Mining in The Forge is not a side activity; it is how you unlock better weapons, armor, and gear. That makes your pickaxe the most important tool in the game. Choosing badly wastes gold and slows your entire account down.
The good news: the pickaxe lineup is small, and the power curve is very clear. Once you understand how Mine Power, Luck, and Rune Slots scale from Stone to Arcane (and beyond), you can plan a clean upgrade path instead of buying everything the tutorial nudges you toward.
The Forge pickaxe rankings (quick view)
| Tier | Pickaxe | Mine Power | Luck Boost | Rune Slots | Notable use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | Arcane Pickaxe | ≈75–115 (depends on source/version) | +100% | 3 | Late‑game rare ore farming, best overall luck |
| S | Demonic Pickaxe | 175 | +47.5% | 3 | End‑game raw mining power |
| S | Magma Pickaxe | 135 | +46% | 2 | High power and strong luck before true end‑game |
| A | Lightite Pickaxe | 100 | +62% | 1 | Highest sub‑Arcane luck; late‑game farming |
| A | Mythril Pickaxe | 80 | +55% | 2 | Balanced power and luck in late mid‑game |
| A | Uranium Pickaxe | 67 | +41% | 2 | Efficient mid‑game workhorse |
| A | Titanium Pickaxe | 55 | +43% | 2 | Budget mid‑game option |
| B | Cobalt Pickaxe | 36 | +35% | 2 | Starter tool for Forgotten Kingdom‑tier content |
| B | Stonewake’s Pickaxe | 33 | +10% | 1–3 (varies by source/version) | Very strong early power; mines everything currently in game |
| B | Platinum Pickaxe | 24 | +25% | 2 | Best early‑mid luck pickaxe from the shop |
| C | Golden Pickaxe | 16 | +15% | 1 | First affordable luck tool for beginners |
| C | Iron Pickaxe | 10 | +5% | 0 | Stronger starter pickaxe; no rune growth |
| D | Bronze / Copper Pickaxe | 7 | 0% | 0 | Small early bump over Stone |
| D | Stone Pickaxe | 4 | 0% | 0 | Starter tool only |
Some numbers above differ slightly between communities and recent balance passes; what does not change is the relative ordering. Arcane defines the luck ceiling, Demonic defines the power ceiling, and everything else slots under those two goals.
How pickaxe stats work in The Forge
| Stat | What it does | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Mine Power | How quickly you break rocks and ore nodes. | Higher Mine Power clears nodes faster and allows mining tougher rock tiers. |
| Luck / Luck Boost | Increases the chance of rolling higher‑rarity ores when a rock breaks. | Directly drives your income and access to rare crafting materials. |
| Mine Speed | Percent bonus or penalty to swing speed on some picks (for example Stonewake’s). | Can offset or worsen how a given Mine Power feels in practice. |
| Rune Slots | Number of rune sockets a pickaxe can use. | Determines how far you can scale extra damage, defence, ore yield, or sustain. |
| Price | Gold required to buy the pickaxe. | Controls your upgrade path; expensive mistakes delay everything else. |
Two extra rules are worth keeping in mind:
- Pickaxes do not lose durability. You never have to repair them, and they never weaken over time.
- Only pickaxes with at least one Rune Slot can equip runes. Stone, Bronze/Copper, and Iron are permanent dead‑ends from a rune perspective.
S‑tier pickaxes: Arcane, Demonic, Magma
S‑tier pickaxes define end‑game mining. All three combine high Mine Power with heavy luck bonuses and multiple rune slots.
| Pickaxe | Mine Power | Luck | Rune Slots | Suggested runes | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arcane Pickaxe | ≈75–115 | +100% | 3 | Miner Shard, Blast Chip, Ward Patch, Rage Mark, Chill Dust (choose 3) | Best overall pickaxe; maximum rare ore rate |
| Demonic Pickaxe | 175 | +47.5% | 3 | Miner Shard plus two combat‑oriented runes like Drain Edge and Rage Mark | Absolute peak Mine Power with strong but not insane luck |
| Magma Pickaxe | 135 | +46% | 2 | Miner Shard and either Blast Chip or Chill Dust | High power “value” option before you reach Demonic |
Arcane’s defining trait is its luck. A flat +100% luck boost dramatically increases high‑rarity drop rates, and three rune slots let you stack even more ore yield, survivability, or damage. Its major drawback is price: 125,000 gold, plus the effort of unlocking it in Fallen Angel’s Cave.
