Mycelium Spores are the fuel behind the USS Discovery‘s signature trick. You harvest them in exactly 15 Neutral systems: ten at level 23 (warp 17 to 20) and five at level 28 (warp 25), each with one spore node. The Unbekannter Alien hostiles in those same systems drop spores too, and Klingon Bird of Prey hostiles and Burial Ship armadas drop them in a second set of level 31 to 41 systems. You convert the spores into Cultivated Mycelium in the Mycelium Greenhouse, and Cultivated Mycelium fuels the Discovery’s spore drive.
Mycelium spore systems
Spores appear in two bands, and every system in both bands has a single spore node holding 800 spores at the same base harvest rate, so the only real difference between them is distance and hostile level. The table is sorted easiest first, and every system links to its own page.
| System | Ebene | Warp | Fraktion | Nodes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Babishta | 23 | 17 | Neutral | 1 | Node size 800; Unknown Alien hostiles (level 21 to 25) drop spores |
| Amagi | 23 | 20 | Neutral | 1 | Node size 800; Unknown Alien hostiles (level 21 to 25) drop spores |
| Arcadion | 23 | 20 | Neutral | 1 | Node size 800; Unknown Alien hostiles (level 21 to 25) drop spores |
| Esteria | 23 | 20 | Neutral | 1 | Node size 800; Unknown Alien hostiles (level 21 to 25) drop spores |
| Izanami | 23 | 20 | Neutral | 1 | Node size 800; Unknown Alien hostiles (level 21 to 25) drop spores |
| Jizo | 23 | 20 | Neutral | 1 | Node size 800; Unknown Alien hostiles (level 21 to 25) drop spores |
| Netron Alpha | 23 | 20 | Neutral | 1 | Node size 800; Unknown Alien hostiles (level 21 to 25) drop spores |
| Netron Omega | 23 | 20 | Neutral | 1 | Node size 800; Unknown Alien hostiles (level 21 to 25) drop spores |
| Salara | 23 | 20 | Neutral | 1 | Node size 800; Unknown Alien hostiles (level 21 to 25) drop spores |
| Tenzen-1029 | 23 | 20 | Neutral | 1 | Node size 800; Unknown Alien hostiles (level 21 to 25) drop spores |
| Cada-X | 28 | 25 | Neutral | 1 | Node size 800; Unknown Alien hostiles (level 27 to 29) drop spores |
| Dis | 28 | 25 | Neutral | 1 | Node size 800; Unknown Alien hostiles (level 27 to 29) drop spores |
| Nalome | 28 | 25 | Neutral | 1 | Node size 800; Unknown Alien hostiles (level 27 to 29) drop spores |
| Risette | 28 | 25 | Neutral | 1 | Node size 800; Unknown Alien hostiles (level 27 to 29) drop spores |
| Sae | 28 | 25 | Neutral | 1 | Node size 800; Unknown Alien hostiles (level 27 to 29) drop spores |
Note the Discovery’s short warp range before you plan a trip. It has a warp range of 20 at tier 1, 24 at tier 5 and 30 at tier 9, so the level 23 systems are in reach from the start, while the level 28 systems at warp 25 need a few tiers or extra warp range from officers or the Starships research.
How to get mycelium spores
- Harvesting. The main supply. Park your Discovery on a spore node in one of the 15 mycelium systems. The Discovery’s harvesting bonus makes it dramatically faster than anything else.
- Hunting in the mycelium systems. Unknown Alien hostiles in the 15 spore systems drop 65 to 161 spores per kill, depending on level. It is slower for pure spore income, but it levels your Discovery at the same time.
- Jagen Klingon hostiles. Bird of Prey hostiles from level 31 to 41 pay 175 to 331 spores per kill, and the Burial Ship armadas pay far more: 3,200 to 4,801 for the Klingon Burial Ship and 9,600 to 14,401 for the Klingon Supreme Burial Ship.
- Events. Discovery-themed events sometimes pay spores or Cultivated Mycelium directly.
Hostiles that drop mycelium spores
Every hostile below drops Mycelium Spores as part of its normal loot. The two Burial Ships are armadas; the rest are regular hostiles. The Unknown Alien rows cover the 15 harvesting systems; the Klingon rows are in separate systems between level 31 and 41, a good option once your Discovery or combat fleet outgrows the level 23 band.
