Incarnate Shard Component

Description

Incarnate Ability Sub-component

Faint impressions of Incarnate essence can be found almost everywhere. Claim and combine them to form and improve Alpha Incarnate Components.

Rarity

This component is Common.

Used In

Incarnate Shards can be combined into other Incarnate Component pieces.

Common Incarnate Components

• Ancient Nictus Fragment Component (4 needed)
• Dimensional Keystone Component (4 needed)
• Essence of the Incarnate Component (4 needed)
• Gr'ai Matter Component (4 needed)
• Hero 1 DNA Sample Component (4 needed)
• Incarnate Thread Component (10 needed) (10 needed)
• Penumbra of Rularuu Component (4 needed)

Uncommon Incarnate Components

• Drop of the Well Component (8 needed)
• Incarnate Infused Nictus Component (8 needed)
• Infinite Tessellation Component (8 needed)
• Vanguard DNA Metamatrix Component (8 needed)

Very Rare Incarnate Components

• Favor of the Well Component (32 needed)

Conversion To Common Incarnate Component

While 4 shards can be converted into any common incarnate component it should be noted that once the level 4 alpha slot power of choice has been achieved excess components can be broken down into just 1 shard. Therefore if you have the patience a policy of acquiring each required common incarnate component through the appropriate Task Force or Strike Force (where possible) is more efficient than converting shards to make them.

How to Get

Incarnate Shard Components will only drop for characters who have unlocked the Alpha Slot either through completion of Mender Ramiel's story arc (which itself grants one Incarnate Shard), using an "Alpha Slot Unlock" voucher from Astral Christy, or through earning Incarnate Experience in either Dark Astoria or Incarnate Trials. Note that an Alpha Slot Ability does not need to be slotted, but the slot must be unlocked.

As of the April 5th, 2011 patch, any non-gray enemy can have a chance to drop Incarnate Shards. The drop rate has not been stated officially, but based on over fourteen thousand enemy defeats recorded by players, an approximate number is available:

Defeats	Drops	Rank	Drop Rate	Assumed Rate
9203	9	Minion	1 in 1023	1 in 1000
4435	29	Lieutenant	1 in 153	1 in 150
868	16	Boss	1 in 55	1 in 50
		Elite Boss	+++ Missing Information +++
		Archvillain / Hero	+++ Missing Information +++
845	62	Hamidon Mitochondria	1 in 13.6
		Players (PvP)	+++ Missing Information +++

Homecoming-Specific Changes

Since Issue 25, Incarnate Shard use has been de-emphasized in favor of Incarnate Thread use.

• Incarnates begin immediately at Level 50. The Mender Ramiel arc is no longer required to activate the Incarnate System. You can still finish the arc for an Incarnate Shard, but defeating Trapdoor isn't necessary to start acquiring Incarnate XP and components. It begins automatically when reaching Level 50. (You earn a random drop of both threads and shards when playing Level 50 content any time.)
• All Incarnate Abilities can be made with Threads. Alpha Slot powers can now be made using Incarnate Threads alone, same as the other powers in the Incarnate System. (During the Live game, you would have to use shards only to craft Alpha Slot components.) A minimum of Two recipes for each Alpha Slot power tier exist, one with Shard components, and another with Thread components. Shard and Thread components cannot be mixed to activate a power, however. If one type is made by accident using a "breakdown" recipe is the only way to get part of your investment back.
• You don't have to ignore Shard rewards. Incarnate Shards can be rolled over into Incarnate Threads in the Incarnate Abilities window. The option is listed in Convert > Incarnate Shards > Upgrade:
  • Once per 20 hours: 1 million Inf + 10 Shards = 10 Threads.
  • As many times as you wish: 10 Shards = 5 Threads.
• Notice and Favor of The Well components (in the same menu above) have options to receive threads instead of shards (Notice/Favor to Shard conversion is in the same place but under Breakdown instead of Upgrade). This has been the case since a patch in 2011 while the Live service was active. Either of them can be substituted in place of crafting a rare or very rare component in completing a Tier 3 or Tier 4 Alpha Slot power only, however, additional shard crafted salvage would need to join it as well. To craft other Incarnate Powers past the Alpha Slot, breaking a Notice or Favor of the Well into threads is the only choice.

Historical

This section contains information about changes that took place in City of Heroes/Villains. It is provided for historical purposes.

• The 4 Incarnate Shard reward for defeating Hamidon was replaced with a 4 Empyrean Merit reward in Issue 25.

See Also

• Incarnate Component
• Salvage