Copper Mining Testing Results

[Bunker]

This test will determine the impact of Pickaxes skill and weapon quality while mining Copper Deposits. I've spawned in an Antler Pickaxe, Copper Pickaxe and an Iron pickaxe via console and will use commands to control my current pickaxe skill for each hit. The damage numbers will then be documented along with my observations.

Date of testing: Sat, Mar, 27
world Seed: testit

Equipment tested
Name: Antler pickaxe
Weight: 2.0
Durability: 100/100
Pierce: 18 (4-10)
Block Power: 10 (10)
Parry Force: 20
Parry Bonus: X2
Knock back: 50
Back stab: 3X
Movement Speed: -5% (total -0%)

Name: Bronze pickaxe
Weight: 2.0
Durability: 100/100
Pierce: 25 (6-14)
Block Power: 10 (10)
Parry Force: 20
Parry Bonus: X2
Knock back: 50
Back stab: 3X
Movement Speed: -5% (total -5%)

Name: Iron pickaxe
Weight: 2.0
Durability: 150/150 <-- 50 more dura
Pierce: 33 (8-18)
Block Power: 10 (10)
Parry Force: 20
Parry Bonus: X2
Knock back: 50
Back stab: 3X
Movement Speed: -5% (total -5%)

====================================
Copper deposit node 1
world position; 299,58,829

Skill - 0
Antler pick
Take1
Hit 1 Damage: 9.1
Hit 2 Damage: 7.9
Hit 3 Damage: 9.3
Hit 4 Damage: 8.5
Hit 5 Damage: 5
Hit 6 Damage: 4.9
Hit 7 Damage: 6.3
Hit 8 Damage: 8.9
Hit 9 Damage: 4.6
Hit 10 Damage: 5.4
Hit 11 Damage: 8 (BUSTED) +2 Stone 0 Copper Ore
Durability remaining 88%
//Note: Had to reset pickaxe skill after each hit, due to how you'll skill up after the first strike.

Take2
Hit 1 Damage: 9.4 (skill up = 1)
Hit 2 Damage: 8.8
Hit 3 Damage: 9.8 (skill up = 2)
Hit 4 Damage: 7.8
Hit 5 Damage: 7.9
Hit 6 Damage: 6 (BUSTED) +2 Stone 0 Copper Ore
Durability remaining 100%
//Note: Did not reset pickaxe skill and let it level up as it would. pickaxe skill raised 2.8 points before the copper broke. Note each time zero copper ore was recovered.

Take3
Hit 1 Damage: 6 (skill up = 1)
Hit 2 Damage: 6.6
Hit 3 Damage: 10 (skill up = 2)
Hit 4 Damage: 5.5
Hit 5 Damage: 7.7
Hit 6 Damage: 7.4
Hit 7 Damage: 8.9 (Skill Up = 3) (BUSTED) +2 Stone 1 Copper Ore
Durability remaining 100%
//Note: Finally obtained a single copper ore after the 3rd hole dug in the copper deposit.

Skill - 100
Antler pick
Take1
Hit 1 Damage: 16
Hit 2 Damage: 16.1
Hit 3 Damage: 15.7
Hit 4 Damage: 15.7 (BUSTED) +2 Stone 0 Copper
Durability remaining 96%
//Note: This took 2 swings less then having a pickaxe skill of 0.
To me, this is what it should be like at level 0. This is the 4th hole in the copper deposit and have yet to only receive 1 iron ore from ALL testing up to this point. Copper dropping chance needs more observation. Durability appears to be linked with damage output.

Take2
Hit 1 Damage: 16.8
Hit 2 Damage: 17.8
Hit 3 Damage: 16.2 (BUSTED) +2 Stone 0 Copper Ore
Durability remaining 97%
//Note: low ore drops?

Take3
Hit 1 Damage: 17.5
Hit 2 Damage: 15.4
Hit 3 Damage: 17.5 (BUSTED) +4 Stone 0 Copper Ore
Durability remaining 97%


========================================================
Copper deposit node 2
world position 303,60,793

Skill = 0
Bronze pick
Take 1
Hit 1 Damage: 6.9 (Skill up = 1)
Hit 2 Damage: 9.6
Hit 3 Damage: 7.8 (Skill up = 2)
Hit 4 Damage: 10.3
Hit 5 Damage: 8
Hit 6 Damage: 9.6
Hit 7 Damage: 12.6 (Skill up = 3) (BUSTED) +2 Stone + 1 Copper Ore
Durability remaining 94%
//Note: Takes around the same number of hits to kill the copper deposit as the antler pickaxe. Took more durability then antler?

