Why Enriched Items Matter
An active matter enriched item is more than valuable raid loot: it can advance your long-term crafting options or become useful resources at your Shelter. The important choice is made before you deploy again, because an item taken back into a Raid loses its enriched status.
Enriched status identifies an item as a special raid-recovered version. For many items, successfully extracting that version can unlock access to its blueprint. Once unlocked, that blueprint can be researched and used through the Replicator system.
You can also process enriched loot at the Refiner. This exchanges the item for Credits and, depending on the item, chronotraces. Credits help support your immediate needs, while chronotraces contribute to blueprint research and replication-related progression.
| Enriched-item outcome | What you do | Main benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Blueprint progress | Extract the item from the Raid | May unlock its blueprint and related production options |
| Resource conversion | Refine it at the Shelter | Receives Credits and potentially chronotraces |
| Field use | Use it during the Raid | Helps survival, but the item may not return with enriched status |
| Storage | Keep a copy in your Shelter inventory | Preserves it while you decide its best use |
Not every enriched item should receive the same treatment. A rare weapon, a useful attachment, a mission item, and a basic medical supply can each have different value to your current progress. Check the item's description first, especially for a note that it unlocks a blueprint upon extraction.
How to Find Enriched Loot
Turned Soldiers are the most dependable known source of enriched loot. Since Update 0.4.0.50, defeating a Turned Soldier guarantees an enriched drop, making raids with these hostile enemies the most reliable farming route.
Burned Out Operatives in Isolated Raids can also provide enriched items. Their loot is less predictable than a guaranteed Turned Soldier drop, but Isolated Raids remain worthwhile when you want a less contested environment or are already completing contracts there.
Normal containers can produce useful loot, but do not treat every item as enriched. Inspect the item status after looting it rather than assuming its location determines its value. Medical vans, searchable vehicles, bags, and map-marked points of interest are practical places to look when you need a particular class of item, such as healing supplies.
| Loot source | Reliability | Best reason to check it |
|---|---|---|
| Turned Soldiers | High | Each one drops enriched loot |
| Burned Out Operatives in Isolated Raids | Variable | Can provide items that support blueprint progression |
| Medical vans and ambulances | Situational | Good places to search for healing items |
| Bags, vehicles, and marked locations | Variable | Broad loot pool for weapons, supplies, and utility items |
When farming, prioritize survival over a full backpack. An enriched item only helps your progression if you successfully get it out. Carry enough healing, ammunition, and extraction knowledge to leave when you find something important.
A practical raid routine looks like this:
- Check loot descriptions as soon as you find an enriched item.
- Identify whether it has a blueprint unlock you still need.
- Reassess your route and move toward extraction if the item is valuable.
- Avoid taking newly recovered enriched loot into another Raid.
- Sort the item at your Shelter before your next deployment.
The precise item table, rarity distribution, and drop rates for Turned Soldier enriched loot have not been officially confirmed. Farm the enemy for its guaranteed enriched drop, but do not build a plan around a presumed chance for one specific weapon or component.
Extract First or Refine First?
Extraction is usually the safer first decision for an unfamiliar enriched item. If the description indicates a blueprint unlock and you do not already have it, extract one copy before refining duplicates. Unlocking a blueprint expands what you can pursue later, while refining an unexamined first copy may permanently delay that option.
After the blueprint is unlocked, refining duplicates is often the efficient choice. The Refiner processes items from the Zone and pays out Credits and chronotraces. Enriched items generally produce better returns than ordinary items, although the exact rewards vary by item quality and type.
