mining Drone Comparison
Crystal Harvester vs Salvage Collector
Comparing the Crystal Harvester (Tier 2) and Salvage Collector (Tier 1), 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 | Salvage Collector |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | T2 | T1 |
| Max per carrier | 15★ | 10 |
| production Boost | 0.35★ | 0 |
| crystal Boost | 0.5 | — |
| speed | — | 50 |
| hp | — | 20 |
★ 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
Salvage Collector
Deployed after a battle to scour the debris field for recoverable resources. It claws through wrecked hulls and scattered cargo, returning a portion of the battle's resource cost to your base stores. An essential tool for commanders who fight expensive wars.
Carriers: base
Unlock tech: salvage ops
Which Drone Should You Build?
The Crystal Harvester 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.