It has been a LONG time, but it is time for a new guide…

This one will be short and sweet though because this is more of a PSA than a guide.

The short version… since 4.0 it no longer works, end of story.

Longer version: Since 4.0 launched the ability to acquire operations dropped color crystal schematics has been nuked.

• If you get a color crystal from an operation, you can no longer Reverse Engineer (RE) it for a schematic. The tooltip says, “no research available.” (this was not in any patch notes, but it is still a fact)
  
• If you purchase an operations color crystal that was crafted by another player/character, you can no longer RE it for a schematic. No matter what you do with it, the tooltip will always say, “no research available.” (this WAS in the patch notes)
  
• If you had operations color crystal schematics prior to 4.0 you will still have them available.
  
• Lastly, crafting color crystals no longer generates an extra unit on a crit. (this was not in the patch notes, but it is still a fact)
  

All that being said, crafting color crystals for profit is NOT dead. The primary color crystals you get through the trainer: blue, red, green, orange, and yellow are all cheap to craft, sell for a LOT more than what they cost to craft and they sell consistently. They may not sell for hundreds of thousands of credits a piece but the profit margin is significant (multiples of 100%)

If you are looking to craft color crystals in “rare” colors to save credits…I got nothin’ for ya.

edit: regarding Magenta Color Crystals...

Magenta color crystal schematics are acquired by the schematics dropping (NOT color crystals) off a few world bosses and Black Hole daily area gold mobs (the ones with the gold star next to their name). The rules above still apply regarding trying to RE a crafted crystal for the schematic, but post 4.0 the schematics still drop. They no longer use the rare/hard to get materials; they use standard grade 6 materials.

What about Magenta schematics? Do we know if they're still dropped in-game or were those removed as well? If not, so they still drop in the same places as before?

I honestly do not know.

My guess is that the schematics still exist in the loot tables of Nightmare Pilgrim, but the drop rate was probably nerfed.

I honestly do not know.

 

My guess is that the schematics still exist in the loot tables of Nightmare Pilgrim, but the drop rate was probably nerfed.

Can we still RE those for their crafting schem? If so, I'm going to have to crank a few out, because my Artificer has at least two of the Magenta +41s (not sure which)...

They completely removed the ability to RE others' crafted stuff for schematics. see point #2 in the PSA OP.

"If you purchase an operations color crystal that was crafted by another player/character, you can no longer RE it for a schematic. No matter what you do with it, the tooltip will always say, “no research available.” (this WAS in the patch notes)"

That being said, the magenta color crystal schematics were/are drops. The schematic dropped/drops NOT the crystal. But the schematics are BoP.

Therefore one might be able to get the magenta schematics still, but you either have to:

A) take out Nightmare Pilgrim WB on Voss with 15 other players who might be equally interested in acquiring the schematic...if it drops.

OR

B) possibly kills hundreds if not thousands of gold mobs in the Black Hole daily area for the (guesstimate) 0.001% chance to get a magenta schematic to drop there.

OR

C) the possibility exists that the schematics were completely removed from the loot tables and those who want them post 4.0 are SOL.

They completely removed the ability to RE others' crafted stuff for schematics. see point #2 in the PSA OP.

 

"If you purchase an operations color crystal that was crafted by another player/character, you can no longer RE it for a schematic. No matter what you do with it, the tooltip will always say, “no research available.” (this WAS in the patch notes)"

 

That being said, the magenta color crystal schematics were/are drops. The schematic dropped/drops NOT the crystal. But the schematics are BoP.

 

Therefore one might be able to get the magenta schematics still, but you either have to:

 

A) take out Nightmare Pilgrim WB on Voss with 15 other players who might be equally interested in acquiring the schematic...if it drops.

 

OR

 

B) possibly kills hundreds if not thousands of gold mobs in the Black Hole daily area for the (guesstimate) 0.001% chance to get a magenta schematic to drop there.

 

OR

 

C) the possibility exists that the schematics were completely removed from the loot tables and those who want them post 4.0 are SOL.

(Incidentally, I got mine from Option B: killing craploads of crap in the Black Hole District until they dropped.)

(Incidentally, I got mine from Option B: killing craploads of crap in the Black Hole District until they dropped.)

Pre-4.0 or Post-4.0?

Pre-4.0 or Post-4.0?

I got at least one of them, post-4.0, but it's been so long since I've been in there, I don't remember which schem it was. Must have been just shortly afterward, when all of my characters were still within level range of the zone...

Well at least that means that my posted "option 'C'" is not in the mix; the schematics ARE still available you just have to either kill NP or LOTS of BH gold mobs.

A) take out Nightmare Pilgrim WB on Voss with 15 other players who might be equally interested in acquiring the schematic...if it drops.

The drop is not from Nightmare Pilgrim, it's from Primal destroyer on Belsavis. Got one on one of my DvL characters.

The drop is not from Nightmare Pilgrim, it's from Primal destroyer on Belsavis. Got one on one of my DvL characters.

Thank you for that information. My information came from Dulfy.net...Maybe it's both?

Thank you for that information. My information came from Dulfy.net...Maybe it's both?

Can't say about NP because i haven't done it.. What i'm not sure about is if the mats are still obtainable and not bugged thus making the recipe obsolete.

Can't say about NP because i haven't done it.. What i'm not sure about is if the mats are still obtainable and not bugged thus making the recipe obsolete.

Magenta color crystal schematics no longer need those rare materials (you are concerned about) to craft them...they use straight up gathering and mission skill grade 6 materials: archaeology and treasure hunting. In fact all the operations dropped crystals that I have - purple, black-orange, and magenta - just use grade 6 mats.

Their value on the GTN now stems from the relative rarity of those who in fact have the schematics and the "inconvenience" of materials acquistion (having to run lower grade missions and/or going to planets other than Zakuul or Yavin to farm). But even then their value fluctuates wildly: as low as 50k each up to 300k each on The Harbinger.

Magenta color crystal schematics no longer need those rare materials (you are concerned about) to craft them...they use straight up gathering and mission skill grade 6 materials: archaeology and treasure hunting. In fact all the operations dropped crystals that I have - purple, black-orange, and magenta - just use grade 6 mats.

 

Their value on the GTN now stems from the relative rarity of those who in fact have the schematics and the "inconvenience" of materials acquistion (having to run lower grade missions and/or going to planets other than Zakuul or Yavin to farm). But even then their value fluctuates wildly: as low as 50k each up to 300k each on The Harbinger.

That's too bad. I loved that whole gathering mats from all over the galaxy thing.

Thank you for that information. My information came from Dulfy.net...Maybe it's both?

Before the changes in drops and stuff, it was both. WB in Belsavis would drop the +33 stat points version, while WB in Voss was the +41 one.

Also, IIRC, Belsavis' WB dropped the 3 types of that crystal (endurance, crit, power) but Nightmare Pilgrim on Voss was only the power one.

Taht's what I remember. Thankfully, I got all those schematics at that time.

That's too bad. I loved that whole gathering mats from all over the galaxy thing.

Same here.

Sometiumes, streamlining stripps a product off its uniqueness. But the developers - or the ones ordering this kind of streamlining - didn't see that.

It's like with cars : Every streamlined car looks the same as the next one. Look at Oldtimers, really old cars, on the other hand ...

NP drops eviscerating, PD drops hawkeye or endurance one. or vice versa, so basically both.

Also I got my magenta eviscerating schematic from a weak mob on Belsavis in a heroic area so it's also a rare random drop.