Chronotraces are specialized currencies used for blueprint research. They include metal, composite, fiber, chemicals, energy, and idea types. Their use is tied to the item or blueprint requirements shown in the Replicator, so a large amount of one chronotrace type may not solve every research cost.
| Situation | Recommended decision | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First enriched copy with a locked blueprint | Extract it | Preserves the opportunity to unlock that blueprint |
| Duplicate of an already unlocked item | Refine it | Converts surplus loot into Credits and possible chronotraces |
| Valuable gear needed for your next raid | Keep or equip it | Immediate survival value may outweigh refining |
| Item needed for a contract or Investigation | Hold it | Avoids destroying a requirement before checking objectives |
| Unclear item use | Keep one copy | Lets you verify future recipes, Fusion, or unlock needs |
The Refiner unlocks after completing the Raid Explorer: Shegolskoe additional objective in the Shegolskoe raid. Once available, it becomes a core Shelter station for turning recovered items into resources.
Do not confuse refining with selling. The Refiner is the normal conversion path for unwanted enriched items. Replicated items and items created through Fusion may provide only minimal returns, so avoid producing something solely to feed it back into the Refiner.
Blueprint access and resource income serve different purposes:
- Extracting enriched loot supports collection and unlock progression.
- Refining enriched loot supports Credits and chronotrace accumulation.
- The Replicator uses unlocked blueprints and available chronotraces.
- Fusion can create or transform certain items, but it is not a replacement for extracting first copies.
A useful habit is to make extraction decisions during the Raid and refining decisions only after returning to the Shelter. That separation prevents a rushed inventory choice from costing you an unlock.
Managing Enriched Items at the Shelter
At the Shelter, use the Workshop interface to review the Replicator and Refiner. The Replicator shows which blueprints are available, locked, or ready for research. The Refiner lets you select enriched loot for conversion and preview its returns before committing.
Sort new items into three groups: blueprint candidates, equipment you will use, and refining surplus. This simple system prevents storage from filling with low-priority objects while protecting your first copies of potentially important gear.
Keep an eye on items that are easy to underestimate. A low-tier or rusty weapon may not be worth carrying into combat, yet extracting it can still matter if it opens a blueprint you do not own. Likewise, a medical item may be more useful as raid insurance than as a resource payout.
| Shelter priority | Put items here | Decision rule |
|---|---|---|
| Unlock queue | First enriched copies | Extract before processing if a blueprint remains locked |
| Raid kit | Weapons, armor, healing, and tools you rely on | Preserve items that improve your next deployment |
| Contract reserve | Objective-related loot and Investigations | Do not refine until requirements are complete |
| Refiner queue | Duplicates and unwanted enriched gear | Convert after confirming no unlock or mission need |
Storage discipline matters because enriched status is temporary in a practical sense. Leaving an item safely in your Shelter preserves your choice. Taking it back into a Raid does not. If you are unsure, leave it behind until you can determine whether it is needed for a blueprint, Fusion result, or contract.
For players working toward specific equipment, check the Replicator before farming. Knowing which blueprint is locked helps you recognize a meaningful enriched find instead of treating every item as generic Refiner material. This is especially helpful when you need a particular weapon, attachment, key, or utility item.
FAQ
What is an active matter enriched item?
An active matter enriched item is a raid-recovered item with enriched status. It can be extracted for possible blueprint progress or refined at the Shelter for Credits and potentially chronotraces.
Where do enriched items come from?
Turned Soldiers always drop enriched loot. Burned Out Operatives in Isolated Raids can also provide enriched items, while general raid containers may offer useful but less predictable loot.
Should I extract or refine enriched items?
Extract the first copy when it can unlock a blueprint you do not own. Refine duplicates or unwanted items after confirming they are not needed for a contract, Investigation, Fusion option, or raid kit.
What happens if I take enriched gear into another Raid?
Gear taken into a Raid loses its enriched status. Extract or store valuable enriched items before deploying again.
Does every enriched item give chronotraces?
No. Refiner returns vary by item type and quality. Enriched items generally provide stronger rewards than ordinary items, but Credits and chronotrace amounts are not identical for every item.
Can I refine items before unlocking the Refiner?
No. You need to unlock the Refiner by completing the Raid Explorer: Shegolskoe additional objective in the Shegolskoe raid.