When to Bug Your Crafting Friends(or Alts)

(In other words, how to effectively Custom your way to 50)

While levelling my characters, I like to use the Custom gear to keep a consistent look as I progress. This probably stems from my first character being a Cybertech, but its definitely and easy way to gear all classes without having to learn many skills.

However, one thing I’ve discovered/decided, is that the best time to use up all your materials to Reverse Engineer for patterns, is at the point where those materials can no longer be used for higher level items. These are essentially the ‘cut-off’ point where holding onto mats will simply end up with a big pile in the bank when you hit 50 (as I did, 2 tabs later).

With that in mind, this guide presents the points at which crafters should start burning up a certain type of material to get the different Prototype and Artifact customisation items.

Background on Customisable Gear

Customisable gear comes in a number of different slots. Some are crafted, some come from Class questlines, many come from Heroic quests, purchased with Commendations, and some just drop randomly.

• Customisable Armor pieces fill the Head, Chest, Hands, Legs and Boots easily. If you’re really lucky (or know where to farm) you can also get customisable Bracers and Belts.
• Customisable Weapons fill the Main Hand weapon slot, and if you’re lucky enough to dual-wield, then the Off Hand weapon slot.
• Earpieces, Implants, Relics and Off-Hand non-weapons (Scatterguns, Focii, Generators) are not customisable currently.

Customisable gear takes a handful of different modification items:

• Mods – Crafted by Cybertechs, Mods are the mainstay of customisable gear and one is usable in every single Custom piece.
• Armoring – Crafted by Cybertechs, Armoring is used in the Head, Chest, Hands, Belt, Legs, Boots and Bracers Custom pieces.
• Barrels – Crafted by Armstechs, Barrels are used in non-Lightsaber weapons, such as Blast Pistols and Rifles, Assault Cannons and Sniper Rifles.
• Hilts – Crafted by Artificers, Hilts are used in Lightsaber weapons, both single and dual.
• Enhancements – Crafted by Artificers, Enhancements are used in most Custom items, with the exception of Belts and Bracers.

Given the set of Custom’able slots, to fully mod a character from head to toe, assuming they have the custom pieces to accept the items, you’d need.

• 7  Armoring
• 1 Barrel or Hilt, or 2 if you’re dual-wielding
• 1 Color Crystal, or 2 if you’re dual-wielding
• 8 Mods
• 6 Enhancements

Crafts and their “Dump and Burn” points

Cybertech and Armstech is nice and neat when it comes to tipping points. Each type of scavenged metal has a corresponding scavenged compound of the same grade. Prototype and Artifact Underworld Metals match up to the same grade as their Scavenged equivalents. Artifice isn’t so easy, as the crystals and artifacts are often used in different combinations as you progress. As such the lists below reflect more ‘tipping points’ for Artifice items than their Cybertech and Armstech equivalents.

Below is a list broken down by item type, of the best points to use up all your materials. If a material is grey text, then its not actually the last time you use it, but the other material in the item is reaching its tipping point. This is a concern only for Artifice.

For those wanting a level by level breakdown, so that they know when to bug their crafting friends or alts, go here.

Cybertech

Armoring

• Silica/Desh – Armoring 3 (Level 11)
• Laminoid/Aluminium – Armoring 5 (Level 15)
• Plastoid/Bronzium – Amoring 7 (Level 19)
• Plasteel/Chanlon – Armoring 10 (Level 25)
• Lacqerous/Phobium – Armoring 12 (Level 29)
• Fibermesh/Bondite – Amoring 15 (Level 35)
• Resinite/Diatium – Armoring 17 (Level 39)
• Polyplast/Electrum – Armoring 20 (Level 45)
• Amorphous Carbonite/Neutronium – Armoring 21 (Level 47)
• Zal Alloy/Durasteel – Armoring 22 (Level 49)

Mod

• Silica/Desh – Mod 2 (Level 9)
• Laminoid/Aluminium – Mod 4 (Level 13)
• Plastoid/Bronzium – Mod 6 (Level 17)
• Plasteel/Chanlon – Mod 10 (Level 25)
• Lacqerous/Phobium – Mod 12 (Level 29)
• Fibermesh/Bondite – Mod 14A (Level 33)
• Resinite/Diatium – Mod 16A (Level 37)
• Polyplast/Electrum – Mod 20A (Level 45)
• Amorphous Carbonite/Neutronium – N/A (No craftable mod uses Rank 21)
• Zal Alloy/Durasteel – Mod 22A (Level 49)

