Mining has become a staple of the survival genre. Resources in games are helpful for player progress and often play a role in the in-game economy. Yager has done an incredible job implementing mineral mining into The Cycle: Frontier.
Not only is mining easy, but it is satisfying the way a player has to use the pickaxe and hit the areas of the rock with the mineral in it. It is very straightforward and balances out the more adrenaline-pumping features in The Cycle: Frontier.
This guide summarizes information about the mining tools, the variety of materials that can be mined, where to find them, and the metals’ applications. These materials are often needed for crafting, completing missions for the three factions, or upgrading your Prospect Quarters. This guide is inclusive of both maps of The Cycle: Frontier. You might say, you’ve found a gold mine of information!
How and Where to Find Minerals to Mine in The Cycle: Frontier
The Cycle: Frontier offers prospectors a few tools that will help them find and mine the different minerals in the Fortuna III landscape. Some minerals are extremely easy to find, and players will be able to gather them quickly. Others are located in High Danger areas and won’t be easy to stockpile.
Mining Tools in The Cycle Frontier
The Cycle: Frontier offers players three mining tools that will help them find and mine vital minerals.
Mineral Scanner
A highly versatile scanning device that can only detect Nickel by default but can be modded to detect any Minerals on Fortuna
This scanner costs 150 K-Marks at any market and will be able to detect Nickel. If you mod this item with specific tools, it will be able to detect better, rarer minerals.
Our recommendation is to set this device aside. It is quite heavy, lowering what else you can carry in your backpack. Beware, it is quite loud, a dangerous thing in the monster-infested wilderness! When you are carrying the Mineral Scanner equipment in The Cycle Frontier, you are defenseless. Instead, use a guide such as ours and a map to mine in the right locations.
Pickaxe
A pickaxe is a tool that every prospector needs Fortuna III. With the pickaxe, prospectors can mine minerals and damage enemy players.
The Pickaxe is a default tool that every prospector will carry without taking any slots on their backpack. It is effective but slow.
Heavy Mining Tool in The Cycle Frontier
This monster costs 600 K-Marks at the Korolev Market and weighs 30 units. This is a fast mining tool that helps Prospectors mine better minerals. The only drawback is its deafening volume!
All Minerals in The Cycle Frontier and Where to Mine Them
Minerals are scattered throughout both the Bright Sands and Crescent Falls maps. Each mineral spawns in a different area based on its rarity. Some of the more valuable minerals spawn only in High Danger Areas, such as the Jungle in Bright Sands.
Nickel
This is the most common mineral in the game. Players won’t have any trouble trying to find it as the map is full of Nickel Veins. As you might infer, It’s also one of the least required minerals in the game.
- Rarity: Common
- Weight: 2
- Sells for: 150 K-Marks
- Contracts: 1 Nickel
- Found in: Nickel Vein
- Faction XP: 2
Altered Nickel
This mineral can be found in most of the areas of Fortuna III. If you see green stripes snaking through a rock, you’re standing on a Nickel vein. Feel free to go to town mining this mineral in the Cycle Frontier. Altered Nickel weighs 2 units and sells for 338 K-Marks. It can also be found at Industrial Crates or crafted using 680 K-Marks and 5 Nickel. You will need 16 pieces of Altered Nickel for every mission.
- Rarity: Uncommon
- Weight: 2
- Sells for: 338 K-Marks
- Contracts: 16 Altered Nickels
- Found in: Nickel Vein
- Faction XP: 3
Flawed Veltecite
This is one of the game’s less valuable and most common minerals. It can be found almost anywhere, particularly around waterfalls.
- Rarity: Common
- Weight: 3
- Sells for: 150 K-Marks
- Contracts: 10 Flawed Veltecites
- Found in: Common Veltecite Vein and Industrial Crates
- Faction XP: 2
Cloudy Veltecite
These uncommon crystal shards can be used for energy storage and generation. They can be found throughout the whole map of Bright Sands, but Prospectors might have higher luck around the Waterfalls. Look for blue striations in rocks, or use a modded Mineral Scanner to find them. Lucky players can find them inside Industrial Crates. 14 Cloudy Veltecite are needed for different contracts.
- Rarity: Uncommon
- Weight: 3
- Sells for: 570 K-Marks
- Contracts: 14 Cloudy Veltecites
- Found in: Common Veltecite Vein and Industrial Crates
- Faction XP: 6
Clear Veltecite
A rare shard that Korolev will pay a reasonable amount for to prospectors able to find it. You can mine it in an ordinary Veltecite vein, but it won’t drop very often.
- Rarity: Epic
- Weight: 3
- Sells for: 854 K-Marks
- Contracts: 45 Clear Veltecites
- Found in: Common Veltecite Vein and Industrial Crates
- Faction XP: 9
Pure Veltecite
This Epic purple shard of a crystal is extremely hard to get by mining in the CYcle Frontier. Moreover, it has a prolonged spawn rate in the Common Veltecite veins. Players would be wise to use a space in their Safe Pocket when Pure Veltecite is found, in case their character dies, losing inventory. Pure Velticite is used for upgrades and crafting.
