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How to get Stardust Source in Once Human

Here’s how to get a reliable amount of Stardust Source in Once Human.

The player uses a grenade launcher against another player at their base in Once Human
Image credit: Starry Studio, NetEase
Kelsey Raynor avatar
Guide by Kelsey Raynor Guides Writer
Published on

There are dozens of resources to be farming and scavenging for in the strange, open-world survival game that is Once Human. For those of you who particularly enjoy combat and want to upgrade your weapons and gear as soon as possible, you will want to get your hands on plenty of Stardust Source; a resource necessary for Calibration.

Stardust Source is a little trickier to get than things like Tin Ore and Aluminum Ore, but once you know where to get it, it’s easy to line your pockets with an abundance of the stuff. To help you do just that, here’s how to get Stardust Source in Once Human.

How to get Stardust Source in Once Human

There are a few different ways in which you can get your hands on Stardust Source in Once Human, and fortunately for you, you will likely wind up doing many of the below things naturally while completing story missions and exploring.

The location of a Rift Anchor is marked on the map in Once Human
Activate as many of these Rift Anchors as you can. | Image credit: VG247/Starry Studio

Activate Rift Anchors

One of the first things that Once Human has you doing is hunting down and activating Rift Anchors, but there are a hell of a lot more of these to activate than what the quests task you with.

Go out of your way to activate these to receive some Stardust Source, Energy Links, and EXP for doing so. Most areas containing Rift Anchors hide away plenty of loot, too, so this is far from a waste of your time.

Find Mystical Crates

As mentioned above, a lot of areas with Rift Anchors have additional loot. Plenty of these areas, and other points of interest across the map such as Brookham or Hearst Industries, will give you an objective to ‘Find the Mystical Crate’.

By finding the Mystical Crate, you’ll bag yourself some Stardust Source, as well as EXP and other loot.

The location of a Securement Silo is marked on the map in Once Human
Don't neglect Securement Silos as you can collect plenty of loot from them. | Image credit: VG247/Starry Studio

Defeat bosses at Securement Silos

Across the Once Human map, there are Securement Silos. By paying a visit to these areas and defeating the boss present at them, you can snag yourself some Stardust Source.

These are particularly good fun to do alongside friends, too!

The player uses a Refinery Permit at the Blackfell Refinery in Once Human
Use your Access Cards and Production Permits to get Stardust Source, Acid, Fuel, and more. | Image credit: VG247/Starry Studio

Use your Access Cards and Permits

As you explore, you’ll likely pick up items such as Access Cards and Permits. Both items allow you to gain access to the production facilities of specific areas, and while completing production there, you can earn different items for fending off waves of enemies.

To use these cards, you’ll want to pay a visit to the named location of the one you have. For example, I have multiple Blackfell Refinery Permits, so I headed to the Blackfell Refinery at East Railway Junction.

Once you’re at the named location, you’ll want to look for a large warehouse that contains a yellow and silver machine with a laptop, as shown in the below image.

Interact with the machine and choose which Access Card or Permit you want to use. Higher tier permits will conjure higher level enemies, but you will, of course, get more rewards the tougher the fight.

After fending off the enemies while completing production, you’ll be able to return to the machine and bag your loot. This will mainly consist of fuel, acid, Stardust Source, and Eclipse Cortex’s (which can be refined into Starchrom at your base).

The player looks at Nisa's shop in Once Human
Stardust Source can be purchased from Nisa. | Image credit: VG247/Starry Studio

Buy from Merchants

At the main encampments in Once Human — such as Deadsville, Meyer’s Market, and Greywater Camp — you can speak with a Merchant known as Nisa.

Nisa will sell you a limited amount of Stardust Source each season in exchange for Sproutlets. This is another in-game currency that you’ll earn by taking part in Cargo Scramble and Highway Pursuit events.

The player looks at a node of Startrace Ore in Red Sands in Once Human
Image credit: VG247/Starry Studio

Mine and refine Startrace Ore

Last, but not least, you can actually mine Startrace Ore and then refine it into Stardust Source, as well as Starchrom. That said, Startrace Ore is a rare find in Once Human, so this can be quite time-consuming.

If you do run into any Startrace Ore though, be sure to farm it using either a Steel Pickaxe or Drill, and then turn it into your chosen item — be that Stardust Source or Starchrom — at your base.

This will need to be done using either an Electric Furnace or Stardust Resonant Filter, depending on what you wish to turn the ore into.

The player looks at calibrating their weapons at a Gear Workbench in Once Human
Don't forget to calibrate your weapons if you feel you aren't doing enough damage. | Image credit: VG247/Starry Studio

How to use Stardust Source in Once Human

Stardust Source is an important component needed for weapon and armor Calibration. Calibration can be accessed via your Gear Workbench, and this is essentially where you will upgrade your weapons and armor, bolstering their stats and damage output.

Upgraded weapons and armor isn’t so important during Once Human’s early game, but as you begin to explore later regions such as Red Sands, Blackfell, and Chalk Peak, you’ll want to make sure your arsenal is in top shape. So, don’t forget to visit the Calibration menu and spend your Stardust Source!

For more on Once Human, take a look at our Once Human codes, our tips and tricks that we wish we knew before we started, and our guide on how PvP works.

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