Applied Energistics 2

What is Applied Energistics 2?

Applied Energistics 2 (AE2) is a comprehensive storage and automation mod that revolutionizes how you manage items and resources in modded Minecraft. Instead of sprawling storage rooms filled with hundreds of chests, AE2 allows you to store massive quantities of items in a compact, searchable ME (Matter Energy) Network.

Quick Tip: AE2 is perfect for late-game storage but requires initial materials from meteorites. Start looking for meteorites early in your playthrough!

Getting Started with AE2

Finding Your First Meteorite

To begin with Applied Energistics 2, you must first locate a meteorite. These naturally spawning structures leave large craters in the terrain and are fairly common once you know what to look for:

Visual Indicators: Large craters with dark meteorite blocks
Meteorite Compass: Craft this tool to point toward the nearest Mysterious Cube
What's Inside: Certus Quartz Clusters, Budding Certus Blocks, and Inscriber Presses

Once you find a meteorite, mine straight to the center to discover:

Certus Quartz Clusters and Blocks
Budding Certus Quartz Blocks (various tiers)
Mysterious Cube - Contains all 4 Inscriber Presses (essential!)

Important: Never break Flawless Budding Certus blocks with any tool! Even with Silk Touch, they degrade to Flawed quality. These blocks generate Certus Quartz infinitely without degrading.

Growing Certus Quartz

Certus Quartz is a fundamental resource in AE2. Here's how to produce it efficiently:

Budding Blocks: Certus Quartz buds sprout from Budding Certus Blocks, similar to Amethyst
Growth Tiers: There are 4 tiers of budding blocks - Flawless, Flawed, Chipped, and Damaged
Harvesting: Breaking a fully grown cluster yields 4 Certus Quartz Crystals (affected by Fortune)
Acceleration: Place Growth Accelerators adjacent to budding blocks to massively speed up growth

Repairing Budding Blocks: Throw a degraded budding block (or normal Certus Quartz block) in water with Charged Certus Quartz Crystals to repair or create budding blocks.

Understanding Channels

AE2's channel system is unique and essential to understand:

Default Limit: Basic networks support 8 channels without a controller
Devices: Most AE2 devices (terminals, import/export buses, drives) require 1 channel each
ME Controller: Required once you exceed 8 devices, dramatically expands channel capacity
Cable Types:
- Glass Cable: Basic, carries up to 8 channels
- Covered Cable: Same as glass but can be colored and hidden
- Smart Cable: Shows channel usage via glowing lines (highly recommended when learning!)
- Dense Cable: Carries up to 32 channels, used with controllers

Your First ME System

Essential Components

To build your first functional ME Network, you'll need:

Component	Purpose
ME Drive	Holds up to 10 storage cells
Storage Cells	Actually stores your items (1k, 4k, 16k, 64k, 256k variants)
ME Terminal	Access point to view and retrieve items
Energy Acceptor	Connects external power sources to your ME Network
Cables	Connect all components together

Basic Setup Steps

Place your ME Drive
Connect an Energy Acceptor next to it or via cable
Run power from your energy generation system to the Energy Acceptor
Place a cable on the drive and attach your ME Terminal
Insert Storage Cells into the drive
Start storing items!

Pro Tip: Start with 4k Storage Cells for a good balance of capacity and item type storage. You can upgrade to larger cells later as your needs grow.

Automation with AE2

Import and Export Buses

Take your ME system beyond storage with automation:

ME Import Bus: Automatically pulls items from attached inventories into your ME Network
- Perfect for furnace outputs, machine results, or mob farms
- Can filter specific items with Filter Cards
ME Export Bus: Pushes items from your network into attached inventories
- Great for keeping machines fed with materials
- Configure to maintain specific quantities

ME Interface and Molecular Assembler

The ME Interface is your gateway to autocrafting:

Pattern Storage: Stores crafting patterns for automated crafting
Molecular Assembler: Connects to interfaces to perform actual crafting
Pattern Terminal: Used to create and encode crafting patterns

Advanced AE2 Concepts

Inscribers and Processors

The Inscriber is essential for creating processors used in AE2 recipes:

4 Press Types: Logic, Calculation, Engineering, and Silicon
Three Processors: Logic Processor, Calculation Processor, Engineering Processor
Automation: Inscribers can be automated with hoppers or other mods

Fluix Crystals

Create Fluix Crystals by throwing these items in water:

1x Charged Certus Quartz
1x Redstone Dust
1x Nether Quartz

Storage Cell Management

Cell Types and Capacity

Cell Type	Bytes	Item Types	Best Use Case
1k Storage Cell	1,024	63	Early game, specific item storage
4k Storage Cell	4,096	63	Mid game, balanced storage
16k Storage Cell	16,384	63	Late game, bulk storage
64k Storage Cell	65,536	63	End game, massive quantities
256k Storage Cell	262,144	63	Creative-level storage

Cell Workbench and Partitioning

Use the Cell Workbench to:

Partition Cells: Limit cells to specific items for better organization
Fuzzy Cards: Control how the system handles damaged items
Void Cards: Automatically delete excess items

Power Consumption

AE2 networks require continuous power. Here's what consumes energy:

Base Network: 1 AE/t per device (minimal)
Import/Export Buses: Additional power when active
Crafting Operations: Power spikes during autocrafting
ME Controller: 6 AE/t per controller block

Power Note: AE2 uses its own energy unit (AE) which is roughly equivalent to Forge Energy (FE). Most power generation mods work seamlessly with AE2.

Common Issues and Solutions

Network Offline

Check Power: Ensure your Energy Acceptor is receiving power
Cable Connections: Verify all cables are properly connected
Channel Overload: You may need an ME Controller if you have >8 devices

Items Not Storing

Cell Full: Cells might be at capacity (both bytes and item types)
Partitioned Cells: Check if cells are restricted to specific items
Priority System: Adjust storage priority in the storage monitor

Tips for Success

Start Small: Build a basic 8-channel network before adding a controller
Smart Cables: Use them early to learn how channels flow through your network
Wireless Access: Wireless Terminals let you access your network from anywhere
Spatial Storage: Advanced feature for storing entire chunks of space
Subnet Strategy: Create separate networks for specific tasks to reduce channel usage

Further Reading: AE2 is incredibly deep with features like P2P tunnels, level emitters, autocrafting CPUs, and quantum bridges. Once you master the basics, explore these advanced features!

Why Choose AE2?

Applied Energistics 2 is perfect for players who:

Want compact, searchable storage for thousands of items
Enjoy complex automation systems
Need powerful autocrafting capabilities
Like learning intricate systems with high rewards

While AE2 has a steeper learning curve than alternatives like Refined Storage, it offers unmatched depth, flexibility, and satisfaction once mastered. Join ModdedMC servers to experience AE2 in action alongside hundreds of other mods!