Tycho FieldA nearby lunar mineral field that teaches the basic relationship between place, extraction, targeting, and cargo.
PROFESSION · EXTRACTION
Mining
Mining is the business of learning where useful material exists, building a ship that can extract it well, and deciding whether that haul is more valuable sold, refined, stored, or fed into your own industry.
The right location matters as much as the right ship.
Every mining location has its own resource fingerprint. Better targeting improves selectivity inside that geography—it does not make a resource appear where it does not belong.
THE LOOP
From field to finished purpose.
A mining run is only one part of a larger chain. What happens before and after extraction is where much of the profession's depth comes from.
01Choose a locationLearn its local mineral fingerprint.
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02Choose a targetRun Balanced or bias toward a discovered ore.
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03ExtractYour full ship and Crew determine real performance.
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04Fill cargoCapacity changes how long you can stay out.
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05Use the haulSell, refine, store, haul, or manufacture.
IN GAME
What mining looks like.
This example follows the current live interaction flow and uses Tycho resources from the authored mining pool. The status values are intentionally descriptive because the real numbers depend on your current ship, Crew, fittings, and condition.
NavigationTycho Field
◈ 18,420
CURRENT LOCATION
Tycho Field
Lunar debris and mineral beltLocal actions
Choose target
Mining
Choose a balanced operation or bias ordinary finds toward a discovered ore target.
BalancedGeneral extraction · bycatch and bonus finds remain possible.
Target Ore
Ferric OreBias ordinary ore finds toward this resource.
Nickel OreBias ordinary ore finds toward this resource.
Aluminum-Bearing OreBias ordinary ore finds toward this resource.
WAYWARD SUNTycho Field
CURRENT LOCATION
Tycho Field
Lunar debris and mineral beltLocal actions
Choose target
Mining
Balanced extraction or target a discovered ore.
BalancedGeneral extraction · bycatch remains possible.
Target Ore
Ferric OreBias ordinary finds toward iron.
Nickel OreBias ordinary finds toward Nickel Ore.
GEOGRAPHY
Learn the fields, not just the ore list.
Sol is not one giant mining table. A named field has a bounded local fingerprint: a few dominant resources, several secondary materials, and perhaps some locally rare finds. Geography is part of mastery.
Different field, different reason to goOther deposits can justify longer travel, different risk, or a more specialized fit because their local mineral mix is different.
YOUR BUILD
Your laser is only part of your mining ship.
Mining performance comes from the whole vessel. Extraction hardware creates the physical capability, while Captain and Crew skills, prospecting, power and cooling, condition, expertise, cargo capacity, and the local environment determine how effectively the ship can use it.
TARGETING
Balanced broadens your haul. Targeting biases it.
A Balanced run uses the location's normal resource mix and can reveal harvestable resources you have not discovered yet. Once a discovered resource is also targetable at the current location, you can bias ordinary finds toward it. Bycatch and bonus finds can still happen.
Work the location broadly.
Good for discovery, mixed material needs, or simply taking what the field gives you.
Bias toward what you need.
Choose a discovered resource that exists in the current location's targetable pool. Higher prospecting capability strengthens that bias without removing bycatch.
CARGO & TIME
A faster miner is not always the miner you want.
Extraction speed and cargo endurance pull against each other. A high-throughput fit can support frequent check-ins. A larger hold can stay in the field longer and suit an overnight run. The useful fit depends on how you actually play.
More extractionFill faster. Return more often.
More cargoStay out longer. Reduce check-in pressure.
More selectivityBias the haul toward the material you currently care about.
More resilienceAccept less peak output for safer or more sustainable operation.
AFTER THE RUN
The ore is the beginning of another decision.
Mining becomes valuable because the haul feeds the rest of Wayward Sun. You do not need to become an industrialist yourself—the market lets another player value what you brought home.
SellConvert the haul into credits through local market demand.
RefineProcess raw material into useful industrial inputs.
ManufactureFeed components, ammunition, equipment, and hull production.
HaulMove material to a region or station where it is more useful.
StoreKeep strategic material for a schematic, future build, or market opportunity.