TL;DR
- Start with Iron Pickaxe, immediately upgrade to Stonewake’s Pickaxe for early legendary farming
- Mythril Pickaxe unlocks Basalt Veins with 55% luck boost for mid-game progression
- Arcane Pickaxe offers best value with 3 rune slots and balanced stats
- Snow Pickaxe provides the bridge to endgame content with superior mining power
- Prismatic Pickaxe delivers ultimate performance with 4 rune slots and 72% luck boost
While combat gets all the glory in The Forge, your mining efficiency actually drives long-term progression. Choosing the right pickaxe at each stage dramatically impacts your income, resource acquisition, and ability to craft superior gear. This comprehensive progression guide reveals the optimal path from beginner tools to endgame mining dominance.
Before diving deep into the mechanics, here’s the proven progression route that maximizes your mining returns:
Stonewake’s Pickaxe ➡️ Mythril Pickaxe ➡️ Arcane Pickaxe ➡️ Demonic Pickaxe ➡️ Snow Pickaxe ➡️ Prismatic Pickaxe
Understanding mining mechanics is crucial for efficient progression. Each pickaxe tier unlocks access to specific ore types and mining zones, with luck boosts directly affecting your chances of obtaining rare materials needed for crafting top-tier weapons and armor.
The tutorial phase provides you with the basic Iron Pickaxe, which serves adequately for completing Sensei Moro’s initial quests. However, you should transition to Stonewake’s Pickaxe as soon as possible, despite its $3333 cost seeming steep for new players.
Stonewake’s Pickaxe features unique characteristics that make it essential:
- Mine Power: 33 – Sufficient for early rocks and boulders
- Mining Speed: -30% – The significant drawback requires strategy
- Luck Boost: +10% – Modest but valuable for early rare finds
- Rune Slots: 1 – Your first introduction to customization
Pro Tip: The negative mining speed can be mitigated by positioning yourself strategically near clusters of rocks to minimize movement time between mining targets.
The true value of Stonewake’s Pickaxe lies in its ability to access the Forgotten Kingdom’s Ruined Cave. This early-game advantage allows you to farm legendary items before most players even consider mid-game progression, giving you a substantial economic and gear advantage.
As your Stonewake’s Pickaxe farming yields better weapons and resources, you’ll need to advance to pickaxes capable of handling Basalt Veins and Volcanic Rock. These advanced materials yield Demoite, Darkryte, and other high-rarity components essential for crafting endgame gear.
Mythril Pickaxe represents your first major upgrade, available at Miner Fred’s Shop in the Forgotten Kingdom for $67,500. Its standout feature is the 55% luck boost, making it exceptionally efficient for farming ores.
Common Mistake: Many players linger too long with Mythril Pickaxe when they should be progressing to three-rune-slot options.
Arcane Pickaxe offers superior balanced performance with 115 mine power, +10% mining speed, 50% luck boost, and crucially – three rune slots. Since pickaxes cannot be upgraded, having multiple rune slots becomes increasingly valuable in late game.
Acquiring the Arcane Pickaxe requires completing Bard’s Guitar quest to obtain the Unknown Key, then unlocking the gate in Stonewake’s Cave to access Fallen Angel’s Cave.
Demonic Pickaxe provides the highest raw mining power at this stage (175) but sacrifices mining speed. It’s ideal for players focused purely on breaking the toughest rocks rather than overall efficiency.
Endgame mining requires tools that balance multiple factors: mining power, speed, luck boosts, and customization options through rune slots.
Snow Pickaxe serves as your bridge to true endgame content, available at Miner Fred’s Shop in Frostspire Expanse for $750,000.
With 320 mine power, +10% mining speed, 58% luck boost, and three rune slots, it represents a significant power spike.
Prismatic Pickaxe stands as the ultimate mining tool with staggering stats: 650 mine power, +20% mining speed, 72% luck boost, and the exclusive four rune slots.
Locating the Prismatic Pickaxe requires exploring the underwater chamber in Frostspire Expanse and investing $2,000,000.
