How to Mine in the Underground

What changed in 1.0

Drilling Thunder added a complete underground layer to every Survival Mode world. The underground is a network of caverns, lava pockets and rare-metal veins that connects the surface to a set of late-game quest areas. To reach it, you must complete the Mechanic Station questline introduced in the same patch.

How to reach the underground

There are three entrance types:

1. Cave entrances — marked on your compass after the underground quest unlocks. Look for glowing moss on rock walls.
2. Mining shafts — collapsed mining towers near roads. Use a Plasma Drill to clear the debris.
3. Warehouse basements — most warehouses added in 1.0 have a hidden basement that connects to the underground.

Cave entrances are the safest. Mining shafts are the most rewarding. Warehouse basements are a good mid-game option.

The Ore Crusher

The Ore Crusher is a multi-block machine that processes raw ore from the underground into refined metal. Build it as follows:

1. Place a Conveyor belt going into a Refinery Bot input.
2. Place a Refinery Bot directly behind the conveyor.
3. Add a small engine to power the conveyor.
4. Wire the conveyor’s motion sensor to the engine’s throttle.

The Crusher accepts ore from any biome but yields more refined metal from underground sources. For more advanced processing, see the recipes and crafting page.

The Plasma Drill

The Plasma Drill is the most powerful mining tool in the game. It cuts through any block in a 3x3 area and deals area damage to enemies. Acquire it by:

1. Clearing a warehouse and picking up the Schematic.
2. Placing a Schematicbot near the Craftbot.
3. Crafting the Plasma Drill at the Craftbot.

Mount the Plasma Drill on a vehicle for the best mining experience. A 2x2 drill array on a wide flatbed clears an entire vein in minutes.

The Ore Prospector

The Ore Prospector is a smaller machine that filters finely ground gravel for rare materials like gold. It is essential for endgame crafting and is sold by the Trader after you complete the underground questline.

Underground enemies

The underground is not empty — it is home to:

• Cablebots — disable vehicles with shock procs. Keep distance.
• Minerbots — extremely tough. Use the Plasma Drill at range.
• Red Totebots — rebalanced for the underground. Easier than their surface cousins.

For full enemy counters, see the bots and combat page.

Mining strategy

The safest mining run is to bring three friends, one helicopter, and 200 Spud rounds. Land near a cave entrance, clear the immediate area with the Plasma Drill, then send one player down to scout. The other two hold the entrance until the scout reports back.

For solo players, build a small mining outpost inside the cave with a bed, a Cook Bot and a Spud Gun turret. Respawn at the outpost instead of the Mechanic Station.