how many guides to alchemy are there? : SR Submissions

Here's a really simple explanation of how everything's going to work:

Potions
They are still the same upgrade potions you know and love, not much changed with them. Do note though that an item can't be destroyed unless you're attempting a 5 or above upgrade and if an item has the new "astral" blue attribute and the upgrade fails, it will be prevented from resetting the + number and will stay at +4. The stone needed to put astral on an item will be available only in the silk shop, as well as the immortal one too and you need at least 1 immortal on an item before adding astral.

Stones
Stones are used like potions except they add an attribute to an item and can never completely break the item. A magical attribute is a blue attribute like +int or 1x lucky as well as now durability, attack rating, and a few other white stats. A standard attribute does not include blue attributes, but does include some white ones like parry ratio, critical, physical reinforcement, and magical reinforcement.
Stones that modify magical attributes are called alchemy stones and stones that modify standard attributes are called attribute stones and are green and purple respectively.
NOTE: all stones have a degree level so you can only use lvl 4 stones on 4th degree equipment for example.
IMPORTANT: the change for almost all stones is randomly up or down so if you use a stone of fog (ice resistance) on something with 10% ice resistance, it would stay at 10% if it fails and if it suceeds, it will be raised or lowered randomly so it could end up at 5% or 7% or 18% or maybe even 0% (nothing). The immortal, lucky, astral, and steady stones are the only ones that are NOT random and ONLY raise by 1 if successful.
The same is true for attribute stones. A stone of challenge will randomly raise or lower a weapon's critical rating if successful otherwise just dissapear if it fails. If it's already at 18 (about 90%), it's probably going to go down and if it's 4 (about 10%) it'll probably go up.
EVEN MORE IMPORTANT: Attribute assimilation can happen when using all stones except immortal, steady, lucky, and astral. This means for example, when you're using a stone that modifies the durability, the critical might go up or down also if the stone suceeds. Do note that if assimilation occurs, the original purpose of the stone will still happen though.

Alchemy Potions
There are 4 different potions that are drinkable that will raise your movement speed by different amounts. 2 are available for a ridiculous price at stores and the other two can be made and possibly dropped by monsters. Despite there being 4 names, the potions range in speed increase from about 15% to 100%. Lvl 2 tablets make 20% and lvl 5 ones make 50% for example (the percents may be a little off)

Making Stuff
The first ingredient you need is an alchemy tablet that is dropped by monsters. There's jade, ruby, and sapphire tablets. Once you have the tablet, that goes on the left side of the alchemy screen. Tablets have a degree rating too and it affects what lvl the stones are that come out. On the right side, you need some of each alchemy element (fire, wind, water, lightning) and each tablet says how many of each you need. These are gems that also have a degree rating. Making stones and potions never fails.

Making the Elements
Elements do not drop from monsters like the tablets do. You can only get them by breaking down equipment items and monster by-products (or at people's stalls since elements are tradeable). To break down an item, you put some destruction rondos (bought at the grocery store) on the left and the item on the right. The more expensive the item is, the more elements you will get out of it. Also, the element lvls that are created are around the degree of the item so a 3rd degree shield would give U a bunch of lvl 3 and 2 elements. It's rumored that if you break down an item with lucky on it, there is a small chance to get a lucky tablet/stone but it's not proven.
To break down monster by-products...well I'll tell what they are first. They're strange items that drop from monsters like wings and broken spears and eyebrows (eww). You put them on the right and some void rondos on the left (also available at the grocery store).
NOTE: the amount of elements U get from breaking down a monster by-product is displayed in the by-product's info when you hover over it in your inventory. Also, wind lvl 2 elements are the most demanded and expensive at stores because of the amount of people making critical stones and a few others.

So, in summary
break down stuff to get elements
use the elements with a tablet to get potions and stones
use elixers and stones to upgrade stuff and potions to run real fast