This Star Citizen mining guide details optimal mining locations, ship setups, and techniques for the Drake Golem, MISC Prospector, and Argo Mole, emphasizing efficient resource scanning, laser operation, and risk management to maximize yield and safety. It also covers refining processes, cargo transport options, and teamwork strategies, providing comprehensive advice for both solo and group mining endeavors.
This comprehensive Star Citizen mining guide covers mining techniques and ship setups for the Drake Golem, the MISC Prospector, and the Argo Mole. The video begins by recommending the best mining location in the Stanton system—Selin moon—due to its high quantanium spawn rates. It emphasizes the importance of checking the survey corpse tab on Regalith to find valuable resources and their percentages at various locations. The Drake Golem, dubbed the “Pullout King,” is praised for its speed, maneuverability, and quick ingress/egress, although it has limited cargo capacity (32 SCU). The guide highlights essential ship components and upgrades, such as the Pitman mining laser (non-swappable), Reager 3 and Focus 3 modules, Palisade shields, Breton power plant, and Atlas quantum drive, along with tips for safe travel and risk management while mining.
Next, the video dives into mining mechanics, explaining how to scan for rock deposits larger than 5 km away and how to interpret the Vcan number to find richer patches. It details the mining laser operation, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the laser power within the green zone to avoid overcharge explosions. The use of gadgets like the Boromax and Seabir is explained to cluster valuable materials and reduce instability, especially when mining tricky ores like beexelite and pteranite. The guide stresses caution when mining sensitive materials like quantanium, advising miners to crack all yellow slabs before scooping and to avoid overcharging to prevent catastrophic explosions. After mining, the video explains the refinery process, comparing refining methods (Dink Solventation vs. Ferron Exchange) and the importance of selling unwanted ore before heading out for another run.
The MISC Prospector section covers upgrading the ship with Argo Mole pods to increase cargo capacity by 16 SCU, as well as unlocking and swapping ship ports. Recommended equipment includes the Helix mining head, Reager 3 and Focus 3 modules, Palisade shields, Genoa power plant, Ice Box cooler, and Atlas quantum drive. The Prospector offers a balance between cargo capacity and mining efficiency, with slightly better shields and a marginally better mining head than the Golem. The guide walks through scanning and mining techniques, gadget usage, and the importance of managing resistance and instability values when cracking rocks. The Prospector is slower than the Golem but provides more cargo space, making it suitable for longer mining sessions.
The Argo Mole is presented as the ultimate mining ship for groups, boasting 96 SCU of cargo space and the ability to operate three mining lasers simultaneously with a full crew. The video covers the optimal laser and module loadouts for each arm, shield and power plant choices, cooler options, and the best quantum drive. Although slower and less maneuverable than the Golem or Prospector, the Mole excels in teamwork-based mining, allowing faster rock cracking and higher overall yield. The guide shares experiences of cooperative mining runs, highlighting the importance of having a dedicated pilot and the risks of explosions when mining too close. It also discusses strategies for managing roles during mining, such as rotating who scoops and cracks to maximize efficiency and profit.
Finally, the video recommends the Argo Raft or the larger Carrack C2 as excellent ships for transporting mined and refined materials, with the C2 offering massive cargo capacity (696 SCU) ideal for serious miners. It demonstrates how to load refinery orders onto ships for efficient transport and warns about potential server issues that might affect auto-unloading. Throughout the guide, the importance of preparation, ship upgrades, teamwork, and safety is stressed to maximize mining success in Star Citizen. For additional help, viewers are encouraged to visit Elapo’s YouTube channel and Discord community for further mining tips and support.