Mining is just like fishing – a skill used to gather items required for progress and upgrades. Mining utilizes a tool (drill or a pickaxe) which is mashed or used on a piece of rock to gather ore. Ore can be then smelted into bars of a metal and smashed blocks can be used as crafting materials later on. Most precious materials lie in the most dangerous places of Terraria, the underworld and the dungeons.
Mining should be the first skill and activity to focus on, after securing your survival and building a shelter. Mining can be done with both the drill and the pickaxe, with the latter being preferred by a larger portion of the players, because it’s faster and more functional. The drill may look and sound more fun, but trust us, if you’re looking for function and practicality – choose the pickaxe. Now there are really just two ways to properly mine: a hellevator – straight and vertical cave with direct access to the lowest point in the game or using ropes and eliminating wood usage.
With hardmode, the mining game also changes and new types of ores occur for you to collect and utilize. There are, however, ores like Crimtane and Demonite that can only be gained by defeating some bosses and aren’t found naturally waiting for your mining. With ore distribution – utilize logic, the deeper you go, the more likely you are to find more precious and rare ores. Of course, mining comes at a price. You will get teased and attacked by stronger and stronger creatures as you will move downwards so plan ahead and prepare a good set of armor.
At this point it is worth noting and just familiarizing you with the mining techniques that are known and used by players:
- Lava and water digging – the lava digging can be hard as you can’t place any solid blocks in it. A powerful pickaxe is recommended and you need sand or silt to cover the sides of your tunnel to prevent you from dying. Water digging is dangerous because you might drown, but other than that it’s quite effective and fun. Place walls and just keep on digging. Don’t forget to drain the water.
- Pit Bridge fall – make a floor below a drop to ensure future safety. Place water below the drop.
- Grapple mining – dig a tunnel and build a vertical pole with rope in the center ranging from top to bottom. You can move in both directions very quickly.
Besides, you need to think like a real miner. When they work in the caves, they usually stay there very long and don’t leave to maximize digging. In Terraria you don’t have the physical and emotional pain that the real-life workers endure, so setup bases in the underground to become quicker in reaching your mining places. Your gear is just as important as your knowledge of the map so don’t waste any resources on getting the best of it.
What is more is that there are many ways to approach mining and getting ores. You need to find what works best for you, but these techniques (or at least one or few of them) should help you reach that goal. Talking about ores are pointless because it’s more of a build topic rather than mining. Mining is a process which requires delicate thinking and precise actions, so plan ahead and be prepared for the challenges that lie ahead!
