Crafting Materials & Locations
Crafting in Code Vein is essential for enhancing your gear and surviving the harsh world of Gaol. While the game doesn't feature a complex crafting system in the traditional sense, you'll be constantly gathering various materials to upgrade your weapons, Blood Veils, and even acquire powerful new items through trading. Understanding where to find these crucial components and how to best use them is key to overcoming the Lost and the challenges that lie ahead.
The Crafting System: What You Can Do
Unlike some RPGs with intricate crafting trees, Code Vein streamlines the process into two primary functions:
- Weapon & Blood Veil Upgrades: This is where the majority of your crafting materials will be spent. At Murasame's shop in the Home Base, you can enhance your gear's attack, defense, and scaling. Each upgrade level requires specific materials and Haze.
- Trading with Coco: While not "crafting" in the traditional sense, Coco at the Home Base allows you to exchange specific materials (primarily Old-world Materials) for rare items, including powerful weapons, Blood Veils, and consumables. This is a vital source of high-tier gear.
Remember to regularly visit Murasame and Coco after each major area or boss fight to see what new upgrades or trades become available.
Essential Crafting Materials and Their Uses
Here's a comprehensive breakdown of the most common and vital crafting materials you'll encounter, detailing their primary uses and where to reliably find them.
Upgrade Materials (Murasame's Shop)
These materials are used to enhance your weapons and Blood Veils at Murasame's shop. They come in different tiers, corresponding to the upgrade level.
- Queen Iron:
- Use: Used for upgrading weapons and Blood Veils from +1 to +3. This is your most common early-game upgrade material.
- Locations:
- Ruined City Underground: Abundant drops from most Lost enemies.
- Parking Garage: Frequent drops from Lost.
- Dried-up Trenches: Common drops.
- Chests: Found in various chests throughout early-game areas.
- Murasame's Shop: Can be purchased for Haze once you've progressed a bit.
- Trading: Can sometimes be acquired by trading with merchants in the field.
- Queen Steel:
- Use: Used for upgrading weapons and Blood Veils from +4 to +6. This is your mid-game upgrade material.
- Locations:
- Howling World: Drops from Lost enemies, especially the larger variants.
- Cathedral of the Sacred Blood: Common drops from Lost.
- Ridge of Frozen Souls: Drops from Lost.
- Chests: Found in chests in mid-game areas.
- Murasame's Shop: Available for purchase for Haze after reaching certain story points.
- Queen Titanium:
- Use: Used for upgrading weapons and Blood Veils from +7 to +9. This is your late-game upgrade material.
- Locations:
- City of Falling Flame: Drops from most Lost enemies.
- Provisional Government Outskirts: Frequent drops.
- Gaol of the Stagnant Blood: Common drops.
- Chests: Found in chests in late-game areas.
- Murasame's Shop: Available for purchase for Haze in the endgame.
- Depths Maps: Higher-tier Depths maps often yield Queen Titanium from enemies and chests.
- Queen Tungsten:
- Use: The rarest and most valuable upgrade material, used for upgrading weapons and Blood Veils to their maximum level, +10.
- Locations:
- Depths Maps (High Difficulty): The most reliable source. Focus on clearing the toughest Depths maps like "Tower of Trials" or "Cliffs of Rust."
- Provisional Government Outskirts: Rare drops from elite Lost.
- Gaol of the Stagnant Blood: Rare drops from elite Lost.
- Specific Boss Drops: Very rarely, some late-game bosses might drop one upon defeat.
- Chests: Extremely rare finds in endgame chests.
- Murasame's Shop: Becomes available for purchase for a very high Haze cost in New Game+ or after completing the main story.
Old-world Materials (Coco's Trading)
These unique materials are primarily used for trading with Coco at the Home Base to acquire powerful weapons, Blood Veils, and consumables. They are often found in specific, hidden locations or dropped by tougher enemies.
- Old-world Materials:
- Use: The most common "Old-world" item, used for trading with Coco for several mid-tier weapons, Blood Veils, and valuable consumables.
