Quick answer: Four Blackstone Shards combine into a Blackstone, permanently adding 10% to Attack and Guard Break. Shards are distributed across eight regions, and Blackstone also opens certain Train Abilities nodes.
What Blackstone and Blackstone Shards do
Blackstone Shards in Phantom Blade Zero are fragments you pick up in the world. A single shard does nothing on its own. Once you hold four shards, they combine into one Blackstone, and that is where the stat boost comes from. The shard’s item text spells this out:
“A strangely shaped black fragment, neither metal nor jade, warm to the touch. Gather four, and their natural patterns will align to form a whole.”
“Collect 4 fragments to permanently increase Attack and Guard Break by 10%.”
The finished Blackstone carries its own description and effect line:
“A mysterious black stone that greatly enhances physical strength. Whether it is meteoric iron from beyond the sky or a crystalline formation from within the earth’s core remains unknown. It can draw power from the depths of the Discordance and is exceedingly rare.”
“Permanently increases Attack and Guard Break by 10%.”
Its tutorial describes them this way: “Collect Blackstones, Sha-Chi Ambers, and other items to increase attributes and unlock abilities.”
You can confirm your progress in the Train Abilities tree. The top row starts with a Blackstone node. Its card shows “Blackstone”, a count labelled “Obtained: 0”, the current bonus as “Attack Power and Guard Break +0%”, the line “A fragment that permanently increases 10% Attack and Guard Break”, and a “COLLECT MORE BLACKSTONE” button. The Obtained count and the percentage tell you how many Blackstones you hold and what bonus is active.
Blackstone is only one way to hit harder. Weapon upgrades and accessories also add damage, as covered in the breakdown of how to increase damage in Phantom Blade Zero.
Blackstone in Train Abilities
Open any bell’s menu to find the “Train Abilities” option. At The Beginning, the first bell, the menu offers Train Abilities, Save and Leave. The tree has three rows: Blackstone heads the top row, while Sha-Chi Amber heads the middle one. For details about the menu, consult the Train Abilities and respec walkthrough.
Some nodes require Blackstone. ENDLESS RENEWAL – LV. 1, described as “Assassinations and Executions restore HP and Sha-Chi.”, has two conditions:
- “Prerequisite skill required”
- “Requires 1 Blackstone”
If you have no Blackstone, the button reads “TRAINING REQUIREMENTS NOT MET”. The full set of nodes is in the Phantom Blade Zero abilities list.
Sha-Chi Amber Shards follow the same rule of four shards per Amber, but they boost something else. A Sha-Chi Amber reads “Permanently increases maximum Sha-Chi by 10%.”, while Blackstone covers Attack and Guard Break. You can find more in the guide to Sha-Chi Amber Shards.
Where to find Blackstone Shards
Blackstone Shards appear in Weeping Creek Valley, Crimson Forest, Village of Lu, Pangzhen, Mirage Estate, Mandate Encampment, Meigu Lake and Mountain of Imprisonment. The Phantom Blade Zero interactive map has a “Black Stone Fragments” filter layer that marks 41 spots.
| Region | Blackstone Shards marked on the map |
|---|---|
| Weeping Creek Valley | 4 |
| Crimson Forest | 6 |
| Village of Lu | 4 |
| Pangzhen | 8 |
| Mirage Estate | 4 |
| Mandate Encampment | 4 |
| Meigu Lake | 7 |
| Mountain of Imprisonment | 4 |
| Total | 41 |
Collecting Blackstones also counts toward the Bronze achievement “Leave No Stone Unturned”, which requires you to “Collect 10 Blackstones”. You can track it on the list of Phantom Blade Zero achievements.
