Get Phantom Quartz Shards by entering the cave under the tree near the pond, swimming through the underwater tunnel, and breaking the Phantom Quartz crystals inside — the safest first node sits just past the tunnel, while more crystals wait deeper to the left near two Whipper Earwigs.
Phantom Quartz is the new crystal that arrived with the Into the Abyss update, and it only shows up in worlds that have been updated to it. The good news is that the first Phantom Quartz Shard is one of the easiest pickups in the whole pond area — you don’t need to fight your way through anything to grab it, as long as you know which cave to head for.
Where Phantom Quartz Shards come from
| Detail | Answer |
|---|---|
| Item | Phantom Quartz Shard |
| Source node | Phantom Quartz crystals |
| Location | Cave under the tree by the pond |
| Nearby landmark | Paper Boat / Ranger Outpost: Gnarly Bark |
| Enemy risk | Whipper Earwigs (deeper crystals only) |
| Best first pickup | First crystal just past the underwater tunnel |
Phantom Quartz Shards drop when you harvest Phantom Quartz crystals, and those crystals are packed inside a single cave — the one tucked under a large tree root on the pond bank, right around the Paper Boat and Ranger Outpost: Gnarly Bark. This is Into the Abyss pond content, so the whole area is built around diving and underwater travel. There are a lot of these crystals inside that one cave, both underwater and along the interior banks, which makes it the spot to farm the material once you can reach it.
How to get Phantom Quartz Shard in Grounded 2
Key This route takes you from the pond bank straight to the first Phantom Quartz crystal with almost no fighting on the way.
STEP 1/6
Reach the pond bank
Get to the pond edge near the Paper Boat and Ranger Outpost: Gnarly Bark, where the open water spreads out in front of you.
STEP 2/6
Look behind you for the entrance
Turn away from the water and you’ll spot the cave entrance tucked under a large tree root along the bank.
STEP 3/6
Head inside the cave
Walk into the opening and drop into the murky water waiting just inside.
STEP 4/6
Swim forward through the tunnel
Push straight ahead through the underwater tunnel until you surface onto the dry interior bank.
STEP 5/6
Watch for the area discovery
A new area discovery pops as you come through, which is your cue that the first crystal is right here.
STEP 6/6
Break the Phantom Quartz crystal
The Phantom Quartz cluster sits just behind the formation ahead — harvest it for your first Phantom Quartz Shards.
Video help
More Phantom Quartz deeper in the cave
That first crystal is only the start. The same cave holds several more Phantom Quartz deposits, scattered both underwater and along the interior further in. From the first crystal, keep going left and deeper into the cave to reach them.
Two Whipper Earwigs stand guard over the next set of crystals, so this stretch isn’t the free pickup the first one is. Clear both of them and you’ll find another pair of Phantom Quartz clusters right there to harvest, with even more sitting underwater beyond that. Your Youhu mount makes the ride between deposits quicker, but it isn’t strictly required — you can cover the same ground on foot and by swimming if you’d rather.
Farming the cave safely
The reason the first crystal is worth singling out is that it lets you walk away with Phantom Quartz Shards while skipping almost all the combat. Everything deeper means dealing with the two Whipper Earwigs first, so only push in once you’re ready to fight.
Since a lot of the crystals sit underwater, you’ll be swimming and surfacing constantly, and visibility in these flooded caves is poor. Bring a light source — without one you’ll struggle to even see the minerals on the walls — along with the usual pond essentials before you head in.
Mistakes that cost you the pickup
The most common miss is looking out across the open pond for the crystals instead of heading for the cave under the tree — the Phantom Quartz is inside that cave, not out in the water. When you reach the bank, remember to turn behind you to find the entrance rather than staring at the pond in front.
After swimming through the tunnel, it’s easy to blow past the first crystal, since it’s tucked just behind the formation right where the area discovery fires — slow down there. It also helps to know that Phantom Quartz is its own material and not the older quartzite you may have gathered elsewhere in the park, so don’t go hunting for it in the wrong spots. Finally, don’t push toward the deeper deposits until you’re prepared for the Whipper Earwigs guarding them.
Grab the first crystal just past the underwater tunnel before going any deeper — it’s the one Phantom Quartz pickup that skips nearly all the fighting.
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