Guide:Core Computing Challenge
Core Computing Challenge will prevent you from getting salvage from killing enemies and getting drops. Instead Compute will generate Salvage instead of Damage and Max Shields multipliers. Moreover all damage and shield upgrades other than the core are disabled and Core Upgrades are 10x more powerful.
How to complete Core Computing Challenge[edit source]
In order to complete Core Computing Challenge, use a Compute Build focusing on Compute multipliers.
- Compute Speed Booster is a must, as more Compute Speed will strongly improve salvage income.
- Void Matter Recovery Efficiency provides the Void Matter for upgrades which increase the maximum Computation Power amount for distribution.
- Power Generator will help increase the maximum level of the reactor Compute Speed buff.
- Energy Void Auto Collector will save the player effort, and while the void buff is active it is useful for some extra Void Matter farming and a Compute Levels Gained Boost.
V-Device
Compute Shard should have priority in the Blue slot for additional Compute Levels Gained, or if not yet available, the Red slot for Void Matter and compute power upgrades. However, the basic bonus of extra Compute Speed in any slot is the most fundamental aspect of this shard.
Battle Shard should have Orange Slot bonus for extra Compute Speed.
Power Shard in pink slot can help if there are any issues with Void Power, increasing the level of Compute Speed reactor buff.
Shard Link provides alternative minor benefits, such as allowing both Compute Shard red and blue effects to be available while making use of the blue Flex Shard power bonus.
Reactor should prioritize Boost Compute with some in Boost Synth and Boost Engine.
Most of the other options are not useful. Damage and Shields provide no bonus, Boost Salvage has no effect as it affects salvage from drops which is removed, while Research is not useful during low sectors.
Utility Cores Advanced Computer Lab will help with extra Compute Power. The default build also provides Enhanced Reactor; alternatively you can retrofit to Synth Station if desired.
Target Sectors for Each Core Computing Challenge[edit source]
Each challenge difficulty has some specific Stage Bosses that needs to be defeated in order to finish the challenge:
Core Computing Challenge 1 - sector 5
Core Computing Challenge 2 - sector 11
Core Computing Challenge 3 - sector 14
Core Computing Challenge 4 - sector 16
Core Computing Challenge 5 - sector 18
Challenge Requirements: Upgrade Bars Maxed[edit source]
As salvage is produced from compute bars during this challenge, using a compute-optimised build and being able to max out certain bars (turning them green) will produce a known amount of salvage. This can then be used to buy enough core upgrades needed for challenge completion. Therefore as long as all compute bars up to the named one in the table are turned green, the player is likely to succeed at the challenge.
Core Computing 4 and 5 will require the Base 2 "Compute Improvements" upgrade to unlock the ability to use the Cap+ bars in the Advanced tab.
Maxed "Cap 4+" is required to afford a T2 weapon. Core Computing 4 requires a T2 weapon to do quickly but can be done early with a T1 weapon, taking about 2 hours with maxed "1.25 Cap+".
| Challenge Completion | Bars Capped |
|---|---|
| Core Computing 1 | Shield 1.25 |
| Core Computing 2 | Shield 4 |
| Core Computing 3 | Shield 10 |
| Core Computing 4 | 4 Cap+ |
| Core Computing 5 | 10 Cap+ |
Core Computing Challenge 1-5 Strategy[edit source]
Here is a list of Core Layouts for each Core Computing challenges that should help you to get an easy completion:
Core Computing 3
Weapon Core configuration is always the same. The one Beam Laser is set to raw damage and does all the work. The Laser Cannons are just there for support nodes. The Supportive Routing node alone more than doubles the damage of the Beam Laser, so in this challenge each Cannon is always adding more damage than a second Beam Laser would.
