Editing Mining Guide

'''Mining''' is a gathering skill that lets players break down mining nodes into ores. It feeds directly into [[Smithing]] and is one of the more reliable ways to make gold early on, growing steadily more profitable at higher tiers - especially once [[Mithril Ore]] and [[Gold Ore]] enter the picture.

[[File:SkillIcon_Mining.png|100px|thumb|right|Mining]]
== Requirements ==
* A pickaxe must be '''equipped''' - having one in your inventory isn't enough.
* You need the node's required Mining level.
* Higher Mining Power from gear improves your success rate.
* Inventory is 28 slots and ores don't stack, so plan bank trips ahead of time.
* Every ore has a chance to also yield a bonus gem, with rarer ores producing better gems.
* All players start with a [[Copper Pickaxe]] equipped.
* Banking your ores lets you sell them or feed them into Smelting/Smithing; dropping them instead trades that value away for a faster mining rate.

== Ore XP & Profit ==
Approximate rates for mining continuously at each tier. Gather Difficulty is the node's internal difficulty rating (higher = harder/slower to mine); it isn't a direct time value, but it scales roughly with how punishing a node is relative to its neighbors. The Essence Geode, Ebony Ore, and Ebony Dust XP/Hour and Gold/Hour numbers are unconfirmed, since nobody's timed continuous mining sessions on them yet.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Ore !! Level !! Gather Difficulty !! XP per Ore !! Approx. XP/Hour !! Approx. Gold/Hour
|-
| [[File:T_TinOre_Icon.png|30px]] [[Tin Ore]] || 1 || 10 || 15 || ~24,000 || ~1,600g
|-
| [[File:T_CopperOre_Icon.png|30px]] [[Copper Ore]] || 1 || 10 || 15 || ~24,000 || ~1,600g
|-
| [[File:T_IronOre_Icon.png|30px]] [[Iron Ore]] || 10 || 100 || 30 || ~29,000 || ~1,900g
|-
| [[File:T_CoalOre_Icon.png|30px]] [[Coal Ore]] || 20 || 1,000 || 80 || ~73,000 || ~1,500g
|-
| [[File:T_MithrilOre_Icon.png|30px]] [[Mithril Ore]] || 30 || 10,000 || 150 || ~71,000 || ~3,700g
|-
| [[File:T_GoldOre_Icon.png|30px]] [[Gold Ore]] || 40 || 20,000 || 350 || ~153,000 || ~24,500g
|-
| [[File:T_GoldDust_Icon.png|30px]] [[Gold Dust]] || 40 || 12,000 || 350 || ~271,000 || ~54,000g
|-
| [[File:T_EssenceGeode_Icon.png|30px]] [[Essence Geode]] || 50 || 65,000 || 550 || ~172,000* || ~21,900g*
|-
| [[File:T_EbonyOre_Icon.png|30px]] [[Ebony Ore]] || 60 || 40,000 || 550 || ?* || ?*
|-
| [[File:T_EbonyDust_Icon.png|30px]] [[Ebony Dust]] || 60 || 30,000 || 825 || ?* || ?*
|}
== Best Mining Locations ==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Ore !! Location !! Notes
|-
| [[File:T_MithrilOre_Icon.png|30px]] [[Mithril Ore]] || [[West Mine]] || Quick trips, but only 3 rocks here
|-
| [[File:T_MithrilOre_Icon.png|30px]] [[Mithril Ore]] || [[Elven Haven]] || More rocks than West Mine, at the cost of a longer bank run
|-
| [[File:T_GoldOre_Icon.png|30px]] [[Gold Ore]] || [[Grave Town]] || The best gold spot, close to a bank
|-
| [[File:T_GoldDust_Icon.png|30px]] [[Gold Dust]] || [[Darklands]] || The only source of Gold Dust; a dangerous PvP zone
|-
| [[File:T_CopperOre_Icon.png|30px]] [[Copper Ore]] / [[File:T_TinOre_Icon.png|30px]] [[Tin Ore]] || [[Town Mine]] || Best starting spot for new miners
|-
| [[File:T_IronOre_Icon.png|30px]] [[Iron Ore]] / [[File:T_CoalOre_Icon.png|30px]] [[Coal Ore]] || Near the [[Forest Alcove]] entrance || Low-risk, suited to mid-level players
|-
| [[File:T_EssenceGeode_Icon.png|30px]] [[Essence Geode]] || [[Essence Rock]] || Requires level 50 Mining
|}

== Recommended Progression ==
{| class="wikitable"
! Levels !! Ore !! Notes
|-
| 1–9 || [[File:T_CopperOre_Icon.png|30px]] [[Copper Ore]] & [[File:T_TinOre_Icon.png|30px]] [[Tin Ore]] || Fast XP, low profit, low-quality gems
|-
| 10–19 || [[File:T_IronOre_Icon.png|30px]] [[Iron Ore]] || Decent XP and profit, medium-quality gems
|-
| 20–29 || [[File:T_CoalOre_Icon.png|30px]] [[Coal Ore]] || Moderate profit; can also be bought at [[Grave Town]]
|-
| 30–39 || [[File:T_MithrilOre_Icon.png|30px]] [[Mithril Ore]] || Strong XP and profit; can't be purchased, must be mined
|-
| 40+ || [[File:T_GoldOre_Icon.png|30px]] [[Gold Ore]] / [[File:T_GoldDust_Icon.png|30px]] [[Gold Dust]] || The best XP and income in the skill; mine near [[Grave Town]]
|}

== Tips ==
* Always equip your pickaxe before you start - an unequipped one in your bag does nothing.
* Plan around the 28-slot inventory limit; know your bank route before you start a session.
* Mining next to a bank is almost always more efficient than mining somewhere scenic but far away.
* Dropping ores as you go raises your XP/hour but earns no gold - decide which you're optimizing for.
* Stick to one ore type per session rather than bouncing between tiers.
* Upgrade your pickaxe and Mining Power gear as soon as you can afford to.
* Banking Mithril Ore ahead of time saves a trip when you're ready to smith it.
* Gold Dust has the best XP and income in the skill, but the Darklands carries real PvP risk - go prepared.

[[Category:Guides]]