A suitable pickaxe lets you explore deeper dirt layers by hand and helps identify where a tier-matched drill can work.
PC / Global, current version 3.x
WHERE & HOW TO FARM
Where to farm
Your active mining claim; later-tier tools are available from tool shops in Bridgepour.
Use the pickaxe to open a small test area in your active claim before committing machines to a new depth. Work down until the current tool can no longer break the ground, then use an appropriate tool for the next layer. The test helps you see the boundary and prepare a drill position that matches the dirt tier.
A pickaxe suited to the layer you want to inspect.
A safe, accessible pit with enough room to move and place equipment.
Start at an exposed part of the claim and use your current pickaxe to break the reachable dirt.
Continue downward until the tool can no longer mine the material.
Inspect the newly exposed layer and obtain a pickaxe suited to that tier from a tool shop.
Test the new tool on the lower layer before planning a larger excavation.
If you intend to automate there, expose enough of the layer to place the matching drill directly above it.
Position the drill at the deepest usable point within its tier and check that it processes the dirt.
Farming tips
Do a small manual test before carrying a full machine setup into a deeper area.
Keep a walkable ramp or route into the pit so you can reach the exposed layer and recover equipment.
Repeat, collect and use
This is an exploration and site-preparation loop, not a resource farm with guaranteed drops. Repeat the test whenever you approach a new dirt layer or relocate to another claim.
Common mistakes
Trying to mine a layer with an unsuitable pickaxe: switch to a tool that matches the material.
Placing a drill above a layer it cannot process: verify the soil at the machine’s position first.
Digging a pit without an exit route: preserve a ramp or other practical access before going deeper.
When to stop or switch
Stop prospecting when you have identified the target layer and can place the matching drill safely; move to another area if the next layer requires tools you have not acquired.
