core Crystals to go through Indol before being distributed across the countries. It is theorized (but not proven) that cleansing also prevents a Core Crystal and its Blade from maturing, thus causing the decline in Titan numbers observed around the world.
It is eventually revealed that the Architect created Core Crystals as part of his plan to atone for the devastation of Earth. By scattering Core Crystals seeded with memories of Earth across the Cloud Sea, the two combined to form the first Titans, which proceeded to produce simple lifeforms. As the Core Crystal-Blade-Titan lifecycle progressed, the Core Crystals would be in constant communication with the Trinity Processor, uploading data about the current state of the world. In turn, the Trinity Processor would push new genetic information to the Core Crystals, evolving future generations of Blades, Titans, and the life spawned upon them. Eventually, a new iteration of humans appeared.
The technology of Core Crystals was initially conceived as a replacement for human brain cells by those who sought immortality. The survivors of the ruined Earth in the Land of Morytha used Core Crystals and became Guldos.
Trivia[edit]
- The loading screen features a Core Crystal.
In other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
 English
|
Core Crystal | — |
 Japanese
|
コアクリスタル | Core Crystal |
 French
|
Cristal-cœur | |
 German
|
Kernkristall | Core Crystal |
 Spanish
|
Cristal primordial | Core Crystal |
 Italian
|
Cristallo nucleico | |
 Chinese (simplified)
|
核心水晶 | Core Crystal |
 Chinese (traditional)
|
核心水晶 | Core Crystal |
 Korean
|
코어 크리스털 |
Gallery[edit]
Rex resonating with a Core Crystal
A Core Crystal offered by the Ardainian army to scout Drivers
The Core Crystal Vandham found inside a dead Titan
Rex holding Roc's Core Crystal
Newt's silhouette
The render of a Core Crystal as showed in the loading screen
The render of an inert Core Crystal as showed in the loading screen
