The Forge's Island 4 update, Crimson Sakura Isles, launched on February 22, 2026, and with it came a fresh set of six pickaxes ranging from 675,000 Gold all the way up to 3,330,000 Gold. Older pickaxes from previous islands lack the Mine Power needed to damage the new ore nodes on Island 4, so upgrading is mandatory — but not every pickaxe in the lineup is worth your gold.
Quick answer: The optimal Island 4 pickaxe progression is Bamboo Pickaxe → Wolf Pickaxe → Oni Pickaxe → Kitsune Pickaxe. You can safely skip the Sakura Pickaxe and Holy Pickaxe to save millions of gold.
All Island 4 Crimson Sakura Pickaxes — Stats and Prices
Every new pickaxe is purchased from Miner Fred's Pickaxe Shop on the Crimson Sakura Isles. None of them drop from bosses or require crafting materials — it's purely a gold investment. Here's the full stat breakdown:
| Pickaxe | Rarity | Price (Gold) | Mine Power | Speed Bonus | Luck Bonus | Rune Slots |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bamboo Pickaxe | Rare | 675,000 | 370 | +5% | +60% | 1 |
| Sakura Pickaxe | Epic | 950,000 | 480 | -5% | +65% | 2 |
| Wolf Pickaxe | Epic | 1,300,000 | 600 | +15% | +70% | 2 |
| Holy Pickaxe | Epic | 1,850,000 | 740 | +5% | +74% | 3 |
| Oni Pickaxe | Legendary | 2,666,666 | 888 | -10% | +82% | 3 |
| Kitsune Pickaxe | Legendary | 3,330,000 | 1,000 | +10% | +85% | 3 |
A few things stand out immediately. The Sakura Pickaxe actually has a negative speed bonus (-5%), making it feel sluggish for only a modest bump in Mine Power over the Bamboo. The Wolf Pickaxe, meanwhile, boasts the highest speed bonus on the entire island at +15%, which makes it the fastest-feeling tool in the Crimson Sakura lineup. The Oni Pickaxe trades speed for raw power and luck, while the Kitsune Pickaxe sits at the top with balanced stats across the board.
Best Early-Game Pickaxe on Island 4
When you first arrive on the Crimson Sakura Isles, the Bamboo Pickaxe is your entry point. At 675,000 Gold, it's the cheapest Island 4 option and provides enough Mine Power (370) to start chipping away at the new ore nodes. If you're coming from Island 3 with a Dragon Head Pickaxe or Prismatic Pickaxe, those older tools simply won't cut it against Island 4 rocks — you need at least the Bamboo to make progress.
Don't linger on the Bamboo longer than necessary, though. Its single Rune Slot limits your customization, and 370 Mine Power will feel increasingly slow as you push deeper into the island's caves.
Best Mid-Game Pickaxe — Skip the Sakura
The natural temptation is to upgrade from Bamboo to Sakura since it's the next pickaxe in the price ladder. Resist that urge. The Sakura Pickaxe costs 950,000 Gold but comes with a -5% speed penalty, and its Mine Power increase (480 vs. 370) isn't dramatic enough to justify the expense when you'll want to replace it almost immediately.
Instead, save up for the Wolf Pickaxe at 1,300,000 Gold. The jump from 370 to 600 Mine Power is substantial, and the +15% speed bonus makes mining noticeably faster. You also gain a second Rune Slot. The extra grind time needed to skip the Sakura pays for itself because you won't waste 950,000 Gold on a tool you'll outgrow within a few hours.
Best Late-Game Pickaxe — The Oni and Kitsune Path
Once you've been mining with the Wolf Pickaxe for a while, the next worthwhile upgrade is the Oni Pickaxe at 2,666,666 Gold. Its 888 Mine Power tears through most Island 4 rocks, and the +82% Luck Bonus significantly improves your chances of pulling rare ores. The -10% speed penalty is noticeable, but the sheer damage output more than compensates — you'll destroy nodes in fewer hits, which offsets the slower swing.
Similar to the Sakura situation, the Holy Pickaxe (1,850,000 Gold) sits awkwardly between the Wolf and Oni. It offers 740 Mine Power and a modest +5% speed bonus, but its stat gains over the Wolf don't justify the cost when the Oni is the real target. Skip it.
The ultimate goal is the Kitsune Pickaxe at 3,330,000 Gold. It's the strongest obtainable pickaxe in the game right now, with 1,000 Mine Power, +10% speed, +85% Luck, and 3 Rune Slots. You need the Kitsune to destroy Blossom Boulders, the hardest rock type on Island 4. Realistically, most players won't be able to afford the Kitsune right away, which is why the Oni serves as an excellent stepping stone while you accumulate gold.
Optimal Island 4 Pickaxe Progression Summary
| Stage | Buy This | Skip This | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early game | Bamboo Pickaxe (675K) | — | Minimum requirement for Island 4 ore nodes |
| Mid game | Wolf Pickaxe (1.3M) | Sakura Pickaxe | Wolf has better speed and power; Sakura's -5% speed penalty isn't worth 950K |
| Late game | Oni Pickaxe (2.67M) | Holy Pickaxe | Oni's 888 power and +82% luck outclass the Holy's incremental gains |
| Endgame | Kitsune Pickaxe (3.33M) | — | Required for Blossom Boulders; best stats in the game |
Following this path, you'll spend a total of roughly 7.97 million Gold across four purchases. If you bought every pickaxe in order, you'd spend an additional 2.8 million Gold on the Sakura and Holy for tools that barely move the needle.
How Island 4 Pickaxes Compare to Previous Islands
For context, the strongest pickaxe from Island 3 (Frostspire Expanse) was the Dragon Head Pickaxe at 750 Mine Power and 2,750,000 Gold. The Bamboo Pickaxe — the cheapest Island 4 option — already falls below that in raw power at 370, but it's specifically tuned for the new ore nodes that older pickaxes can't damage at all. Mine Power thresholds on Island 4 are separate from previous islands, so bringing a Dragon Head or Prismatic Pickaxe won't help you mine Crimson Sakura ores.
The Kitsune Pickaxe's 1,000 Mine Power also surpasses the Mythic-rarity Angelite Pickaxe (888 Mine Power) in raw damage, though the Angelite retains an edge with 4 Rune Slots and a +25% speed bonus compared to the Kitsune's 3 slots and +10% speed.
What's Coming Next for Island 4
Island 4 launched in an initial state, with a confirmed content update expected around March 9, 2026. That update is set to add the Spirit Cave, a Goblin King boss, side quests, ore crafting, equipment traits, new traits, and new runes. Whether additional pickaxes will arrive with that wave remains unconfirmed, but the new runes could meaningfully change how you optimize your Rune Slots on the Oni and Kitsune pickaxes.
For now, the four-pickaxe progression path — Bamboo, Wolf, Oni, Kitsune — is the most gold-efficient route through Island 4's mining content. Spend wisely, skip the traps, and you'll reach Blossom Boulders without burning millions on tools you'll replace within a session.