Star Trek Online Master Keys: Open Boxes or Sell Them?

Should You Open Lockboxes or Sell Your Keys?

Star Trek Online master keys give you a choice: open lockboxes for random rewards, or sell keys on the Exchange to fund a specific purchase. When you want one particular tradable ship, compare its price with the Energy Credits your keys could bring in. That comparison helps you decide how much you're willing to spend chasing a random drop.

Opening boxes can leave you with rewards other than the ship or item you wanted. Selling keys lets you put their value toward an item already listed on the Exchange, although you still need enough EC to cover the purchase.

Before using your keys:

• Find the exact ship or item you want on the Exchange.
• Compare its asking price with current key listings.
• Calculate how many keys you would need to sell to cover that purchase.
• Compare that cost with the number you're comfortable spending on random rewards.

Use this calculation:

Target item's EC price ÷ expected EC proceeds per key = approximate number of keys to sell.

Round up to a whole key, then check the listings again before committing. Use current prices for both sides of the comparison; an old ship price paired with today's key price won't give you a useful budget.

Official page: Star Trek Online (playstartrekonline.com)

Opening Boxes Does Not Guarantee a Ship

A rare drop can arrive early, but a long stretch without one is also possible. Opening more boxes means spending more keys without guaranteeing the specific reward you're chasing.

Image: Steam / Cryptic Studios

Set a stopping point before opening anything. If your budget only feels worthwhile when you win the ship, consider selling the keys toward that purchase instead.

Also separate getting rewards from recovering your spending. A box can produce something sellable without producing enough value to cover the key you used. Recovering EC may require listing numerous smaller rewards, comparing prices, and waiting for buyers.

Before treating a lockbox opening as a trading project, ask:

• Would you still want the other possible rewards?
• Are you willing to sell low-value items individually?
• Can you accept finishing with less EC value than your keys were worth?

Keep unopened keys out of a chase to recover earlier losses. What you've already spent doesn't make the next reward more valuable.

What Makes Infinity Lock Boxes Worth Comparing?

Infinity Lock Boxes combine rewards from multiple earlier lockboxes, and many rewards come in choice packs. Those packs let you select an eligible item rather than receive one fixed item from that category.

That flexibility matters when you're opening boxes for items you can use or sell. A console choice pack, for example, lets you compare its eligible consoles before making a selection.

Inspect the reward list for the box you're considering. If you receive a choice pack, compare the available items on the Exchange before choosing. Pick for your build when you intend to use the reward; compare market prices when your goal is EC.

Choice packs give you control over certain rewards after they drop. They don't turn the entire opening into a predictable purchase or guarantee a profit.

When Lobi Changes the Decision

Lobi Crystals give you another reason to consider opening lockboxes, particularly when you're pursuing a Lobi Store weapon or console that cannot be bought on the Exchange.

Image: Steam / Cryptic Studios

Start with the item you want. Check whether you can buy it directly before committing keys to the Lobi route. A tradable target and a nontradable Lobi purchase require different spending decisions.

Keep the Lobi goal separate from expectations about selling other rewards. Opening boxes to obtain Lobi for your own equipment is a different proposition from opening them to sell Lobi Store items for profit. Budget around the purchase you actually want, and treat any ship drop as a bonus.