Anthem guide: Drops, drop colors, and rarity

The world of Anthem is full of monstrous creatures and enemies — and all of them have a chance to drop loot, gear, or supplies. But in a frenetic firefight, it’s hard to keep track of what you’re picking up.

This guide will walk you through the four types of those drops, and give you examples of each so you can recognize all of those little pyramid-looking things that fall when you shoot a bad guy.

Supplies

BioWare/Electronic Arts via Polygon

BioWare/Electronic Arts via Polygon

There are only two types of supplies that will drop: health and ammo. Health is a red pyramid with a heart icon floating above it. Ammo is a blueish pyramid with a three bullet icon.

Resources

BioWare/Electronic Arts via Polygon

There are three types of resources you’ll pick up in the world: Weapon and Javelin Parts, Chromatic Alloy, and Chromatic Compound. You’ll get the Chromatic resources from harvesting ore outcroppings or plants while in Freeplay mode. Weapon Parts and Javelin Parts, which are Javelin-specific, are in crates that you open and wreckage that you scavenge.

Resources appear as a gray, glowing orb. It’s kind of a nondescript knot of stuff.

Embers

BioWare/Electronic Arts via Polygon

You’ll use Embers to craft gear for your Javelin. Embers come in four flavors, each with an associated color: Uncommon (green), Rare (blue), Legendary (purple), and Masterwork (gold).

Embers look a lot like the Chromatic resources above, but they’re colored to match their rarity.

Items

BioWare/Electronic Arts via Polygon

The items you pick up during an expedition won’t be identified until you get back to Fort Tarsis. These items can be any of the parts you control on your Javelin’s loadout — like weapons, grenades, or components. You’ll see a full display of the items you picked up during your debrief scene.

Item rarity works like Embers. There are five kinds: Common (white), Uncommon (green), Rare (blue), Legendary (purple), and Masterwork (gold). Items are marked with a two-triangle diamond floating over a double-pyramid-shaped (octahedron) drop. They’re a little bigger than ammo or health drops, so they’re easier to spot.