How Aniipod catch rates and throw mechanics work

A standard capture pod has a base catch rate of approximately 50% to 60% against an unbroken target. Expect to miss often on anything that hasn't been worn down.

The Anipod Pro sits a tier up with an 89% base catch rate, a clear step above starter pods. Above that is the Aniipod Ultra, the top tier of the standard line, which improves your odds on tougher targets.

The tier you need depends on the target. Commons are fine with a standard pod. Higher-rarity or higher-level Aniimo need a higher-tier pod if you want a good catch chance, which is where a Pro or an Ultra earns its place.

Standard pods are the ones you never have to ration. They can be farmed infinitely, they turn up on the ground across the world and in treasure chests, and basic Aniipods can be crafted through Homeland using mined shells. You can also buy Anipods from the outpost vendor, Joff, without going back to a station: open Shop, then Corner Shop, then Exchange. Crafting and tier upgrades have their own guides on this site.

The pod is only one part of the catch. Upgrading a regional Branch increases your capture rate for Aniimo, so every pod you throw in that region does better.

The Tubster farming method gives a catch rate of roughly 90% or higher, even with the cheapest Anipods. That puts a standard pod in the same range as a Pro, which matters if you're catching in bulk.

Tumbler pods are a different kind of throw. The Tumbler Anipod, also called a Tumbler Pod or spirit cloud, captures several clustered wild Aniimo at once and holds up to 10 in a single use during group events. Tumbler Oni Pods also have a better capture rate than standard pods in specific situations, reaching a 6x multiplier during gather events. Outside those events they're a niche item. During them they're the best pod you can throw.

Alphas are caught after a fight. You defeat the Alpha in combat, then throw a pod at it. An Alpha such as Stellarys can be caught with a pod other than the Ultra, but not reliably. Defeating it and then throwing an Aniipod Ultra secures a guaranteed 100% capture. Finding and fighting Alphas is covered in the Alpha Aniimo guide.

How far that guarantee reaches is not settled. The Ultra is described as having a 100% capture rate on any Aniimo, including Alpha bosses and Umbral Aniimo. It is also described as having no stated guarantee at all, with the assured catch belonging to the Sparkling Cube instead. The safe reading is this: on a defeated Alpha, the Ultra is the pod to throw. On anything else, treat it as very strong odds rather than a promise.

The Sparkling Cube is a rare capture device and an upgraded version of the Aniipod Ultra. Anything it catches becomes a Sparkling variant, the game's shiny, with a changed appearance.

That makes it a cosmetic decision as much as a catching one. Throw it at the creature you actually want to look different, not at whatever happens to be in front of you.

Pods matter for eggs too, but less than you might expect. A high-tier pod adds nothing to an egg that already guarantees its outcome.

Using an Ultra Pod or Ultra Cube on Alpha Aniimo, Umbral eggs, or eggs that already guarantee Elite rarity or Perfect potential gives no extra benefit. If an egg guarantees perfect class or potential, a basic Anicube still hatches a perfect creature. Spending an Ultra there is just losing an Ultra.

The Sparkling Cube is the exception worth knowing. Hatching a non-Umbral egg with one gives a 1% chance of a dazzling sparkling style. That is a long shot, and it doesn't apply to Umbral eggs at all.

06Where to start

Use standard pods on commons and lean on Branch upgrades or the Tubster method to push your odds up. Keep Pros for rarer or higher-level targets. Save Ultras for defeated Alphas. On eggs that already guarantee their result, a basic Anicube does the same job, so don't waste an Ultra.