Armstech

Barrels

• Silica/Desh – Barrel 3 (Level 11)
• Laminoid/Aluminium – Barrel 5 (Level 15)
• Plastoid/Bronzium – Barrel 7 (Level 19)
• Plasteel/Chanlon – Barrel 10 (Level 25)
• Lacqerous/Phobium – Barrel 12 (Level 29)
• Fibermesh/Bondite – Barrel 15 (Level 35)
• Resinite/Diatium – Barrel 17 (Level 39)
• Polyplast/Electrum – Barrel 20 (Level 45)
• Amorphous Carbonite/Neutronium – Barrel 21 (Level 47)
• Zal Alloy/Durasteel – Barrel 22 (Level 49)

Artifice

Enhancements

• Rubat Crystal/Lost Artifact Fragment – Enhancement 5 (Level 15)
• Eralam Crystal/Sacred Artifact Fragment – Enhancement 7 (Level 19)
• Nextor Crystal/Sacred Artifact Fragment – Enhancement 9 (Level 23)
• Bondar Crystal/Prehistoric Artifact Fragment – Enhancement 11 (Level 27)
• Opila Crystal/Ancient Artifact Fragment – Enhancement 13 (Level 31)
• Opila Crystal/Galactic Artifact Fragment – Enhancement 15 (Level 35)
• Firkrann Crystal/Hypertech Artifact Fragment – Enhancement 17 (Level 39)
• Phond Crystal/Hypertech Artifact Fragment – Enhancement 19 (Level 43)
• Damind Crystal/Alien Artifact Fragment – Enhancement 20 (Level 45)
• Upari Crystal/Primeval Artifact Fragment – Enhancement 22 (Level 49)

Hilts

• Rubat Crystal/Lost Artifact Fragment – Hilt 5 (Level 15)
• Eralam Crystal/Lost Artifact Fragment – Hilt 6 (Level 17)
• Eralam Crystal/Sacred Artifact Fragment – Hilt 7 (Level 19)
• Nextor Crystal/Sacred Artifact Fragment – Hilt 9 (Level 23)
• Nextor Crystal/Prehistoric Artifact Fragment – Hilt 10 (Level 25)
• Bondar Crystal/Prehistoric Artifact Fragment – Hilt 11 (Level 27)
• Bondar Crystal/Ancient Artifact Fragment – Hilt 12 (Level 29)
• Opila Crystal/Ancient Artifact Fragment – Hilt 14 (Level 33)
• Opila Crystal/Galactic Artifact Fragment – Hilt 15 (Level 35)
• Firkrann Crystal//Galactic Artifact Fragment Hilt 16 (Level 37)
• Firkrann Crystal/Hypertech Artifact Fragment – Hilt 17 (Level 39)
• Phond Crystal/Hypertech Artifact Fragment – Hilt 19 (Level 43)
• Damind Crystal/Alien Artifact Fragment – Hilt 20 (Level 45)
• Upari Crystal/Primeval Artifact Fragment – Hilt 22 (Level 49)

Color Crystals

• Amorphous(or Exquisite) Crystal – Level 7
• Igneous(or Precious) Crystal/Lost Artifact Fragment – Level 15
• Opaque(or Immaculate) Crystal/Prehistoric Artifact Fragment – Level 23
• Solid(or Pristine) Crystal/Ancient Artifact Fragment – Level 31
• Lucent(or Flawless) Crystal/Hypertech Artifact Fragment – Level 39
• Polychromic(or Perfect) Crystal/Primeval Artifact Fragment – Level 48

Level by Level Breakdown

The following list shows the items you want to get at which levels. The materials beside them are for the Premium (Green) level item. For the Prototype(Blue) and Artifact(Purple) items extra materials will be needed. Cybertech items will require Underworld Metals from Underworld Trading, Artifice items will require Gemstones from Treasure Hunting, and Armstech items will required Researched Compounds from Investigation. Generally, Prototype items are equivalent to a Premium item 4 levels higher, and Artifact items are equivalent to a Premium item 8 levels higher.