-
Beam Laser
Each level grants a flat damage increase -
10
Laser Boost Unlocks the Laser Boost ability
Damage x1.1 -
20
Weapon Power Damage x1.25
Laser Boost Cooldown Laser Boost Cooldown -10
-
30
Weapon Power Damage x1.25
Concentrated Beam Damage Ramp Time x0.75
-
40
Weapon Power Damage x1.25
Shield Damage Synergy All Shield Damage + 20%
-
50
Rapid Ticks Tick Rate x1.15
Laser Boost Power Laser Boost Power + 75%
-
60
Improved Tracking +0.1% Damage per wave cleared. Soft cap at 1,000 waves cleared.
-
70
Rapid Ramp Damage x1.25
Damage Ramp Time x0.5
Connect Start Time + 1Mass Focuser Damage x8
Damage Ramp Time x1.5
Tick Rate x0.5 -
80
Weapon Power Damage x1.25
-
95
Weapon Power Damage x1.25
Rapid Charge Charge Time x0.5
-
110
Weapon Power Damage x1.25
Concentrated Beam Damage Ramp Time x0.75
-
Laser Cannon
Each level grants a flat damage increase -
10
Laser Boost Unlocks the Laser Boost ability
Damage x1.1 -
20
Weapon Power Damage x1.25
Laser Boost Cooldown Laser Boost Cooldown -10
-
30
Weapon Power Damage x1.25
Laser Boost Cooldown Laser Boost Cooldown -10
-
40
Weapon Power Damage x1.25
Shield Damage Synergy All Shield Damage + 20%
-
50
Rapid Fire Tick Rate x1.15
Laser Boost Power Laser Boost Power + 75%
-
60
Improved Tracking +0.1% Damage per wave cleared. Soft cap at 1,000 waves cleared.
-
70
General Purpose Damage x1.2
Fire Rate x1.2Supportive Routing Damage x0.4
All Laser Damage x1.3 -
80
Weapon Power Damage x1.25
-
95
Weapon Power Damage x1.25
Shield Damage Synergy All Shield Damage + 20%
-
110
Weapon Power Damage x1.25
Old Strategies[edit source]
Challenge Rework occured in v62.0.0 in April 2025, including adjustments to the sectors required. Therefore effectively Challengers 2, 6, 8, and 9 are no longer in the game, and the rest of the Challenges were moved down so that the old Challenge 7 is now the new maximum, Challenge 5. Information relating to the old Challenges 8 and 9 is below.
Challenge 8[edit source]
Challenge 9[edit source]
This is a strategy to beat Computing Challenge 9 earlier than suggested by the game. It works as early as around sector 45 as it unlocks deflector shields.
Crew
Most Compute Challenges could be finished before delving deep into Compute Crew; the changes mean that the challenges are likely to be finished completely before the player unlocks crew.
Cyber Specialist with focus on 2 Compute Speed skills (Speedy Computation, Coordinated Computing)
Industrial Engineer with focus on 1 Compute Speed skill (Industrious Computing)
Boss Despawn[edit source]
This strategy uses the small enemy despawn exploit. These configurations aim to beat the boss as early as possible, without being able to survive the sector waves.
Advance to the end of the sector until Threat Imminent appears. Save, then quit or reload. The boss will appear alone without small enemies.
Sector 19[edit source]
Lasers until S19 boss is beaten. Use all bottom nodes on laser cannons. On beam, use all the damage nodes, along with Laser Boost Power and Mass Focuser.
Sector 20[edit source]
After beating the sector 19 boss, retrofit to bomb and kinetic cannons.
For S20 boss, use a max damage bomb with kinetic supports.
-
Kinetic Cannon 2.0
Each level grants a flat damage increase -
10
Kinetic Volley Unlocks the Kinetic Volley ability
Damage x2 -
20
Weapon Power Damage x3.5
Kinetic Volley Cooldown Kinetic Volley Cooldown x0.7
-
30
Weapon Power Damage x3.5
Emp Mode Shield Damage x8.5
-
40
Weapon Power Damage x3.5
Armor Damage Synergy All Shield Damage + 200%
-
50
Rapid Fire Fire Rate x1.15
Kinetic Volley Power Kinetic Volley Power + 100%
-
60
Improved Tracking +1% Damage per wave cleared. Soft cap at 1,000 waves cleared.
