Small tip for mining metal fingers

[DeadMeat]

I actually saw this as a part of another thread and had to try it myself.

If you melee attack a metal finger you get more resource from it. As you know, if you hit it with the mining beam it doesn't pay out until the end. If you melee attack it you get resource on every hit and you can get around 90+ more of the resource before the payout.

[Ralgimanek]

good to know, thank you

[JTracx]

o_O

Does it use up your health faster? Is there no "cost" (other than taking considerably longer)?

[DeadMeat]

I've haven't notice a health cost and it doesn't take that much longer than mining it. I just hold down Q. Mining you have stop and restart because it overheats several times so, holding Q actually seems easier as well.

[MechWarden]

With how long it takes to mine, even with a well upgraded multi-tool, it almost seems like it isn't worth it. Punching them would be the last thing I'd consider doing.

If I needed those metals, I'd just buy them from a market. But if you really need them at the time, and haven't gotten established yet, I guess that good.

[JTracx]

Well I tried the melee on the Metal Fingers and a pillar of Pure Ferrite.
Tried melee and laser.
The melee yielded consideralbly more each time.

*sshhhh* We shall never speak of this again lest you know who does you know what...

[DeadMeat]

Since it seems to be an issue for some, I'll actually time how long it takes for each next time I run across them. Also, if you don't need a resource then the point is moot, so I'm obviously talking about when you need the resource.

[JTracx]

Well it took 52 hits on the pure ferrite and I believe 72 on the metal fingers.
That is at 110 points per hit.
I don't know if that varies with multitool upgrades or if melee is 110.

[lordoftheapes79]

I think it depends on what they're made of. I ran across these for the first time yesterday and finally got to see what you were talking about. Mine were made of gold and uranium, it sounds like they come in other types too. The uranium was worth it, but the gold wasn't.

Pure ferrite is absolutely not worth the time. If you have a medium or large refiner do this instead...

Pure ferrite is 2:1 to magnatized ferrite and vise versa, but if you combine pure ferrite with condensed carbon you get a 1:3 ratio of pure ferrite to magnetized ferrite. This multiplies your supply by 6x.

You can make condensed carbon by combining carbon and oxygen then multiply the condensed carbon by adding more oxygen(I forget the ratio atm) to it.

Ionized cobalt can also be multiplied by adding oxygen providing a 1:6 ratio.

[JTracx]

In the field without a medium refiner or eatly game, u get more per rock or finger with this method.
As for the amount of gold, other than a deposit, where else can you get such quantity for so cheap?

[lordoftheapes79]

Originally posted by JTracx:

In the field without a medium refiner or eatly game, u get more per rock or finger with this method.
As for the amount of gold, other than a deposit, where else can you get such quantity for so cheap?

I just meant it wasn't worth it for me. I get more than enough for my needs from the asteroid farming I do, that's all.

You don't need more than a stack(500) of pure ferrite in the field tho. Grabbing one or two metal fingers would do it. Farming it out would just be wasting your time and precious inventory space imo.

[JTracx]

I had a stack of Pure.
Went thru it on damaged machinery.
I have this compulsion... must fiiiixx.

I get lots of distance on foot.

[puckhead]

Thanks for the unconventional tip, I'll give it a go next sighting.

[taylormarian9]

I always use melee (q) to get carbon. It doesn't take that long to take down a tree, and I don't have to spend the carbon to repair my mining beam. And I'll try that on uranium the next time I find metal fingers. Nice tip!