Raw Crystal is one of the three graded raw materials in Star Trek Fleet Command, alongside Erze und Gas. Plenty of resources are refined — latinum und isogenite among them — but ore, gas, and crystal are the three that share the same star-grade pattern: you mine them in 2★, 3★, and 4★ grades and refine each into the materials your ships, station, and research consume. Crystal skews toward Klingon space, which shapes where you mine it.
Why you need crystal
Refined crystal is a building block for ship and station upgrades throughout the game, and it tends to be the material players run short on when pushing Klingon-aligned ships and research. Raw crystal is worthless until refined, so your refinery level decides how high a grade is worth mining.
How crystal grades and refining work
Each grade refines into a band of materials: 2★ crystal into Common and Uncommon, 3★ into Common, Uncommon, and Rare, and 4★ into the higher tiers. Refining unlocks by refinery level — 3★ materials at Refinery/Ops level 20, and 4★ at Refinery level 39. Grades 5★ through 7★ exist only in Territory Capture space. Mine the highest grade your refinery can actually process; anything higher just stockpiles as unusable raw material.
How to get crystal
- Mining. The main source, and heavily concentrated in Klingon space at 3★ and up. Systems below.
- Refining. The required second step. Raw crystal is inventory until it goes through the refinery.
- Daily goals and events. Mining events pay raw crystal; refining events pay the finished materials.
- Hostile loot. Some hostiles drop raw crystal along with the rest of their loot.
Like ore and gas, crystal cannot be raided from a station. It is only at risk on a loaded mining ship destroyed in space, so protection matters most while you are parked on a node.
Grad 2 Kristall Standorte
2★ raw crystal, for early refining. Verified July 2026.
| System | System level | Warp |
|---|---|---|
| Bellas | 12 | 8 |
| Nelve | 12 | 8 |
| Lykien | 14 | 12 |
| Astrida | 14 | 12 |
| Amador | 19 | 12 |
| Azha | 20 | 13 |
| Fastolf | 21 | 15 |
Grad 3 Kristall Standorte
3★ raw crystal is most abundant in Klingon space (Francihk, Enthra, and Morska among them) and refines from Ops 20. Curated from the systems worth the trip.
| System | System level | Warp |
|---|---|---|
| Francihk | 20 | 13 |
| Antonehk | 21 | 13 |
| K’amia | 24 | 17 |
| Perek | 24 | 20 |
| Narendra | 25 | 17 |
| Etaoin | 25 | 18 |
| Maranga | 25 | 18 |
| Enthra | 27 | 19 |
| Willenia | 28 | 22 |
| Morska | 29 | 20 |
| Van Cleef | 29 | 24 |
| Eviloy | 29 | 25 |
Territory Capture zones also hold 3★ crystal in low-warp systems (Adia Alpha, Otima Alpha and Beta, Qeyma Alpha, Temeri Alpha and Beta, Thaylen Alpha, Vemira Alpha), if your alliance controls the zone. See the Territory mine map.
Klasse 4 Kristallorte
4★ raw crystal, refinable from Refinery level 39. These sit deep, so warp range is the gate.
| System | System level | Warp |
|---|---|---|
| Nikola | 41 | 56 |
| Sadell | 40 | 58 |
| Garyb | 40 | 65 |
| Veringan | 40 | 65 |
| Zlim’kach | 40 | 65 |
| Aethera Nova | 41 | 75 |
| Callinon | 43 | 75 |
| Szov | 43 | 75 |
| Maht-H’A | 44 | 105 |
| Stambo | 45 | 120 |
| Dohrmas | 46 | 120 |
| Orinthus Prime | 46 | 190 |
The highest grades in the game, 5★ through 7★ crystal, are Territory Capture exclusives: 5★ and 6★ in Tier 2 and Tier 3 zones, and the only 7★ crystal in the game in Qoda Beta. See the Territory mine map for the full list.
Beste Crystal Mining Crew
Crystal crews split the same way every mining crew does, by whether your server allows OPC (over protected cargo) hits on parked miners.
- If OPC hits are allowed: crew for protection. Joaquin as captain with T'Pring und Einer von elf keeps the most cargo safe — and matters more on 3★ crystal, since the Klingon-space nodes draw crowds.
- If miners are safe: crew for speed. Kapitän: Barot > Crystal Miner – increases the crystal mining rate of the ship, with Helvia und Einer von elf as a solid bridge, or Zehn von elf once you have them. Fill the bridge with Surveyors & Miners officers for the synergy bonus.
For current rankings, see the officer tier list.
Best Ships to Mine Crystal
The Klingon faction survey ships are the crystal specialists: the K’Vort carries a large crystal mining bonus, and the B’Chor is the stronger upgrade with an even bigger one. Any strong survey ship works when its cargo hold is the biggest you have, since node size becomes the limit at higher grades.
Crystal FAQ
What is the difference between the crystal grades?
Higher grades refine into higher-tier materials: 2★ gives Common and Uncommon, 3★ adds Rare, and 4★ and up feed the late-game tiers. Mine the highest grade your refinery level can process.
Where is 3★ crystal most common?
Klingon space. If you have Klingon reputation, systems like Francihk, Enthra, and Morska are your reliable 3★ stops.
When can I refine 3★ and 4★ crystal?
3★ materials from Refinery/Ops level 20, and 4★ from Refinery level 39. Below those levels the raw crystal just sits in your inventory.
Can other players steal my crystal?
Not from your station — raids only take parsteel, tritanium, and dilithium. Crystal is only at risk on a loaded miner destroyed in space, so crew for protection when you park.