Demonic and Magma lean harder into Mine Power while still offering strong luck bonuses. Demonic’s 175 Mine Power simply erases rocks, and Magma’s 135 is not far behind. Both are expensive (up to 500,000 gold for Demonic) and sit at the far end of progression.
A‑tier pickaxes: Lightite, Mythril, Uranium, Titanium, high‑end Arcane alternatives
A‑tier picks are where most accounts will spend a lot of time. They are reachable with solid mid‑game farming and offer enough power and luck to make rare ores feel consistent.
| Pickaxe | Mine Power | Luck | Rune Slots | Cost (gold) | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightite Pickaxe | 100 | +62% | 1 | 98,500 | High‑luck farming for players not yet at Arcane |
| Mythril Pickaxe | 80 | +55% | 2 | 67,500 | Balanced late mid‑game pick with good rune flexibility |
| Uranium Pickaxe | 67 | +41% | 2 | 37,500 | Efficient option when transitioning from Cobalt/Platinum tier |
| Titanium Pickaxe | 55 | +43% | 2 | 22,500 | Cheaper mid‑game entry into double‑slot runes |
Lightite stands out by pushing luck to +62% while still offering triple‑digit Mine Power. The trade‑off is having only one rune slot, which usually goes straight to Miner Shard to further increase ore yield.
Mythril, Uranium, and Titanium all come with two rune slots, giving more room for mixed mining‑and‑combat builds. For general progression, slot Miner Shard plus a damage or sustain rune such as Rage Mark or Drain Edge, then replace these picks once Arcane or Demonic becomes realistic.
B‑tier pickaxes: where early and mid‑game meet
B‑tier tools bridge the gap between starter gear and the heavy hitters. They feel like real upgrades but eventually get outclassed by the A‑ and S‑tier lineups.
| Pickaxe | Mine Power | Luck | Rune Slots | Cost (gold) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cobalt Pickaxe | 36 | +35% | 2 | 10,000 | Good starter for higher‑tier zones with decent luck |
| Platinum Pickaxe | 24 | +25% | 2 | ≈4,400–5,000 | Excellent early‑mid tool; second‑best early luck |
| Stonewake’s Pickaxe | 33 | +10% | 1–3 | 3,333 | Very high raw power; can mine every rock currently in the game |
| Gold Pickaxe | 16 | +15% | 1 | 1,500 | First affordable luck boost from the basic shop list |
Platinum is the standout here. It offers solid Mine Power, a +25% luck boost, and two rune slots at a relatively low price. For many players, it is the first time ore drops noticeably improve.
Stonewake’s Pickaxe is a special case. Its 33 Mine Power rivals much more expensive tools, and it can break every current rock type, but it comes with a ‑30% mine speed penalty and only a modest +10% luck. That makes Miner Shard almost mandatory if you care about drops. It is purchased inside the Inner Cave after you find it lodged in rock.
Gold and Cobalt make sense as temporary stepping stones when you cannot yet afford Platinum, Titanium, or Uranium. Their main value is being the first picks with rune slots (Gold) or the entry ticket to harder regions (Cobalt).
C‑ and D‑tier pickaxes: starter tools and traps
The bottom tiers exist mostly to be replaced. Their stats are enough for the tutorial and very early ores, but fall off quickly.
| Tier | Pickaxe | Mine Power | Luck | Rune Slots | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Golden Pickaxe | 16 | +15% | 1 | Acceptable first luck pick if you cannot yet reach Platinum. |
| C | Iron Pickaxe | 10 | +5% | 0 | Decent early power and a small luck bump, but no rune path at all. |
| D | Bronze / Copper Pickaxe | 7 | 0% | 0 | Minor upgrade over Stone; still no luck or rune support. |
| D | Stone Pickaxe | 4 | 0% | 0 | Free starter given by Sensei Moro; replace it as soon as you can. |
Iron and Bronze/Copper are the classic “gold sinks.” They feel stronger than Stone, but the lack of rune slots means they have no future. Once you understand how much power and luck runes add, divert that early gold into a pickaxe that can actually use them.
