Refiners are a cornerstone of resource management and crafting in No Man's Sky. Understanding their recipes and combinations is crucial for efficiently producing valuable materials, from basic elements to advanced components needed for ship upgrades, base building, and survival.
Basic Refining
The most fundamental use of Refiners is to convert raw materials into more refined forms. Some common and essential recipes include:
- Ferrite Dust (1) -> Purified Ferrite (1): Essential for Exosuit and ship repairs.
- Carbon (2) -> Dioxite (1): Used for thermal protection and crafting.
- Sodium (2) -> Sodium Nitrite (1): Used for hazard protection and crafting.
- Ammonia (1) -> Carbon (5): A way to convert a less common resource into a vital one.
- Paraffinium (2) -> Sulphurine (1): Used in various advanced crafting recipes.
Intermediate Refining
As you progress, you'll unlock more complex refining recipes that produce higher-tier materials:
- Gamma Root (1) -> Gamma Weed (1): Used for crafting Gamma Weapons and other items.
- Frost Crystal (1) -> Dioxite (1): A more efficient way to get Dioxite.
- Solanium (1) -> Sulphurine (1): Another route to Sulphurine.
- Star Bulb (1) -> Lumina (1): Used in various crafting and trade goods.
- Coprite (1) -> Carbon (5): Useful for converting organic waste into usable carbon.
Advanced Refining and Combinations
The most powerful refining combinations often involve multiple steps or the use of rare elements:
- Antimatter (1) -> Condensed Carbon (50): A way to generate a large amount of Condensed Carbon.
- Quantum Processor (1) -> Nanites (50): A method to convert valuable crafting components into Nanites.
- Circuit Board (1) -> Nanites (100): A highly efficient way to farm Nanites.
- Carbon (250) + Sodium (250) -> Power Cell (1): Essential for powering advanced base components.
- Purified Ferrite (40) + Condensed Carbon (20) -> Magnetised Ferrite (1): Used for ship repairs and some base components.
Refiner Types and Efficiency
There are three types of Refiners: Portable, Medium, and Large. The Large Refiner has the highest input and output capacity, making it ideal for mass production. The Portable Refiner is useful for on-the-go crafting, while the Medium Refiner offers a balance between the two.
Refining Tips
- Experiment: Many recipes can be discovered through experimentation. If a combination doesn't work, it won't consume your resources.
- Prioritize: Focus on refining materials needed for your current objectives, such as ship fuel, Exosuit upgrades, or base components.
- Automation: Once you have a stable power source and a Large Refiner, consider setting up automated refining chains using Extractors and Supply Depots.
Mastering the Refiner system is key to unlocking the full potential of your resource gathering and crafting endeavors in No Man's Sky.