- Rarity: Epic
- Weight: 3
- Sells for: 1,992 K-Marks
- Contracts: 13 Pure Veltecites
- Found in: Common Veltecite Vein and Industrial Crates
- Faction XP: 19
Veltecite Heart
This is a Legendary Crystal shard and is highly sought after due to its high worth in K-Marks. You can mine it in a common Veltecite vein, but its spawn rate is abysmal. We recommend players store it in the Safe Pocket to prevent inventory loss. A heavily modded Mineral Scanner can help find Veltecite Hearts.
- Rarity: Legendary
- Weight: 3
- Sells for: 6,487 K-Marks
- Contracts: 5 Veltecite Hearts
- Found in: Common Veltecite Vein and Industrial Crates
- Faction XP: 65
Brittle Titan Ore
This Ore can be found inside Caves and Industrial Caves. If you see a rock shot through with glowing red stripes, you’ve found Brittle Titan Ore. This mineral is used in a variety of printed items and upgrading processes.
- Rarity: Uncommon
- Weight: 3
- Sells for: 570 K-Marks
- Contracts: 23 Brittle Titan Ores
- Found in: Brittle Titan Ore Veins, and Industrial Crates
- Faction XP: 6
Titan Ore
This Ore can be difficult to mine due to its meager spawn rate. Players will have to do some grinding to complete crafts and missions that require Titan Ore. We advise players to throw this ore into their Safe Pocket due to its rarity.
- Rarity: Rare
- Weight: 3
- Sells for: 854 K-Marks
- Contracts: 10 Titan Ores
- Found in: Brittle Titan Ore Veins, Caves, and Industrial Crates
- Faction XP: 9
Focus Crystal
“Focus Crystal” sounds like something you can find at the health and wellness store, but no luck! The Focus Crystal is only located in the Jungles of Fortuna III. These are extremely dangerous areas full of the most terrifying creatures in The Cycle Frontier. They are infested with aggressive creatures, such as the dreaded Marauders. Before searching for Focus Crystals that you plan to be mining in the Cycle Frontier, we advise players to come geared up. This crystal can be used to create miniature figures.
- Rarity: Rare
- Weight: 3
- Sells for: 961 K-Marks
- Contracts: 32 Focus Crystals
- Found in: Focus Crystal Veins and Industrial Crates
- Faction XP: 10
Pure Focus Crystal
These Epic Crystals can be found in Focus Crystal Veins in the Jungles of Fortuna III. Modded Mineral Scanner can assist prospectors in finding them faster. Beware the Marauders when mining for these!
- Rarity: Epic
- Weight: 4
- Sells for: 2,883 K-Marks
- Contracts: 32 Focus Crystals
- Found in: Focus Crystal Veins, and Industrial Crates
- Faction XP: 29
Letium Clot
This Solidified Mass of Letiium is a rare and valuable mineral that is extremely hard to get. Players need to use a Korolev Laser Drill to drill a Letium Deposit, such as those located north and northeast of Base Camp.
- Rarity: Epic
- Weight: 3
- Sells for: 11,533 K-Marks
- Contracts: 20 Focus Crystals
- Found in: Letium Clot
- Faction XP: 115
Meteor Fragment
This Rare Radioactive Crystal spawns through the meteor shower that will randomly land on the maps of Fortuna III. The meteors will announce themselves with a loud bang in the sky. Players will be able to see the rocks falling from above. Meteors tend to land on open areas, so prospectors must be very aware of their surroundings while mining Meteors. Don’t be caught out in the open when mining these minerals in The Cycle Frontier by an enemy!
- Rarity: Rare
- Weight: 5
- Sells for: 1,013 K-Marks
- Contracts: 32 Meteor Fragments
- Found in: Meteor rocks
- Faction XP: 10
Meteor Core
This Epic Meteor Core can usually be found in the middle of the Debris of a meteor shower. They are extremely rare. This Meteor Core can be used to craft Legendary equipment and weapons.
- Rarity: Epic
- Weight: 25
- Sells for: 7,594 K-Marks
- Contracts: 13 Meteor Fragments
- Found in: Meteor Core rocks
- Faction XP: 76
Our conclusion to our Mining Guide for The Cycle: Frontier
Mining in The Cycle: Frontier can be a very relaxing activity or a very dangerous one depending on the mineral a prospector is trying to get. We highly advise players to either explore the map to learn about the spawn locations or look for a pre-made map of the location of each one of the minerals.
If you struggle to navigate the game, feel free to check out our Cycle Frontier Beginners Guide for more insights on how best to start.
Good luck, and enjoy the grind through the lands of Fortuna III!
