Nanoprobes are the resource behind the Borg progression loop in Star Trek Fleet Command. They are not mined from systems. Inert Nanoprobes are a reward for defeating Borg hostiles: the Borg Tactical Probe drops them in 29 Borg systems from level 25 (Metra Alpha, Beta and Gamma) to level 58 (Jovia), and the Assimilated Ferengi Trader drops bigger stacks in the level 25 to 33 systems. Every one of those systems costs 1 Transwarp Cell to enter. You then refine Inert Nanoprobes into Active or Charged Nanoprobes, and the whole loop runs on the Vi’dar.
Where to find Borg probes
The table lists every Borg Tactical Probe spawn, easiest first, with the Inert Nanoprobes each kill pays. From level 25 to 33 the probes sit in clusters of named systems at warp 18 to 22, and the Assimilated Ferengi Trader shares those systems. From level 36 each level has a single system further out, ending at Jovia (level 58, warp 425).
| Level | Warp | Systems | Borg Tactical Probe | Assimilated Ferengi Trader |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 18 | Metra Alpha, Metra Beta, Metra Gamma | 128 to 174 | 384 to 522 |
| 26 | 18 | Benes Alpha, Benes Beta | 191 to 260 | 573 to 780 |
| 27 | 18 | Benes Delta, Benes Gamma | 289 to 392 | 867 to 1,176 |
| 28 | 22 | Roda Alpha, Roda Beta | 434 to 588 | 1,302 to 1,764 |
| 29 | 22 | Roda Gamma | 650 to 881 | 1,950 to 2,643 |
| 30 | 22 | Roda Delta | 978 to 1,324 | 2,934 to 3,972 |
| 31 | 22 | Corta Alpha | 1,466 to 1,985 | 4,398 to 5,955 |
| 32 | 22 | Corta Beta | 2,202 to 2,980 | 6,606 to 8,940 |
| 33 | 22 | Corta Gamma, Beta Zetori, Sigma Carment, Zeta Gray | 3,302 to 4,469 | 9,906 to 13,407 |
| 36 | 45 | Solus Daevun | 7,760 to 9,312 | – |
| 37 | 50 | Kallidin | 9,312 to 11,175 | – |
| 38 | 60 | Ru Vazin | 11,175 to 13,410 | – |
| 40 | 80 | Ru Serna | 13,969 to 16,065 | – |
| 42 | 90 | Frirab | 16,763 to 19,278 | – |
| 44 | 110 | Torvadyna | 20,116 to 23,134 | – |
| 46 | 135 | Moxidar | 24,140 to 27,761 | – |
| 48 | 160 | Cannz | 28,968 to 33,314 | – |
| 50 | 185 | Rhaela | 34,762 to 39,977 | – |
| 52 | 210 | Baley | 41,715 to 45,887 | – |
| 54 | 330 | Solus Ynestri | 47,973 to 52,771 | – |
| 58 | 425 | Jovia | 57,568 to 63,325 | – |
For a farming run, the low band is the easiest: 17 systems between level 25 and 33 at warp 18 to 22, so you can hop from one to the next without waiting on a respawn. Past level 36 you spend more time traveling between kills in exchange for much bigger stacks: a level 58 probe pays 57,568 to 63,325 Inert Nanoprobes against 128 to 174 at level 25. In the low band, the Assimilated Ferengi Trader pays three times what a probe does at the same level, so kill it whenever it is up.
How to get Transwarp Cells
Transwarp Cells are the entry ticket. Every system in the table above, from Metra Alpha to Jovia, costs 1 Transwarp Cell to enter. You earn them from daily chests, but only once you have built the Vi’dar, and you can hold a maximum of 8. That daily cell count, not the probes themselves, is the real throttle on how fast you progress, so spend your cells rather than sitting at the cap.
Borg Transwarp Cells and Mega Cube Transwarp Cells are different items. They open the Mega Cube transwarp network during the Borg Invasion event and expire when that event ends.
Why you need nanoprobes
Nanoprobes drive two things every Borg-focused commander wants: upgrading the Vi’dar and the Vi’dar Talios, and promoting Borg officers. If you run Borg content at all, nanoprobe farming is the routine that pays for it.
The three types of nanoprobe
Nanoprobes come in a base form and two refined forms, and knowing which you need decides how you set the refinery:
- Inert Nanoprobes are the raw reward from Borg hostiles. They do nothing on their own; they are the feedstock for the other two.
- Active Nanoprobes are refined from Inert and used to promote Borg officers.
- Charged Nanoprobes are refined from Inert and used to upgrade the components of the Vi’dar and Vi’dar Talios and to make purchases in the Borg Refinery.
How to farm nanoprobes efficiently
The Vi’dar is purpose-built for this. It is an Uncommon Grade 3 Interceptor that builds at Shipyard level 25, the same level as the first probe systems, and its Cybernetic Augmentation ability raises its damage against Borg hostiles by 24,000% at ship level 1, rising to 35,000% at level 45. The Borg Tactical Probe only spawns as a Battleship, and Interceptors beat Battleships, so the Vi’dar holds the type advantage at every level.
Three upgrades raise the Inert Nanoprobes per kill:
- The Vi’dar refit increases the Nanoprobes the Vi’dar gains from Borg Probes by 50%.
- The Vi’dar Talios refit increases Inert Nanoprobes from Borg Probes killed with the Vi’dar Talios by 50%, and adds a third refinery option for converting them to Charged Nanoprobes.
- The Nanoprobe Hunter research raises the base nanoprobes you get from killing Borg Probes with the Vi’dar.
The Vi’dar Talios is the later Epic Grade 4 Interceptor (Shipyard level 35), with a 35,000% damage bonus against Borg hostiles at level 1 that rises to 45,700% at level 60. Push into the deepest Borg system your ship can clear, and refine your Inert on cooldown rather than letting it pile up unused. On the refinery side, Prime Borg Rewards doubles the Faction Credits and Reputation the Borg refinery pays out.
Nanoprobes FAQ
Are nanoprobes mined?
No. Unlike ore or latinum, nanoprobes are not gathered from system nodes. Inert Nanoprobes drop from Borg hostiles in combat, and the refined forms come from the refinery.
Where do I get Inert Nanoprobes?
From Borg Tactical Probes in the 29 systems listed above, and from Assimilated Ferengi Traders in the level 25 to 33 systems. Borg armadas and events also pay nanoprobes.
What is the difference between Active and Charged Nanoprobes?
Both refine from Inert. Active promotes Borg officers; Charged upgrades the Vi’dar and Vi’dar Talios and buys from the Borg Refinery. Set your refinery toward whichever you are short on.
Do I need the Vi’dar to get nanoprobes?
Effectively yes. Transwarp Cells come from daily chests once the Vi’dar is built, and every probe system costs one to enter. The Vi’dar also farms probes with its Borg damage bonus.
Why am I capped on nanoprobe farming?
You can hold at most 8 Transwarp Cells, and each Borg system entry costs one. That cell count is the ceiling, so the fix is pushing into higher-level probe systems where each kill pays more, not grinding more low-level probes.
