- Introduced
- 1.0 / Drilling Thunder
- Primary job
- Dig terrain and collect valuables
- Power
- Batteries
- Beam
- Adjustable through the tool setting
- Craft time
- 60 seconds at the Craftbot
- Mounting rule
- Stable frame + reverse path
- Paired scout
- Ore Prospector before long tunnels
- Paired pickup
- Ore Collector behind dig face
- Paired process
- Ore Crusher away from combat pocket
- Signature threat
- Minerbot overhead pressure
- Crafted at
- Craftbot
- Recipe unlock
- Warehouse progression
Where Plasma Drill fits
Plasma Drill has 1 production route at Craftbot.
- Craftbot100× Metal Block Level 2 + 10× Component Kit + 10× Circuit Board1× Plasma Drill Level 1 / 60 seconds / Warehouse progression
Recipe and trader connections checked for version 1.0.1.869.
Plasma Drill recipes and properties
Powered by batteries. A highly advanced drill that digs in terra mass. The drill collects valuables and ejects them when they are ready to collect. Use the setting to adjust the beam size.
Combine 100 Metal Block Level 2, 10 Component Kit, 10 Circuit Board at Craftbot for 1mto make 1 Plasma Drill Level 1.
- Stack size
- 5
- Durability
- 8/10
- Weight
- 3/10
- Friction
- 2/10
- Buoyancy
- 3/10
- Max stack
- 5
- Material
- Metal
- Flammable
- No
- Durability
- 8/10
Excavation Island processing loop
| Stage | Tool / part | Job | Failure mode if skipped |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Scout | Ore Prospector | Choose dig heading before a long bore | Dead-end tunnels, wasted fuel |
| 2. Bore | Plasma Drill | Dig terrain and collect valuables | Stuck frame, no escape pocket |
| 3. Collect | Ore Collector | Move recovered material into storage | Inventory clog mid-fight |
| 4. Process | Ore Crusher | Turn ore into usable output | Hauling raw material forever |
| 5. Stage | Large Chest + lights | Park output behind dig face | Loot lost to Minerbot crash |
Plasma Drill Level 1 recipe values are taken from the 1.0.1.869 Craftbot data. Recheck the recipe after a balance patch.
Underground threat checklist
| Threat | What it changes | Preparation |
|---|---|---|
| Minerbot | Vertical rock showers; crash after kill | Ceiling sightlines, ranged ammo, cargo not under flight path |
| Cablebot | Targets destructible creation parts and can dig toward them | Clear before extending the bore; protect the power train |
| Battery depletion | The Plasma Drill stops before valuables are ready | Carry a separate reserve and keep the power connection accessible |
| Darkness | Missed ledges and bot silhouettes | Glowsticks / headlights on corridor and vehicle |
The drill description, recipe, and object ratings use the 1.0.1.869 item data; the linked bot pages carry the combat values used here.
Vehicle Geometry Before Drill Length
Reach only matters if the frame can reverse. Build a low mining chassis with tool contact you can see, a clear reverse corridor, and cargo chests that are not under the rock face or Minerbot crash zone.
- Test reverse with a full tool extension before deep work.
- Keep repair blocks and a Spudgun on the same vehicle.
- Never make the only engine the forward crumple zone.
Run the Five-Stage Mining Loop
Scout with the Ore Prospector, open a short bore with the Plasma Drill, move recovered material into collection, crush it behind the dig face, then stage the output. The drill already collects valuables and ejects them when ready, so keep its discharge side reachable.
- Prospect and mark the heading.
- Open a short bore; confirm reverse + lights.
- Clear Minerbots and Cablebots before extending.
- Collect and crush in a rear bay.
- Extract when chests are full—do not force one more tunnel.
Why the Ore Parts Share One Workflow
Ore Prospector, Collector, and Crusher perform consecutive jobs. Keeping them in one route makes it easier to diagnose whether a failed mining run started with the heading, pickup, processing, or storage instead of treating each part as an isolated checklist.
Combat Interrupts Are Normal
Budget potato ammo for Minerbots the same way you budget for Farmbots on the surface. A mining trip that cannot afford a vertical fight is not ready—bring food perks, Glowsticks, and an abort plan to the surface road.