-
70
Armor Piercing Armor Damage x7
Fire Rate x1.33Fire Support Damage x0.4
All Kinetic Damage x4 -
80
Weapon Power Damage x3.5
-
95
Weapon Power Damage x3.5
Armor Damage Synergy All Armor Damage +200%
-
110
Weapon Power Damage x3.5
Emp Mode Shield Damage x8.5
-
Bomb Launcher 2.0
Each level grants a flat damage increase -
10
Kinetic Volley Unlocks the Kinetic Volley ability
Damage x2 -
20
Weapon Power Damage x3.5
Kinetic Volley Cooldown Kinetic Volley Cooldown x0.7
-
30
Weapon Power Damage x3.5
Launch Power Projectile Speed x2
-
40
Weapon Power Damage x3.5
Range Synergy All Max Range +5%
-
50
Rapid Fire Fire Rate x1.15
Kinetic Volley Power Kinetic Volley Power + 100%
-
60
Improved Tracking +1% Damage per wave cleared. Soft cap at 1,000 waves cleared.
-
70
Propelled Bombs Fire Rate x1.33
Projectile Speed x2Mega Bombs Damage x13
Fire Rate x0.8 -
80
Weapon Power Damage x3.5
-
95
Weapon Power Damage x3.5
Range Synergy All Max Range + 5%
-
110
Weapon Power Damage x3.5
Sector 21[edit source]
For S21 boss, switch bomb's nodes to support (bottom) nodes, set 1 kinetic cannon to max damage, keep other 4 kinetic cannons as support.
-
Kinetic Cannon 2.0
Each level grants a flat damage increase -
10
Kinetic Volley Unlocks the Kinetic Volley ability
Damage x2 -
20
Weapon Power Damage x3.5
Kinetic Volley Cooldown Kinetic Volley Cooldown x0.7
-
30
Weapon Power Damage x3.5
Emp Mode Shield Damage x8.5
-
40
Weapon Power Damage x3.5
Armor Damage Synergy All Shield Damage + 200%
-
50
Rapid Fire Fire Rate x1.15
Kinetic Volley Power Kinetic Volley Power + 100%
-
60
Improved Tracking +1% Damage per wave cleared. Soft cap at 1,000 waves cleared.
-
70
Armor Piercing Armor Damage x7
Fire Rate x1.33Fire Support Damage x0.4
All Kinetic Damage x4 -
80
Weapon Power Damage x3.5
-
95
Weapon Power Damage x3.5
Armor Damage Synergy All Armor Damage +200%
-
110
Weapon Power Damage x3.5
Emp Mode Shield Damage x8.5
-
Bomb Launcher 2.0
Each level grants a flat damage increase -
10
Kinetic Volley Unlocks the Kinetic Volley ability
Damage x2 -
20
Weapon Power Damage x3.5
Kinetic Volley Cooldown Kinetic Volley Cooldown x0.7
-
30
Weapon Power Damage x3.5
Launch Power Projectile Speed x2
-
40
Weapon Power Damage x3.5
Range Synergy All Max Range +5%
-
50
Rapid Fire Fire Rate x1.15
Kinetic Volley Power Kinetic Volley Power + 100%
-
60
Improved Tracking +1% Damage per wave cleared. Soft cap at 1,000 waves cleared.
-
70
Propelled Bombs Fire Rate x1.33
Projectile Speed x2Mega Bombs Damage x13
Fire Rate x0.8 -
80
Weapon Power Damage x3.5
-
95
Weapon Power Damage x3.5
Range Synergy All Max Range + 5%
-
110
Weapon Power Damage x3.5
You might need to set one KC's nodes to anti-shield nodes and damage nodes to deal with shielded enemies in S20.
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