- Locations:
- Ruined City Underground: Often found in hidden corners or behind destructible objects. Look for sparkling spots.
- Parking Garage: Similar to Ruined City Underground, often tucked away.
- Dried-up Trenches: Can be found near the edges of the map or in small alcoves.
- Chests: Common finds in chests throughout early to mid-game areas.
- Lost Drops: Some larger Lost enemies in early areas may drop them.
- Awakening Materials:
- Use: Used by Coco to trade for powerful Blood Codes or specific rare items. These are crucial for unlocking new builds.
- Locations:
- Boss Drops: Many bosses in the game drop Awakening Materials upon defeat.
- Depths Maps: Completing certain Depths maps (especially those with unique bosses) will reward you with these.
- Specific Quests/Events: Some side quests or events might reward them.
- Pureblood:
- Use: A very rare and potent material used by Coco to trade for some of the best weapons and Blood Veils in the game.
- Locations:
- Late-game Depths Maps: The most reliable source. Clear "Tower of Trials," "Cliffs of Rust," and other high-difficulty Depths.
- Provisional Government Outskirts: Very rare drops from elite Lost (e.g., Executioners, Mido's Lost).
- Gaol of the Stagnant Blood: Very rare drops from elite Lost.
- Hidden Chests: Extremely rare finds in well-hidden chests in endgame areas.
Other Notable Materials
- Valuable Materials (e.g., Antiques, Relics):
- Use: Primarily for selling to merchants for Haze. While not directly used in crafting, they are a vital source of currency for upgrades and purchases.
- Locations: Found everywhere! From common Lost drops to chests, sparkling spots, and even as rewards for completing certain challenges. Always pick them up.
- Ichor Concentrate:
- Use: Used to restore Ichor, your resource for Gifts. While not a crafting material, it's a vital consumable.
- Locations: Common drops from Lost, found in chests, and can be purchased from merchants.
- Regen Inducer/Activator:
- Use: Upgrade materials for your Regen (healing) capacity and potency.
- Locations:
- Regen Inducer: Found in chests, as rewards for defeating certain bosses, and sometimes from specific Lost.
- Regen Activator: Rarer, found in late-game chests, as rewards for major bosses, and in high-difficulty Depths.
Farming Strategies and Tips
To efficiently gather materials, consider these strategies:
- Revisit Depths Maps: Depths maps are excellent for farming specific materials. Enemies respawn, and chests often contain valuable items. Identify which Depths map drops the materials you need and run it repeatedly.
- Clear Areas Thoroughly: Don't rush through areas. Explore every nook and cranny, break all destructible objects, and check behind every corner for sparkling items or hidden chests.
- Equip Item Discovery Gear: Some Blood Veils or passive Gifts can increase your item discovery rate. Consider equipping these when farming.
- Defeat All Enemies: Every Lost has a chance to drop materials. Don't skip fights unless absolutely necessary.
- use Murasame's Shop: Once you've progressed far enough, Murasame will sell lower-tier upgrade materials. If you're short on Queen Iron or Steel, it's often faster to buy them with Haze than to farm.
- New Game+: In New Game+, material drops are often increased, and higher-tier materials become more common, making farming more efficient.
Common Pitfalls and Missables
- Don't Sell Upgrade Materials: Never sell Queen Iron, Steel, Titanium, or Tungsten unless you have an absolute surplus (which is rare). You will always need them.
- Check Coco Regularly: Coco's inventory updates as you progress. Always check what she has available for trade, especially after defeating major bosses or clearing new areas. You might miss out on powerful gear.
- Hidden Paths: Many valuable materials, especially Old-world Materials, are hidden behind destructible walls or in obscure corners. Keep an eye out for environmental clues.
- Depths Map Specifics: Some Depths maps are better for farming specific types of materials. For example, "Den of the Dead" is good for early-game materials, while "Tower of Trials" is excellent for endgame materials. Consult a specific Depths guide for optimal farming routes.
By diligently collecting materials and understanding their uses, you'll ensure your Revenant is always equipped with the best possible gear to face the challenges of Vein.