Progression
Bronze pickaxe or antler pickaxe: where to spend your bronze
A new bronze pickaxe costs 10 bronze and 3 core wood. It mines the same material types as the antler pickaxe; its main advantages are mining damage and durability, while it needs a forge for repairs.
A mining upgrade is not a new mining tier
The bronze pickaxe can mine the same things as the antler pickaxe. Consider it an efficiency and durability purchase rather than assuming it unlocks a new ore. Its value depends partly on how far you are working from your repair stations.
The antler pickaxe can be repaired at a workbench. Bronze equipment needs a forge. For a remote trip with simple workbench access, that distinction can matter as much as the tool stats.
Know the full upgrade commitment
Crafting the pickaxe uses 10 bronze and 3 core wood. The three later upgrades add 5, 10 and 15 bronze and 1, 2 and 3 core wood. From a new craft to quality 4, that is 40 bronze and 9 core wood.
| Step | Bronze | Core wood |
|---|---|---|
| New → quality 1 | 10 | 3 |
| Quality 1 → 2 | 5 | 1 |
| Quality 2 → 3 | 10 | 2 |
| Quality 3 → 4 | 15 | 3 |
| New → quality 4 | 40 | 9 |
Compare the opportunity cost
For comparison, a new cultivator needs 5 bronze and a new bronze axe needs 8. Those purchases solve different problems: farming and access to trees such as birch and oak. A pickaxe is useful, but it need not automatically consume your first 10 bronze.
Try a plan with the pickaxe, then one without it. Keep the plan that matches the next activity you actually want to do. Our recommendation is a planning choice, not a measured claim that one progression route is universally fastest.
Make the numbers your own.
Set your gear, subtract your inventory and save a plan.
Sources & scope
Reference checked September 27, 2026. Original explanations based on the sources above; not an in-game test of every configuration. Editorial standards · Report a correction