Take 2
Hit 1 Damage: 8 (Skill up = 1)
Hit 2 Damage: 11.4
Hit 3 Damage: 8.9 (skill up = 2)
Hit 4 Damage: 7.9
Hit 5 Damage: 6.6
Hit 6 Damage: 6.7
Hit 7 Damage: 12.6 (Skill Up = 3) +3 Stone 0 Copper Ore
Durability remaining 94%

Take 3
Hit 1 Damage: 6.4 (Skill up = 1)
Hit 2 Damage: 13.4
Hit 3 Damage: 9.9 (Skill up = 2)
Hit 4 Damage: 11.3
Hit 5 Damage: 9
Hit 6 Damage: 13.7 (Skill up = 3) (BUSTED) +1 Stone +3 Copper
Durability remaining: 95%
//Note: Seems like a higher chance to drop Ore depending on quality. But, takes the same number of hits to destroy the copper deposit as with the antler at this skill level. Takes more durability though, meaning your pick will break faster.


Skill = 100
Bronze pick
Take 1
Hit 1 Damage: 22.1
Hit 2 Damage: 22.5
Hit 3 Damage: 21.8 (BUSTED) +2 Stone 0 Copper Ore
Durability remaining: 98%
//Note: No Copper Ore drop even with 100 Pickaxe skill. Slightly less durability loss. Same Number of hits as Antler.

Take 2
Hit 1 Damage: 23.7
Hit 2 Damage: 22.2
Hit 3 Damage: 24.9 (BUSTED) +2 Stone +1 Ore
Durability remaining: 98%

Take 3
Hit 1 Damage: 24.6
Hit 2 Damage: 24.3
Hit 3 Damage: 23.4 (BUSTED) +1 Stone +1 Ore
Durability remaining: 98%


=====================================================
Copper deposit node 3
World position: 282,61,722

Skill = 0
Iron pick
Take 1
Hit 1 Damage: 9.3 (Skill up = 1)
Hit 2 Damage: 10.3
Hit 3 Damage: 12.3 (Skill up =2)
Hit 4 Damage: 17.6 (Skill up =3) (BUSTED) +1 Stone +1 Copper Ore
Durability remaining: 97%

Take 2
Hit 1 Damage: 11 (Skill up = 1)
Hit 2 Damage: 15.7
Hit 3 Damage: 9.9 (Skill up = 2)
Hit 4 Damage: 12.1
Hit 5 Damage: 8.7 (Skill up = 3) +1 Stone +3 Copper Ore
Durability remaining: 97%

Take 2
Hit 1 Damage: 13.5 (Skill up = 1)
Hit 2 Damage: 10.3
Hit 3 Damage: 17.4 (Skill up = 2)
Hit 4 Damage: 14 (BUSTED) +1 Stone +1 Copper Ore
Durability remaining: 97%


Skill = 100
Iron pick
Take 1
Hit 1 Damage: 31.5
Hit 2 Damage: 30.2 (BUSTED) +4 Stone 0 Copper Ore
Durability remaining: 99%

Take 2
Hit 1 Damage:28.4
Hit 2 Damage:32.6 (BUSTED) +2 Stone 0 Copper Ore
Durability remaining: 99%

Take 3
Hit 1 Damage:32.1
Hit 2 Damage: 30.1 (BUSTED) +2 Stone 1 Copper Ore
Durability remaining: 99%
Note: The Copper deposit breaks faster with a skill of 100 but does not provide more Ore. For it's extra 50 durability points, the Iron Pickaxe shows marginal improvement.



Final Notes:
We can see that Pickaxe skill seems to offer more enhancement to mining then the quality of your pick. Meaning how you get faster at mining, is to mine and level up. In other words, you have to put the time in and grind to get faster. I'd gone into this thinking that the quality of the pick would matter more but it doesn't appear as so.

