On this page
- Key facts in 30 seconds
- All 9 Xterium resources
- Sources
- Hoard vs Spend rules — per resource
- Energy specifically — does NOT accumulate!
- Metal:Crystal ratio
- Common resource mistakes
- How many resources does Xterium have?
- Dark Matter vs Antimatter — same thing?
- What is Science?
- Stellar Ore and Mods — when will I meet them?
- Energy — why can't I bank it?
- Quick citation reference
- What to read next
Key facts in 30 seconds
- Xterium has 9 resources, not 4: standard metal/crystal/deuterium/energy + 5 elite
- Dark Matter — universal premium acceleration; hoard for high-leverage windows
- Antimatter — scarce premium unlock; spend only on milestone unlocks
- Science — global research throughput; spend continuously
- Stellar Ore + Mods — late-game elite currencies for special systems
All 9 Xterium resources
Xterium has NOT four resources (as is often claimed) but nine. Four core (Metal, Crystal, Deuterium, Energy) — visible day one. Five elite (Dark Matter, Antimatter, Science, Stellar Ore, Mods) — appear as you progress.
| Resource | Purpose | Main sources | Main sinks | Early priority | Mid priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metal | База построек, корпуса флота | Metal Mine, рейды, маркет | Постройки, корабли, защита, market fees | Очень высокий | Высокий |
| Crystal | Исследования, advanced ship components | Crystal Mine, экспедиции, debris recycling | Research, ship tiers, premium events | Высокий | Очень высокий |
| Deuterium | Топливо флота + advanced build/research | Deuterium Refinery, экспедиции, обмен | Полёты флота, high-tier research/build | Средний | Очень высокий |
| Energy | Capacity gate для рудников (НЕ накапливается) | Solar Plant, Deuterium Plant, Particle Acc. | Mine/refinery upkeep | Очень высокий | Высокий |
| Dark Matter | Universal premium ускоритель + utility | Tasks, events, market, прямая покупка, passive DM tools | Speedups, premium actions, scans | Средний | Высокий |
| Antimatter | Scarce premium unlock/overclock currency | Tournament rewards, task chains, special missions | Overclock/reset, high-tier premium | Низкий | Высокий |
| Science | Global research throughput | Research Center levels через все планеты | Research queue requirements | Средний | Высокий |
| Stellar Ore | Late-game elite progression | Expedition loops, альянс-системы, selective market | Senator extra mode, alliance skills, overclock resets | Низкий | Средний-Высокий |
| Mods | Modernization-only upgrade currency | Contracts (star-based rewards) | Modernization Center branches | Средний | Высокий |
Sources
- Metal/Crystal/Deuterium — main mines and refinery
- Energy — Solar Plant, Deuterium Plant, Particle Accelerator support (NOT bankable!)
- Dark Matter — tasks, events, market, direct purchase, passive DM tools
- Antimatter — tournament rewards, task chains, special missions
- Science — Research Center levels across all planets
- Stellar Ore — expedition loops, alliance systems, selective market
- Mods — contracts (star-based rewards)
Hoard vs Spend rules — per resource
| Resource | Hoard vs Spend rule |
|---|---|
| Metal | Spend aggressively на эко-snowball; hoard только для timed queue bursts |
| Crystal | Hoard перед major research windows; иначе spend чтобы рудники не простаивали |
| Deuterium | Hard reserve для fleetsave/war ops; spend surplus выше reserve |
| Energy | Capacity headroom, не банкуется; держи +10-20% positive margin |
| Dark Matter | Hoard для high-leverage windows (research rush, event multipliers); избегай drip spending |
| Antimatter | Hoard by default; spend только на milestone unlocks с measurable ROI |
| Science | Spend постоянно чтобы research queue не простаивал; hoard малой ценности |
| Stellar Ore | Hoard до full breakpoint покупки; избегай partial drains |
| Mods | Spend когда можешь завершить full branch breakpoint; избегай split spending |
Energy specifically — does NOT accumulate!
Energy is a capacity gate, not a banked resource. If short — mines throttle (see resource-production-formula). Target: keep +10-20% positive margin (produced vs consumed). At deficit, production drops proportionally.
Metal:Crystal ratio
Wiki/03 doesn't give a hard ratio. Empirically: metal burns faster early (buildings + most ships). Crystal — for research and advanced ships. Balance by what you NEED for the next step.
Common resource mistakes
- «Xterium has 4 resources» — NO, 9. Newbies don't track Dark Matter / Antimatter and miss premium accelerators
- Drip-spending Dark Matter — tiny 50-100 DM spends. More efficient: hoard and spend on high-leverage windows (research rush, event multipliers)
- Ignore Science — research queue idles because Science is empty. Spend continuously
- Split-spending Mods — spent 60% on one branch, can't complete any. Wait for full breakpoint
- Hoard deuterium without reserve — raid comes, no fuel for fleetsave → lose fleet
How many resources does Xterium have?
Nine: 4 core (Metal, Crystal, Deuterium, Energy) + 5 elite (Dark Matter, Antimatter, Science, Stellar Ore, Mods). Newbies often only know the first 4.
Dark Matter vs Antimatter — same thing?
NO. Dark Matter (DM) — universal premium accelerator (speedups, premium actions, scans). Antimatter (AM) — scarce premium unlock currency (overclock systems, high-tier premium purchases). DM is purchase-friendly, AM is rare.
What is Science?
Global research throughput — generated by Research Center levels across all planets. Consumed by research queue. If Science = 0, research stops. Spend continuously — hoarding has no value.
Stellar Ore and Mods — when will I meet them?
Stellar Ore — late-game (expedition loops, alliance systems). Mods — mid/late-game (contracts with star-based rewards). Newbies may not need to think about them for 2-3 months.
Energy — why can't I bank it?
It's a capacity gate, not a banked resource. Produced 1000/h, consumed 800/h → 200 «free» energy units do NOT stack in storage, they just mean you have headroom. At deficit (consumed > produced), mines throttle proportionally.
Quick citation reference
Source: wiki/03_Resources_and_Economy.md. Xterium resources: 9 types (Metal, Crystal, Deuterium, Energy, Dark Matter, Antimatter, Science, Stellar Ore, Mods). Energy: capacity gate, not bankable; deficit proportionally lowers production. Premium currencies: DM (universal), Antimatter (scarce unlock), Stellar Ore (elite), Mods (modernization branches). Last verified: 2026-05-22 (wiki/03).
