- Primary Goal: Prioritize upgrading your tool using the subterra pickaxe upgrade system to increase mining speed and break harder ores.
- Crafting Location: Visit the Blacksmith NPC located in the Overworld surface hub to upgrade your tools.
- Key Resources: Save early Rock, Coal, Copper, and Tin to craft the initial tiers of upgrades.
- Progression Loop: Balance pickaxe upgrades with backpack capacity to ensure your runs remain highly profitable.
Subterra Pickaxe Upgrade System Overview
In the 2.5D Roblox adventure Subterra, upgrading your tools is the single most important factor for deep-layer survival. Your pickaxe determines both your mining power and your swing speed. Higher-tier blocks in deeper layers require higher mining power to break efficiently, meaning a weak starter tool will severely limit your exploration.
To execute a subterra pickaxe upgrade, you must gather specific blocks, raw ores, and smelted ingots, then bring them along with Gold to the Blacksmith NPC at the Overworld surface hub. Pinning your active recipes at the Blacksmith helps you track materials during active runs.
Mining Power
Determines how many hits it takes to break standard blocks and rare ore veins in deep layers.
Mining Speed
Increases your swing frequency, allowing you to clear tunnels and escape collapsing mines faster.
Progression Gating
Unlocks access to deeper layers like Darkstone and Permafrost by allowing you to break harder blocks.
Never discard early-game gems like Citrine or Topaz. While they can be sold for quick Gold, they are required for crucial mid-game tool upgrades.
Pickaxe Upgrade Recipes and Stats
The following tables show the complete progression route from the default starter pickaxe up to Tier 14. Plan your resource allocations carefully to avoid wasting precious ingots on temporary gear.
Early Tier Pickaxe Upgrades (Tiers 1–7)
| Tier | Power | Speed | Gold Cost | Required Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | 20 | 100% | Free | Default starter tool |
| Tier 2 | 25 | 105% | 62 | 25x Rock |
| Tier 3 | 30 | 107% | 125 | 35x Rock, 5x Coal |
| Tier 4 | 35 | 107% | 187 | 50x Rock, 15x Raw Copper, 15x Coal |
| Tier 5 | 40 | 110% | 250 | 25x Coal, 20x Copper Ingot |
| Tier 6 | 50 | 115% | 625 | 20x Coal, 10x Raw Tin, 50x Copper Ingot |
| Tier 7 | 55 | 119% | 750 | 30x Raw Tin, 75x Copper Ingot, 5x Coal |
Mid Tier Pickaxe Upgrades (Tiers 8–14)
| Tier | Power | Speed | Gold Cost | Required Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 8 | 60 | 120% | 875 | 30x Raw Tin, 100x Copper Ingot, 50x Coal |
| Tier 9 | 65 | 123% | 1000 | 75x Tin Ingot, 100x Coal |
| Tier 10 | 75 | 129% | 1250 | 50x Tin Ingot, 35x Copper Ingot, 10x Citrine |
| Tier 11 | 80 | 132% | 1375 | 90x Tin Ingot, 75x Coal, 25x Raw Iron |
| Tier 12 | 85 | 135% | 1500 | 125x Tin Ingot, 50x Copper Ingot, 15x Citrine, 35x Raw Iron |
| Tier 13 | 90 | 138% | 1625 | 75x Iron Ingot, 100x Coal |
| Tier 14 | 100 | 144% | 1875 | 90x Iron Ingot, 60x Tin Ingot |
Smelting Raw Copper and Raw Tin into ingots is required for high-tier tools. Do not sell your raw ores directly to the merchant if you are close to a pickaxe upgrade checkpoint.
Step-by-Step Tool Progression Route
To progress efficiently without hitting a wall where blocks take too long to break, follow this structured upgrade path.
Secure the Dirt Layer Basics
Start by mining Rock and Coal in the Dirt Layer. Accumulate enough materials to leap directly from Tier 1 to Tier 3 quickly, bypassing the weak Tier 2 phase if possible.
Establish Copper and Tin Smelting
Descend to the Stone Layer and focus on mining Raw Copper and Raw Tin. Bring these to the Overworld Smeltery to craft Copper Ingots. This unlocks Tier 5 and Tier 6 upgrades, which provide a massive 15% boost to mining speed.
Collect Citrine and Iron
Once you reach Tier 9, you will need Citrine Crystals and Raw Iron. Search for Gem Geodes in the Stone Layer and mine deeper (Y -100 and below) to gather Raw Iron.
Finalize the Early-Mid Game Checkpoint
Smelt your Raw Iron into Iron Ingots to craft the Tier 13 and Tier 14 pickaxes. This positions your character perfectly to break Darkstone blocks and transition into late-game areas.
Pair your pickaxe upgrades with backpack upgrades. A high-tier pickaxe is useless if your inventory fills up within two minutes of digging.
Mining Milestones and Achievements
Farming blocks to upgrade your pickaxe also helps you complete core game achievements, which reward you with valuable Chrono Shards.
Key Mining Achievements:
- Humble Beginnings: Mine your first block (35 Chrono Shards) [1.1.5]
- Rookie Spelunker: Mine 100 blocks (35 Chrono Shards)
- Deep Delver: Mine 500 blocks (50 Chrono Shards)
- Earthshaper: Mine 2,000 blocks (50 Chrono Shards)
- Veinbreaker: Mine 5,000 blocks (50 Chrono Shards)
- Worldbreaker: Mine 10,000 blocks (140 Chrono Shards)
Frequently Asked Questions
Use this FAQ section to troubleshoot your progression and optimize your mining efficiency.
Q: Where do I go to perform a subterra pickaxe upgrade?
You must visit the Blacksmith NPC located in the Overworld surface plaza. Ensure you have the required materials and Gold in your inventory before interacting with him.
Q: How do I get the Citrine Crystals needed for Tier 10 and Tier 12 upgrades?
Citrine Crystals can be found by cracking open Gem Geodes in the Stone Layer or by searching lootable chests underground. Opening chests is often faster than mining blindly.
Q: Should I upgrade my pickaxe or my backpack first?
Upgrade your pickaxe first if you find that breaking blocks takes more than 3-4 hits. If you find your inventory filling up before you reach your destination, switch focus to upgrading your backpack.
Q: Can I use Ability Cards to boost my pickaxe stats?
Yes. You can equip cards like Stronger Pickaxe (increases power by 6% per card) and Lighter Pickaxe (increases speed by 5% per card) to augment your tool's base stats.