Power Cubes are levelled items that contain concentrated Exotic Matter. When an agent's XM tank is depleted through deploying, recharging Resonators, counterattacks, and other game actions, he or she can instantly refill some XM reserves by using a Power Cube from the Inventory.
The amount of XM contained in a Cube depends on its level. Like Resonators, Ultra Strikes, and XMP Bursters, a Cube obtained through Hacking tends to be near the Portal's level or the agent's Access Level, whichever is lower.
Standard Power Cubes are of "Very Common" rarity. Like other items, they have levels corresponding to the player. While the item's listed rarity matches that of Resonators and XMP's, Power Cubes drop considerably less often. Community studies estimate that 1 Cube is dropped every 3 item rolls. Also available is the Lawson Power Cube, which is considerably less common.
XM Capacity
Eight levels of Power Cubes exist, each containing XM proportional to its level. As of the 1.93.1 update, Power Cubes can also be recycled for the same value as their capacity.
Level | XM/Recycle Value |
---|---|
L1 | 1000 XM |
L2 | 2000 XM |
L3 | 3000 XM |
L4 | 4000 XM |
L5 | 5000 XM |
L6 | 6000 XM |
L7 | 7000 XM |
L8 | 8000 XM |
Usage
Tapping the 'Use' button within the Inventory screen consumes the Cube, granting its full XM value to the agent. Any excess XM beyond the agent's tank capacity is wasted.
During the 1.93.1 update, the recycle value of Power Cubes increased from 2% of the usage value to 100%. This also allows players to 'bulk use/recycle' Power Cubes.
As of 1.94.0, Power Cubes can no longer be used if the agent's XM tank is full.
Strategy
Power Cubes fuel extends Ingress sessions, sustaining intense play with powerful items for hours. Any agent intent on deploying hundreds of Resonators, destroying dozens of shielded Portals, or recharging a wide area in one trip must manage his or her Cubes efficiently, or risk running out of XM. All items are worthless without the XM to activate them.
Power Cubes are particularly crucial for recharging Portals, an extremely XM-intensive action. A single Level 8 Portal could easily require five Level 8 Power Cubes to recharge, and the cluster could contain 20 or more Portals.
Defending a Portal under continuous assault requires a massive cache of Cubes. An agent fending opponents off a key Portal could consume 20 or more cubes per minute.
Attacking also requires a supply of Cubes. The high XM cost of powerful XMP's, combined with strong counterattacks from the Portals, rapidly saps the attacker's XM. A steady supply of Cubes is required to recover and continue the assault.
Because any excess XM is lost, savvy agents will intentionally deplete their XM reserves by remotely recharging Portals prior to using Power Cubes. This way, the excess XM is returned to the faction's assets instead of wasted.
Lawson Power Cube
The Lawson Power Cube is a sponsored item.
Unlike normal power cubes, the Lawson Power Cube has a rarity of Very Rare. It has considerably more XM than a standard power cube. Instead of replenishing your XM reserves in a single large quantity, the cube instead actively replenishes your XM store until it is depleted. Unlike normal power cubes, the Lawson Power Cube can be used when your XM tank is full; however, it cannot be used when another Lawson Power Cube or a Circle-K Power Cube is being used.
When used, a small bar appears under your XM reserve bar, with the model of the Cube next to it. This bar will actively regenerate your XM reserves according to your needs until it is depleted. When the cube reaches 10%, you will hear an audible warning. However, the Lawson Power Cube cannot be used as an extension to your XM tank, thus preventing you from performing actions that go beyond how much XM you have. Upon being completely drained, the cube will disappear from your inventory. The cube itself is not recyclable; however, you can recycle the cube by putting it in a capsule and then recycling said capsule. However, if this method is used, you only get 160 XM. Like normal cubes, the amount of XM in a cube is proportional to your level.
Agent level | Capacity |
---|---|
1 | 18 000 XM |
2 | 20 250 XM |
3 | 22 500 XM |
4 | 24 750 XM |
5 | 27 000 XM |
6 | 29 250 XM |
7 | 31 500 XM |
8 | 33 750 XM |
9 | 36 000 XM |
10 | 38 400 XM |
11 | 40 800 XM |
12 | 43 200 XM |
13 | 45 600 XM |
14 | 48 000 XM |
15 | 50 400 XM |
16 | 52 800 XM |
Circle-K Power Cube
The Circle-K Power Cube was a sponsored item. It was discontinued in May 2018.
Like the Lawson Power Cube, the Circle-K Power Cube has a rarity of Very Rare. It has considerably more XM than a standard power cube. Unlike normal power cubes, the Circle-K Power Cube can be used when your XM tank is full; however, it cannot be used when another Circle-K Power Cube or a Lawson Power Cube is being used.
Its function is as same as the Lawson Power Cube. Moreover, The cube itself is not recyclable; however, you can recycle the cube by putting it in a capsule and then recycling said capsule. However, if this method is used, you only get 160 XM. Like normal cubes, the amount of XM in a cube is proportional to your level.