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Xenoblade Chronicles 3 has many ways to circumvent grinding with specific currencies, allowing you to prepare meals while lacking ingredients, power level a Class you don't want to play, and much more. And that's only with one form of currency, as you can also use different types to craft Gems or purchase items from vendors.

RELATED: Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Bonus EXP Explained

However, across the game's several currencies, it's easy to forget what each is used for, making you either hold onto them or spend them on the 'wrong' thing. Whether it's your Gold, Nopon Coins, or Ether Cylinders, it's crucial to know that all of them have multiple uses, which should all be known for spending them wisely and efficiently in the game.

Currency Overview

A Resting Spot in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

If you count Nopon Coins as two separate currencies (Gold and Silver Coins), you end up with four different types of currency in Xenoblade Chronicles 3, making things a bit complicated to keep track of in a game of this size and scope. From crafting Gems without materials to reactivating Ferronis Hulks to purchasing Legendary Accessories, you will constantly juggle all four currencies as you make your way through Aionios.

Gold, Ether Cylinders, and (Gold and Silver) Nopon Coins are the available currencies in Xenoblade Chronicles 3, all serving unique purposes that can help you tremendously if used correctly. The following sections will highlight the uses of each currency, how to obtain them, and more, allowing you to apply them to your journey and get the best results!

How To Get Gold

A full-party battling a Monster in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

There are many ways to accumulate Gold in Xenoblade Chronicles 3, with almost every activity available offering a small payment for your contributions. Gold is a valuable currency in the game and can be used for a wide range of things, from purchasing Meals from Colony Canteens to purchasing Accessories from vendors. You can find every method you can obtain Gold below!

Defeating Monsters

The main party fighting an Aspar in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Whether the Monster is a normal, Rare, or Unique type, defeating them will net you a small sum of Gold, with the payout increasing the higher the level and rarity of the Monster. There are tons of Monsters roaming around in each region of Aionios, allowing you to accumulate lots of Gold by just exploring and taking on anything that crosses your path. That is, of course, if your Rank is high enough to do so.

Skirmish Rewards

Assisting in Skirmishes in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Participating in Skirmishes can reward you extra Gold if you choose the Bonus EXP and Gold choice, but we would not recommend selecting this option solely for the Gold. As mentioned above, defeating Monsters and enemies of all types will reward you with Gold, meaning you will get Gold no matter what when completing Skirmishes. Nopon Coins, in general, are much harder to come by than Gold or Bonus EXP, meaning you should almost always prioritize it over Bonus EXP and especially Gold.

Open Containers

When traversing through the many vast regions in Xenoblade Chronicles 3, you will come across tons of Containers containing valuable resources. In addition to these resources, you will always get some Gold, which can add up quickly over time. These Containers can be found throughout the open world, in Colonies, and at Ferronis Hulks.

Open Supply Drops

Sena and Mio opening a Supply Crate in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Like the Containers, tracking down Supply Drops and opening them up will grant you lots of valuable resources along with Gold. However, unlike Containers, Supply Drops will randomly drop into a region at specific locations, and you will almost always have to clear out a group of enemies before opening them. Because of this, the rewards are typically much better than Containers, and the payout of Gold is much higher.

Sell Materials To Commissaries And Caravans

A Commissary and Caravan in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

If you have Materials, Accessories, Gems, or even Ingredients you don't want, you can sell them to Commissaries or Caravans found at Colonies and Ferronis Hulks. While you will rarely be selling Ingredients or Materials due to using them for other activities such as Collectopaedia Cards, Gem Crafting, Cooking Meals, and more, you might often find yourself selling duplicate Accessories for extra Gold. Selling lower-tiered Accessories is also a smart idea once you get into the later portions of the game.

Collect Materials And Resources That Are Maxed Out (Auto-Sell)

An Item being Auto-Sold in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

You will be collecting lots of Materials, Ingredients, and Items as you explore Aionios, almost guaranteeing you will eventually gather the max limit of 99 for quite a few things. Especially if you like to farm or grind areas. Whenever this happens, don't sweat having to seek out a merchant to sell them, as the game will do that automatically for you. Anytime you collect more than what you can carry, it will be Auto-Sold, placing Gold into your pocket as a result!

