Gems
Complete guide to equipping, crafting, upgrading and planning every normal and special gem family available in the game.
NovaRaiderTeam
· Gems
Overview
Gems are equipable items that improve ship stats and reward rates. They are one of the main ways to tune a build after choosing Ships, Weapons, Shields, Researches and Skill Tree nodes.
The current gem set contains normal gems and special gems. Normal gems use normal gem slots, special gems use special gem slots, and both slot types can be expanded through progression and Skill Tree bonuses.
Gem Families
| Gem family | Main stat or reward | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Attack Gems | Attack | Damage-focused Weapons and PvE clearing. |
| HP Gems | Health | Tank builds and survival. |
| CPU Gems | CPU | Support, drones, healing and utility. |
| Stock Gems | Stock | Trader and resource routes. |
| Critical Gems | Critical | Weapons that can roll Critical Hits. |
| Dodge Gems | Dodge | Defensive builds against normal shots. |
| Precision Gems | Precision | Hitting evasive targets and avoiding Misses. |
| Uranium Gems | Uranium reward rate | Farming Uranium. |
| Experience Gems | Experience reward rate | Player Level progression. |
Slots and Equipping
| Slot type | Base slots | Level unlocks | Extra sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal gem slots | 2 at the start | Additional slots at levels 20, 30, 40 and 50 | Skill Tree can add more normal slots. |
| Special gem slots | 2 at the start | Additional slots at levels 20, 30, 40 and 50 | Skill Tree can add more special slots. |
Crafting and Progression
Most gem families progress from level 0 to level 7. A higher-level gem is crafted from five gems of the previous level. Level 0 gems have no effective stat value, then the bonus grows with each tier.
| Crafting step | Requirement | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Level 0 to 1 | 5 level 0 gems | 1 level 1 gem |
| Level 1 to 2 | 5 level 1 gems | 1 level 2 gem |
| Level 2 to 3 | 5 level 2 gems | 1 level 3 gem |
| Continues upward | Same pattern | Up to level 7 |
Planning a Gem Build
Do not equip gems only because they are high level. Match the stat to your build: Attack for direct damage, Health and Shield Absorption for survival, CPU for support tools, Stock for resource routes, and reward-rate gems when farming matters more than combat strength.
Inventory, Loadouts and Automatic Safety
A gem can be equipped only in an unlocked compatible slot. Equipping another gem in the same position replaces the previous one, while reducing available slots through a ship or build change automatically removes surplus gems. When a change lowers maximum Health, current Health is capped to the new maximum instead of remaining above it.
Players can save up to twelve Gem presets. A preset has a name, can use an optional keybind and records the exact owned gems assigned to each slot. Applying it never creates or purchases gems: every gem must still be in the inventory and every position must still be unlocked. Changing a Gem preset is blocked immediately after recent PvP combat.
| Gem action | Use |
|---|---|
| Craft | Combines the required lower gems into a stronger result. |
| Craft automatically | Repeats valid combinations across the inventory. |
| Uncraft | Splits a crafted gem through the available uncraft action. |
| Upgrade | Randomly improves one eligible characteristic. |
| Equip or replace | Places the gem into a valid unlocked ship slot. |
| Save configuration | Stores an owned-gem loadout for quick reuse. |
| Delete | Permanently removes the selected gem after confirmation. |
Crafting everything is convenient but can consume lower-level pieces needed for a different build. Keep useful Precision, Dodge, Stock, Uranium or Experience alternatives before using the automatic option.
FAQ
Are special gems always better?
No. Special gems use special slots and can be strong, but the best gem is the one that supports your current ship role and activity.
Should I craft everything immediately?
Crafting improves individual gem strength, but it also consumes several lower-level gems. Keep enough gems for your current slots before converting everything upward.
Related Articles
| Article | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Combat Statistics | Explains each stat affected by gems. |
| Skill Tree | Can unlock extra gem slots. |
| Ships | Ship stats decide which gems are most valuable. |
| Weapons | Weapon scaling decides whether Attack, Critical or Precision matters. |
| Shields | Defensive gear changes how much Health you need. |
| Uranium Gems | Reward-focused farming setup. |