As a veteran Monster Hunter player with over 500 hours, I‘ve farmed my share of rare materials. And in Sunbreak, Frocium Ore stands out as a particularly valuable but elusive crafting component.
Frocium is mainly used to craft the Master Rank Ingot X armor set. This offers a whopping 470 defense along with useful combat buffs.
Ingot X gear is on par with other top-tier MR armor like Lunagaron and Gold Rathian. It‘s particularly beneficial for Charge Blade users like myself thanks to the Power Prolonger skill.
But what makes Frocium tricky to obtain? And where exactly should you look to find it?
In this ultimate guide, I‘ll share insider tips on farming Frocium efficiently based on drop rates, weapon strategies, and the optimal Frost Islands route. Let‘s get started!
What Makes Frocium Ore So Useful?
Here are some key reasons why Frocium is an important material:
Crafts the Versatile Ingot X Armor
The complete 5-piece Ingot X set grants:
- 470 Defense – On par with other armor like Lunagaron
- Power Prolonger 1 – Extends charge attacks by 5-15 seconds
- Attack Boost 2 – Raw damage increase
- Fire Res 20 – Useful against fiery monsters
- 3x Level 2 Decoration Slots – Gems boost skills
This offers fantastic defense and offense skills for any weapon type.
As a Charge Blade user, the Power Prolonger 1 effect is particularly useful. It lets me stay in Amped Element Discharge mode longer to dish out more elemental damage!
Used to Upgrade Multiple Weapons
Frocium isn‘t only useful for armor. You also need it to upgrade weapons like:
- Ingot Hatchets (Switch Axe)
- Despot Boltbreaker (Charge Blade)
- Hydra Spike (Lance)
Here‘s a breakdown of Frocium costs for some notable Master Rank weapons:
| Weapon | Frocium Needed to Upgrade |
|---|---|
| Ingot Hatchets | 5 |
| Despot Boltbreaker | 3 |
| Hydra Spike | 7 |
| Hydra Club | 10 |
| Princess Cannon | 4 |
So focus on mining Frocium if you want to upgrade your arsenal too.
Unlocks Armor Sphere Crafting
Obtaining your first Frocium ore piece also unlocks the ability to craft Armor Spheres back in town.
These spheres are required to boost armor defense beyond level 10. And trust me – you‘ll need a lot of them in the late game!
Where to Find Frocium Ore Deposits
Now that you know why Frocium is so useful, let‘s cover where you can find it:
Frocium Ore is exclusive to Master Rank expeditions added in Sunbreak. Specifically, it can only be gathered within the Frost Islands hunting locale.
Here are the best mining outcrop locations in Frost Islands:
Area 10
This snowy cliffside area features multiple outcrops along the edges that can yield Frocium. There‘s also a cave below with mining points.
Area 7
A forested cave network with mining spots inside and around the entrance. There are climbable walls here allowing access to outcrops up high.
Area 12
A rocky area with multiple cliff faces. Check the mining points at the top and bottom of the slopes. Beware roaming Gaiseric!
Area 9
This snowfield features a few mining outcrops around the trees and edges. Plus ore deposits inside the cave.
Be on the lookout as these locations tend to have small footprint indicators that are easy to miss!
Frocium Ore Drop Rates & Farming Data
Now let‘s analyze some actual data on Frocium Ore drop rates:
- On average, mining outcrops have a 5% chance to yield Frocium
- Each outcrop provides 3-4 mining attempts before depletion
- Using Geologist 2 skill doubles outcrop loot to 6-8 total attempts
So realistically on each Master Rank expedition, expect to gather 4-10 pieces depending on RNG and buffs.
It takes 5 expeditions gathering max per run to collect enough Frocium for a single Ingot Gear upgrade. That can feel painfully slow!
But using the right preparation along with an efficient route makes all the difference…
Prepping Your Hunter to Maximize Frocium Yield
Follow these key tips to prep your hunter before embarking on Frocium expeditions:
Activate Critical Feline Skills
Eat at the Canteen and activate:
- Dango Medic – Improves natural health/stamina recovery
- Dango Collector – Increased chances for rare gathering items
- Dango Defender – Adds defense when gathering materials
These 3 Dango Buffalo skills are crucial for mining bonus loot.
