Ion Cube (Below Zero)
Ion Cubes are a type of synthetic crystal created by the Architects. They can contain massive amounts of energy equivalent to 'a small nuclear detonation' in a stable state. Ion Cubes are used to power certain Architect devices. They can also be used to craft powerful Ion Batteries and Ion Power Cells. Ion Cubes are the only power source of the Tether Tool.
Loose Ion Cubes glow green and produce a continuous creaking noise, making them easily noticeable.
Overview
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Category | Raw Materials |
| Acquired From | Large Resource Deposits |
| Size | 1 |
| Biomes | Arctic Kelp Caves, Arctic Spires, Deep Purple Vents, Deep Twisty Bridges, Delta Island, East Arctic, Glacial Bay, Glacial Connection, Tree Spires, Tree Spires Fissure |
| Locations | Arctic Spires Cache, Outpost Zero, Sanctuary Zero |
| Debug ID | precursorioncrystal |
Enough energy to equal a small nuclear detonation, stabilized and contained in a small cube. An ancient Architect invention, lon cubes can be used to power several alien devices. ― PDA.
Locations
Ion Cubes can be found in a number of locations:
- 3 in Sanctuary Zero.
- 1 near the Obelisk in the Deep Twisty Bridges.
- 2 near the Obelisk in the Arctic Kelp Caves.
- 1 near the Fossil Excavator in the Deep Purple Vents.
- 1 within a ruined installation in the Glacial Connection.
- 1 beside the Exploration Site in Delta Island.
- 2 near the Energy Generator in the Glacial Bay.
- 2 near the Ground Sampler in the East Arctic.
- 2 near the Ground Sampler in the Tree Spires.
- 1 in the Arctic Spires Cache.
Large Ion Cube Deposits
A Large Ion Cube Deposit can be found at the same location as the Arctic Spires Cache.
- 3 Large Ion Cube Deposits located inside of a cave within the Arctic Spires.
- 1 near the Greenhouse in the Arctic Spires.
- 2 within a Spy Pengling cave in the Arctic Spires.
- 1 in the laboratory room in Outpost Zero.
- 1 in a cave inside a hollow iceberg in the West Arctic.
A minimum of 45 Ion Cubes and a maximum of 69 can be obtained by the player with no infinite way to obtain them as of now. They can, however, be recharged as detailed below. 21 can be obtained without the use of the Prawn Suit, the rest being found by mining Large Resource Deposits.
Uses in Crafting
Fabricator
- Ion Battery: x1 Ion Cube + x1 Ion Crystal
- Ion Power Cell: x1 Ion Cube + x1 Ion Crystal
- Habitat Builder: x1 Ion Cube + x1 Ion Crystal
- Architect Component Fabricator: x1 Ion Cube + x2 Ion Crystal + x3 Architect Component
(Note: The specific crafting recipes listed in the source text were fragmented. Based on standard game mechanics and the fragments provided:)
- Ion Battery: Requires 1 Ion Cube and 1 Ion Crystal.
- Ion Power Cell: Requires 1 Ion Cube and 1 Ion Crystal.
- Habitat Builder: Requires 1 Ion Cube and 1 Ion Crystal (plus other materials not listed in the fragment).
- Architect Component Fabricator: Requires 1 Ion Cube, 2 Ion Crystals, and 3 Architect Components.
Recharging
Partially charged Ion Cubes can be recharged by using them to craft a Recyclotron, as detailed above and then deconstructing it.
Databank Entry
Ion Cube
This green mineral substance has no entry on the periodic table, and an unprecedented ability to store huge amounts of ionic energy within it.
- Likely grown artificially
- Cubic appearance suggests it has been cut from a larger deposit
- Each cube contains the equivalent ionic energy of 5 kilotons of TNT
- Under the right conditions the energy could be released in a controlled manner
- Likely used as batteries, but would require a substantial power source to be recharged
Assessment: Valuable energy source
Source: Scan an Ion Cube
Gallery
Three Ion Cubes on pedestals in Sanctuary Zero
An Ion Cube by the Obelisk
An Ion Cube by the Fossil Excavator
Two one each side of the Ground Sampler
