mining Drone Comparison
Crystal Harvester vs Deep Mole
Comparing the Crystal Harvester (Tier 2) and Deep Mole (Tier 3), both mining drones in Starforge MMO. Both deploy from carrier hulls and fill the same wing slot, so they compete directly for your drone bay.
Stat Comparison
| Attribute | Crystal Harvester | Deep Mole |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | T2 | T3 |
| Max per carrier | 15★ | 10 |
| production Boost | 0.35 | 0.5★ |
| crystal Boost | 0.5 | — |
| unlocks Rare Deposits | — | Yes |
★ marks the higher raw value for each attribute. Higher is not always better — match the stat to your carrier doctrine.
Crystal Harvester
Specialized mining drone with crystal-tuned extraction lasers. More efficient than Ore Pickers on crystal deposits. Its frequency-matched laser array resonates at the exact lattice frequency of crystalline formations for maximum yield.
Carriers: base
Unlock tech: mining 2
Deep Mole
Equipped with seismic pulse drills and a reinforced chassis, the Deep Mole bores into the dense core layers of asteroids and moons to access rare mineral deposits that surface-level drones cannot reach. Its advanced sensor package automatically identifies and flags previously unknown deposit pockets.
Carriers: base
Unlock tech: deep core mining
Which Drone Should You Build?
The Deep Mole sits a tier higher, giving it the stronger stat ceiling and making it the upgrade target once its unlock tech is researched. The lower-tier drone stays viable as an early-game filler while you tech up.