Best runes for pickaxes
Runes plug into your pickaxe’s sockets and add extra effects like lifesteal, bonus ore yield, or freeze procs. Each rune has a fixed effect; higher tiers simply give you more slots to mix them.
| Rune | Type | Effect summary | Best on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miner Shard | Mining | Chance to yield an extra ore when mining (around 5%). | Any pick used primarily for mining, especially Arcane and Lightite. |
| Drain Edge | Combat | Lifesteal rune; heals a portion of damage dealt and adds a flat damage bonus (around +15% DMG). | Hybrid mining/combat builds on high‑tier picks. |
| Ward Patch | Defence | Defensive rune that helps you survive while mining in dangerous zones. | Arcane, Demonic, Magma when farming near hostile mobs. |
| Chill Dust | Control | Applies a frost‑themed effect; used for both visuals and control. | Picks used in icy or crowd‑heavy areas. |
| Frost Speck | Control | Another high‑end frost rune with strong stat bonuses and visuals. | Three‑slot picks focused on flashy late‑game builds. |
| Rage Mark | Damage | Boosts damage output, useful when enemies are an issue while mining. | Any rune‑enabled pick used in combat‑heavy zones. |
| Blast Chip | Utility | Area‑oriented or explosive‑style effect; good for clearing clusters. | High‑tier picks farming dense rock layouts. |
| Briar Notch | Utility | Solid, but smaller stat boosts; sits below S‑tier options. | Mid‑tier picks before you unlock premium runes. |
| Rot Sitch / Flame Spark / Venom Crumb | Situational | Niche elemental bonuses; usable but replaceable later. | Placeholder runes until you get Miner Shard or Drain Edge. |
The key takeaway is simple:
- If you care about raw mining returns, always prioritize Miner Shard on any pickaxe that has at least one slot.
- If you are fighting a lot while mining, pair Miner Shard with Drain Edge and either Ward Patch or Rage Mark on two‑ and three‑slot picks.
Runes can be socketed and removed by the Runemaker NPC on the beach at Stonewake’s Cross. When a pickaxe has no rune slots, there is nothing that the NPC can do for it.
How to get Arcane and Stonewake’s pickaxes
Not every pickaxe comes from Miner Fred’s shop in Stonewake’s Cross. Two of the most important ones are tied to exploration.
| Pickaxe | Location | How to obtain | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arcane Pickaxe | Fallen Angel’s Cave | Complete Bard’s guitar quest in Stonewake’s Cross to get an Unknown Key, then unlock the steel gate deep in The Cave’s right path. | 125,000 gold (for the pick itself once you reach it) |
| Stonewake’s Pickaxe | Inner Cave | In The Cave, follow the left path to a wooden bridge; the pickaxe is stuck in rock nearby and can be purchased directly. | 3,333 gold |
Briefly, the Arcane unlock sequence works like this:
- Talk to the Bard NPC in Stonewake’s Cross to start his missing guitar quest.
- Enter The Cave and take the left path, then walk over the grass at the base of a wooden pillar to drop into a hidden cave.
- Pick up the guitar lying next to a skeleton and return it to the Bard to receive the Unknown Key.
- Re‑enter The Cave, take the right path, and follow it until you reach a massive steel gate. Use the key to open it and continue through to the Arcane Pickaxe.
Stonewake’s is simpler: reach the Inner Cave via The Cave’s left branch, find the pick jammed into rock near the wooden bridge, and buy it if you have enough gold.
Where each tier makes sense in a real progression
A clean, gold‑efficient ladder looks like this:
- Use the free Stone Pickaxe only for the tutorial and initial quests.
- Jump to Golden or directly to Platinum as your first luck pick, skipping Iron and Bronze/Copper if possible.
- Grab Stonewake’s Pickaxe early if you want raw Mine Power and the ability to mine every current rock, but accept the slower swing speed.
- Transition into the mid‑game with Cobalt, Titanium, or Uranium, depending on what your wallet can handle.
- Move into late‑game using Mythril or Lightite as powerful luck‑focused picks.
- Finish on Arcane for maximum rare ores and upgrade to Magma or Demonic once you are chasing pure power and already have strong rune support.
Throughout that climb, slot Miner Shard into the first rune slot you get, add Drain Edge when combat becomes risky, and save your most expensive rune combinations for picks that you know will last—Arcane, Demonic, Magma, and the top A‑tier tools.