| Feindliche | Ebene | Systeme | Mycelium Spores per kill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unbekannter Alien | 21 | Amagi, Arcadion, Babishta, Esteria, Izanami, Jizo, Netron Alpha, Netron Omega, Salara, Tenzen-1029 | 65 to 76 |
| Unbekannter Alien | 23 | Amagi, Arcadion, Babishta, Esteria, Izanami, Jizo, Netron Alpha, Netron Omega, Salara, Tenzen-1029 | 85 to 96 |
| Unbekannter Alien | 25 | Amagi, Arcadion, Babishta, Esteria, Izanami, Jizo, Netron Alpha, Netron Omega, Salara, Tenzen-1029 | 105 to 116 |
| Unbekannter Alien | 27 | Cada-X, Dis, Nalomas, Risette, Sae | 125 to 136 |
| Unbekannter Alien | 29 | Cada-X, Dis, Nalomas, Risette, Sae | 145 to 161 |
| Bird of Prey Fighter, Bird of Prey Scout, Bird of Prey Warship | 31 | Aletara, Blys, Evans, Kraatu, Orai-12, Pandosia, Sentaros, Tauro-34, Velata | 175 to 196 |
| Klingon Burial Ship | 31 | Aletara, Blys, Ferrer, Kavka, Ordesia, Pandosia | 3,200 to 4,801 |
| Bird of Prey Fighter, Bird of Prey Scout, Bird of Prey Warship | 33 | Ferrer, Kavka, Ordesia | 205 to 226 |
| Bird of Prey Annihilator, Bird of Prey Warmaster, Bird of Prey Wayfinder | 35 | Kraatu, Orai-12, Velata | 250 to 281 |
| Bird of Prey Annihilator, Bird of Prey Warmaster, Bird of Prey Wayfinder | 37 | Evans, Kraatu, Orai-12, Sentaros, Tauro-34, Velata | 265 to 301 |
| Bird of Prey Annihilator, Bird of Prey Warmaster, Bird of Prey Wayfinder | 39 | Evans, Sentaros, Tauro-34 | 280 to 316 |
| Klingon Supreme Burial Ship | 39 | Antrexi, Finlayson, Iradrias, Schouten-Adavi | 9,600 to 14,401 |
| Bird of Prey Annihilator, Bird of Prey Warmaster, Bird of Prey Wayfinder | 41 | Antrexi, Finlayson, Iradrias, Schouten-Adavi | 295 to 331 |
Why you need mycelium spores
Everything comes back to the USS Discovery. Its spore drive lets it jump across the galaxy without normal warp travel, and it can also summon other ships to its location through the Mycelial network. Both run on Cultivated Mycelium, which you only get by converting spores. If you fly a Discovery at all, spores are a standing grocery item.
Do not confuse the resource with Stamets’ Original Mycelium Sample. That is an artifact item from Formation Armadas and Artifact Restoration, and it raises base warp speed for all ships. It is not made from spores.
Cultivation: spores into jumps
Raw spores do nothing on their own. In your refinery’s Discovery tab you get two claim boxes once the ship is built: the Mycelium Greenhouse, which converts Mycelium Spores into Cultivated Mycelium, and the Discovery Refinery, which produces Spore Drive Components for upgrading the ship. The greenhouse holds a maximum of 18K Cultivated Mycelium, so spend your jumps before you hit the cap. Run both on cooldown; the greenhouse feeds your jumps and the refinery feeds your tiers.
Best crews for harvesting spores
Your harvest rate follows the Discovery’s ship level more than the crew, so the biggest speed upgrade is leveling the ship. Beyond that:
- Ten of Eleven on the bridge. Tribble Mining Collective raises the ship’s Mining Speed by 80% at rank 1, up to 160% at rank 5.
- T'Pring on the bridge. Hidden Stash raises Protected Cargo by 50% to 300%, which matters while you sit on a node in level 23 to 28 space.
- For hostile grinding, T'Laan fits both jobs. As captain she raises ship XP by 15%, which speeds up leveling the Discovery, and on the bridge she cuts the damage of kinetic weapons from hostiles of level 51 and under.
Best ship for mycelium
Die USS Discovery, full stop. It is a Rare Grade 3 Explorer that needs 100 blueprints and Shipyard level 21, and it unlocks through the Discovery arc. Its ship ability, Mycelium Harvesting, raises its mycelium harvesting speed by 1,860% at ship level 1, rising to 4,500% at level 45. The whole loop (greenhouse, refinery and spore drive) only exists once the ship is built.
Mycelium FAQ
What are the mycelium systems?
Amagi, Arcadion, Babishta, Esteria, Izanami, Jizo, Netron Alpha, Netron Omega, Salara and Tenzen-1029 at level 23, plus Cada-X, Dis, Nalomas, Risette and Sae at level 28. All 15 are Neutral.
Is it better to mine spores or hunt hostiles for them?
Mining is the steady routine. Hunting pays less per kill in the spore systems but levels your Discovery, which raises your harvest rate. If you can run level 31 armadas, the Klingon Burial Ship armadas pay the biggest spore drops of any hostile.
How much Cultivated Mycelium can I store?
The Mycelium Greenhouse holds a maximum of 18K Cultivated Mycelium. Cultivate ahead so a jump is never blocked by an empty greenhouse, but do not sit at the cap.
Can other players steal my spores?
Not from your station. As with other special Ressourcen, the risk is a loaded ship sitting on a node in a level 23 to 28 system, so bring cargo protection if you harvest unattended.