Gold Uses

Mio eating a Colony Meal in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Now that we covered how you can get Gold in your pocket, it's time to go over everything you can do with it, which happens to be quite a bit. While Gold won't allow you to do anything drastic such as craft Gems or rank your character up, what you can do with it will enable you to get items and equipment to help you out in your journey!

Use Fabricators At Ferronis Hulks

A Fabricator at a Ferronis Hulk in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

After reactivating Ferronis Hulks, you will gain access to its Fabricator, which can be used as many times as you wish, so long as you have the Gold required. A Fabricator is a large machine that spits out various items, ranging from Materials to Ingredients and everything between, of all sorts of rarities. Every Fabricator has different prices, and all contain different item possibilities. But, if you're in need of items, give one of these a chance and see what you end up with!

Colony Canteen Meals

A Colony Canteen Meal in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Once you have successfully liberated a Colony, their Canteen will become available to you, allowing you to have a sit down with your 'mates' and enjoy a nice quality meal together. Using Gold, you can order a Meal, which will activate its Meal Effect and unlock a new recipe for you to use at Rest Spots outside of Colonies. Anytime you are at a Colony, order whatever is available at their Canteen to get those new Meals you can make yourself that have even better Effects!

Commissaries

A Commissary in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Every Colony, Ferronis Hulk, and Rest Spot will have Commissaries, vendors that sell Accessories to you in exchange for Gold. Since there are a metric ton of these locations in the game, we will not be covering what everyone sells, but you can typically find most Common-tiered Accessories at a Commissary. Some might sell higher-tiered loot, but that won't be until later in your adventure. If you need new Accessories for your Healer, Tank, or DPS Classes, they have your back!

Caravans

A Caravan in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Caravans, like Commissaries, are found in every Colony, Ferronis Hulk, and Rest Spot but sell Materials, Ingredients, and other items instead of Accessories to you in exchange for Gold. These vendors are crucial for quickly completing Collectopaedia Cards or gathering ingredients you may need for specific recipes. Every Caravan is different, however, meaning they may not always have what you need in store.

How To Get Ether Cylinders

Ether Cylinders are found throughout the world of Aionios and are a crucial resource gathered from Ether Channels in Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Ether Channels are represented on the map by a whirlpool-type symbol with a star in the middle. In the overworld, however, Ether Channels are a blueish green that illuminates from the ground. To gather Ether into a cylinder, simply walk over to the Ether Channel and press the 'A' button to harvest it. Please note that you can only carry 99 Ether Cylinders at a time.

Ether Cylinder Uses

Taion and Riku Crafting Gems in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

With Ether Cylinders in your possession, it's time to put them to good use. While you can only use them on two things, those two things are essential and make harvesting lots of Ether well worth your time and efforts. Ether Cylinders are crucial for late-game Gem Crafting and will help you secure safe zones.

Resource For Crafting Gems

Ether Cylinders used as a resource for Crafting Gems in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

As mentioned earlier, Ether Cylinders are a resource used for Gem Crafting in Xenoblade Chronicles 3, making harvesting Ether Channels worth going out of your way for, especially in the late game. Aside from Tier I Gems, every Tier requires anywhere from one to three Ether Cylinders to make, quickly becoming a lot when you're crafting and upgrading them every chance you get. There are twenty Gems total, with each having Ten Tiers, which averages to 360 Ether Cylinders total if you want to upgrade every Gem fully. For more information on Gems, Tiers, and the Ether Cylinder cost of each Tier, please refer to the chart below!

Gem Tiers

Cost

Tier I

x0 Ether Cylinder

Tier II

x1 Ether Cylinder

Tier III

x1 Ether Cylinder

Tier IV

x1 Ether Cylinder

Tier V

x2 Ether Cylinders

Tier VI

x2 Ether Cylinders

Tier VII

x2 Ether Cylinders

Tier VIII

x3 Ether Cylinders

Tier IX

x3 Ether Cylinders

Tier X

x3 Ether Cylinders

Resource For Reactivating Ferronis Hulks

A Forronis Hulk in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

The other thing Ether Cylinders are used for is reactivating Ferronis Hulks, which are abandoned bases that serve as a Rest Spot for you and your team, giving you access to its Fabricator, Containers, and Camp. Along with the Commissary and Caravan for that station. However, before you can get a Ferronis Hulk back up and running, you must dispatch a group of enemies before reactivating it. These enemies can be low-level or extremely high-ranked, so proceed with caution. Furthermore, the cost of Ether Cylinders to activate a Ferronis Hulk varies from station to station, so have lots of them on hand before clearing one out!

