Deep core mining in Elite Dangerous offers a lucrative avenue for solo players seeking to amass credits quickly. While various money-making methods exist in the game, deep core mining stands out for its potential to generate substantial profits within a relatively short timeframe. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of the technique, outlining the necessary equipment, ship selection, and mining process to maximize your earnings.
Choosing the Right Ship and Equipment for Deep Core Mining
Ship selection and outfitting play a crucial role in deep core mining efficiency. While starting with a smaller ship like the Cobra MK III is viable, upgrading to vessels with larger cargo capacities, such as the Asp Explorer, Krait MK II, or Python, significantly increases profitability. The Python offers a balance between cargo space and maneuverability, making it an excellent choice for this activity.
Essential equipment includes:
- Detailed Surface Scanner: Locates hotspots within asteroid rings.
- Collector Limpet Controller: Collects the valuable ore fragments. Maximize the number of limpets you can carry.
- Prospector Limpet Controller: Analyzes asteroids to identify core deposits.
- Seismic Charge Launcher: Used to fracture asteroids and release the core materials.
- Abrasion Blaster: Extracts surface deposits from asteroid fragments.
- Pulse Wave Analyzer: Identifies asteroids with valuable cores.
- Shield Generator: Protects your ship from damage.
Optional, but recommended internals include thrusters for improved maneuverability and an upgraded FSD for faster travel. Ensure your power plant can handle the increased power demands of your mining equipment. Before each mining run, fully restock your limpet supply at a station’s Advanced Maintenance section.
Finding and Extracting Valuable Ores
Profitable deep core mining relies on identifying and extracting high-value ores like Void Opals, Grandiderite, and Alexandrite. Utilize online resources like EDDB to track commodity prices and locate systems with icy rings, the primary source of these minerals.
Once in a system, use the Detailed Surface Scanner in supercruise to pinpoint hotspots within the rings. Drop into a hotspot and use the Pulse Wave Analyzer to scan asteroids. Look for asteroids emitting a bright, solid yellow glow with red interiors – these indicate potential core deposits.
Dispatch a Prospector Limpet to confirm the presence of a core and the mineral type. Upon identifying a suitable asteroid, utilize the Seismic Charge Launcher to place charges within fissures on the asteroid’s surface. Match the charge strength (low, average, high) to the fissure hardness indicated by the launcher’s interface. Aim for “optimal yield efficiency” shown on the top-right meter.
Safety First: Retreat a safe distance (at least 2km) before the charges detonate to avoid ship destruction. Overcharged asteroids can be disarmed via the contacts panel.
After detonation, deploy Collector Limpets to gather the ejected ore fragments. Simultaneously, use the Abrasion Blaster on the remaining asteroid pieces to extract surface deposits. Once the limpets have collected all the ore, proceed to a station with high buy prices for your mined materials, as indicated by EDDB.
Maximizing Your Profits
Deep core mining can yield substantial profits, ranging from 50 to 100 million credits per hour or more, depending on factors such as market prices, cargo capacity, and mining efficiency. Mastering asteroid identification, efficient charge placement, and quick extraction techniques will significantly boost your earnings. While finding valuable asteroids might initially be challenging, experience and practice will improve your ability to quickly locate and extract profitable ores, leading to increased credit per hour. Remember to balance travel time and selling prices to maximize your overall profits.
