Mining becomes a pretty big part of Doloc Town once you get further into the game. At first, it can feel like something you only do when you happen to walk past an ore deposit, but that changes quickly when you start upgrading tools, unlocking equipment, and crafting items that need a steady supply of ingots.
The annoying part is that ore isn’t always conveniently placed. Copper is easy enough to find, but if you’re specifically looking for things like iron or gold, running around randomly can take a surprising amount of time.
After spending quite a bit of time mining around Doloc Town, I’ve found a few routes that make the whole process much less painful. You don’t necessarily need to follow every route every time, either. Depending on what you’re looking for, some areas are much better than others.
This Doloc Town mining guide covers the routes I find most useful for collecting both ore and junk, along with what you should bring before heading out.
Doloc Town Mining Guide: Best Ore and Junk Farming Routes
Before worrying about the actual routes, there are a few things that make a huge difference.
Ideally, you want to have the bus stations unlocked, along with some of the additional stops. If you haven’t reached that point yet, don’t worry about mining efficiently just yet. You’re probably still at the stage where exploring naturally will give you enough resources.
Once you’ve got the transportation system sorted, here’s what I’d recommend taking with you:
- A fully upgraded drone that can comfortably deal with robots
- Plenty of food for healing and buffs
- Several storage boxes for extra inventory space
- The Motorcycle
- The Miner’s Hat
- A fully upgraded pickaxe
- As much inventory space as possible
The drone is especially important for some of the routes below. A couple of these areas have quite a few enemies, and constantly stopping to fight robots can completely ruin the efficiency of your mining trip.
I’d also recommend carrying a Rescue Pager and a Sleeping Bag if you have access to them.
The Rescue Pager is particularly useful because you can finish your route and instantly get yourself back to town instead of spending another few minutes travelling home. The Sleeping Bag is handy when you need another way to manage your respawn point or you’re going to be spending a long time away from town.
Best Food Buffs for Mining
Food buffs can make these routes noticeably better, especially when you’re trying to collect as much as possible during a single trip.
One thing worth knowing is that buffs with different durations can stack. So instead of simply eating one food and calling it a day, you can combine foods to keep useful effects active for longer.
For ore gathering, Spaghetti and Popcorn are good choices.
For junk, Endyam Biscuit and Tamagoyaki are useful.
For general utility, Herbal Tea and Pickled Fruits work well. Mint Tea can also be used as an alternative.
I’d also consider taking something that gives you a defense buff. You’re going to run into plenty of robots on some routes, and extra defense can save you a lot of healing items.
Wetland Polluted Zones Mining Route
If your main goal is getting a large amount of ore and junk in a relatively short amount of time, this is probably my favorite route.
The downside is that the area has plenty of enemies. You really don’t want to attempt this route with a weak drone because you’ll spend half your trip fighting instead of mining.
Start by mining the junk in the upper part of the area. You don’t need to travel all the way to the top. Once you’ve cleared that section, continue left into the next area.
Here, just start mining everything you come across.
Once you’ve cleared this section, head back toward the starting area. You can then clean up the resources in the lower portion before heading down.
At this point, don’t waste time clearing everything around you. Move quickly through the area and head left to the next screen.
You’ll eventually find a cave. Enter it and head right.
This part is worth taking your time with because there are plenty of resources to collect, including a hidden room. Make sure you check it before continuing downward.
Mining the Lower Wetland Area
This is where the route gets a little more dangerous.
There are quite a few enemies here, but there’s also a good amount of ore waiting for you. I usually work through the upper section first, mining as I move along.
Once the top is cleared, move through the lower section and continue mining toward the right.
You can technically continue exploring beyond this point if you still have time, inventory space, or buffs active. However, I normally don’t bother.
Once I’ve collected what I came for, I simply use the Rescue Pager and head back home.
If you’ve stacked your movement-speed bonuses, brought the Miner’s Hat, and have a good supply of food buffs, you can squeeze considerably more resources out of this route. Just remember that the extra time isn’t always worth it if your inventory is already full.
Rivervalley Outpost Mining Route
If you don’t want to deal with a bunch of enemies, the Rivervalley Outpost is a much more relaxed option.
This area is particularly convenient because you can collect resources without constantly having to stop and fight.
There is one major downside: gold ore is extremely limited here, while iron is also fairly uncommon.
There is, however, one particularly useful spot with a good amount of ore.
From the relevant location near the outpost, move down and jump to reach the next area. Once you’re on the next screen, head right.
There’s another way to reach the same general area if you’d rather take a different route. Go to the left side of the outpost and continue downward, then take the first path to the right.
Once you reach the mining area, you’ll find a pretty nice collection of ore.
This is one of those spots that’s especially convenient if you already have the Motorcycle, because it lets you move around the area much faster and can make the trip more worthwhile.
Don’t Ignore Lanks’ Neighborhood
The area around Lanks’ neighborhood is worth checking if you’re looking for junk rather than just ore.
There isn’t a huge amount of junk immediately next to the bus stop, so don’t expect to arrive and fill your inventory instantly.
Instead, explore around the neighborhood and look for the routes that lead toward the river valley. There’s additional loot tucked away around there, and it’s worth checking if you’re already making the trip.
I’d personally combine this with the nearby mining route rather than making a separate journey exclusively for junk.
Mountain Trail Mining Route
The Mountain Trail is another useful location, particularly if you’re looking for junk and don’t mind making a slightly longer trip.
You can also find ore here, but there’s an important catch: you’ll want to repair the car that gives you access to the mining area.
Once that’s done, the area becomes much more worthwhile.
The main thing I wouldn’t do is treat Mountain Trail like the Wetland route and expect to run through it every day.
The resources here don’t respawn all at once on a daily basis. Because of that, this location works better as a weekly mining trip rather than something you repeatedly farm every day.
It’s still absolutely worth visiting, though. If you’re already nearby or have resources you need from this area, make sure you clear the mining section while you’re there.