Strategic Resources are rare substances, typically high-density energy sources, or high-strength minerals. They are required to build certain modules, system improvements, and advanced ship designs. They must either be harvested, traded for, or awarded from quests, and are stockpiled in a global "pool" representing your entire empire's supply — any use of them "consumes" them, and subtracts from this supply.
Acquiring Strategic Resources[]
Strategic resources in Endless Space 2 can be discovered on planets, traded for in the diplomacy screen with another empire, or purchased for 
Dust on the Marketplace, or even awarded upon completing quests.
Loot[]
Planets in Endless Space 2 have a high chance of containing one or more strategic resources. In order to discover them, players must first raise their curiosity detection level by unlocking relevant techs in the Science and Exploration technology tree. Once the player's Curiosity Expedition Power is high enough, they can explore Curiosities using probes on exploration ships, or by colonizing the system and using industry to create an expedition. Exploring subterranean curiosities has a chance to reward the player with a small amount of a resource as Loot. However, strategic resources can also be looted in random Quests and from completing some Deeds.
Exploitation[]
When searching subterranean curiosities on planets, there is a slightly reduced chance of discovering a deposit on the planet. Once the planet is colonized and the exploitation tech for the resource has been researched, the planet will produce a certain amount of that resource each turn dependent on the size of the deposit. Exploitation is the most reliable method to acquire strategic resources, and is lucrative for large empires.
Several system improvements, empire improvements, and hero skills can magnify the number of resources exploited from a deposit, per turn. These are almost always "additive" values, like +1, or +2, and it's reasonably practical (if we handwave all the different combinations of faction traits and such) to boost them by something like +5 in most games.
Bartering[]
Strategic resources can also be traded between factions in the Diplomacy Screen, as long as they are not at war. Since it is a diplomatic action, it costs 
Influence to do so. The price that an AI player will demand for a resource depends on how much of that resource the faction is using, their current production of the resource, and your relationship with them.
The Marketplace[]
Strategic resources can also be purchased with Dust (or Influence for United Empire players) from the Marketplace, which is unlocked once G-Goods Exchange is researched in Stage 2 of the Economy and Trade technology tree. The price will rise and fall based on recent supply and demand from players using the Marketplace.
Tier 1[]
Tier 1 strategics require stage one Economy and Trade technologies to exploit, and tend to spawn infrequently, but in high quantities. These resources tend to spawn infrequently, but in high abundance. The Tier 1 deposits found in curiosities should be equal to the number of Tier 3 deposits, but anywhere from a third to a half of all Tier 1 resources will start already discovered.
Tier 1 Strategic Curiosities are visible from the start of the game. These curiosities are unable to spawn on Tier 2 and Tier 3 planets, making them only able to spawn on Tier 1 planets. Meaning that they spawn on planets immediately colonizable to all factions but Riftborn.
Their world generation abundance weights are listed below:
| Abundance | Generation Weight |
|---|---|
| Poor | 3 |
| Average | 15 |
| Abundant | 10 |
Some factions are guaranteed to spawn with Tier 1 strategic resources, that list is below:
| Faction | Strategic | Source |
|---|---|---|
Riftborn 
|
 Titanium  Hyperium
|
Faction Traits |
Vaulters 
|
Titanium Hyperium
|
Forced World Generation |
Umbral Choir 
|
Titanium Hyperium
|
Faction Traits |
Titanium[]
Titanium can be exploited once Xenolinguistics has been researched in Stage One of the Economy and Trade technology tree.
Each Titanium node provides +1 
Industry per population on the planet.
Titanium is required to fill the additional modules for Attacker ships unlocked in Stage Three of Empire Development.
Hunter Ships require 5 Titanium to construct.
Hyperium[]
Hyperium can be exploited once Plasma Metallurgy has been researched in Stage One of the Economy and Trade technology tree.
Each Hyperium node provides +1 
Science per population on the planet.
Hyperium is required to fill the additional modules for Protector-class Hulls unlocked in Stage Three of Empire Development.
Coordinator-class Ships require 5 Hyperium to construct.
Tier 2[]
Tier 2 strategics require stage three Economy and Trade technologies to exploit, and tend to spawn frequently, and in average quantities. Tier 1 strategics, compared to how often they spawn, are not used very often in construction, and it is generally considered safe to sell any extra you might have on the market. The Tier 2 deposits found in curiosities should be about 50% greater than the number of Tier 3 deposits found in curiosities.
You cannot search curiosities with Tier 2 strategics until you research Evaporation Inhibitors. Both types of Tier 2 strategics are unable to spawn on Tier 1 or Tier 3 planets, making them only able to spawn on Tier 2 planets. Despite popular belief, Adamantian deposits are not specifically locked to spawning on cold and sterile planets, and Anti-Matter deposits are not specifically locked to spawning on hot and sterile planets.
Their world generation abundance weights are listed below:
| Abundance | Generation Weight |
|---|---|
| Poor | 3 |
| Average | 20 |
| Abundant | 3 |
Adamantian[]
Adamantian can be exploited once Neural Robotics has been researched in Stage Three of the Economy and Trade technology tree.
Each Adamantian node provides +2 Industry per population on the planet.
It is required to fill the additional modules for Hunter-class Hulls unlocked in Stage Four of Empire Development.
The Challenge Deed Founder of Conglomerates in Stage Three of Economy and Trade rewards the player with 75 Adamantian.
Carrier-class ships require 5 Adamantian to construct.
Antimatter[]
Antimatter can be exploited once Extreme Atmospherics has been researched in Stage Three of the Economy and Trade technology tree.
Each Antimatter node provides +2 Science per population on the planet.
It is required to fill the additional modules for Coordinator-class hulls unlocked in Stage Four of Empire Development.
Carrier-class ships require 5 Antimatter to construct.
Tier 3[]
Tier 3 strategics require stage four Economy and Trade technologies to exploit, and tend to spawn infrequently, but in high quantities. These resources tend to spawn infrequently, and in low abundance. Combined with the fact that this resource tends to be used in high quantities leaves tier 3 resources feeling pretty scarce for most of the game. The number of Tier 3 deposits should be equal to the number of Tier 1 deposits from curiosities.
You cannot search curiosities with Tier 3 strategics until you research Ultra-Deep Habitats. Orichalcix curiosities spawn on Sterile planets, and Quadrinix curiosities spawn on Gas planets. Both are unable to spawn on Tier 1 and Tier 2 planets.
Their world generation abundance weights are listed below:
| Abundance | Generation Weight |
|---|---|
| Poor | 20 |
| Average | 5 |
| Abundant | 1 |
Orichalcix[]
Orichalcix can be exploited once Crust Engineering has been researched in Stage Four of the Economy and Trade technology tree.
Each Orichalcix node provides +2 Industry and +1 Science per population on the planet.
It is required to fill the additional modules for Carrier-class hulls unlocked in Stage Five of Empire Development.
Quadrinix[]
Quadrinix can be exploited once Gamma Absorption has been researched in Stage Four of the Economy and Trade technology tree.
Each Quadrinix node provides +2 Science and +1 Industry per population on the planet.
It is required to fill the additional modules for Carrier-class hulls unlocked in Stage Five of Empire Development.