Gold provides sale value and later crafting stock; it is useful both during early hand mining and after you begin automating a claim.
PC / Global, current version 3.x
WHERE & HOW TO FARM
Where to farm
Ember Cradle starter claim for hand panning; for automated gold, use dirt at a depth your drill tier can process.
Collect gold from washed claim dirt, then decide whether to sell it or preserve it for smelting. Hand panning is the accessible opening method. Once you use a drill, its position determines the dirt quality it works, so choose a depth that matches the drill’s tier rather than relying on dirt moved from elsewhere.
Shovel, pan, water, and brush for manual collection.
For automation: a drill that matches the soil tier at its position and a working water supply.
A separate bucket or storage area for the gold you collect.
Dig claim dirt into the pan and rinse it at a nearby water source.
Brush the washed material and pick out gold pieces for a clean batch.
Take surplus gold to the appropriate town buyer to fund equipment.
When setting up a drill, expose the target dirt layer and place the drill at the deepest usable point within its matching tier.
Run the drill into a water-fed harvester and check that dirt is being processed.
Collect gold output separately from other resources, then carry it to town for sale or to a furnace for smelting.
Farming tips
Dirt quality follows the drill’s position; moving deeper dirt upward does not let a higher tier of dirt retain its quality.
Keep valuable output containers clear of belt edges so pieces do not roll out of the collection area.
Repeat, collect and use
Panning can be repeated while you have accessible claim dirt. Automated extraction continues while the drill, water feed, and processing line function; collect and sell or smelt each batch as needed.
Common mistakes
Using a drill on a mismatched layer: check the soil at the drill’s actual position and match its tier.
Assuming transported dirt stays high tier: position the machine at the target layer instead.
Mixing all output into one loose pile: use separate catch points or sort the batch before carrying it.
When to stop or switch
Move the drill or change the target layer when it is no longer processing suitable dirt; pause the gold loop when you have enough stock or funds for your next purchase.
