How do I get Elerium Crystals?

[Whitman]

I have gone a long way in this game without crystals becoming a problem. But conveniently when I actually need them for every possible advancement, they never show up. I have gone 5 missions without a sing;e Elerium drop and cant make my new plasma weapons, advance my research, upgrade my power, or create anything at the proving grounds (that is more of a Elerium Core problem, but I have not been getting those either.)
What am I missing here? I have not been paying attention to how I've been getting these crystals and just assumed that they were post mission loot. Is that wrong, is there a clear or specific way to get them?

[Serm]

Supply raid, UFO raid and bonus scan on map.

[Whitman]

Originally posted by Serm:

Supply raid, UFO raid and bonus scan on map.

What do you mean by bonus scan? As in making contact?
Thanks for the answers by the way.
Also, a random question.
If you rush research through the black market for something you dont have the resources for, will it finish anyways?

[Zara]

In addition to what Serm said, you can buy some each month from the Black Market for Intel. For cores of course you have to not kill enemies with explosives until you get a loot drop (by default, there is only one timed loot drop per mission)

Originally posted by Whitemeat:

Originally posted by Serm:

Supply raid, UFO raid and bonus scan on map.

What do you mean by bonus scan? As in making contact?
Thanks for the answers by the way.

Not contact, just one of the holo-globe missions that pops up randomly can have alien alloys and elerium crystals as a reward

[gimmethegepgun]

Also after a few months the Black Market offers elerium crystals for intel.

[Pumapaw]

Black market also if you have the intel to purchase.

[Saboera]

There's plenty of ways to get them. You can get it from clearing stuff in the base, from certain missions, certain scans and it's always available for sale at the black market.

[Whitman]

Originally posted by Zara:

In addition to what Serm said, you can buy some each month from the Black Market for Intel. For cores of course you have to not kill enemies with explosives until you get a loot drop (by default, there is only one timed loot drop per mission)

Originally posted by Whitemeat:

What do you mean by bonus scan? As in making contact?
Thanks for the answers by the way.

Not contact, just one of the holo-globe missions that pops up randomly can have alien alloys and elerium crystals as a reward

Thanks for the advice, I have asked the first post about whether it is possible to rush research through the black market even if you don't actaully have the resources and I'm wondering if you might know.

And just to clarify, are you able to get crystals as loot inany mission or is it just specific to certain ones. If so than I assume this also applies to alien alloys, right?

[Whitman]

Originally posted by Saboera:

There's plenty of ways to get them. You can get it from clearing stuff in the base, from certain missions, certain scans and it's always available for sale at the black market.

Haha, that might actually explain why I suddenly ran out right around the same time I finished clearing my base.

[gimmethegepgun]

Originally posted by Whitemeat:

And just to clarify, are you able to get crystals as loot inany mission or is it just specific to certain ones. If so than I assume this also applies to alien alloys, right?

Only Supply Raid missions have Alloy and Elerium as rewards (also Elerium Cores, though those are available from random drops too). Just try not to blow up the glowing containers or you get less loot.