Advanced Strategy: The four rune slots on Prismatic Pickaxe allow for specialized loadouts targeting specific resource types, making it the most versatile endgame option.
| Pickaxe | Stats | Cost | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stonewake’s Pickaxe | Mine Power: 33 Mining Speed: -30% Luck Boost: +10% Rune Slots: 1 |
$3333 | Inner Cave at the center inside a boulder (Stonewake’s Cross) |
| Mythril Pickaxe | Mine Power: 80 Luck Boost: +55% Rune Slots: 2 |
$67,500 | Miner Fred’s Shop (Forgotten Kingdom) |
| Arcane Pickaxe | Mine Power: 115 Mining Speed: +10% Luck Boost: +50% Rune Slots: 3 |
$125,000 | Fallen Angel’s Cave (Stonewake’s Cross, unlocked from Bard’s Guitar quest) |
| Demonic Pickaxe | Mine Power: 175 Luck Boost: +47.5% Rune Slots: 3 |
$500,000 | Demonic Pickaxe Altar inside the Volcanic Depths |
| Snow Pickaxe | Mine Power: 320 Mining Speed: +10% Luck Boost: +58% Rune Slots: 3 |
$750,000 | Miner Fred’s Shop (Frostspire Expanse) |
| Prismatic Pickaxe | Mine Power: 650 Mining Speed: +20% Luck Boost: +72% Rune Slots: 4 |
$2,000,000 | Underwater chamber in Frostspire Expanse |
| Tier | Pickaxe |
|---|---|
| SS | Prismatic Pickaxe, Void Pickaxe |
| S | Frost Pickaxe, Snow Pickaxe, Mist Pickaxe, Aqua Pickaxe |
| A | Demonic Pickaxe, Arcane Pickaxe, Magma Pickaxe, Tungsten Pickaxe |
| B | Lightite Pickaxe, Mythril Pickaxe, Uranium Pickaxe |
| C | Titanium Pickaxe, Cobalt Pickaxe, Stonewake’s Pickaxe |
| D | Platinum Pickaxe, Golden Pickaxe, Iron Pickaxe, Bronze Pickaxe, Stone Pickaxe |
Tier Analysis: The SS-tier Prismatic Pickaxe stands alone due to its exclusive four rune slots and exceptional stat distribution. S-tier options offer specialized advantages for different mining scenarios, while A-tier represents the most cost-effective choices for general progression.
Beyond simple progression, mastering mining mechanics requires understanding several advanced concepts that dramatically impact your efficiency and profitability.
Rune Slot Optimization: Your rune choices should align with your current goals:
- Money Farming: Combine luck and speed runes
- Material Collection: Focus on power and luck runes
- Speed Runs: Prioritize multiple speed runes
- Boss Preparation: Balance all stats for comprehensive resource gathering
Common Pitfalls to Avoid:
- Overspending Early: Don’t grind excessively for expensive pickaxes when cheaper options provide adequate progression
- Ignoring Luck Stats: Higher luck directly translates to more rare drops and better economic returns
- Wrong Tool for the Job: Match your pickaxe to the specific rocks and ores you’re targeting
- Quest Sequencing: Complete Bard’s Guitar quest early to unlock Arcane Pickaxe access
Time Investment Estimates:
- Early Game: 1-2 hours with Stonewake’s Pickaxe
- Mid Game Transition: 3-4 hours to accumulate funds for Mythril/Arcane Pickaxes
- Endgame Grinding: 6-8 hours for Prismatic Pickaxe acquisition
For comprehensive strategies on maximizing your gameplay efficiency, check out our Battlefield 6 Complete Guide for additional insights.
Action Checklist
- Complete tutorial with Iron Pickaxe, finish Sensei Moro’s initial quests
- Purchase Stonewake’s Pickaxe ($3333) and farm Forgotten Kingdom’s Ruined Cave
- Complete Bard’s Guitar quest for Unknown Key
- Upgrade to Mythril Pickaxe ($67,500) for Basalt Vein access
- Acquire Arcane Pickaxe ($125,000) for balanced performance
- Progress through Demonic and Snow Pickaxes to build mining power
- Obtain Prismatic Pickaxe ($2,000,000) for endgame dominance
No reproduction without permission：Tsp Game Club » The Forge Pickaxe Progression Guide and Tier List Master The Forge pickaxe progression from early to endgame with expert mining strategies and optimization tips