How To Get Silver Nopon Coins

A Skirmish in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Silver Nopon Coins are one of the best currencies in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 but can be hard to come by. While not as rare as the Gold Nopon Coins, your work will be cut out for you if you are trying to accumulate lots of them quickly, as they are typically guarded by strong enemies or require you to turn in various items.

Defeat Unique Monsters

A Unique Monster in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

There are a metric ton of Unique Monsters in Aionios, waiting for you to stumble into their lair so they can tear you apart. Unique Monsters are a much more formidable variant of the normal or 'Elite' Monsters you fight when adventuring and are challenging encounters that offer incredible rewards for taking down. Slaying one of these behemoths will give you lots of rare materials alongside Nopon Coins. Now, what kind of Nopon Coin is the question, as you can get Gold or Silver Nopon Coins for eliminating a Unique Monster, which can make this method of getting Silver Nopon Coins a bit inconsistent.

However, the good news is that you can redo the fight after defeating them, enabling you to farm one Unique Monster for rare materials and Nopon Coins. The bad news is that the rate at which you earn Nopon Coins for subsequent fights is drastically lowered, making it a somewhat grindy method.

Register Collectopaedia Cards

Silver Nopon Coin as a Collectopaedia Card Reward in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Collectopaedia Cards are Requests from NPCs of liberated Colonies you can take on to earn unique rewards and Affinity Points, which allows you to level your Colony Rank quickly. There are tons of requests you can take on from every Colony in the game, all of which will offer you different items for completing their Request. One of these Rewards can be Silver Nopon Coins, which is an excellent reward if you already have the materials on hand.

Unfortunately, the problem with Collectopaedia Cards is that if you are missing lots of the materials, seeking them out may not be worth it, especially if it's only for one Nopon Coin like pictured above. Though getting a decent amount of Silver Nopon Coins from this method is possible, we would not suggest relying on it or going out of your way to get them.

Open Containers

Opening Containers is another way to gather many Silver Nopon Coins but can be hit or miss as they can also contain Gemstones and Gold Nopon Coins. The good news is that there are typically many Containers to find and open in each region. Furthermore, every Colony and Ferronis Hulk will always have Containers for you to open. While you are never guaranteed Silver Nopon Coins, the odds of getting them in Containers over their Gold counterpart are higher.

Open Supply Drops

Sena and Mio opening a Supply Crate in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Similar to Containers, Supply Drops can contain Silver or Gold Nopon Coins but are dropped into a region randomly, making them less reliable. Supply Drops are large Supply Crates that get dropped into specific areas on the map, having you make your way over to it, fight off a group of enemies, then open it for your reward. While they are dropped in randomly, their locations will always be the same for each region, and they can drop in the same spot more than once, allowing you to obtain more rewards from the same Supply Crate multiple times.

The unfortunate part about Supply Drops is how inconsistent they are and how you cannot rely on one dropping near you whenever you're exploring the map. This is made worse when they don't even guarantee you Silver Nopon Coins, making it not your best option for farming the currency.

Skirmish Rewards

A Skirmish featuring a Colony in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Skirmishes are random encounters you can stumble upon in the open world with two factions facing off against one another, giving you a chance to choose a side to lend a helping hand to, along with your Victory Spoils if you successfully help them. Often, one of the rewards will be Silver Nopin Coins, which is almost always the best choice. Unless you need Affinity Points, we suggest going with the Nopon Coins every chance you get, as they are far better than the other options 99 percent of the time.

Expansion Pass Gift

Lastly, if you want to get your hands on 30 Silver Nopon Coins quickly and effortlessly, purchase the Vol. 1 Expansion Pass. If you shell out extra money for Xenoblade Chronicles 3's Expansion Pass, you can claim 30 Silver Nopon Coins, alternative outfits, and much more. 30 Silver Nopon Coins is quite a bit of Nopon Coins, especially considering you can only hold 99 of them at a time. Whether or not this is worth it is up to you, but if you're only after the Nopon Coins, we suggest getting them through the game.

