The Need-to-Know Incarnates Reference

[oddrobin]

The Need-to-Know Incarnates Reference

Incarnate powers intimidated me for a while, but I figured them out. If I can do it, which I did, you don't have to because I'm laying it out for you right here. But you are totally capable of also figuring out the incarnates system if you hadn't found this guide or one of the others out there.
 

The Others:

• A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO THE INCARNATE SYSTEM or “WHY ARE INCARNATES SUCH SNAPPY DRESSERS?” by Robotech_Master
• Homecoming Incarnate Guide a.k.a Incarnates made easy by Vea

In the throes of figuring it out myself I thought at some point, "I bet I can find all this information already posted online somewhere," and I could have, as noted above. But it was too late for me to quit. I was in too deep of an obsessive state. I had to ride it out. The result is this guide; my take on incarnates -- what I consider to be need-to-know incarnates information, with minimal fluff. This paragraph is the most fluff of the whole guide.

These are the burning questions my inquiring mind needed to know:

• Why mess with incarnates?
• Is the incarnate system just crafting?
• Where do I do the incarnates?
• What are these tabs in the incarnates window?
• Why do I have percentages instead of slots? or How do I unlock the slots?
• How much stuff do I need?
• How much stuff do I already have?
• How do I get more of all this stuff?
• How do I equip an incarnate power?
• How do I get to the top of a tier tree?
• Is that all?
• But what do they do?

Why mess with incarnates?

1. They can pump up your stats, debuff enemies, and buff you and your teammates.

2. Completing tier 3 in the following categories causes level shifts:

• Alpha shifts you to 50+1 for all level-45+ content.
• Lore and Destiny shift you for incarnate content only.
• Being shifted to 50+1, 50+2, or 50+3 directly correlates with how many of these three categories have tier 3 completed.

Is the incarnates system just crafting?

Yep, it's just crafting. Get the ingredients to make the salvage, then use the salvage to fill the tiers. After reaching level 50 and visiting a trainer to make it official, incarnate ingredients and salvage will drop as you play. Sometimes you will get pieces of salvage you can use, but most of the salvage must be created from incarnate resources:

• Incarnate shards
• Incarnate threads
• Empyrean merits (aka emp merits; emps)
• Influence (only if you have no emp merits and refuse to get some)

Currently incarnate salvage, shards, and threads cannot be bought through the auction house, traded, nor sent through email. Crafting salvage is the only way to get it. Empyrean merits (and astral merits) can be emailed to other characters with your same global name.
 

Where do I do the incarnates?

All your incarnal action happens in the incarnates window:

• Click Powers along the top of your powers tray(s).
• Then click Incarnate Abilities at the top of the Powers menu.

What are these tabs in the incarnates window?

• Equip tab: Contains the slots (once unlocked) or percentages of XP needed to unlock the slots for each of the six incarnate categories:
  Alpha, Destiny, Interface, Lore, Judgement, and Hybrid. 

Selecting one of the categories will show you any incarnate pieces completed in that category. Double click a finished piece to place it in its unlocked slot to activate it. Multiple types of pieces may be created and you can switch between them.

• Create tab: Has drop-down menus of all the types of incarnates for each category, the tier for the type selected, and the recipes needed to fill the tier.

> Each category type has four tiers to fill. I call this the tier tree. 
> Each tier in the tree uses what was created in the tier below it, plus additional salvage.
> Tier 4 at the very top is the final tier. 

• Convert tab: Where salvage is created to complete the recipes.

Why do I have percentages instead of slots? or How do I unlock the slots?

If the equip tab shows a category with a percentage bar, that category hasn't been unlocked.

• Categories become unlocked by getting XP after you visit a trainer to train up to level 50.
• The Alpha slot can be unlocked by completing the Mender Ramiel (Ouroboros) arc, or by filling its XP bar like the others.
• All the categories should open by Vet Level 12.

How much stuff do I need?

