Cinders, Knowledge, and Shards: These are all of the new currencies in patch 9.1

Shadowlands already has plenty of different currencies, and patch 9.1 will be adding a few more to go alongside the new raid and the Torghast rework. With the patch just on the horizon, here are all the new currencies you’ll find in patch 9.1.

New Torghast currencies

Soul Cinders

Acquired from: Running Torghast Layer 9+

Used for: Legendary upgrades

Soul Cinders are the new currency needed to upgrade legendary items to Ranks 5 and 6, which will be item level 250 and 260, respectively. These are rewarded for completing Layers 9 through 12 in Torghast. Like Soul Ash, each Layer rewards a certain amount, and completing a certain Layer rewards all of the Soul Cinders that would have been earned from earlier Layers — so that completing Layer 12 rewards 180 if you haven’t completed Layers 9, 10, or 11 that week, but only 30 if Layer 11 was completed already.

Currently, the rewards for completing a Layer are not based on Torghast’s new scoring system, and are a set value. This is what you get for completing each layer individually:

• Layer 9 — 60 Soul Cinders
• Layer 10 — 50 Soul Cinders
• Layer 11 — 40 Soul Cinders
• Layer 12 — 30 Soul Cinders

That’s a total 180 Soul Cinders from all Layers, per wing. With two wings per week, there’s a total of 360 Soul Cinders you can earn every week.

Upgrading  a Legendary item to rank 5 costs 1,100 Soul Cinders, and upgrading to rank 6 costs 1,650 Soul Cinders. To unlock those higher level Legendaries, you’ll need to get good at Torghast, get your score up, unlock Layer 12, and complete it weekly.

Tower Knowledge

Acquired from: Torghast high scores

Used for: Torghast upgrades

There are some changes to Torghast coming in 9.1, and one of them is the new perks system, which unlocks upgrades for Torghast. These upgrades cost Tower Knowledge, which you drop into the Box of Many Things. Unfortunately, how much Tower Knowledge you earn is based on your Torghast score. To maximize it, you’ll want to beat the par time, kill and destroy almost everything, and keep a streak going. The higher your score this time, the easier it will be next time with your newly unlocked rewards.

New Great Vault Currency

Attendant’s Token of Merit

Acquired from: Great Vault

Use for: Choice of reward

In Shadowlands, players who receive rewards in the weekly Great Vault have a choice of gear. If none of the gear is a suitable upgrade, then there was always the option of Condensed Stygia. In Patch 9.1 that is replaced with a new currency — 3 Attendant’s Token of Merit. Each one can be used at the nearby vendor, Ko’tul, to purchase 500 Stygia, 250 Soul Ash, or 175 Anima. It is a currency to purchase different currencies.

New Sanctum of Domination currencies

Though it isn’t precisely a currency, the new Sanctum of Domination raid has special gems called Shard of Domination. These gems can only be placed in gear that comes from Sanctum of Domination, or in sockets that are bought from the Death’s Advance Quartermaster for 2,000 Stygia. Their effects will only work while in the Maw and Torghast, including the raid. However, combining certain bonus types, will activate a a special Rune Word bonus in the Maw and Torghast via Runic Dominion.

Shards of Domination have 5 ranks, each more powerful than the last. To upgrade them, you’ll need Stygian Ember which is rewarded from Korthia weeklies and dropped by bosses in Sanctum of Domination. Upgrading to Rank 2 costs 5 Embers, Rank 3 costs 15 Embers, Rank 4 costs 30 Embers, and Rank 5 costs 50 Embers. You can have five Shards of Domination equipped at a time.

Currencies in the Maw

The rumors of Stygia’s death were greatly exaggerated. It’s here to stay, at least for patch 9.1. There are some new, expensive items that it can be spent on, including mounts. The Amber Shardhide costs 5,000 Stygia, or if you prefer to fly, the Soaring Razorwing costs 7,500 Stygia.

Cataloged Research

Acquired from: Quests and Relics in the Maw

Use for: Choice of reward

And then there’s Cataloged Research, a currency specific to the new Archivist’s Codex faction in Korthia. This faction is committed to researching and document relics from the Shadowlands, with a focus on Korthia. The Archivists use a ranking system similar to Ve’nari rather than the normal reputation system, and as you rank up you’ll find they have many items for purchase, including a mount and ilevel 239 gear.

Most importantly, this faction can upgrade your Conduits and sell sockets so you can add Shard of Domination to gear.

Originally published 5/11/2021, updated 6/29/2021