Coral Island, just like the games that inspired it, such as Stardew Valley, is a farm simulator wherein you also have the option of delving deep into caverns to mine for useful resources. Along the way, in addition to finding varying kinds of valuable minerals, you’ll also be running into monsters every now and then. To help you out, here are some tips on how to start with your mining journey!
Credits to Sarah Sunstone for sharing some handy tips and tricks.
Beginner’s Guide to Mines
To start off, the cavern is actually not going to be available to players right at the start of the game. It will unlock after a few days into your first year, and Mark will let you know that it has been opened once more.
Once it has opened, you will find four different gates corresponding to different elements. You will only be able to enter each by completing the previous one that’s already opened. The order is as follows:
- Earth – Contains bronze ore and earth geodes
- Water – Contains silver ore and water geodes
- Wind – Contains gold ore and wind geodes
- Fire – Contains osmium ore and fire geodes
Each mine also has a chance of dropping mystery geodes, which can be processed into a variety of gems.
Tools Of The Trade
In addition to always bringing your pickaxe with you to the mines, don’t forget to upgrade it as much as possible.
This is because an upgraded pickaxe will increase your efficiency as not only does it make it easier to break harder rocks, but it will also save you some stamina due to how much faster you can mine stuff.
You should also always bring your sword with you as you enter the mines. Your first one will be given to you by Kira on your first visit to the cavern.
There will be various monsters that you can encounter in the mines that you will eventually need to fight for certain types of loot. Though don’t forget that you can go to the settings and set them to “Hit to aggro” so that they don’t attack you on sight.
You can also bring a fishing pole with you, as there are certain areas where you can fish in the mines. This isn’t necessary, though it is something that you can do down there.
Food & Stamina
Always bring a bunch of food with you on every mining expedition, as you will need this to replenish your stamina throughout your trip to avoid passing out.
At the start, one of the best options for food are candied tree seeds, as they are incredibly easy to make and you learn the recipe very early in the game.
Later on, once you have kitchen at home, the next best thing is to cook as many bug jerky as you can. The recipe for this will only require Catching level 2 and any insect.
You can also make use of vitamin drinks from the clinic to replenish your stamina, though this will require a lot of money if you choose to stock up on it.
Planning Your Trip
In addition to starting your expeditions as early as possible in the day to maximize how much you can mine, also try to time your trips during rainy days by checking the weather forecast channel.
By doing this, you will no longer need to spend time and stamina watering your crops prior to your trip to the cavern.
The openings that you find within the mine also reset every day. This is why you should save your progress with the elevator.
While you have time and energy to progress through the mine, try to make it to the elevator that is in every fifth floor.
The only exception is the stretch between floors 30 and 40, as there will be no elevator in between and you’ll have to go through these ten floors in a single run.
While you still have the basic pickaxe, try to prioritize the smaller rocks that only require one hit while looking for the opening. This will save you a lot of stamina and time in the long run.
Along the way, you should also try breaking crates and barrels with your sword. These have a chance of dropping additional resources and it does not require stamina to do so.
Also, keep an eye out for ore veins. These can be found by searching for cracks on the floor. Simply hit it with your pickaxe and follow the trail to uncover a stack of ore.
One-Time Rewards
On the 10th, 20th, and 30th floor of each mine, you will also find a chest containing various one-time rewards.
Among these is the Ring of Speed, which will drastically increase your tool use speed allowing you to save more time in all of your other activities throughout the game, including mining.
Skills
As you level up your mining skills, you should consider investing your skill points into various related abilities.
As a new player, you should immediately unlock Rock Domino, which gives you a chance of breaking surrounding rocks while mining. This will save you a lot of stamina in the long run.
Double Ore is another good choice at the start, as it will help you upgrade your stuff early on and even later once you’ve started collecting higher tier materials.
Craftable Items
There are various items you can craft that can help you in your expeditions. Among these are the explosives, which are first unlocked with mining Level 1 and can be used to clear out rocks or other miscellaneous debris.
You can also craft ropes at the second mining level. These can help you get to the next floor in a pinch, which is especially helpful when you’re close to reaching an elevator but are low on stamina.
Ideal Mining Spots
Once you have cleared a mine and plan on revisiting them for more resources, Sarah Sunstone recommends going back to floors 1, 5, 15, and 25.
These are the floors that are rich in valuable ores and other resources, and you won’t need to find openings by using this method.
Combat & Closing Tips
Even if you turn off the mob aggro via the settings, you will still need to engage in combat eventually. At one point of the game, you will receive a quest called the “Entrance Exam”.
In this quest, you will have to defeat 30 enemies to become a part of the B.O.S, and you should complete this as the faction’s shop also has a lot of useful gear and resources.
You will also need to fight monsters in order to complete some of the offerings at the Lake Temple, and at the moment, there is no alternative for those who do not like combat.
Those are all of the tips we have for you when it comes to mining in Coral Island. Now, get out there and start slapping rocks and monsters down in the cavern!
ALSO READ: How to Make A Bronze Bar in Coral Island