I calculated how much of each resource is needed if I had to craft every piece of salvage to have fully-completed tier trees in each category. I also calculated how much is needed for each individual tier level. It's a lot.

Spoiler

TOTAL^† INCARNATE RESOURCES AMOUNTS NEEDED

ALPHA

• Alpha total shards: Could be as many as many as 280 if you use only recipes requiring shards.
• Alpha total threads: Could be as many as 640 if you use only recipes requiring threads+emp merits.*
• Alpha total emp merits: Could be as many as 46 if you use only recipes requiring threads+emp merits.*
• Use any and all shards you have to fill Alpha tiers because Alpha is the only category that can use them. Convert any leftover shards into threads to use for the remaining tier pieces and the other five categories.
• Recipes that use threads are below the recipes that use shards; scroll down.

THE OTHER FIVE (Destiny, Interface, Lore, Judgement, Hybrid)

• Total needed to complete tier 4 in one category: 640 threads, 46 emp merits*
• Total needed to complete tier 4 in all five categories: 3200 threads, 230 emp merits*

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
TOTALS^† PER TIER

ALPHA
Tier 1 (need 2)  - use recipes 1 or 2: 
     recipe 1: 32 shards x 2 = 64 shards
     recipe 2: 60 threads x 2 = 120 threads
Tier 2 (need 2) - use recipes 1 or 2: 
     recipe 1: 20 shards x 2 = 40
     recipe 2: 200 threads x 2 = 400 threads
Tier 3  (need 2) - use recipes 1 or 2: 
     recipe 1: 48 shards for each recipe x 2 = 96 shards
     recipe 2: 40 threads, 8 emp merits for each recipe x 2 = 80 threads, 16 emp merits* (emps create rare and very rare salvage)
Tier 4 (need 1) - use either one of the shard recipes or one of the thread+emp recipes: 
     recipes 1-6: 80 shards
     recipes 7-12: 40 threads, 30 emp merits*  (emps create rare and very rare salvage)

     When completing tier 4, scroll down to find a recipe that requires the two tier 3 pieces you made.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
TOTALS^† PER TIER

Destiny, Interface, Lore, Judgement, Hybrid

• Tier 1 (need 2): 60 threads x 2 = 120 threads
• Tier 2 (need 2): 200 threads x 2 = 400 threads
• Tier 3 (need 2): 40 threads, 8 emp merits x 2 = 80 threads, 16 emp merits  (emps create rare and very rare salvage)
• Tier 4: 40 threads, 30 emp merits  (emps create rare and very rare salvage)
• When completing tier 4, scroll down to find the recipe that requires the two tier 3 pieces you made.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
* It is possible to create everything using only threads. You create all the components of the rare and very rare incarnate salvage with threads and influence rather than empyrean merits. However, it's very expensive. For example, the threads-only version of the tier 4 incarnate piece requires 1360 threads and 1 billion 200 million influence. I do not recommend this option because emp merits are faster and easier to get than billions of influence.
 

† These amounts are totaled as if you have to craft every piece of salvage.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

How much stuff do I already have?

Look at your salvage. Click Salvage along the top of your power tray.

• Incarnate tab: If you have them, you will see incarnate threads, incarnate shards, and incarnate salvage.
• Special tab: Empyrean merits and astral merits are shown here when you have them.

How do I get more of all this stuff?

1. Achieve level 50 and visit a trainer to make it official.

2. Do as many WST, BAF, MSR, and ITFs as you can (Weekly Strike Target, Behavioral Adjustment Facility, [Rikti] MotherShip Raid, and Incarnate Task Force), and you'll soon be swimming in incarnates resources. Sometimes you will get pieces of salvage you can use, but most of the salvage must be created from other incarnate resources:

• Incarnate shards
• Incarnate threads
• Empyrean merits (aka emp merits; emps)

3. Email emp merits and astral merits to your same global name.

• Emp merits can be emailed one at a time, or use a merit vendor to convert 50 emps to one Transcendent Merit, and email the Transcendent Merit. The merit vendor can then convert the Transcendent Merit back into 50 emp merits.
• Astral merits can only be emailed one at a time.

