The Basics of Synthesis

What Is Synthesis? Elements Material Loops Recipe Morph

What Is Synthesis?

Synthesis involves combining various materials to create an entirely new item. Synthesized items can be used in exploration, gathering, battles, and other activities.
Synthesis is done using the Alchemy Cauldron in the atelier, and you will need to have the recipe for the item you want to synthesize.

New recipes can be obtained through:

Altering existing recipes.
Unlocking recipes in the Skill Tree.
Exploring ruins.
Completing events.

Elements

Each item or material can carry one or more of four elements: fire, ice, lightning, or wind.
An item's element can be seen on the Item Info screen.

Material Loops

Material Loops will appear on the screen when you select a recipe.

What Is a Material Loop?

The synthesis is conducted by adding materials to Material Loops.
A Material Loop determines what types of materials you can use, as well as the preferred material element.
The basic Material Loops (Material Loops with a thick circular border) must be filled with materials in order to proceed.

Icon

The category of materials that can be added.

Elements

Every Material Loop has a specific element associated with it.

Fire (Red)

Ice (Blue)

Lightning (Yellow)

Wind (Green)

You can add materials with any elements, but adding materials carrying the same element as the Material Loop will unlock additional effects.

Element Value

If you can increase this value enough, the Material Loop may level up and gain new effects.

Band Shape

Material Loops with different effects will have different shapes.

Basic

Effect

Quality/Effect slots, etc.

Recipe Morph

Expansion

Special Material

Locked

Element Lock

Quality Lock

Connecting Material Loops

By adding materials to a Material Loop you can unlock Material Loops adjacent to it (not necessary for basic loops).
To unlock some Material Loops, you will need to reach specific Element value with the materials you add.

Leveling Up Material Loops

To level up a Material Loop you need to only add materials that match the element of the loop.
Leveling up a Material Loop allows to unlock and boost the loop's special effects.

Recipe Morph

Leveling up special Material Loops within a recipe can transform it into a completely new one.
These new recipes can then be changed even further, which is necessary if you want to learn every possible recipe.
However, to do this you'll first have to learn Recipe Morph in the Skill Tree.