Spiral Knights Crafting and Alchemy Guide
In Spiral Knights, all equipment is crafted through the Alchemy Machine using collected materials and recipes. There’s no random gear that drops fully crafted — you build everything you wear and wield. Understanding how Alchemy works is essential for progressing from starting gear to T3-ready equipment.
The Alchemy Machine
The Alchemy Machine is located in Haven (the hub town), in the Bazaar district. You interact with it to craft new items by providing:
- A recipe (tells the machine what to make)
- Required materials (gathered from the Clockworks)
- Crystal Energy (CE) — spent as a crafting fee
You cannot craft without CE. Each recipe requires a small CE cost, which scales with the item’s star rating.
Star Rating System
All gear in Spiral Knights has a star rating from 1-star to 5-star. Star rating determines:
- How powerful the item is
- What tier of Clockworks content it’s appropriate for
- How much CE and how many materials it requires to craft
| Star Rating | Recommended For | Crafting Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| ★☆☆☆☆ (1-star) | Tutorial / T1 entry | Minimal materials |
| ★★☆☆☆ (2-star) | T1 | Easy to craft |
| ★★★☆☆ (3-star) | T2 entry | Moderate materials |
| ★★★★☆ (4-star) | T2 / T3 entry | More materials, higher CE |
| ★★★★★ (5-star) | Full T3 / Endgame | Significant materials and CE |
Most players aim to craft 5-star gear as their long-term goal.
How Recipes Work
Recipes tell the Alchemy Machine what item to create. They are obtained by:
- Purchasing from the Supply Depot in Haven — most basic recipes are available there
- Dropping from enemies in the Clockworks — rare recipes have random drops
- Trading with other players through the Auction House (Bazaar)
Some recipe categories:
- Swords (Calibur family, Flourish family, etc.)
- Handguns (Autogun, Blaster, etc.)
- Bombs (Vortex Bomb, Dark Briar Barrage, etc.)
- Armor (Shield, Helm, Armor, each in separate recipes)
- Shields
Most items are crafted through an upgrade chain: you craft a 1-star version, then upgrade it to 2-star using more materials, then to 3-star, and so on. The equipment from the previous tier is consumed in the upgrade.
Key Materials
Materials are gathered from enemies, chests, and mineral deposits in the Clockworks. The most important material types:
Minerals
Found on Clockworks floors from glowing mineral deposits:
- Grave Soil — common T1 material; used in many low-level recipes
- Stone Block — common T2 material
- Flame Soul — T3 material used in fire-element gear
- Owlite Feather — T3 material for magic-type armour
- Eternal Orb of Alchemy — high-tier rare used in 5-star endgame recipes
Monster Materials
Dropped specifically from enemy types:
- Slime family drops — used for Slime-based recipes
- Gremlin parts — used for mechanical gear
- Undead drops — bones, shroud, etc. used in Undead-tier gear
Crafting-Specific Items
- Sparks of Life — revive yourself if KO’d; also a crafting material
- Heat — not a material, but earned from running the Clockworks and used to “level” gear before upgrading it
Levelling Gear (Heat System)
Before upgrading a piece of gear to the next star rating, it must reach maximum Heat level (level 10 for most items). Heat is earned by running Clockworks content while equipping the item. You can also use Heat Amplifiers (consumables) to speed up the process.
Sequence for crafting a 5-star item:
- Craft 1-star version → Level it to Heat 10
- Upgrade to 2-star → Level to Heat 10
- Upgrade to 3-star → Level to Heat 10
- Upgrade to 4-star → Level to Heat 10
- Upgrade to 5-star
Each upgrade consumes the previous-tier item and additional materials.
Choosing What to Craft First
For new players deciding on their first crafting path:
Swords (Recommended Starters)
- Calibur family — All-around melee; decent attack speed, good damage
- Flourish family — Faster attack speed; piercing damage good against Gremlins
- Brandish family — Magical sword; charges up for AoE burst; excellent in T2+
Guns
- Autogun / Antigua — Fast-firing gun; straightforward to use
- Magnus / Magnus family — Slower revolver with high single-shot damage
Bombs
- Bombs are advanced — good at T3 but require positioning skill; not recommended as your first weapon
Armour Path
Craft one set of armour that matches the primary enemy type you’ll encounter. The Wolver Coat / Cap family is a popular early choice for balanced defence and bonus to sword/gun attacks.
Tips for Efficient Alchemy
- Don’t rush star rating — a 3-star weapon fully heated beats a 4-star just crafted
- Stockpile materials before crafting — check the full upgrade chain requirements before starting
- Buy CE from other players using Crowns — more budget-friendly than buying with real money
- Use the Auction House (Bazaar) to buy rare materials you can’t farm efficiently
- Craft upgrades in batches — heat multiple pieces of gear simultaneously rather than one at a time
