Planetary materials
Mine Laterite for Aluminum
Laterite collected in Sylva caves gives you a repeatable ore route to Aluminum after smelting.
WHERE & HOW TO FARM
Mine Laterite for Aluminum
Sylva cave layers, where deposits can be found among the planet’s underground regions.
Before you go
- Terrain Tool with storage for collected ore.
- Oxygen supply for the cave route, such as tethers.
- Smelting Furnace and power at your base.
- Open inventory or storage space for Laterite and Aluminum.
Farming steps
- Choose a Sylva cave entrance you can identify from the surface and mark its location or approach.
- Lay a tether route into the cave before moving away from your oxygen source.
- Search cave walls and floors for visible Laterite deposits.
- Mine the ore with the Terrain Tool and collect the Laterite nuggets.
- Keep the path back open; use the same tether line when returning to the surface.
- Unload Laterite at your base and place it in the Smelting Furnace.
- Power the furnace and collect the resulting Aluminum for storage or crafting.
- Bring back ore in manageable loads so the cave return stays straightforward.
- Keep the furnace near storage so refined Aluminum does not clutter your field inventory.
Repeat, collect and use
Repeat the cave sweep while you need Laterite and can safely reach deposits. Smelting is repeatable for each ore load; a particular deposit is a one-time collection.
Common mistakes
- Digging away the route home: preserve a clear path and use your tether line to retrace the entrance.
- Confusing ore with its refined product: Laterite is mined, while Aluminum is collected after furnace processing.
- Entering without enough oxygen coverage: place tethers as you go and turn back when the supply ends.
When to stop or switch
Stop when you have smelted enough Aluminum for the next recipes or construction. Switch to another Sylva resource route if no accessible Laterite remains along the marked cave path.
Sources & fact checks
What you can get here
Open a guide to find other locations and see what the item is used for.