Silver Nopon Coin Uses

The main cast working with Alexandria from Colony Iota in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

With the long list of how to get your hands on Silver Nopon Coins out of the way, it's time to get into an equally long list of what you can spend them on. There's lots to get into, many of which are crucial features, so let's dive straight in!

Nopon Coin X-Change

After making your way through the Milio Trick Caves (found towards the middle of the Dannagh Desert region), you will reach an area called Sage's Domicile, where you will meet Seekseek and Burrburr. Seekseek, your Nopon Coin X-change vendor, allows you to exchange Silver or Gold Nopon Coins for Legendary Accessories, which can help you tremendously in battle. If you want to know everything you can purchase with Silver Nopon Coins from Seekseek, please check the table below!

Accessory

Description

Rarity

Cost

Shell Necklace

Recharge speed is increased by 25 percent whenever you're in the water.

Legendary

x15 Silver Nopon Coins

Mercy Earring

When an ally's health is low, your Healing Arts recharge speed increases by 25 percent.

Legendary

x30 Silver Nopon Coins

Fighting Headband

Evading incoming attacks will have a ten percent chance of granting you Power Charge.

Legendary

x30 Silver Nopon Coins

Emergency Bandana

The speed of reviving incapacitated party members is increased.

Legendary

x40 Silver Nopon Coins

Glass Memory

Aggro generated from auto-attacks is reduced by five percent.

Legendary

x50 Silver Nopon Coins

Expansion Holder

Attack Arts with an area of effect have their range increased by 50 percent.

Legendary

x60 Silver Nopon Coins

Nopon Strap

Using an Art will proc a ten percent chance of keeping its charge, allowing you to use it again.

Legendary

x80 Silver Nopon Coins

Rigid Support

Grants a ten percent recharge boost to a random Art when blocking.

Legendary

x90 Silver Nopon Coins

Power Level Classes

Raising your Class Rank with Silver Nopon Coins in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

One of the most overlooked things you can do with Silver Nopon Coins is power level Classes you may not want to play or need to be maxed out for a specific character. Whatever the reason, you can exchange Silver Nopon Coins to boost your level, with each level costing a different amount of Nopon Coins. Jumping from Rank 1 to 10, for example, will cost 26 Silver Nopon Coins total, which isn't terrible, all things considered. Please refer to the chart below for every Rank's Silver Nopon Coin requirement!

Rank

Cost

Rank 1 > 2

x2 Silver Nopon Coins

Rank 2 > 3

x2 Silver Nopon Coins

Rank 3 > 4

x3 Silver Nopon Coins

Rank 4 > 5

x3 Silver Nopon Coins

Rank 5 > 6

x3 Silver Nopon Coins

Rank 6 > 7

x3 Silver Nopon Coins

Rank 7 > 8

x3 Silver Nopon Coins

Rank 8 > 9

x3 Silver Nopon Coins

Rank 9 > 10

x4 Silver Nopon Coins

Cook Meals Without Ingredients

Cooking a Meal without the ingredients with a Silver Nopon Coin in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Next up on the 'using Silver Nopon Coins to circumvent game systems' list is being able to cook Meals without having all of the ingredients. For just one Silver Nopon Coin, you can cook any of your meals, bypassing the ingredients needed. This is particularly useful if you need a specific Meal Effect but lack the required materials!

Register Collectopaedia Cards

Want to bypass more stuff with Silver Nopon Coins? Say no more! Want to complete a Collectopaedia Card Request that would typically take you hours to gather the materials they need? Well, with five Silver Nopon Coins, you can circumvent the requested materials, claim your reward, and get Affinity on top of it. While this isn't the best way to spend your Nopon Coins, it does come in handy if the reward is good enough and you lack the requirements to turn it in.

How To Get Gold Nopon Coins

The Main Party all in their Alternative Color Clothes in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Finally, our last currency to cover is the Gold Nopon Coins, the rarest of the bunch. And for a good reason. While you cannot do nearly as much with the Gold Nopon Coins as compared to its Silver Nopon Coin counterpart, the things it allows you to do are incredible, making it a must-have currency.

