Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Winding Gear Salvaging and Farming Guide

Learn how to efficiently farm Winding Gear in Xenoblade Chronicles 2. Discover the best Gormott salvage points, drop rates, and quest requirements.

Quick answer

  • 1Winding Gear is a rare Mechanical collectible obtained exclusively through salvaging in Gormott Province.
  • 2The best farming locations are Saets Chief's Residence, Near Lascham Island, and Umon's Shipyard.
  • 3Using Golden or Premium Cylinders at top salvage spots yields a 29.45% chance of obtaining Winding Gear.
  • 4You need 5 Winding Gears to complete the 'Repair Torigoth's Crane' quest in Gormott.

Winding Gear Farm Guide

Watch a practical demonstration of salvaging for Winding Gears in Gormott, showcasing the minigame and item collection process.

Continue reading

These related guides answer the next questions around this topic so you can keep moving.

How to Get Winding Gear in Xenoblade Chronicles 2

In Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Winding Gear is a rare Mechanical collectible that is highly sought after early in the game. Unlike many other crafting and quest items, Winding Gear cannot be found at standard ground collection points, purchased from merchants, dropped by monsters, or obtained through Merc Missions.

The only way to acquire Winding Gear is by participating in the salvaging minigame at specific salvage points located throughout Gormott Province.

To begin farming this rare material, follow these operational steps:

1Travel to Gormott Province
2Acquire salvage cylinders from a local merchant
3Head to a designated Gormott salvage point
4Perform the salvage minigame to pull up chests and items

Once you successfully complete the button challenges during the salvage attempt, open the salvaged chests and gather the loose items scattered on the ground to secure your Winding Gears.


Best Salvage Points and Drop Rates

While any salvage attempt in Gormott carries a guaranteed 11% base chance of yielding a Winding Gear regardless of the cylinder used, optimizing your farming route and choosing the right equipment will drastically increase your efficiency.

Depending on your budget and progress, you should target specific salvage points with higher-tier cylinders to maximize your yield.

High-Yield Locations (29.45% Drop Rate)

Using Golden Cylinders or Premium Cylinders at the following three locations provides the highest possible probability (29.45%) of obtaining Winding Gear:

  • Saets Chief's Residence
  • Near Lascham Island
  • Umon's Shipyard

Alternative Locations (29.4% Drop Rate)

If you prefer other areas in Gormott, using Golden or Premium Cylinders at these points yields a nearly identical drop rate of 29.4%:

  • Grodd Residential Zone
  • Torigoth Flower Patch
  • Seigle Fell
  • Melnath's Shoulder

Budget Farming at Lascham Island

If you are early in the game and cannot easily afford or access Golden Cylinders, salvaging Near Lascham Island with lower-grade cylinders is still highly viable:

  • Silver Cylinders: Yields an expected average of 0.3245 Winding Gears per loose item set.
  • Normal Cylinders: Yields an expected average of 0.1965 Winding Gears per loose item set.

Winding Gear Uses and Quests

Winding Gear is required for a crucial early-game quest, specific trading post exchanges, and high-tier Aux Core refinement.

Quest: Repair Torigoth's Crane

The primary reason most players farm Winding Gear is to complete the quest Repair Torigoth's Crane in Gormott.

  • Requirement: You must deliver 5 Winding Gears to complete the repairs.
  • Note: These items are consumed upon completing the quest, so you will need to gather more if you plan on using them for crafting or trading later.

Trade Exchanges

You can exchange Winding Gears at various trading posts for valuable gold and booster sets.

  • Helix Jungle Gear Exchange (Masnach Exchange): Requires 2 Winding Gears, 3 Jungle Frames, and 2 Helix Tubes.
  • Zigzag Winding Frame Exchange (Briarley Trading): Requires 1 Winding Gear, 1 Jungle Frame, and 1 Zigzag Shaft.

Aux Core Refinement

Winding Gear is an essential refinement material for high-end combat builds. You need 1 Winding Gear as part of the recipe to refine the Telepathy V Aux Core, which increases the chance of triggering Blade Arts by 100%.


Frequently Asked Questions