Kyanite is one of the trickier resources to get your hands on in Subnautica: Below Zero. Located in the depths of the Crystal Caves, the route is dangerous, and you will be traveling down to depths of close to 600 meters. Let's just say you will probably need the Seatruck Perimeter Defense upgrade.
Kyanite is used to craft the Depth Module Mark 3 for the Seatruck, which is a shame because that Depth upgrade would be extremely useful during your search for Kyanite. This guide will cover different methods of getting to the Crystal Caves, and how to do it with the minimum risk of getting ripped to pieces by a Leviathan. No guarantees. This is Subnautica, after all.
Where To Find Kyanite In Subnautica: Below Zero
Kyanite is only found in two locations in Below Zero: the Crystal Caves and the succeeding Fabricator Caverns. Because the Fabricator Caverns are accessed via the Crystal Caves and are extremely dangerous, we will be focusing only on the Crystal Caves for the purposes of this guide.
Kyanite is used to craft some valuable upgrades, like the Seatruck Depth Module Mark 3 and the Prawn Suit Depth Module Mark 2. To complete the story and explore everything that Below Zero has to offer, you will need Kyanite.
To get to the Crystal Caves you need to:
- Head South from the Drop Pod location, around 900-100 meters, until you reach the Purple Vents biome.
- Watch out for the Chelicerate that roams the Northern part of the Purple Vents biome.
- Dive down to a depth of around 350 meters and you will see the beginning of the Deep Purple vents, and then beyond that, the entrance to the Crystal Caves.
- The Crystal Caves are deep purple in color. You will need to venture beyond 500 meters to get to where the Kyanite resides.
- Do not venture too far into the center of the Crystal Caves as a Shadow Leviathan roams that area.
An alternative route includes a small hole close to Marguerit Maida's Base. Once you find it, you can drop down straight into the Crystal Caves biome.
This is a safer route than venturing through the Purple Vents, though it can be a bit tricky to find.
What you need before going on a hunt for Kyanite:
- Seatruck - This is pretty much essential for getting down to the depths required for the Crystal Caves. Because you will inevitably run into aggressive fauna along the way (the Chelicerate near the Purple Vents, the Cryptosuchus on the way to the biome, and potentially the Shadow Leviathan in the Crystal Caves) the Seatruck helps you stay out of trouble. It's one of the best vehicles in the game for this reason.
- Depth Module Mark 2 - This is the bare minimum for venturing as deep as the Crystal Caves. Ideally, you'd want the Mark 3, but you need Kyanite to craft it, so you'll have to do without it for now.
- Primitive Defense System Upgrade - This Seatruck upgrade is crucial for venturing past the Chelicerate and for any potential run-ins with other fauna.
- Afterburner Upgrade - The Afterburner upgrade for the Seatruck gives you the speed boost necessary to get out of difficult situations. Recommended for any encounters with Leviathans and other angry creatures.
- Rebreather, Seaglider, High Capacity O2 Tank - These are all very useful for exploring at these depths. You will need all three if you want to explore the Crystal Caves.
Kyanite And Leviathans
Finding the Kyanite once you're in the Crystal Caves biome is not a challenge.
- Look around the clusters of crystals for smaller, blue crystals. That's your Kyanite.
- Stick close to the walls of and floor of the Caves. Venture too far into the center and you'll come across the Shadow Leviathan.
- You can find quite a lot of Kyanite scattered around, but if you're worried about venturing too far, collect the three or four pieces needed to craft the Depth upgrades for the Seatruck and the Prawn Suit.
The Leviathans are really the biggest problem while going for Kyanite. If it's not the Chelicerate on the way to the Purple Vents, it's the Shadow Leviathan inside the Crystal Caves. Of course, you could try and kill these Leviathans, but your best bet is to play as safe as you can.
Mining The Large Resource Deposits
Once you've upgraded the Prawn Suit to reach the appropriate depths, you can mine up the Large Resource Deposits of Kyanite located in the Crystal Caves.
These drop up to 12 Kyanite per chunk, though you cannot mine it without the Prawn Drill Suit arm upgrade. Considering you do not need much Kyanite to craft everything in the game — although you will need some towards the end of the game — this method probably isn't that useful to you.
Beyond the Crystal Caves lies the Fabricator Caverns, the deepest part of Sector Zero, and a place that you should not enter unless you are prepared. There are loads of resources here, but a Shadow Leviathan also roams in its expanse.