Mining in Starfield is an essential activity, whether you’re gathering resources for weapon modifications, constructing outposts, or completing quests. While mining can sometimes feel time-consuming, there are tricks and techniques to speed up the process. Here’s how you can mine faster and more efficiently in Starfield.
Mining is a core gameplay element in Starfield. Players will find themselves mining various resources throughout their journey in the vast universe. These resources are crucial for multiple in-game activities, such as crafting, building, and quest completion.
The Cutter is your go-to tool for mining in Starfield. It’s equipped with a laser that breaks down resources, making them ready for collection. While the Cutter is efficient, there’s a way to supercharge its mining speed.
How To Get The Cutter
In Starfield, cutters can be bought at any general store. When you enter a store, navigate to the ‘Weapons’ section and scroll through the available items until you spot a cutter.
While many general stores across the galaxy stock cutters, here are a few notable locations where you can reliably find one:
- Jemison Mercantile located in New Atlantis, Jemison, within the Alpha Centauri system.
- Shepherd’s General Store in Akila City, on the planet Akila in the Cheyenne system.
- Mining League on Neon, situated in the Volii Alpha region of the Volii system.
The Mining League in Neon stands out as an especially great spot to purchase cutters, as well as ores. If, by chance, you don’t find a cutter available during your visit, you can either check another store or simply wait for 24 in-game hours. This will refresh the store’s inventory, giving you another shot at acquiring a cutter.
For those adventurers who’d rather not part with their hard-earned credits, there’s good news. As you traverse the vast expanse of the galaxy, you’ll often come across enemy corpses. Many of these fallen foes drop their weapons upon defeat, and there’s a decent chance that a cutter might be among the loot. If you’re raiding a base teeming with adversaries, the odds of stumbling upon a cutter increase significantly.
Best Cutter For Fast Mining In Starfield
While the regular cutter does the job, it lacks the speed we are looking for. In my experience, the best cutter for fast mining in Starfield is Heller’s Cutter. You can find this cutter during “Back to Vectera” quest (Freestar Collective) when you visit Argos Extractors Mining Outpost on Vectera.
Once you land, you’ll be greeted by Lin, who awaits your arrival. Engaging in a conversation with her is essential to progress the quest and eventually locate the weapon.
After your chat with Lin, make your way into the building on your right. To gain entry, you’ll need to activate a switch located to the door’s right. Inside, navigate through the doorway on the right, leading you to a Cutter Crate. This crate is the treasure trove that houses Heller’s Cutter.
The Quick Mining Trick
There’s a simple yet effective trick to boost your mining speed in Starfield:
- Hold Down Two Buttons Simultaneously: When mining with your Cutter, hold down the ADS (Aim Down Sight) button in addition to the fire button. This action focuses your Cutter’s laser, allowing you to mine at a much faster rate.
- Xbox: RT + LT
- PC: Left Click + Right Click
As you employ the quick mining trick, you’ll notice three lines on the edge of the reticle moving towards its center. These lines indicate the power level of your Cutter. The closer these lines get to the aiming reticle, the faster you mine. Maximum mining speed is achieved when these lines form a full hexagon with the reticle.
While this trick significantly boosts your mining speed, it comes with a trade-off. Using the Cutter in this manner depletes its energy at a much faster rate. However, many players find this a worthwhile tradeoff for the increased mining efficiency.