Mining Overview
Mining is one of the most economically important skills in Idle Clans. The ores you extract feed directly into Smithing, which produces metal bars, equipment, and high-value crafted items. Mining is also one of the primary income sources for players who prefer selling raw materials over processing them.
Ore Tiers and XP
Each ore type unlocks at a specific Mining level. Pickaxe tiers - obtained by plundering Mining community - reduce your action time, following the same Normal/Refined/Great/Elite/Superior/Outstanding/Godlike/Otherworldly progression as all other tools.
- Level 1 - Copper Ore + Tin Ore: Combined into Bronze bars at Smithing level 1. The very start of your mining career.
- Level 15 - Iron Ore: Smelted into Iron bars at Smithing level 15 (no coal required). A consistent early-game income source.
- Level 25 - Silver Ore: Smelted into Silver bars at Smithing level 25. Used for Silver jewellery (rings, amulets, bracelets, earrings) from Smithing level 30.
- Level 30 - Coal Ore: Coal is a fuel ore, not directly processed into a bar. It is required to smelt Steel (30 Smithing), Platinum (55), Meteorite (65), Titanium (80), and Astronomical (90) bars. Mine it constantly.
- Level 45 - Gold Ore: Smelted into Gold bars at Smithing level 50. Used for Gold jewellery from Smithing level 50.
- Level 55 - Platinum Ore: Requires 3 Coal + 1 Platinum ore per bar. Platinum platebody requires Smithing level 55.
- Level 70 - Meteorite Ore: Requires 6 Coal + 3 Meteorite ore per bar. Meteorite platebody requires Smithing level 70.
- Level 75 - Diamond Ore: Smelted into Diamond bars at Smithing level 70. Used for Diamond jewellery from Smithing level 75.
- Level 85 - Titanium Ore: Requires 9 Coal + 3 Titanium ore per bar. Titanium platebody requires Smithing level 85. Top-tier standard metal.
Coal: The Hidden Bottleneck
Coal deserves special attention. It does not produce a bar on its own but is required as a fuel at every mid-to-high Smithing tier. The coal requirement scales sharply with metal tier:
- Steel bar: 1 Coal + 2 Iron ore
- Platinum bar: 3 Coal + 1 Platinum ore
- Meteorite bar: 6 Coal + 3 Meteorite ore
- Titanium bar: 9 Coal + 3 Titanium ore
This means your mining time must be split between primary ore and coal. Always maintain a coal buffer before starting intensive Smithing sessions. Many players dedicate a portion of their idle time exclusively to coal mining.
Mining for the Market
Raw ores are a reliable income source at all game stages. Even if you do not train Smithing, mining the highest available ore and selling it raw is a solid strategy. Use the Market Analytics page on Idle Clans Hub to compare the sell price of raw ore versus processed bars and decide whether processing is worth the Smithing time investment.
Ironman Mining Strategy
In Ironman mode, Mining underpins your entire equipment progression. Push Mining and Smithing together, keeping them within 10 levels of each other so neither creates a bottleneck for the other. Pay particular attention to maintaining a large Coal stockpile - running out of Coal when you need to smelt Titanium bars is one of the most painful bottlenecks in Ironman.