Mining in the open worlds
With a mining laser you pull ores and gems out of the rocks of the open worlds. Here you learn which tool you need, how the mini-game works and what your finds are good for.
This tutorial is only available in English and German for now.
At a glance
- Areas
- 3 open worlds
- First tool
- 500 Ostron standing
- Best tool
- Sunpoint Plasma Drill
- Refining
- In the Foundry
01What is it about?
Mining is a calm side activity in the Plains of Eidolon, the Orb Vallis and the Cambion Drift. You look for glowing veins in the rock, cut them open with a laser and get ores or gems. You need them for many things from the open worlds, for example Zaws, Kitguns, Amps and Necramechs. You can also trade raw gems for standing.
The key terms in short:
- Mining laser
- Your mining tool. There are the Nosam Cutters from Cetus and the Sunpoint Plasma Drill from Fortuna.
- Vein
- A spot in the rock with colored dots. Red or yellow veins give ore, blue veins give gems.
- Ore
- Raw metal such as Pyrol or Ferros. You smelt it into an alloy in the Foundry.
- Gem
- A raw stone such as Azurite. You cut it in the Foundry or trade it in raw for standing.
- Special gem
- The rarest tier, such as Sentirum or Nyth. Only the best lasers can mine them.
- Bonus bracket
- A small extra marker in the mini-game. Hit it and you get one extra gem.
02The right tool
You buy mining lasers with standing. The Nosam Cutters are sold by Old Man Suumbaat in Cetus, the Plasma Drill by Smokefinger in Fortuna. The Cambion Drift has no laser of its own, you simply bring your tool from Cetus or Fortuna.
| Tool | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nosam Cutter | 500 Ostron standing, rank 0 | Fast, unsteady laser, no radar, 3% bonus bracket |
| Focused Nosam Cutter | 750 Ostron standing, rank 2 | A bit steadier, longer detection range, 4% bonus bracket |
| Advanced Nosam Cutter | 1,000 Ostron standing, rank 4 | Steady laser, veins on the minimap, 15% chance for special gems, 10% bonus bracket |
| Sunpoint Plasma Drill | 2,500 Solaris United standing, rank 0 | Slowest and steadiest laser, veins on the minimap, 20% chance for special gems, 15% bonus bracket, upgradable |
From rank 5, Smokefinger sells two widgets for the Plasma Drill at 30,000 standing each. The Sunpoint Plasma Drill Range Widget raises the range from 9 to 14 meters. The Sunpoint Plasma Drill Silencer Widget makes the laser quiet, so enemies do not notice you.
03How mining works
- 01
Equip the laser
Put the laser in your Gear Wheel and select it out in the field (default: hold Q).
- 02
Find a vein
The left side of the laser display shows how many veins are nearby, the right side the distance to the closest one. A ticking sound gets faster and higher when you look in the right direction. Better lasers also show veins on the minimap.
- 03
Zoom in
Aim at the vein (default: right mouse button). Now one to three blinking blue spots appear.
- 04
Cut
Aim at a spot and hold fire. A ring of lights fills up. Let go exactly when the lights sit in the middle of the white brackets.
- 05
Finish every spot
The more precise you are, the more you get. Once all spots are done, you receive your loot.
Sometimes a smaller bonus bracket appears next to the normal brackets. Hit it and you get an extra gem, even on an ore vein.
04Ores and gems by area
Each open world has its own minerals. The farther you get from the hub gate, the more often you find rare ones.
| Rarity | Plains of Eidolon | Orb Vallis | Cambion Drift |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common ore | Coprun, Pyrol | Axidite, Travoride | Adramalium, Bapholite |
| Uncommon ore | Ferros | Venerol | Namalon |
| Rare ore | Auron | Hesperon | Thaumica |
| Common gem | Azurite, Devar | Phasmin, Noctrul | Dagonic, Tiametrite |
| Uncommon gem | Veridos | Goblite | Heciphron |
| Rare gem | Crimzian | Amarast | Necrathene |
| Special gem | Sentirum, Nyth | Zodian, Thyst | Embolos, Xenorhast |
You trade raw gems for standing: in Cetus with Old Man Suumbaat (Ostrons), in Fortuna with Smokefinger (Solaris United). In the Necralisk, Otak takes ores and gems from the Cambion Drift and gives you Otak Tokens for them. You trade those to Grandmother for Entrati standing. Apart from that, ores cannot be traded for standing.
05Refining in the Foundry
Most blueprints need refined minerals, not raw ones. You buy the refining blueprints from the mining vendor: Old Man Suumbaat, Smokefinger or Otak. They are not used up when you build, so you only buy them once.
- Gems: 10 raw stones become 10 cut ones, e.g.
Gözyaşı Azurit. It costs 1,000 credits and takes 1 minute. - Special gems: 3 raw ones become 3 cut ones, e.g.
Radian Sentirum. It costs 10,000 credits. - Ores: 20 ore plus other resources give 20 alloy.
Pyrol Alaşımı, for example, needs 20 Pyrol, 200 Cryotic and 50 Rubedo.
| Area | What you need the minerals for |
|---|---|
| Plains of Eidolon | Zaws from Hok, Amps from the Quills, Ostron standing via raw gems |
| Orb Vallis | Kitguns from Rude Zuud, MOA companions, K-Drives, Amps from Vox Solaris, Solaris United standing |
| Cambion Drift | Necramech parts, Infested weapons, the Helminth segment, Entrati standing via Otak |
06Tips for a bigger haul
- Caves and tight rock clusters have a lot of veins.
- Far from the hub gate, rare ores and gems are much more common.
- A Resource Booster as well as
Loyal Retriever and 
Resourceful Retriever on your companion raise the amount you mine. - A Resource Drop Chance Booster and the Steel Path do not create more veins. They only turn more veins into gem veins, which means less ore.
- The sentinel
Oxylus with “Scan Matter” shows veins within 60 meters. - If you cannot find a blue spot, step to the side. It is often just hidden behind a rock edge.
Frequently asked questions
I am new. Where do I start?
Play a few bounties in Cetus until you have 500 Ostron standing and buy the Nosam Cutter from Old Man Suumbaat. Mine gems with it and trade them for standing. Later, get the Sunpoint Plasma Drill in Fortuna.
Why do I not find any special gems?
You need the Advanced Nosam Cutter or the Sunpoint Plasma Drill. Even then they are rare, so go far from the hub.
Can I mine in the Cambion Drift without a new laser?
Yes. There is no laser of its own there. You just use the Nosam Cutter or Plasma Drill you already have.
Should I trade raw gems or refine them?
Keep as many as you need for your blueprints and refine them. You can trade the rest for standing. Note: the vendors no longer take cut gems for standing.
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