The reason why these levels are relevant, are that your crafters are more likely to have the advanced patterns at these levels, if they follow the above advice (or came to the same conclusion).

Level 7

• Amorphous(or Exquisite) Crystal

Level 9

• Silica/Desh – Mod 2

Level 11

• Silica/Desh – Armoring 3
• Silica/Desh – Barrel 3

Level 13

• Laminoid/Aluminium – Mod 4

Level 15

• Laminoid/Aluminium – Armoring 5
• Laminoid/Aluminium – Barrel 5
• Rubat Crystal/Lost Artifact Fragment – Enhancement 5
• Rubat Crystal/Lost Artifact Fragment – Hilt 5
• Igneous(or Precious) Crystal/Lost Artifact Fragment

Level 17

• Plastoid/Bronzium – Mod 6
• Eralam Crystal/Lost Artifact Fragment – Hilt 6

Level 19

• Plastoid/Bronzium – Amoring 7
• Plastoid/Bronzium – Barrel 7
• Eralam Crystal/Sacred Artifact Fragment – Enhancement 7
• Eralam Crystal/Sacred Artifact Fragment – Hilt 7

Level 23

• Nextor Crystal/Sacred Artifact Fragment – Enhancement 9
• Nextor Crystal/Sacred Artifact Fragment – Hilt 9
• Opaque(or Immaculate) Crystal/Prehistoric Artifact Fragment

Level 25

• Plasteel/Chanlon – Armoring 10
• Plasteel/Chanlon – Mod 10
• Plasteel/Chanlon – Barrel 10
• Lacqerous/Phobium – Barrel 12
• Nextor Crystal/Prehistoric Artifact Fragment – Hilt 10

Level 27

• Bondar Crystal/Prehistoric Artifact Fragment – Enhancement 11
• Bondar Crystal/Prehistoric Artifact Fragment – Hilt 11

Level 29

• Lacqerous/Phobium – Armoring 12
• Lacqerous/Phobium – Mod 12
• Lacqerous/Phobium – Barrel 12
• Bondar Crystal/Ancient Artifact Fragment – Hilt 12

Level 31

• Opila Crystal/Ancient Artifact Fragment – Enhancement 13
• Solid(or Pristine) Crystal/Ancient Artifact Fragment

Level 33

• Fibermesh/Bondite – Mod 14A
• Opila Crystal/Ancient Artifact Fragment – Hilt 14

Level 35

• Fibermesh/Bondite – Amoring 15
• Fibermesh/Bondite – Barrel 15
• Opila Crystal/Galactic Artifact Fragment – Enhancement 15
• Opila Crystal/Galactic Artifact Fragment – Hilt 15

Level 37

• Resinite/Diatium – Mod 16A
• Firkrann Crystal/Galactic Artifact Fragment Hilt 16

Level 39

• Resinite/Diatium – Armoring 17
• Resinite/Diatium – Barrel 17
• Firkrann Crystal/Hypertech Artifact Fragment – Enhancement 17
• Firkrann Crystal/Hypertech Artifact Fragment – Hilt 17
• Lucent(or Flawless) Crystal/Hypertech Artifact Fragment

Level 43

• Phond Crystal/Hypertech Artifact Fragment – Enhancement 19
• Phond Crystal/Hypertech Artifact Fragment – Hilt 19

Level 45

• Polyplast/Electrum – Armoring 20
• Polyplast/Electrum – Mod 20A
• Polyplast/Electrum – Barrel 20
• Damind Crystal/Alien Artifact Fragment – Enhancement 20
• Damind Crystal/Alien Artifact Fragment – Hilt 20

Level 47

• Amorphous Carbonite/Neutronium – Armoring 21
• Amorphous Carbonite/Neutronium – Barrel 21

Level 48

• Polychromic(or Perfect) Crystal/Primeval Artifact Fragment

Level 49

• Zal Alloy/Durasteel – Armoring 22
• Zal Alloy/Durasteel – Mod 22A
• Zal Alloy/Durasteel – Barrel 22
• Upari Crystal/Primeval Artifact Fragment – Enhancement 22
• Upari Crystal/Primeval Artifact Fragment – Hilt 22

Conclusion

While in truth this is really a “As I Level” guide for me and my alts, I hope that others can get the same benefit out of knowing what levels are the best ones to try to get all patterns, based on material use.