Also I was shocked at how low the copper drop rate was. I will run the same test on Tin to see how much greater the drops are. I had "felt" like Tin was more fun to mine then copper, maybe it was related to the drop rate and not the actual hit number. Further testing will be required.

What trends can you guys spot?

[luponix]

as the skill level rises the damage variance shrinks is another good one here

[Bunker]

woops i say iron instead of copper and copperpickaxe instead of bronze. rough draft :p

[Bunker]

Originally posted by luponix:

as the skill level rises the damage variance shrinks is another good one here

yes that is a good observation! ^.^

[Moonlightfox]

Specifically it is most likely following the general damage calc- the minimum and maximum increase until maximum hits the damage rating at around level 75, then the minimum continues increasing

[Manwith Noname]

I'm pretty sure tin is basically 3 or 4 ore regardless of skill or pick quality.

Edit: I think you might have meant iron in those closing paragraphs.

[Bunker]

Originally posted by Manwith Noname:

I'm pretty sure tin is basically 3 or 4 ore regardless of skill or pick quality.

Edit: I think you might have meant iron in those closing paragraphs.

aye, testing without coffee!

[Samoth]

gg ty for the study!!
seems peculiar that they all share identical stats(sans dmg). I hope they will consider putting some distance between these items, in final balance.
My only encounter with copper took three 'digs', with 4-5 strikes per, durability held mostly as I remember, longer than my heart. I got like 4-5 stone, with 1 copper for the effort.
Tin was plentiful in the excavation/extraction. On Rockhome(BF island) I recovered 20-ish tin, from 5-6 nodes. Antler as well. Depleting the stone in several strikes. Possibly some stone.
I broke a stone that lies on the grave markers, that has the repairable attribute. I think it is a lock of sorts for the skeletons that spawn. They get out after destroying it, which takes time. Fairly certain it is a stone block similar to the tower blocks.
It is also good to know that like the knife, it(the Antler) needs to come out at opportune(early game) moments for practice. Greylings, Necks, predictable easy targets. Earn up them easy early points.
Also the Antler needs only a craft table to get fixed. Lower inputs for maint. As people point out from time to time...
my biggest trick will be the Troll maneuver for obsidian, and silver.

[RasaNova]

Originally posted by Bunker:

Also I was shocked at how low the copper drop rate was. I will run the same test on Tin to see how much greater the drops are. I had "felt" like Tin was more fun to mine then copper, maybe it was related to the drop rate and not the actual hit number. Further testing will be required.

What trends can you guys spot?

As far as that goes, yeah tin is very different. You're guaranteed to get 3-4 ore from a single deposit, so the "grind" comes less from mining it and more from finding it.

[daggaz]

Tin is easy. Just anchor your boat, mine out deposits up and down the shore, sail a bit further, repeat.. inland lakes are even better, especially if they have lots of shoreline.

[Samoth]

Originally posted by daggaz:

Tin is easy. Just anchor your boat, mine out deposits up and down the shore, sail a bit further, repeat.. inland lakes are even better, especially if they have lots of shoreline.

super helpful tactic

[Mringasa]

Tin is faster, and you need half of it compared to Copper. It's also much more "fun" to mine it since you're constantly moving to the next node, and possibly taking little side trips to grab berries, thistle, or whatever. Standing in one spot, thumping on a node, can get boring after a while.

Like the tests there. I've noticed that damage variance also depends on what else you strike. If you're hitting 2 "sections" of a copper deposit, your damage is reduced but spread to both of them. With the bronze, and even more with iron, you can tell when you get a "full" strike on a section of a deposit. Same with trees, rocks, etc...

I've not noticed a difference in pick quality affecting anything except damage, and therefore speed, during my mining expeditions.

[Gavener]

I make 4 Antlers Pick ax's, (kill boss a few times) and always keep 2 on me, Skipped the bronze, made a the Iron because its needed for Silver and Obsidian, I can repair the Antler one really easy.

[Torchlight]

You didn't spawn in a BlackMetal Axe, your data is inconclusive. You should be ashamed.

[luponix]

Originally posted by Blindfhire:

You didn't spawn in a BlackMetal Axe, your data is inconclusive. You should be ashamed.

pickaxe != axe

[Sanquin]

Tin is indeed more fun to mine. It usually takes me 3~5 hits (depending on which pickaxe and skill level) and always gives me 3~4 tin.