Defeat Unique Monsters

A Unique Monster in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Like the Silver Nopon Coins, defeating Unique Monsters found throughout the world gives the chance to drop Gold Nopon Coins for your efforts. While it's not a guaranteed drop, defeating higher-ranked Unique Monsters seems to have a higher drop rate for Gold Nopon Coins, though that's just through observation and not at all official. However, as mentioned before, the good news is that you can redo Unique Monster encounters, allowing you to farm them for rare materials and Gold Nopon Coins. Though, be warned, the drop rate for Nopon Coins is drastically lowered, making it a grind to get lots of them.

Open Containers

Opening Containers is another excellent way to obtain Gold Nopon Coins, though it is inconsistent, which was touched on during the Silver Nopon Coin section. While there are tons of Containers to open throughout the world, you never know what's inside of them, as it can be Gemstones, Silver Nopon Coins, or Gold Nopon Coins, making them unreliable. Furthermore, once you open them, that's it. They don't ever get replenished, so what you get is final. Additionally, you can find Containers throughout the open world, at Colonies, and Ferronis Hulks!

Open Supply Drops

Sena and Mio opening a Supply Crate in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Supply Drops are here yet again and follow the same principles outlined in the Silver Nopon Coin section. These Supply Drops are dropped randomly into specific zones of each region, which can be opened after you dispatch a group of enemies guarding it. Opening a Supply Crate can reward you with Silver or Gold Nopon Coins, making it an inconsistent method of farming the currency. Have you noticed the pattern with Gold Nopon Coins? Every in-game way of obtaining this currency is unreliable, which is what makes it so hard to come by. The good news is that these Supply Drops are not a one-and-done and will periodically come back for you to reclaim.

Expansion Pass Gift

And lastly, getting the Vol.1 Expansion Pass will guarantee you 10 Gold Nopon Coins. Much like the Silver Nopon Coins, we wouldn't necessarily say this is worth it just for the Nopon Coins, but that's a player-by-player basis. Everything else might make it worth it, but if you are explicitly gunning for the Nopon Coins, earning them in the game will take a bit more effort but isn't too grueling.

Gold Nopon Coin Uses

Seekseek and Burrburr in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Now that you have your hands on the rarest currency in Xenoblade Chronicles 3, it's time to spend your Gold Nopon Coins on cool stuff! As mentioned earlier, the options are limited for what you can spend Gold Nopon Coins on, but they are excellent options that make the grind it takes to get them worth it.

Nopon Coin X-Change

Like the Silver Nopon Coins, you can spend Gold Nopon Coins at Seekseek's Nepon Coin X-change shop, located at Sage's Domicile in the Dannagh Desert region. To find everything available in Seekseek's shop for Gold Nopon Coins, please refer to the chart below!

Accessory

Description

Rarity

Cost

Analyzer Scope

Start Chain Attacks with 10 TP.

Legendary

x15 Gold Nopon Coins

Brute Memory

Guarantees you survive a lethal blow in combat with one HP left and five seconds of invincibility.


Can only proc once per encounter and cannot be stacked.

Legendary

x30 Gold Nopon Coins

Memory Locket

Can revive incapacitated party members, even if you are not playing a Healer Class.

Legendary

x99 Gold Nopon Coins

Craft Gems Without Materials

Using Gold Nopon Coins to Craft Gems without materials in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

The one other thing you can spend Gold Nopon Coins on is a big one: Skip Gem Tiers and bypass the Material requirements needed to craft them. While the later Tiers require LOTS of Gold Nopon Coins, we guarantee it's worth the price as Gems are one of the game's most important end-game items that significantly boost your party members' stats. For more information on Gem Tiers and how many Gold Nopon Coins you need to skip to a specific Tier, look no further than the chart provided below!

Gem Tiers

Cost

Tier I

x1 Gold Nopon Coin

Tier II

x4 Gold Nopon Coins

Tier III

x8 Gold Nopon Coins

Tier IV

x14 Gold Nopon Coins

Tier V

x20 Gold Nopon Coins

Tier VI

x28 Gold Nopon Coins

Tier VII

x40 Gold Nopon Coins

Tier VIII

x55 Gold Nopon Coins

Tier IX

x75 Gold Nopon Coins

Tier X

x99 Gold Nopon Coins

NEXT: Xenoblade Chronicles 3: How To Unlock And Equip Outfits