Cooking with Shards:

• In the Incarnate Abilities window, click the Convert Tab. Choose Incarnate Shard on the left side to drop down that menu. View the rarity groups to find the salvage you want to make. 
• The Alpha category is the only place where shards can be used. Use as many as you can on Alpha pieces.
• Shards can also be converted to threads. Choose the Upgrade option to turn shards and shard-based salvage into threads

Cooking with Threads:

• In the Incarnate Abilities window, click the Convert Tab. Choose Incarnate Thread on the left side to drop down that menu. View the rarity groups to find the salvage you want to make. 

Cooking with Empyrean Merits:

• Empyrean merits create the same rare and very rare salvage that can be made with threads+influence. Use the emp merits!
• In the Incarnate Abilities window, click the Convert Tab. Choose Empyrean Merit on the left side to drop down that menu. View the rarity groups to find the salvage you want to make.
• Emp Merits can also be converted to threads. Choose Empyrean Merit > Incarnate Thread to turn emp merits into threads.

Astral Merits:

• In the Incarnate Abilities window, click the Convert Tab. Choose Astral Merit on the left side to drop down that menu. Choose Incarnate Thread and click Create.
• Astral merits can be converted to empyrean merits by talking with Luna in Ouroboros. Five astral merits converts to one emp merit.

Converting the salvage you have but don't need into threads or different salvage:

• In the Incarnate Abilities window, click the Convert Tab. Choose your salvage's rarity group(s) on the left-side to drop down those menus. 
• Breakdown: breaks down thread-based salvage into threads.
• Sidegrade: creates a random and different piece of salvage of the same rarity
• Downgrade: creates a random piece of salvage of a more common rarity

How do I equip an incarnate power?

After you create a piece of a tier tree, you can put that piece into its unlocked slot.

• Equip tab: Contains the slots (once unlocked) or percentages of XP needed to unlock the slots for each of the six incarnate categories:
  Alpha, Destiny, Interface, Lore, Judgement, and Hybrid. 
  • Selecting one of the categories will show you any incarnate pieces completed in that category. Double click a finished piece to place it in its unlocked slot. 
  • Multiple types of pieces may be created in each category and you can switch between them.
  • After placing a piece in a slot, if it creates a clickable power (Hybrid, Lore, Destiny, and Judgement), drag it to one of your power trays from your power list menu.

How do I get to the top of a tier tree?

• Tier 1 has only one option to choose.
• Tier 2: choose left or right
• Tier 3: Make ONLY TWO pieces total. 
• Tier 4: Choose left or right. Either tier-4 piece can use any combination of any two tier-3 pieces from either side.

I like to keep it as simple as possible. I pick which which side of tier 4 I want to create (left or right) and complete only the pieces up that same side. More frugal players may try to utilize salvage already in their inventory by picking paths that use salvage they have on hand. 

Is that all?

Yep, that's all! 
 

But what do they actually do?

There are so many things they can do, I don't want to list them here. The pieces in the tier trees of each type describe what they do when you mouse over or select a piece. I will at least give you the gist of what each category is about:

• Alpha: pumps up all the powers you have that can be pumped up to enhance a specific type of ability like endurance modification or hold duration. 
• Destiny: Gives you and nearby teammates a specific type of buff for a while.
• Interface: Adds a type of debuffing as an extra chance to most damaging attacks.
• Lore: Summons a type of pet to aid you or fight with you. The Incarnate Lore Pet List by GM Miss is a great reference for picking your pet.
• Judgement: Adds an attack of the type you choose.
• Hybrid: Gives just you a specific type of buff for a while.

Messing with incarnates is worth the trouble. You will be glad you did, and so will your teammates.
 

Edited May 21 by oddrobin