Equip Essential Decorations & Gear
Make sure to slot in:
- Geologist Jewel 2 – Doubles all mining outcrop loot
- Forager‘s Jewel 2 – Additional gathering point attempts
- Master Gatherer – Quicker gathering animations
- Buddy Plunderang – Gifts extra materials
And don‘t forget to bring Palico Plunderbirds who can steal Frocium too!
Gear wise, prioritize skills like Speed Gathering, Botanist, and Item Prolonger as well.
Pack Max Inventory Essentials
Make sure to pack:
- Pickaxes
- Cold Drinks or Heat Guard skill
- First-Aid Meds and Rations/Steaks
- Paintballs to Track monsters
- Traps for Captures
This allows longer solo farming sessions. Reduce downtime by heading back only when absolutely necessary!
Optimal Weapon & Combat Strategies
On Frocium gathering runs, you still need to survive against tough Master Rank monsters. So let‘s analyze the best weapon match-ups:
Bow & Light Bowgun
Both ranged options allow safely attacking from distance while avoiding damage. Maintain spacing and exploit openings as monsters aggro Palicos instead.
Use special ammo sparingly and focus normal shots. You want to conserve materials since you won‘t be returning to camp often.
Sword & Shield
The mobility and quick sheathe time of SnS makes it ideal for hit and run tactics during gathering. Use items without fully sheathing for added flexibility.
Aim to stun monsters by targeting the head when opportunities arise. This creates temporary windows to mine undisturbed.
Charge Blade (My Fave!)
CB‘s guard points and charged sword attacks are great for dispatching annoyances quickly between mining deposits.
Use Impact phial CBs to KO monsters and create additional mining openings.
When a monster is trapped or sleeping, switch to Savage Axe mode for big damage by rotating the Left Trigger during Elemental Discharges. This will help speed up hunts.
Creating an Efficient Frocium Farming Route
Now it‘s time discuss route optimization. Here‘s the route I take across 5 key areas:
- Start in Area 4 – Gather blue mining nodes
- Head to Area 2 – Check pit traps for endemic life
- Mine outcrops around Area 10 cliffs
- Gather along Area 7 cave before dropping down to more outcrops
- Check Area 12 outcrops and bonepiles
- Finish in Area 9 cave before heading back
I skip some zones with low outcrop counts, prioritizing quantity over spacing to reduce travel time.
Using this route, I‘ve managed to gather 15+ Frocium in a single 30 minute hunt with lucky RNG:
- 5 from Area 10
- 4 from Area 7 upper cliff
- 3 from Area 9 cave
- 2 from Area 12 spot at the very top
That‘s just enough to craft the Ingot Arms X with materials to spare!
My Experience Finally Crafting the Ingot X CB
As a CB main, the Ingot X set has been my go-to target armor since starting Sunbreak. Here was my journey grinding for mats:
I spent a full weekend spamming the route above non-stop to gather Frocium Ore. Probably did it 15+ times. Fortunately I got RNG blessed with 11 ores in a single 10 hunt run!
That was just enough to finally craft the majestic Despot‘s Earlybolt. I gemmed it with Attack and Charger jewels to max DPS, finally retiring my Kulu lance.
Donning the full Ingot X set with the Despot‘s Boltbreaker, I truly felt like a master hunter ready to dominate any apex monster in the Frost Islands!
Now I can‘t wait to take on Scorned Magnamalo using my shiny upgraded gear. This is Monster Hunter at its finest!
Total Frocium Required to Upgrade All Gear
Finally, let‘s tally up all the Frocium Ore pieces needed to fully upgrade the Ingot weapon tree and armor sets:
- Ingot Hatchets Tree – 44 Frocium
- Ingot Armor Spheres – 18 Frocium
- Ingot Helm X – 2 Frocium
- Ingot Mail X – 0 Frocium
- Ingot Vambraces X – 0 Frocium
- Ingot Coil X – 3 Frocium
- Ingot Graves X – 0 Frocium
- Grand Total: 67 Frocium Ore pieces required!
Expect to spend 6+ hours specifically farming outcrops to gather enough Frocium. It‘s a marathon, not a sprint!
But the payoff is worth it. No other material can craft gear on par with Ingot X equipment. Time to get hunting!
I hope this guide gives you an intimate look into the Frocium grind. Let me know down below if you have any other tips for farming this precious ore!
Happy Hunting! 🐾
